The Ghosting of Lady Quay PDF
The Ghosting of Lady Quay PDF
The Ghosting of Lady Quay PDF
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Adventures
Adventure Background aboard the haunted vessel. Though nearly driven mad by the
experience, the captain finally recovered enough of her wits to embark
upon a daring plan. She cloaked the entire vessel in a powerful mirage
Any mariner can tell you that ghosting is a nautical term used arcane to make it appear as a bright and glistening vessel rather than
to describe how a ship sometimes sails in a calm when the wind is the seaweed-clogged, tattered, and charred wreck that it truly is. She
apparently absent. One vessel particularly prone to this mysterious renamed it the Lady Quay and vowed to set its undead crew to rest by
occurrence recently put into dock at the wharf of Swordport, a city on delivering its cursed cargo to the sorcerer on Aegis Isle. She rightly
the shore of the Moonsilver Sea. Though she appears quite well rigged believes that by completing her original contract and offloading the
and a fair sight to the eye of any able seaman, the Lady Quay is actually essence ingots, she can unravel the dark forces that bind her crewmates
a ship in terrible straits. Her captain is tormented by liquor-washed to their current undead state.
nights of self-reproach, her crew whispers mutiny, and her cargo hold
conceals a freight that spells disaster for any who look upon it.
Captain Winnifer Miro, 52 years old on the day the adventure begins,
has spent more of her days at sea than on dry land. She is as seasoned
Adventure Synopsis
to the ways of Mother Ocean as any sailor hailing from any port. A Boson Rekello hires the characters to serve aboard the Lady Quay
master navigator and intuitive leader, Captain Miro has made a name during the short journey to Aegis Isle. If the characters are experienced
for herself and with it a small fortune; indeed, merchants bid on her sailors, Rekello employs them as such. Otherwise, they are hired
services and pay premium wages for her time. They know their goods for their strength at arms, as every vessel sailing into the perilous
are practically guaranteed to arrive at the destination on schedule, as Moonsilver Sea is wise to man itself with sturdy marines. Soon the
long as Winnifer Miro commands the helm. Though her personal life characters learn that not everything on the ship is as it first seems.
has always been a thing open to rampant speculation and barroom Further investigation reveals various layers of the story detailed above.
prattle, one piece of her myth known to be true is that she recently The heroes must deal with the undead crew while simultaneously
lost her one true love. Captain Miro has had many ephemeral romantic fending off the normal aquatic predators. In the end, they have the
affairs in her time, as is a sailor’s wont, but young Thispin Venroth chance to help the captain complete her quest, but only after conveying
was the only captain of her heart. Sadly, rumor has it that Thispin the volatile essence ingots through a colony of crabfolk to the doorstep
was murdered by pirates in a distant buccaneer town. The pirates also of the evil sorcerer who is subjugating them.
pillaged and burned the ship that Captain Miro was commanding, the
robust Night Heron. Since then, she’s used her considerable wealth to
purchase and outfit the Lady Quay. She is now at Swordport to fill out
her crew complement for a quick voyage to deliver medical supplies
Adventure Hooks
to a small island in the Moonsilver Sea. The characters can find themselves at Captain Miro’s disposal
Or so she claims. The truth is, several months ago, Winnifer Miro in several ways. These adventure hooks are suitable for nearly any
and her lover Thispin Venroth were hired to deliver a fell cargo of campaign with an appropriate coastal town or dock:
essence ingots to a sorcerer on Aegis Isle. They loaded the essence * The heroes are looking for work, and Boson Rekello approaches
ingots into the hold of their beautiful ketch, the Night Heron, unaware them with an offer after they exhibit their martial skill. This is the least
that these dangerous black bricks contained the trapped souls of obtrusive means of inserting the characters into the quest and allows
once-living creatures. The ubiquitous ship rats gnawed on the crates you to seamlessly insert this material in between other adventures.
and eventually were infected after consuming portions of the tainted * A wizard requires a rare material component and hires the
ingots. The rats transformed into malevolent creatures known as soul characters to bring it back. The component is actually the small,
nibblers. When the soul nibblers began biting the crew, the fatalities hardened ball of sand produced as waste material by crabfolk. Word
quickly mounted, and the frightened sailors declared an all-out mutiny. around the docks is that the Lady Quay is bound for crabfolk waters.
The ensuing fight was savage and bloody, and the Night Heron caught * A relative of the deceased Thispin Venroth asks the heroes to
fire during the fray. To save their own lives, Captain Miro, Thispin, investigate the exact manner of his death.
and boson Rekello slew a dozen of their own men. But Thispin was
mortally wounded and died as the ship was sinking.
Fully expecting to drown clinging to the body of her beloved,
Captain Miro was startled to find her ship rise from the clutches of
the cold sea. Instinctively she felt a new presence aboard, a phantom
atmosphere that chilled her blood. Only days later, when her crewmates
3. Boson’s Quarters is no bird inside. The bed is cloaked in the gloom, but its
silhouette reveals that it is a large canopied affair, piled
with quilts and pillows. An exotic perfume permeates the
The door to this room is locked. cabin. The floor is covered in discarded clothing and empty
Rekello calls this spartan cabin his home. His cot is tidy, and his few rum bottles.
personal effects are stored neatly in his footlocker. Like the captain,
Rekello keeps his personal wealth in certain strongboxes ashore.
Logbook. Rekello also keeps a detailed ship’s log in which he Captain Winnifer Miro is striking in appearance, especially for a
chronicles the vessel’s daily progress and position, as well as a concise woman of 52 years of age. Her short, spiked hair is the color of her
and rather objective account of all shipboard events. If the characters cutlass blade, a vibrant silver, and she is seldom seen without a sweat-
peruse this journal, they learn the true fate of the Night Heron and stained strip of red silk tied around her head. Her headband matches
the identity of the undead down in the cargo hold. Rekello also states her waistcoat, which has buttons made of pure gold, like the hoops
matter-of-factly that Captain Miro’s lover was killed by mutineers that dangle from her ears. Like many sailors, the captain has spent
who handled the “black bricks” and subsequently rose as undead. her life barefoot, the better to tread the canting deck and navigate the
Finally, the boson reports on the captain’s steady decline into a state shrouds. She dons boots only when battle is imminent. In her youth,
of melancholia. she was an arresting beauty, and, though the rigors of her trade have
Nautical Charts. Rekello’s collection of nautical charts is second left their mark in the wrinkles at her eyes and in the coarseness of
to none and could fetch as much as 2,500 gp if sold to the right buyer. her skin, she has matured into a handsome, if unrefined, woman.
Treasure. The captain keeps little of value in her cabin, storing
4. Galley the bulk of her wealth at Swordport and other cities. She released the
songbird from its cage on the morning after Thispin’s death, setting
it free to the open sky. One of the desk drawers contains a purse of
The ship’s cook prepares meals for the crew in this room. four diamonds (500 gp each). The sextant of seeming (see Appendix
The current cook, only recently hired, is a dwarf who goes by B) lies innocuously atop the desk among several other navigational
the name of Scutlind (use the statistics of a thug). Scutlind is very instruments.
superstitious and admits to having heard strange sounds from below
decks. He eagerly imparts all manner of tales concerning the captain,
most of which is baseless hearsay, but some small measure of it has
the ring of truth. Roleplaying the Captain
Winnifer Miro lives with sadness. Her next of kin
5. Arms Magazine is the rum bottle, and she long ago bequeathed it the
better part of her soul. Though she considers herself
damned for the life she’s lived, she’s still quite full
The door to this room is locked. of vigor and a lust for derring-do. She vacillates
This small locker holds 15 shortswords, 10 cutlasses (treat as from bouts of dour melancholia to fits of reckless joy.
scimitars), 12 harpoons, 20 shortbows, 500 arrows, and a single,
She is cunning in combat and as full of artifice as any
dented greatsword. One of the cutlasses, unremarkable in appearance
illusionist, but she is also dependable in battle and a
from the others, is actually a scimitar of speed.
stalwart defender of anyone she calls her friend.
Gone Fishing Though it appears to the casual observer that this merfolk has found
herself in a spot of trouble, the entire scene is a ruse. The mermaid is
not a merfolk at all, but rather a sea hag who is in disguise and who
The Moonsilver Sea is rich in a variety of aquatic life, both mundane has cultivated a patch of keel kelp (see Appendix A) to help her lure
and magical. Characters trolling the waters, casting nets, or swimming unsuspecting sailors to their doom. The keel kelp has a mild fondness
around the ship can expect to encounter all manner of creatures, such for the sea hag who it views as a provider of food. When the ship gets
as a pack of sahuagin who leap onto the boat from the backs of hunter close enough, the keel kelp latches onto the hull and the sea hag climbs
sharks or a gulper eel (see Appendix A) looking for a meal. You can on deck, revealing her true form. If the characters convince the Lady
also choose an appropriate creature or creatures from the new monsters Quay to steer toward the keel kelp and the mermaid, the ship’s pilot
in Appendix A, such as a school of blue-finned vants, a mated pair of has disadvantage on the check against the keel kelp’s Ship Hunter trait.
deck devils, a glowflume swarm, or a crested nisp and its shark pets. Treasure. The sea hag and keel kelp have successfully performed
If the characters haven’t yet discovered the truth about the Lady this ruse dozens of times. If the characters search the tangle of keel
Quay, you can hint at the peculiarity of the ship with a sail moth or kelp once they defeat it, they find the skeletons of several humanoids
tirmanha swarm (both found in Appendix A) attacking the illusion- along with a necklace of coral and pearl worth 750 gp, a jeweled
shrouded ship then veering off after being unable to eat the sails (non- dagger worth 400 gp, and an amulet of proof against detection and
existent) or wood (rotten and coated in sea slime). A successful DC 15 location.
Intelligence (Nature) check knows the true nature of the creatures and
recognizes their sudden halt of feasting as odd behavior.
Buried at Sea
Dead Sailors Unbeknownst to anyone aboard, a mummy of the deep (see
Appendix A) has managed to cling to the ship’s keel and is slowly
At some point during the trip to or from Aegis Isle, the lookout pulling itself up one of the trailing ropes. This creature, all that
in the crow’s nest descries the flotsam of a scuttled vessel, perhaps remains of an evil man buried at sea, uses its ability to control water
the remains of a recent battle in which one of the combatants was to create a whirlpool under the ship. This throws the crew into a state
pulverized by siege engines. Random bits of cargo float among the of alarm. All hands rush to the gunwales to gauge the trouble. At least
smashed spars and hull sections. The largest crate is held afloat by a few of them spy the mummy and could very easily fall prey to its
a large sheet of planks that were once the deck of the ruined ship’s Dreadful Glare. Until it is destroyed, the mummy makes life difficult
cargo hold. Even still, the crate is half submerged and obviously won’t for everyone.
remain above the surface much longer. The crate weighs nearly 1,000
pounds for purposes of hauling it aboard the Lady Quay. The crate’s
original contents have been discarded and it now serves as the home
of four lacedons (see Appendix A). The lacedons attack immediately.
Treasure. Characters who ardently search the wreckage for drifting
Master of the Fathoms
booty recover the following after 1d4 hours of plucking items from A giant octopus attacks the ship. At one point when the winds are
the clutches of the sea: five bottles of grog, two bottles of premium sparse and the Lady Quay has slowed, the octopus attaches itself to
rum worth 20 gp each, a +1 shield emblazoned with the symbol of the bow and assaults up to eight different targets at once. The creature
an infamous orc tribe, a decorative oar inlaid with mother-of-pearl does not linger to trade blows with the characters but dives as soon as
and engraved with mermaid images worth 100 gp, a buoyant and it successfully grabs one of them. The octopus then moves as rapidly
waterproof scroll tube containing a spell scroll of conjure animals, as possible straight down into the sunless depths, taking its captive to
and a waterlogged painting in a gilded frame worth 500 gp if dried a watery grave.
sufficiently. The portrait depicts Burgrave Malva, the current
administrator of the city of Hawkmoon.
The lever mounted on the wall opens the secret door to Area 4. A
successful DC 18 Wisdom (Perception) check finds what appear to be
tiny snake scales scattered underneath the pillows. A broken statue leg
is in the corner and once belonged to the sorcerer. It is now a decoration
in the medusa’s lair and a reminder of her power on the island.
Treasure. A successful DC 20 Wisdom (Perception) check discovers
a derelict’s chartbooks (see Appendix B) under one of the pillows.
The chartbook contains charts and maps which greatly detail the
Moonsilver Sea.
Water Breathing. The blue-finned vant can breathe only Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
underwater Hit Points 37 (5d10 + 10)
Speed 30 ft., swim 30 ft.
Actions
STR DEX CON INT WIS CH
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (+3) 11 (+0) 15 (+2) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 8 (–1)
6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage.
Pressure Shift (recharge 6). While underwater, the blue- Skills Perception +4
finned vant suddenly discharges water Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
around it. Each creature within 10 feet of Languages Crabfolk, some speak Common
it must make a DC 13 Strength saving Challenge 2 (450 XP)
throw. On a failure, a creature takes Amphibious. The crabfolk can breathe air and water.
10 (3d6) bludgeoning damage and is
pushed up to 10 feet away from the Actions
vant. On a success, a creature takes
half the damage and is not pushed. Multiattack. The crabfolk makes
two attacks with its pincers.
Pincers.
Brine Zombie Melee
Weapon
Medium undead, neutral Attack: +5 to hit,
evil reach 10 ft., one
target. Hit: 10
Armor Class 11 (natural (2d6 + 3) slashing
armor) damage. The
Hit Points 27 (5d8 + 5) target is grappled
Speed 20 ft., swim 30 (escape DC 13)
ft. if it is a Large
or smaller
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA creature and
14 (+2) 8 (–1) 13 (+1) 2 (–4) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) the crabfolk
doesn’t have
Damage Resistances fire
another creature
Damage Immunities poison
grappled already.
Condition Immunities poisoned
The target is
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
restrained until the
Challenge 1 (200 XP)
grapple ends.
Hold Breath. The deck devil can hold its breath for 30 minutes.
Trampling Glide. If the deck devil is flying and moves at least
20 feet straight toward a creature then hits it with a tail attack
on the same turn, that target must succeed on a DC 13 Strength
saving throw or be knocked prone. If the target is prone, the
deck devil can make one bite attack against it as a bonus action.
Water Leap. The deck devil can fly up to 30 feet each round, but
it must start its movement in water. If it is flying at the end of its
turn, it falls and takes falling damage.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
3(–4) 17 (+3) 14 (+2) 1 (–5) 8 (–1) 1 (–5) 17 (+3) 15 (+2) 14 (+2) 2 (‒4) 12 (+1) 2 (–4)
Actions
Multiattack. The glowflume swarm makes two Consume Flesh
attacks.
Consume Flesh. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 0 ft.,
one creature in the swarm’s space. Hit: 10 (4d4) acid damage,
or 5 (2d4) acid damage if the swarm has half of its hit points or
fewer. The target must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving
throw or take 5 (2d4) acid damage at the start of its next turn as
the glowflume’s acid momentarily lingers, dissolving more of the
target’s flesh.
Amphibious. The keel kelp can breathe air and water. Mummy of the Deep
False Appearance. While the keel kelp remains motionless, it is Medium undead (aquatic), neutral evil
indistinguishable from normal kelp.
Ship Hunter. When a ship moves within 10 feet of keel kelp, the Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
ship’s pilot must succeed on a DC 15 Intelligence or Wisdom Hit Points 52 (8d8 + 16)
check using navigator’s tools or the keel kelp sticks to the ship, Speed 20 ft., swim 20 ft.
halving its speed until the kelp is removed. While stuck to a
ship, the keel kelp can grapple only two creatures at a time. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
Siege Monster. The keel kelp deals double damage to objects 17 (+3) 10 (+0) 14 (+2) 6 (–2) 14 (+2) 15 (+2)
and structures.
Saving Throws Con +3, Wis +4
Actions Skills Athletics +7, Perception +6, Stealth +2
Damage Resistances fire; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
Multiattack. The keel kelp makes four Kelp Strand attacks. from nonmagical weapons
Kelp Strand. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 15 ft., one Damage Immunities necrotic, poison
target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage, and the target is Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion,
grappled (escape DC 15). Until this grapple ends, the target is frightened, paralyzed, poisoned
restrained. Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 16
Squeeze. Each creature grappled by the keel kelp must make Languages the languages it knew in life
a DC 15 Strength saving throw, taking 14 (4d6) bludgeoning Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)
damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful
one. Amphibious. Mummies of the deep can
breathe air and water.
Innate Spellcasting (1/day). The mummy
Lacedon can innately cast control water, requiring
no material components. Its innate
Medium undead, chaotic evil
spellcasting ability is Wisdom
Armor Class 11
Hit Points 27 (6d8) Actions
Speed 30 ft., swim 30 ft.
Multiattack. The mummy can use its Dreadful Glare and makes
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA one Rotting Fist attack.
15 (+2) 12 (+1) 10 (+0) 7 (–2) 10 (+0) 6 (–2) Necrotizing Strike. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5ft.,
one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage plus 10 (3d6)
Damage Immunities poison necrotic damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, poisoned a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or be cursed with necrotic
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10 fever. The cursed target can’t regain hit points, and its hit point
Languages Common maximum decreases by 10 (3d6) for every 24 hours that elapse.
Challenge 1 (200 XP) If the curse reduces the target’s hit point maximum to 0, the
target dies, and its body turns to pluff mud. The curse lasts until
Amphibious. The lacedon can breathe air and water. removed by the remove curse spell or other magic.
Skills Stealth +5
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, slashing
Tirmanha Swarm
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, grappled, Medium swarm of Tiny beasts, unaligned
paralyzed, petrified, prone, restrained, stunned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 9 Armor Class 14
Languages — Hit Points 82 (15d8 + 15)
Challenge 3 (700 XP) Speed 0 ft., swim 60 ft.
Salt Sense. The sail moth swarm can pinpoint, by scent, the STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
location of large concentrations of dry salt, such as salt-cured 10 (+0) 18 (+4) 13 (+1) 1 (–5) 8 (–1) 1 (–5)
meat or a salt-soaked sail, within 120 feet of it.
Siege Monster. The sail moth swarm deals double damage to Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, slashing
objects and structures. Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, grappled,
Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature’s space and paralyzed, petrified, prone, restrained, stunned
vice versa, and the swarm can move through any opening large Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 9
enough for a Tiny insect. The swarm can’t regain hit points or Languages —
gain temporary hit points. Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)
Actions
Bites. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 0 ft., one target in
the swarm’s space. Hit: 28 (8d6) piercing damage, or 14 (4d6)
piercing damage if the swarm has half of its hit points or fewer.