Players! Want to play this quest? Stop reading and notify your DM. Save the fun for the game-table!Running this Quest
You can adjust any of the information below according to your campaign, preference or imagination. Feel free to experiment and let other visitors know what works for you in the comments below.
The path took you through grassy hills and meadows to a lonely farm in the middle of fields. Among several smaller buildings, a wooden barn dominates, towering above all others. The view of the courtyard is blocked by a stone wall that encloses the entire complex. However, the wooden gate to the inside is overturned and there is a suspicious silence around. As you get closer to the gate, you’ll notice several sheep carcasses scattered all over the courtyard.
After the party enters the farm, successful DC10 Perception check will reveal Dup-nuk’s presence, as very loud snoring can be heard from the barn. Should the party enter the barn, they notice Dup-nuk sleeping in the hay pile.
The whole farm consists of four buildings. The main house, where Nilvan and his family lives, one long house where laborer’s sleep and eat, the warehouse and the barn. Dup-nuk is currently sleeping in the barn.
The longhouse is empty, with rotting food and half empty mugs left on the long dining table. The workers fled right after Dup-nuk came. The warehouse is completely plundered. Sacks of flour ripped, boxes with vegetables smashed and mushed.
The door to the main house is locked and the house is seemingly empty. Nilvan and his family are hidden in the cellar. There is a trapdoor that leads to the cellar, but is hidden beneath a carpet in the pantry (DC18 investigation check to find it). Should the party find the cellar before they fight with Dup-nuk, they will find Nilvan, the half-orc landowner hiding there with his family.
As you descend the creaky wooden stairs into the dimly lit cellar, you are met with a scene of desperation. Huddled in a corner, a half-orc farmer, is cradling his wife and two children. Their faces are contorted with fear, and their eyes are fixed on you. The air is thick with the smell of damp earth and stale air, and the only sound is the soft whimpering of the two half-orc children. As you step into the candlelight, the farmers eyes widen with recognition, and he stands up, pulling his family close to him protectively. “You must be the adventurers,” he says in a hushed tone. “Thank the gods you’ve arrived. My name is Nilvan, this is my wife Thekla, and this is Nura and Rendil. We’ve been hiding here for days, ever since Dup-nuk went berserk. He’s destroyed everything on the farm and even attacked us. We’re terrified.” Nilvan’s voice cracks with emotion, and his wife leans her head on his shoulder, her body shaking with silent sobs. The children, too scared to speak, cling to their parents’ clothes, looking up at you with pleading eyes.
It is now expected that the party members will introduce themselves. Nilvan will shake hands with them and then asks for help:
“Please, travelers, you must help me,” Nilvan says with a worried look on his face as he approaches you. “The giant in the barn is my friend, Dup-nuk. He’s always been kind to me and my family, protecting our farm from bandits and wolves. But a few days ago, he started acting strange. He began rampaging through the farm, eating everything in his path. I don’t understand what’s wrong with him, but I fear for our safety. Please, can you subdue him, but not harm him? I don’t want to lose my friend, and I hope we can figure out what’s going on with him.”
The Raging Giant
The closer you get to the barn, the louder the snoring becomes. Through an upturned gate, you catch a glimpse of a gaunt giant sleeping in a pile of straw. Several broken jugs and gnawed bones lie around him. At first glance, he looks like a hill giant, but the sagging and reddened skin on his body indicates that something is not quite right with him.
Successful DC12 medicine check will determine that the giant is indeed sick, but it seems that this condition is not natural and is caused by magic. Successful DC12 Arcana check or Detect Magic spell will then confirm that the giant is indeed cursed. If the party is not stealthy or reveals their presence by other means (shouting, talking out loud, rummaging through building) Dup-nuk wakes up and immediately attacks without warning.
Dup-nuk sees the party as potential food source and is driven by maddening hunger. Dup-nuk uses the statblock of Mouth of Grolantor which perfectly which perfectly encompasses his fight style with the Mouth of Madness ability. Once Dup-nuk reaches zero hit points, he is not killed outright, and instead falls down to his kneels and yields.
As you deliver the final blow, the giant drops to its knees. He covers his face with his clumsy hands and starts talking to you in the common tongue “Dup-nuk is sorry, Dup-nuk didn’t want to, Dup-nuk hurts, Dup-nuk is hungry” through mad mumbles. At that moment, a tall elderly half-orc runs out of the main house “Please spare him! He is my friend! Something is wrong with him!’
If the party decides to kill the giant despite the farmer’s insistence:
Tears stream down Nilvan’s face as he looks upon the body of his friend Dup-nuk, now motionless on the ground. “I begged you not to do this,” he chokes out. “He was my friend, and he protected my farm for years. I know he wasn’t in control of himself, but you didn’t listen. Now he’s gone, and I don’t know what I’m going to do without him.” He turns away from the party, his shoulders shaking with sobs. “I need you to leave my farm now,” he says, his voice barely above a whisper. “I never want to see you again.”
If the party listens to Nilvan and spares Dup-nuk, Nilvan will try to soothe him and ask what happened to him, Dup-nuk replies:
“Dup-nuk eat raspberries in forest. Dup-nuk thirsty. Dup-nuk drink from lake. Dup-nuk see blue lightsies and hear cackles. Dup-nuk angry. Dup-nuk hungry. Dup-nuk very hungry. Dup-nuk very sorry.“
After hearing this, Nilvan will inform the party that the only lake in the wide area is located in the woods several miles away:
Nilvan looks at the party with desperation in his eyes. “The only lake in this area is located deep in the woods, several miles away,” he says, his voice trembling. “We don’t go there often as it’s dangerous, with wolves and other creatures lurking about. Most travelers prefer to go around when heading to the town. But I beg of you, please go there and find out what happened to Dup-nuk.” He shakes his head, “I cannot offer you much in return, as the giant destroyed most of this year’s harvest and killed almost all of our animals. But I’ll do what I can to help you.”
The Witch of the Lake
If the party decides to help Nilvan, their next steps should lead to the forest where Dup-nuk drank from the lake:
Following Nilvan’s instructions, you headed towards a lake in the woods a few miles behind the farm. Soon you will come across a well-trodden path that will lead you to the lake itself. It stretches several hundred feet in width under a canopy of willows. The whole forest is dark, as if the sun is having trouble breaking through the treetops.
Once the party starts investigating the lake and its surrounding, let everyone roll a Wisdom Saving throw. The character with the lowest result will fix its gaze on the surface of the lake:
You suddenly stop and look at your reflection on the surface of the lake. Two greenish lights suddenly start dancing around your face. You observe them with astonishment and stare into them. They are so beautiful, you think and step into the water up to your knees. At that moment, the lights rise from the water and you see that the beautiful blue glow hides a fiery face with a grimace of agony.
At that moment, two will-o-wisps appear and attack the party. If the party successfully defeat them, one sea hag rises from the lake.
After you deal with the will-o-wisps, a woman emerges from the lake. Her bluish slimy skin glistens and her green hair is entwined with kelp „Who is rustling water in my lake, is it bird or is it snake? Who are you that give and take? Is your intent true or fake?!“ The hag takes a defensive position, and another will-o-wisp start to circle around her.
If the party explains their problem with the giant, she offers to break the curse, but only at one condition. She demands a flock of hair from the character with the highest charisma score. If asked why, she replies:
„All I want is lock of hair, that will make me nice and fair, enfeebling then will be my glare, and all will love me in despair“
If given the lock of hair, the hag will give the party an old yellow tooth. She then instructs them that if the giant swallows it, the curse will end. If the party refuses, the hag then submerges back to the lake together with the will-o- wisp back to its lair:
With a fluid motion, she sinks back into the lake, disappearing beneath the murky waters. You can’t shake the feeling that her presence is still lingering, watching you from below.
The only option now is fighting the hag below the waters of the murky lake. The hag uses statistics of a sea hag and is one will-o-wisp will defend it. Don’t forget that the fight will be underwater and that the sea hag has a swimming speed of 40ft giving her a considerable advantage. If reduced to below 25% of her starting hit points, the hag will yield.
As the hag’s last breath leaves her body, her form begins to change, her greenish skin turning a sickly pale color. You see fear in her eyes as she realizes her defeat. She reaches into the mud and retrieves a yellow tooth. With a weak voice, she speaks, “Take it, take it and break the curse. Spare my life and I will leave this land forever!”
If the party spares the hags life:
As the hag disappears with a grateful nod beneath the water, the lake ripples and churns as if in response to her departure. A mist slowly rises from the lake, obscuring your vision. When the mist clears, you realize that you are alone by the lake, with no sign of the hag or any other creature. The only sound is the gentle lapping of the water against the shore, as if the lake is whispering.
Resolution
If the party returns with the tooth and successfully breaks the curse, Dup-nuk finally quenches his eternal hunger and promises Nilvan that he will help him rebuild the farm and work off the damage caused by his rampage. Nilvan will then offer the adventurers a place to sleep and he and his family prepare a small feast to celebrate.
Risks and Rewards
As the farm owner has little to nothing to offer, there is no material reward in sight. That means that the party is effectively helping the farmer out of good will at a great risk. However, should they be successful on their quest, the good word the farmer will spread about the party might help them on their main quest or receive help in the future.
If the party gave the hag a lock of hair of one of their own, the hag might use it in the future, either to spy on the party or curse them directly. Think of ways you can integrate this further in your story. The hag might sell the information she gathered on the party to the big bad guy! Or plot some schemes on her own.
Monsters and NPC's
Hill Giant, Mouth of Grolantor
Huge Giant, Chaotic Evil
Armor class 14 (natural armor)
Hit points 105 (10d12 + 40)
Speed 50 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
21 (+5) | 10 (+0) | 18 (+4) | 5 (-3) | 7 (-2) | 5 (-3) |
Languages Giant
Mouth of Madness. The giant is immune to confusion spells and similar magic. On each of its turns, the giant uses all its movement to move toward the nearest creature or whatever else it might perceive as food. Roll a d10 at the start of each of the giant’s turns to determine its action for that turn:
- 1-3. The giant makes three attacks with its fists against one random target within its reach. If no other creatures are within its reach, the giant flies into a rage and gains advantage on all attack rolls until the end of its next turn.
- 4-5. The giant makes one attack with its fist against every creature within its reach. If no other creatures are within its reach, the giant makes one fist attack against itself.
- 6-7. The giant makes one attack with its bite against one random target within its reach. If no other creatures are within its reach, its eyes glaze over and it becomes stunned until the start of its next turn.
- 8-10. The giant makes three attacks against one random target within its reach: one attack with its bite and two with its fists. If no other creatures are within its reach, the giant flies into a rage and gains advantage on all attack rolls until the end of its next turn.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 15 (3d6 + 5) piercing damage, and the giant magically regains hit points equal to the damage dealt.
Fist. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (3d8 + 5) bludgeoning damage.
Will-o'-Wisp
Tiny Undead, Chaotic Evil
Armor class 19
Hit points 22 (9d4)
Speed 0 ft., fly 50 ft. (hover)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 (-5) | 28 (+9) | 10 (+0) | 13 (+1) | 14 (+2) | 11 (+0) |
Damage Resistances Acid, Cold, Fire, Necrotic, Thunder; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks
Damage Immunities Lightning, Poison
Condition Immunities Exhaustion, Grappled, Paralyzed, Poisoned, Prone, Restrained, Unconscious
Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 12
Languages The languages it knew in life
Challenge 2 (450 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +2
Consume Life. As a bonus action, the will-o’-wisp can target one creature it can see within 5 feet of it that has 0 hit points and is still alive. The target must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw against this magic or die. If the target dies, the will-o’-wisp regains 10 (3d6) hit points.
Ephemeral. The will-o’-wisp can’t wear or carry anything.
Incorporeal Movement. The will-o’-wisp 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.
Variable Illumination. The will-o’-wisp sheds bright light in a 5- to 20-foot radius and dim light for an additional number of feet equal to the chosen radius. The will-o’-wisp can alter the radius as a bonus action.
Actions
Shock. Melee Spell Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 9 (2d8) lightning damage.
Invisibility. The will-o’-wisp and its light magically become invisible until it attacks or uses its Consume Life, or until its concentration ends (as if concentrating on a spell).
Sea Hag
Medium Fey, Chaotic Evil
Armor class 14
Hit points 52 (7d8 + 21)
Speed 30 ft., swim 40 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
16 (+3) | 13 (+1) | 16 (+3) | 12 (+1) | 12 (+1) | 13 (+1) |
Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 11
Languages Aquan, Common, Giant
Challenge 2 (450 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +2
Amphibious. The hag can breathe air and water.
Horrific Appearance. Any humanoid that starts its turn within 30 feet of the hag and can see the hag’s true form must make a DC 11 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, with disadvantage if the hag is within line of sight, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to the hag’s Horrific Appearance for the next 24 hours.
Unless the target is surprised or the revelation of the hag’s true form is sudden, the target can avert its eyes and avoid making the initial saving throw. Until the start of its next turn, a creature that averts its eyes has disadvantage on attack rolls against the hag.
Actions
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) slashing damage.
Death Glare. The hag targets one frightened creature she can see within 30 feet of her. If the target can see the hag, it must succeed on a DC 11 Wisdom saving throw against this magic or drop to 0 hit points.
Illusory Appearance. The hag covers herself and anything she is wearing or carrying with a magical illusion that makes her look like an ugly creature of her general size and humanoid shape. The effect ends if the hag takes a bonus action to end it or if she dies.
The changes wrought by this effect fail to hold up to physical inspection. For example, the hag could appear to have no claws, but someone touching her hand might feel the claws. Otherwise, a creature must take an action to visually inspect the illusion and succeed on a DC 16 Intelligence (Investigation) check to discern that the hag is disguised.
ran this yesterday went pretty well! i was surprised that my party of murder hobos did not slaughter the giant but actually listened 😀