The Book of Boom

Gwendela Sunborn

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Malkari, Female   Gwendela is the key figure driving the mission. She is a scholar with a passion for explosives and uncovering her people’s history. She relies on others to handle survival.   Stat Block. Gwendela has the Mage stat block. She fights only if cornered, focusing on area-of-effect spells.

The Voyagers

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The characters must complete 3 challenges over as many days to escort the Voyagers. The DCs range between 12-16, depending on the danger or severity. The journey through the mountains begins with 5 Voyagers and Gwendela.  

• Terrain. Narrow ledges, large gaps, & unstable paths.
• Acrobatics, Athletics, & Survival
• Wildlife. Saber-tooth tigers, cave bears, & eagles.
• Animal Handling, Intimidation, & Stealth
• Environment. Snowstorms, cold temps, & rockslides.
• Nature, Perception, & Survival

  For each failed challenge, roll 1d6 and add 1 additional challenge to complete the mission:  

• 1-3: A Voyager is lost
• 4-6: Delays. DC 14 CON save VS Exhaustion

  Voyager Names. Loretth, Jorm, The Dog, Tiptop Tea, & Kolo

Arrival

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    Gwendela’s New Offer. A group of bandits is looting and causing significant damage. Outraged, Gwen pleads with the characters to stop the raid. She will increase their pay.   Upon Arrival. Survivors remain at base camp to assist. The number benefits the characters in these ways:  

• 2 Voyagers: Basic support
• 3 Voyagers: Advantage on History/Religion checks
• 4 Voyagers: Identify traps & symbols without checks
• 5 Voyagers: How to unlock the innermost chamber

The Cold Crooks

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The Cold Crook Excavation Crew consists of mercenaries and opportunists drawn by the promise of wealth. They primarily operate from the nearby desert of the Stein.   Gah Rant. The leader of the crew is a disguised Oni. He goes by Grant. The Cold Crooks believe he is a human wizard.   Gurt the Mage. Gurt is a goblin support wizard sent by upper management. She is willing to surrender or turn if threatened. She will be scared to find out Grant is an Oni.   The Book of Boom. Gah Rant has found the book and has attuned to it. The power coursing through him has increased.

The Temple of Dunedori

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Outer Courtyard. 1x Hobgoblin Captain and 1x Hobgoblin Warlord. Excess noise warns those in the inner chambers.     Inner Chambers. 4x Hobgoblin Captains are trying to move a statue. If warned they prepare by taking cover.   Fire Traps. Hieroglyphics show which are safe. Touching the wrong one causes 3d6 fire damage within 5 ft., DC 13 DEX  

• History Check. DC 13 to identify the symbols.

  Brown Mold. Brown Mold covers indicated areas, drawn by the temple’s heat. Fire spreads the mold rapidly.

  The Innermost Chamber. The door to the chamber has 3 circular slots, corresponding to aspects of the sun: Light, Life, and Warmth. Once triggered, the door opens in a burst of flame.  

• Light. Reflect light onto the slot.
• Life. Burn a seed or plant, then place it in the slot.
• Warmth. Ignite the final slot by putting fire directly to it.

  Encounter. The Oni, 1x Hobgoblin Warlord, and Gurt (Mage)   The Book. Gah Rant has attuned and can cast Detonation as a bonus action. Each cast increases the damage by 1d8 and DC by 1. Starting damage 4d8 Force, Save DC 13 (DEX).   Destruction. Too many detonations will destroy the chamber, forcing a retreat to the previous maps through the temple.

Rewards

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Payment. 200 gp each up front. Percentage based on future findings paid monthly through scrips. GM Note. Choose an amount you wish to give whenever you want a payment.   Extra Payment. Gwen will promise up to triple. Use Charisma-based checks.   Temple Loot. The Book of Boom. The rest are historical artifacts or are still buried. Payment reflects this.   Raider Loot. Hobgoblin loot, 2d10 gold per raider, a scroll of Leomund’s Secret Chest, and the spell’s component chests.

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Book of Boom

Wondrous Item, Rare (requires attunement by a spellcaster)   This spellbook is bound in obsidian, its slate pages emblazoned with runes. It radiates destructive potential and grants devastating power to its attuned user, though at personal risk.   Spellbook Access. Any wizard can copy the spell Detonation from this book into their spellbook by following the normal rules for copying spells. This process does not require attunement.   Detonation. While attuned, you can cast the spell Detonation as a bonus action.   Self-Immolation. Each time you cast Detonation beyond the first time, you must succeed on a Constitution saving throw. DC = 10 + the number of times you’ve cast Detonation today. Failure you suffer the following consequences:  

• Spend one Hit Die.
• Take fire damage equal to the result of your missing Hit Dice + your Constitution modifier.

  Destructive Precision. While attuned, your spells deal double damage to objects and structures.

Detonation

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You create precise explosive detonations beneath creatures, objects, or structures you can see. Each target you choose that is on a solid surface within the area must make a Dexterity saving throw or it takes 4d8 force damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one. If a creature failed its saving throw, its speed is reduced by half until the end of its next turn.

_{*- (caltrops and a tinderbox)}

Market Supplies

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Rastein Marketplace. A small market that provides limited resources. Examples of available supplies: Llamas, mules, climbing kits, cold-weather clothing, rope, lanterns, 1d4 healing potions, rations (only enough to last the expedition)

Gwendela Sunborn

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A member of the Daring Dynamos guild, Gwen sees this expedition as an opportunity to learn. She is charmingly reckless, with a tendency to focus on blowing things up before thinking about the consequences. She can share that the temple is related to Bako, Fire, and the Sun. Gwendela emphasizes protecting the Voyagers, warning of the mountain’s harsh environment and the need for resources.

Roleplaying Gwendela
Personality Trait. “Find fun by getting your hands dirty.”
Ideal. “Legacy. Where you come from reveals the path.”
Bond. “I want to do something Mama would be proud of.”
Flaw. “I can’t pass on a chance to blow something up.”

Gah Rant

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Gah Rant is a lieutenant in the hierarchy of the Cold Crooks. Those above him know his Oni nature. He is obsessed with wealth and cares little for his crew. If hurt, he will try to escape using Gaseous Form and destroy the area around him.

Brown Mold

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Brown mold feeds on warmth, drawing heat from anything around it. A patch of brown mold typically covers a 10-foot square, and the temperature within 30 feet of it is always frigid.   When a creature moves to within 5 feet of the mold for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, it must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw, taking 22 ( 4d10 ) cold damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.   Brown mold is immune to fire, and any source of fire brought within 5 feet of a patch causes it to instantly expand outward in the direction of the fire, covering a 10-foot-square area (with the source of the fire at the center of that area). A patch of brown mold exposed to an effect that deals cold damage is instantly destroyed.