Delve · p.80 · 3p
Open source p.80Lair of the Frog King
LEVEL 1–4 W hen a sacred stream is defiled by poisonous muck, a desperate village recruits adventurers to delve into an ancient temple, confront the evil frog king, and cleanse the river at its source! Concept by Grace World Destroyer
Lair of the Frog King Click or scan the QR code to access cheat sheets, errata, and other helpful tools for running the dungeon.
DUNGEON OVERVIEW
Themes Fey, Frogs, Pollution Time 2–4 hours
Combat Dangers Puzzles Social
Background
The Sacred Temple Originally built as a place of worship for the water goddess Seelia, Maiden of Pure Waters, the sacred temple that feeds the Vatrachos River has lain in ruins for centuries. Few dare approach the ruined temple as it is protected by ancient magic and fierce water spirits, but many villages in the area benefit from the clear, clean water that flows from it.
The Frog King A few days ago, Kevin, a young mage and devout follower of the God of Filth, came to defile the temple to win his god’s favor. Accompanied by a cadre of his acolytes, Kevin made it to the temple’s inner sanctum and began working his foul magic on the enchanted chalice that feeds the sacred stream.
Hooks
Cleanse the River Gemilla, mayor of Floodhaven, has sent out a call for adventurers to help discover what has befouled the Vatrachos River. Believing the source of corruption to be within the temple that lies at the river’s head, she offers 50 gp to anyone who is brave enough to venture within and cleanse the river.
The chalice tainted, the temple’s stream now flows putrid and polluted. As a reward for this dark deed, the God of Filth transformed Kevin into a Croaker Murkmage and his acolytes into Croakers. His mind as muddied as the water that flows from the temple, Kevin has styled himself King of the River, ruler of all who dwell by the river, and claimed the temple as his lair.
The River Desperate, the villages that rely on the Vatrachos River for their survival have sent out a call for adventurers. Only a party of heroes brave enough to venture into the temple and cleanse the stream can prevent the region around the river from turning into a putrid swamp.
Thirsty Travelers The party comes upon the tainted stream as they travel through the region. If they want fresh water for themselves and their mounts, their best bet is to travel upstream, which leads them directly to the defiled temple.
The Lair
The lair lies at the head of a putrid stream, just a few hours’ travel from the nearest village. General Features
The lair has these features unless otherwise noted. ► CEILINGS. 20 feet high. ► DANGER LEVEL. Unsafe. ► FESTERING. Healing is halved. ► FLOOR. Covered in slime and tiled with small channels for the stream to flow through. ► ILLUMINATION. Areas L2, L3, and L4 are filled with light; areas L1 and L5 are cast in darkness. ► POLLUTED. DISADV on CON checks. ► WATER. Putrid Water (Base). A creature diseased by the water also suffers from vivid hallucinations, seeing frogs dancing ominously on the water’s surface and smelling an intense odor of swampy rot.
Events
The characters may experience the following events in the lair. Event 1 Muffled croaks sound from behind the door to area L5. 2 Putrid air blows through; DC 9 CON or damage and DISADV on checks for 1 hour. 3 A nearby toad explodes; DC 9 DEX or damage. 4 Croakers pass by.
L1
L2 Croakers
L5 Croaker murkmage Croakers
s
L4 Nymph (Naiad)
T
L3
Outside the Lair
A shallow stream trickles from a cave opening in the cliff. Strange scum clings to the water’s surface like an oil slick. The entrance is flanked by ornate stone pillars.
Pillars are enchanted to protect the cave opening; there are alternate entrances atop the cliff.
Cliff Atop the cliff are two skylights U crisscrossed by rusty metal bars (DC 12 STR to climb into area L2 or L3 with rope once the bars are broken or fall 20 feet).
Pillars Magical; overgrown with moss and lichen, and carved with images of fish, water lilies, and a chalice symbol. If a creature approaches without holding water in its mouth, jets of water spout from the carved fish; DC 12 DEX or damage and fall into the water. ► EXAMINE. A priest may U recognize the chalice as a symbol of Seelia, an ancient water deity; it’s customary to hold water in one’s mouth when entering her holy places.
Water 1-foot-deep Putrid Water (Base).
No extracted maps for this adventure — the map is in the source book: Open source p.80
Rooms (6)
L1 Antechamber p.84
Four tunnels lead out of this natural cave; one is barred by a large, silver door. A sculpture of three female figures holding chalices in a triangular formation protrudes from the door’s center. Words are carved into the rock above it.
To open the door to area L5, the party must fetch sacred water from areas L2, L3, and L4. The script above the door hints at what’s in these rooms, and can be used to cleanse the stream in area L5 (see Developments, pg. 87).
Door Magically locked and impervious to damage. A creature that attacks the door or tries to force it open takes damage. It opens only when water from the basins in areas L2, L3, and L4 is poured into each of the sculpted figures’ cups (any other liquid evaporates or drains mysteriously). The door opens and closes easily from inside area L5. The words above the door read, in Common:
“By the water’s spirit, rhythm, and flow, thy soul be cleansed, thy purity grow.”
L2 The Flow of Water p.85
Light filters through a barred opening in the ceiling. Vines and lichen cover the walls and floor. In the center, a statue of a woman holds a mud-filled basin.
Croakers hiding in the shadows ambush the party as they enter.
Croakers 3 Croakers wearing ponchos of dead leaves as camouflage. ► COMBAT. The zealous croakers fight until slain.
Lichen Lich’s Lichen (Base).
Basin ► TREASURE. A Malachite U Frog statuette hidden in the basin’s mud blocks the water from flowing. Once removed, the basin fills with clear water (needed to open door in area L1).
Opening the Door To enter area L5, the party must pour water from areas L2, L3, and L4 into the door’s chalices. If all else fails, the GM can aid:
• Captured croakers or the naiad (area L4) may reveal how to open the door.
• The door opens from within as a patrol of croakers steps out.
L3 The Rhythm of Water p.85
Light filters into this chamber through a barred opening above. A central, dry fountain depicts a woman pouring a jug and standing in an empty basin. Three platforms sit around it. One is empty, the other two hold smaller statues carved from perforated coral-like stone, holding instruments: a drum and a flute.
Dry Fountain If a character plays music (see Platforms), sacred water flows from the statue’s jug to fill the shallow basin (needed to open door in area L1).
Platforms If a character steps onto the empty platform, it sinks slightly with a soft click and air coming from hidden pipes in the walls flow through tiny holes in the perforated statues, filling the room with a beautiful tune. A character standing on the platform can sing or play music along with the tune and make a DC 9 CHA check. If they pass, water magically flows from the central statue’s jug into the basin. If they fail, a Dark Dirge (Base) plays for 1 round, affecting only the character that failed. The party can repeat the attempt until they succeed.
L4 The Spirit of Water p.86
Blue phosphorescent fungi covers the walls and shines off a central 10-foot-deep pool of clear water. A humanoid corpse lies next to it.
A water spirit protects the pool. It slew one of Kevin’s acolytes.
Water Spirit Nymph (Naiad), appears if pool is approached. ► DIPLOMACY. The naiad asks for an offering in exchange for the pool’s water (needed to open door in area L1), such as a plant or trinket. If she believes the party is here to help, she gives her water and amulet freely (see Pool). Otherwise, she retrieves any water they take with a flick of her hand. ► COMBAT. The naiad shapeshifts into a watery serpent to drown aggressors, throwing unconscious foes out of her pool, lest their bodies pollute it. If losing, she turns invisible and hides until the characters leave.
Corpse Human acolyte; bulging eyes U and webbed fingers. Drowned a few days ago (by the naiad).
Pool ► TREASURE. Pendant of U Blessings lies at the bottom.
L5 The Inner Sanctum p.86
When water from areas L2, L3, and L4 have been poured into the cups held by the sculptures on the door in area L1, the door opens:
As the door glides open, a cacophony of croaks mixes with the sound of rushing water. The large, flooded cave beyond is dotted with stalagmites carved with waves, and filled with giant lily pads bearing hundreds of frogs. Across the pool, a wide stream cascades from the ceiling. Froggish people with ornate reed hats rest here. The largest sits on a platform beneath the waterfall.
The waterfall hides a secret alcove that holds the temple’s sacred chalice – the stream’s source.
Froggish People Croaker Murkmage (Kevin) and 2 Croakers. As the party enters, a croaker presents the Frog King:
One of the frogfolk steps forward, speaking in a stately voice: “Introducing his great and honorable majesty, the Marquis of Muck, the Lord of the Lake, most powerful and excellent King of the River and All Frogs Within, and Also Those Who Live Alongside the River! Approach to pay homage to your most benevolent and beloved King!”
At this signal, the smaller frogs form a walkway in the pool that the party can walk across. If they do, Kevin waits until they are halfway across before croaking loudly, causing the frogs to dump the party into the putrid water:
The frog-creature speaks in a deep voice: “Ho ho! You thought yourself worthy of an audience with one as glorious as I, the Frog King?” The large frog rises from his crouch, revealing the true horror of his form: man and frog, merged into one hulking creature, with a hunched back and elongated limbs. His skin shimmers with slimy poison, his mouth is wide and taut on his broad face and filled with too many teeth, and his eyes glimmer savagely. “Foolish humans, your corpses shall be the final offering I need to transform this place into my domain once and for all!”
► COMBAT. The Croaker Murkmage and his Croaker minions attack savagely. A coward at heart, Kevin prefers to take on foes one at a time, while his underlings keep the rest of the party at bay. The croakers may jump onto lily pads to dump the characters into the putrid water (see Lily Pads). ► TREASURE. Kevin has a Potion of Mirrors and a pouch with 22 gp.
Lily Pads Each giant lily pad can bear a human-sized creature (DC 9 STR to climb or jump onto). If a second creature moves onto it, the lily pad drops both into the water.
Pool 5-foot-deep; Putrid Water (Base).
Wide Stream Seems to originate from nowhere; simply flowing from the seamless ceiling above. ► EXAMINE. The waterfall U hides a large alcove; within is a stone pedestal shaped like a large chalice (can’t be moved). The chalice is overflowing with endless muck that disappears as soon as it leaves the rim. The magical chalice is the true source of the stream that flows in the waterfall – to cleanse the stream, the party must cleanse the chalice’s water (see Developments on the next page).
Conclusion Lair of the Frog King: Conclusion p.88
Developments
Cleansing the Stream The stream’s pollution stems from the unending waters of the chalice behind the waterfall in area L5, tainted by Kevin. It can be cleansed in these ways:
• Speaking the prayer above the door in area L1 within close of it.
• Casting a Restoration spell on it.
• Pouring holy water or water from each of the three basins in areas L2, L3, and L4 into it.
Putrid No More If the party manages to cleanse the chalice, supernaturally pure water flows from it once more, quickly restoring the stream to its usual splendor. If hired by Gemilla to do so, the mayor gladly gives the party their 50 gp reward.
Enduring Taint If the party fails to clear the stream, the taint remains and more foul creatures may be drawn to the area over time. Towns that rely on the stream’s water slowly shrink, as people move away to find more habitable places. Over the course of a few years, the surrounding area becomes a putrid, uninhabited marsh ruled by Kevin or a successor.
Difficulty
The lair is suitable for four 1st-level adventurers (Total Party Level 3–6). You can adjust the lair’s difficulty to higher level parties by making the following cumulative changes.
Level 2 (TPL 7–10)
• 4 Croakers in area L2
• Traps and hazards are Tier 1
• Croaker Murkmage has 1 Boss Action
Level 3 (TPL 11–14)
• 4 Croakers in area L5
• Croaker Murkmage has 3 Boss Actions
Level 4 (TPL 15–18)
• 5 Croakers in areas L2 and L5
• Croaker Murkmage has 30 HP and AC 14