The Charred Barrow Dungeon

The Charred Barrow

Background:

Folklore holds that the overgrown burial mound was constructed to house a hero from afar who fell after fending off a ravenous gnoll horde with a contingent of brave locals. However, after the nameless hero and his companions were laid to rest, a great fire consumed the meager construct. In the aftermath, nothing of note was left within the charred ruins.

Recently, a tribe of ogres claimed the barrow as their lair. From there, the brutes terrorized local trade routes and farms. Before heroes could be mustered to route them, however, a great fire broke out in the barrow once again and the anguished screams of the burning giants echoed through the valley for three days straight.

That was a week ago and smoke still drifts up from the area. Yesterday, an ogre attacked a travelling caravan again. This time, however, it was lurching, charred corpse with meager scraps of ashen meat hanging to its burned bones. While the sizzling zombie was put down, something needs to be done and the local cartwright guild is willing to pay to see it done.

It should be a simple job. The barrow has but one wide chamber where the ogres were camped. The adventures can go in, death with whatever horrors remain, and leave for a quick bit of coin. It’s never that easy, of course.

This is a dungeon designed for 4 level 1 characters and the chance of character death is high if players are not at the very least cautious. It should advance characters that complete it to level 2. It also serves an introduction to The Ashen Panoply.

The Dungeon Itself.

The walls of the dungeon itself are made from reinforced masonry, scarred by fire and covered with moss and ivy burned to charcoal. The floor is covered with cracked stones and still warm cinders. Traces of smoke linger in the area, though there are no evident fires. This makes resting in the dungeon impossible as prolonged exposure leads to coughing, headaches, and mechanically – levels of exhaustion.

Of course, the undead and constructs within the complex don’t have to worry about it.

The central barrow room is open to the elements, and thus lit depending on the time of day. The rest of the complex is dark with cinders and embers flicking in the smoky air.

Pre-Dungeon Encounter:

Not far from the Charred Barrow, a Zombie Ogre wanders In search of prey. The walking corpse is terribly burned to the point that most of its meat is charred directly onto exposed, greasy bones. There is still a spark burning within its gut as well at the strength of a torch.

This is a deadly encounter for a 1st level party. The Zombie Ogre is CR 2 and can be found in the Monster Manual on page 316. There are some changes, however. The monster is Immune to Fire damage, but vulnerable to Cold damage. If it is reduced to 0 hit points via Cold damage, its Undead Fortitude does not function, it merely dies.

This encounter is worth 450 XP

Room 1

This wide room, 35ft by 35ft, is covered with the burned offal and goods of the ogres who squatted within. The entrance, a hole on the eastern wall, was widened by the brutes to allow their easy passage. Smoke lazily curls out of the mouth, carrying with it the noisome stench of burned meat.

The niches and smaller coffins were all upturned and plundered by the ogres, who used the stones for seats and the like. The corpses within were too spoiled for the orges to consume, so they cast them aside in a pile against the western wall. This has been added to with the carcasses of the orges’ meals since. In the north and south eastern corners stand blackened statues of birds with their wings flared.

Details:

There are two secret passages out of this room. The first lays behind the pile of bodies and debris on the western side of the room. (DC 10 to find).

The second lays behind the bird statue in the south eastern corner. Most of this passage was exposed by a curious ogre, leading to the creatures’ fiery demise. (DC 10 to find).

An Arcana check DC 10 will reveal that the bird statues are actually phoenixes.

Encounter:

From the pile of bodies, three skeletons made from a hodge-podge of burned parts assembled themselves and have become risen horrors. They lurk about the room, embers still burning within the strands of meat holding them together.

This is a hard encounter. The 3 Skeletons use the normal stats from the Monster Manual on page 272. However, they are resistant to fire damage, shed the same light as a candle, and are vulnerable to cold damage. Whenever a skeleton is destroyed, their greasy remains make the square they were in difficult to navigate as if it is under the effect of the Grease spell.

This encounter is worth 150 XP.

Room 2

This small room served as a vestibule of sorts once. There are fragments of mosaics depicting a battle between the local populace and gnolls on the wall. Most of them, however, are all but destroyed by the fire that ravaged the interior. Glimpses of the entombed hero can be seen, a bright pauldron covered by the curl of a black feathered cloak, and a hand holding some manner of war pick that is adorned with bright red and yellow feathers.

Details:

The eastern wooden door is charred and ruined, with large slivers of it missing. The damage has stuck the door into place. (DC 15 to break; 20 hp)

The southern wooden door is also charred and ruined, with large slivers of it missing. However, it is also protected by a fire arrow trap. DC 10 to find, DC 10 to disable, +8 to hit against 1 target for 1d8 piercing plus 1d8 fire damage.

Encounter:

None

Room 3

Within this room is a single stone coffin without a lid. It is slightly raised on a charred, iron dais. Parts of the lid are scattered across the room as well as embedded in the walls and ceiling as if thrown by a powerful explosion. Everything in here is terribly burnt and the residual heat is oppressive. The only thing remaining in the coffin is a war pick. Its pick-head is fashioned from charred iron and adorned by black feathers on the backend, which lends the armament a bird’s head appearance. Well-worn leather protects its treant-wood handle and is capped off by a sliver of a phoenix’s talon.

Details:

The north door is a locked, heavy iron door that is stripped with black marks. (DC 15 to open, DC 30 to break, 60 hp).

Encounter:

The Phoenix’s Beak lays in wait within the coffin. This is a deadly encounter worth 450 xp. Afterwards, the Phoenix's Beak is its own reward.

Room 4

This room served as a storage space for the treasure looted from the marauding gnolls and fallen townsfolk from so long ago. The remaining populace stored it away in this hidden part of the mound so the local lordling wouldn’t learn of the horde and claim it for himself. Over time, however, the trapped loot was forgotten.

Several chests lay about the room as well as a few barrels. All have been burned by fire over time. There were also bolts of cloth, articles of art, and the like but they have been destroyed by the flames. One can also find an assortment of barely serviceable weapons (short swords, maces, morningstars) fashioned by gnolls within the piles of ash.

Details:

The north door is a locked heavy iron, marred as the rest of the complex by fire (DC 15 to open, DC 30 to break, 60 hp). It is also protected by a fire arrow trap. DC 10 to find, DC 10 to disable, +8 to hit against 1 target for 1d8 piercing plus 1d8 fire damage.

Hidden among the debris and cinders are a few coffers whose contents have not been ruined. Each coffer requires a DC 13 Investigation check to find. Each investigation check results in 1d4 Fire damage as the character sifts through smoldering cinder and ash.

Coffer 1 – 200 copper pieces, 100 silver pieces. An orb fashioned from laced together antlers laced with unsettling spirals (25 gp), a silver shield engraved with infernal runes (30gp)

Coffer 2 – 200 silver pieces, 10 gold pieces. 2 potions of healing. A collection of gnoll teeth.

Coffer 3 – 30 gold pieces. A stoneware set of cups (25gp), A morning star made from manticore barbs with 6 charges. This weapon doesn’t count as magical and does not require attunement. The wielder can expend 1 charge to make a ranged attack with the morningstar with a range of 30/60 that inflicts 1d8+Dexterity Modifier piercing damage. The morning star regains 1d4 charges at each sunset. Upon expending the last charge, the wielder must roll 1d20. On a 1, the weapon’s unique quality is lost and it becomes a normal morning star.

Encounter

Among the detritus and ash lurks a murderous suit of animated armor. The construct remains motionless until a searching character fails an Investigation check or all 3 coffers are found. Then it springs to ‘life’, cinders flowing from its seams.

This is a medium encounter. The Animated Armor can be found in the Monster Manual on page. Additionally, the animated armor can use its Reaction after being struck by a melee weapon to expel a particulate cloud, and the next attack before the start of the armor’s next turn suffers Disadvantage. The armor is damaged as well and only has an AC of 16.

This encounter is worth 200xp

Room 5

This room serves as an ossuary for the multitude of gnoll bones. Each pile of bones was once stuffed into a sack, painted with a ward against the evil eye, and tied with silver wire. However, the flames long ago burned the sacks away to papery remnants. This has left piles of crisped bones with skulls atop. None of the skulls have teeth, all of them have a few embers flickering within their sockets. Each step stirs up a heap of choking ash. Now and again, it will disturb a bone pile slides apart with a rattle.

Details:

The southwest-most door is a locked, heavy iron door that is stripped with black marks. (DC 15 to open, DC 30 to break, 60 hp).

Encounter

There is no encounter. Feel free to play up the spookiness of the room and the implication that the skeletons may rise and attack at any moment.

This dungeon was constructed with the aid of