Contents
The Vanishing Gnome
An Adventure for Level 1 Characters
This adventure is designed to fill one or two sessions of play.
If you aren't using the Map of Greyhawkins, it can take place in any shadowy dungeon.
Key Plot Points
This information is key to the adventure's story:
- Plot Point 1. Flizzlebin magically contacts the characters and challenges them to find him in the x.
- Plot Point 2. The characters navigate the Dungeon of Shadows in search of Flizzlebin, who calls out to them from his hiding place in a twisted reflection of the dungeon connected to a mysterious realm known as the Vale of Shadows.
- Plot Point 3. A spawn of Demogorgon, a demon lord, has escaped the Vale of Shadows. The characters first encounter the creature in the Dungeon of Shadows, but it likely escapes.
- Plot Point 4. After defeating the Demogorgon Spawn, the characters find Flizzlebin and earn the gnome's reward.
DM Preparation
Before running the adventure, prepare as follows:
- Step 1. Read the "x" section.
- Step 2. Read the "x" section and secretly note Flizzlebin's hiding spot.
- Step 3. Familiarize yourself with the creatures in this adventure, which are as follows:
- 1 Demogorgon Spawn
- Flizzlebin
- 1 Giant Spider
- 3 Gnoll Warriors
- 2 Myconid Adults
- 3 Goblin Warriors
- 1 Shadow
- 4 Shrieker Fungi
- Step 4. Familiarize yourself with the magic items in this adventure, which are as follows:
Player Assistance
You can simplify the DM's role by having the a player handle tasks typically assigned to the DM. Before play begins, see if a player would like to be the Rules Consultant. That player references the D&D Beyond Basic Rules as needed.
Adventure Background
Flizzlebin, the Vanishing Gnome, tests the mettle of would-be heroes in dangerous games of hide-and-seek in dungeons throughout the land. Over the years, the elusive gnome has magically contacted countless travelers, but few have accepted his questsâand fewer have completed them. Successful seekers have emerged from these dungeons with priceless treasures and pockets brimming with gold.
Recently, Flizzlebin vanished to the Dungeon of Shadows, a maze that borders a gloomy, monster-infested realm. There, his calls to adventurers awakened a foul creature: a spawn of the demon lord Demogorgon! As Flizzlebin eagerly broadcasts his quest, the ravenous demon stalks the dungeon, complicating the gnome's game and endangering all who seek him.
Hide-and-Seek
Flizzlebin hides in the Shadow Dungeon, a mirror of the Dungeon of Shadows. Roll on the Flizzlebin's Hiding Spot table to determine where the characters can find the gnome in the dungeon (detailed later in this adventure). Flizzlebin avoids harm in his hiding place by using his Cap of Vanishing.
Flizzlebin's Hiding Spot
| 1d6 | Location |
|---|---|
| 1 | Chamber of Bad Choices (x) |
| 2 | Wasteland of Filthy Vines (x) |
| 3 | Labyrinth of Gloom (x) |
| 4 | Forge of Annihilation (x) |
| 5 | Den of Bitsy (x) |
| 6 | Altar of Vecna (x) |
Beginning the Adventure
When the players are ready to begin the adventure, read or paraphrase the following text:
At your discretion, one or more of the characters might have heard of Flizzlebin from stories shared in taverns throughout the land. If the characters follow the gnome's instructions, they quickly arrive at the Dungeon of Shadows.
[image: A howling stone tunnel marks the entrance to the Dungeon of Shadows]
Dungeon of Shadows
The Dungeon of Shadows is the bridge between Greyhawkins and the Vale of Shadows, a mirror world in a realm of shadow. Bloodthirsty gnolls, giant arachnids, deadly traps, and worse terrors await visitors to the dungeon.
A warped version of the dungeon is reflected within the Vale of Shadows. Flizzlebin hides within this shadow of the dungeon above, which is accessible only through portals hidden throughout the dungeon.
Arriving at the Dungeon
When the characters arrive at the Dungeon of Shadows, read or paraphrase the following text:
A character can inspect the entrance and make one of the following checks to recall lore about the dungeon and the gloomy realm it borders:
DC 12 Intelligence (History). Monsters infest this dungeon, which is suffused with shadowy magic. The dungeon was once a temple devoted to a long-forgotten god, and its reputation is as tenebrous as its entrance. Rumors speak of a second, more sinister dungeon connected to this one.
DC 12 Intelligence (Arcana). The dungeon is magically linked to the Vale of Shadows, a grim reflection of the natural world. Dreadful creatures and living shadows lurk in this dark and twisted reality; occasionally, some of these creatures escape the vale to plague the people of Greyhawkins.
The staircase descends 60 feet to area D1. When the characters enter the dungeon, use the Dungeon of Shadows Map to see where the characters begin in that area.
- DM Secret!. The map for this adventure depicts the Dungeon of Shadows and its reflection in the Vale of Shadows. Keep the Vale of Shadows hidden from your players until they enter it, as detailed later in this adventure.
Dungeon Features
The dungeon has the following features:
- Ceilings. The ceilings are 20 feet high in rooms and 10 feet high in passages.
- Doors and Secret Doors. Doors are unlocked and made of basalt. Secret doors manifest as spidery, elastic fissures that blend in with their surroundings. As a Search action, a character can examine a wall that contains a secret door and make a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check, noticing it on a successful check. A secret door opens as easily as any normal door.
- Lighting. Torches in iron wall sconces fill the dungeon with Bright Light.
Dungeon Locations
The following locations are keyed to the Dungeon of Shadows map. The map also indicates where each character begins in the dungeon.
D1: Chamber of Choice
Flizzlebin speaks to the characters from the x (detailed later in this adventure). The gnome magically contacts the characters as they explore the dungeon, but he doesn't say anything else to characters in this area unless you decide otherwise. Flizzlebin has discovered that his communications have attracted the spawn of Demogorgon (see area D3), and he doesn't want to further draw its ire.
Doors
Each of the five doors is adorned with a relief sculpture and an inscription as follows:
- Door to D2 This door bears the image of a fuming urn. The inscription reads "Wasteland of Filth."
- Door to D3 This door bears a relief of a ferocious, many-horned minotaur above a stone maze. The inscription reads "Labyrinth of Doom."
- Door to D4 In this door's relief, three mischievous creatures with pointed ears and sharp teeth surround an anvil. The inscription reads, "Forge of Gibbletrax."
- Door to D5 A spiderweb is etched into this door. The inscription reads "Den of Itsy."
- Door to D6 Etched into this door is the image of a scowling, bipedal hyenoid warrior. The door's inscription reads "Altar of Yeenoghu."
D2: Wasteland of Filth
This room holds refuse discarded by the dungeon's denizens.
Treasure
As a Search action, a character can sift through the trash and make a DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check. The first character to succeed on the check unearths five ivory urns. Each urn is worth 10 GP. Four of the urns are empty, but one contains a Potion of Healing and a tiny pewter statue of a two-headed demon worth 90 GP. A character who inspects the statue and succeeds on a DC 13 Intelligence (Religion) check recognizes the statue as an idol of the demon lord Demogorgon.
D3: Labyrinth of Doom
[image: A spawn of Demogorgon feeds on its latest victim]
Until recently, a bloodthirsty minotaur ruled this trap-filled labyrinth. However, an even more vicious creatureâthe spawn of Demogorgon, a demon lordâescaped the Vale of Shadows and slew the minotaur. The spawn is devouring the minotaur's corpse in the middle of the labyrinth.
Spear Traps
The labyrinth contains three spear traps triggered by pressure plates hidden in the floor, as denoted with a "T" on the Dungeon of Shadows map. Cobwebs and dust obscure the holes that house these spears.
Each spear trap has the following rules:
- Detect and Disarm. As a Search action, a character can examine the walls and make a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check, detecting the holes on a successful check. Alternatively, a character can take the Study action to inspect the floor and make a DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check, detecting the pressure plate on a successful check.
- Triggering the Trap. When a creature moves onto a trap's pressure plate for the first time on a turn, spears thrust out from the walls. Each creature on the pressure plate must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity Saving Throw or be struck by a spear, taking 1d6 Piercing damage. The spears then retract, and the trap resets immediately.
Terror in the Maze
When the characters reach the center of the maze, read or paraphrase the following text:
The Demogorgon Spawn continues devouring the minotaur for 1 minute or until it detects the characters. The spawn is Hostile toward all other creatures.
To sneak past the spawn while it feeds, a character must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity (Stealth) check. On a failed check, or if the characters otherwise disturb the spawn, it turns toward the adventurers. When that happens, read or paraphrase the following text:
The Demogorgon spawn fights until it is reduced to 25 Hit Points or fewer, at which point it retreats through the secret door to x of the Shadow Dungeon (detailed later in this adventure). If the characters manage to defeat the Demogorgon spawn here, the adventure doesn't end; the characters still must find Flizzlebin to complete his quest.
If the characters don't disturb the spawn and aren't detected, the creature finishes its meal and then relocates to x in the Shadow Dungeon.
Secret Door
A secret door (see "x") is set into the wall in the southeast corner of the labyrinth. It leads to x. Characters who witnessed the Demogorgon spawn use this secret door automatically succeed on checks to find the door.
Treasure
The chest in the middle of the labyrinth contains a Wand of Secrets and 25 GP.
D4: Forge of Gibbletrax
Blessed by a long-forgotten god, the Forge of Gibbletrax is a magic forge stewarded by three Goblin Warriors named Ble, Gib, and Trax. These smiths craft gear to defend against the dungeon's threats.
The goblins are initially Friendly toward the characters but defend themselves if necessary. If the characters approach the goblins peacefully, the goblins greet the characters warmly and ask what brings them to the dungeon.
Ble, Glib, and Trax usually keep to themselves, but they recently clashed with the gnolls in area D6, whose profane rituals threaten the sanctity of the forge. If the characters agree to end the gnolls' foul rites, the goblins vow to imbue the characters' weapons with the forge's magic.
Forge of Gibbletrax
The goblins' magical forge can temporarily infuse weapons and ammunition with immense heat. As a Bonus Action, a character can dip one weapon or piece of ammunition into the forge, coating it in a thin layer of molten ore. A creature that takes damage from the ore-coated weapon or ammunition takes an extra 1d6 Fire damage. Once coated, the weapon retains its heat for 10 minutes or until its damage is dealt, whichever comes first.
A character can benefit from the Forge of Gibbletrax only once, unless the goblins permit them to do so again. If all three goblins are slain or the forge is removed from this area, its magic ceases to function.
[image: Three goblin smithsâBle, Gib, and Traxâgleefully toil away at their magic forge while singing a work song]
D5: Den of Itsy
- DM Secret!. Don't reveal the Giant Spider yet. This monster is hiding.
This room is the nest of Itsy, a Giant Spider that preys on any who enter its lair. The Hostile spider clings to the ceiling, guarding the secret door and treasure in this room (detailed below). If a character opens the secret door or disturbs the crystal spider, Itsy begins combat.
Crystal Spider
The crystal spider is a Medium object with AC 13, HP 50, Resistance to Piercing and Slashing damage, and Immunity to Poison and Psychic damage. Destroying the crystal spider frees the treasure inside (detailed below).
Secret Door
Set into the east wall of this room is a secret door (see "x") that connects to x.
Statue
The statue depicts a knight in a gallant pose. As a Study action, a character can examine the statue and make a DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) check. On a successful check, the character realizes the statue's base is unstable; a significant push could topple the statue.
As an action, a character within 5 feet of the statue can make a DC 10 Strength (Athletics) check to topple the statue into a space within 5 feet of it, doing so on a successful check. When the statue topples, each creature beneath it takes 4d6 Bludgeoning damage and has the Prone condition. The statue crumbles on impact, revealing a treasure hidden inside it (see "Treasure" below).
Webs
The web-filled areas are Difficult Terrain.
A creature that enters a web-filled area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there must succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity Saving Throw or have the Restrained condition. As an action, a creature Restrained by the webs can try to escape from them, doing so with a successful DC 12 Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check.
Each 5-foot Cube of webs has AC 10; HP 7; Vulnerability to Fire damage; and Immunity to Piercing, Poison, and Psychic damage.
Treasure
Inside the statue is a heart-shaped emerald worth 30 GP. The sword encased in the crystal spider is a Flame Tongue (Greatsword).
D6: Altar of Yeenoghu
These three Gnoll Warriors worship Yeenoghu, a merciless demon lord who delights in slaughter. The Hostile gnolls fight all other creatures on sight.
Completing the Ritual
If the characters don't interrupt the gnolls, they continue their ritual. After 1 minute, booming laughter erupts from the altar. Any creatures other than the gnolls in this area must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw, taking 1d8 Thunder damage on a failed save or half as much damage on a successful one.
After the ritual, the gnolls leave to battle the goblins in area D4. If the characters don't intervene, the gnolls overpower the goblins, and the Forge of Gibbletrax loses its magic forever.
Treasure
The flail on the altar is a +1 Flail.
Shadow Dungeon
Beneath the Dungeon of Shadows lies the Shadow Dungeon, a gloomy reflection of the dungeon that borders the Vale of Shadows. Though its chambers mirror the areas above, their contents differ, distorted by the eerie realm they border.
Finding Flizzlebin
To find Flizzlebin, the characters must defeat the Demogorgon spawn and any Hostile creatures in Flizzlebin's hiding spot (see the "x" section earlier in this adventure). When both conditions are met, the gnome appears to the characters; proceed to this adventure's conclusion.
If the characters reach Flizzlebin's hiding spot before they vanquish the Demogorgon spawn, read or paraphrase the following text:
Flizzlebin doesn't bequeath his reward until the characters comply with his instructions. At your discretion, he might reveal the Demogorgon spawn's locationâlikely x.
Shadow Dungeon Features
The Shadow Dungeon has the following features:
- Ceilings. The ceilings are 20 feet high in rooms and 10 feet high in passages.
- Lighting. The dungeon is unlit. Area descriptions assume the characters have a light source or other means of seeing in Darkness. Bare iron sconces line the walls.
- Doors and Secret Doors. Doors are unlocked and made of basalt. Secret doors manifest as spidery, elastic fissures that blend in with their surroundings and exude faint rays of natural light when opened. As a Search action, a character can examine a wall that contains a secret door and make a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check, noticing it on a successful check.
Shadow Dungeon Locations
The characters can enter and leave the Shadow Dungeon through the secret door that connects areas D3 and x or the secret door that connects areas D5 and x. The following locations are keyed to the upside-down portion of the Dungeon of Shadows map.
S1: Chamber of Bad Choices
This room mirrors the Chamber of Choice (area D1). The corpse is that of a dwarf explorer who perished four days ago while searching for Flizzlebin. The dwarf was killed by an Undead shadow.
The dwarf's body is unnaturally thin, and its clothes look too big. A character can inspect the corpse and make a DC 12 Wisdom (Medicine) check. On a successful check, the character discerns the dwarf's life was sapped by a supernatural force.
The dwarf clutches a note. If the characters remove it from the corpse, show the players the Dungeon Warning Handout. After the characters read the note, a Shadow rises from the dwarf's corpse and begins combat.
[image: Dungeon Warning Handout]
Doors
Each of the five doors is adorned with a relief sculpture and an inscription as follows:
- Door to x (Urn). This door bears the image of an urn wrapped in ink-black vines. The inscription reads "Wasteland of Filthy Vines."
- Door to x (Labyrinth). This door's relief depicts a fungal maze. The inscription reads, "Labyrinth of Gloom."
- Door to x (Spiked Anvil). In this door's relief, a shadowy figure looms over a spiked anvil. The inscription reads, "Forge of Annihilation."
- Door to x (Web). A black spiderweb is etched into this door. The inscription reads "Den of Bitsy."
- Door to x (Hand and Eye). A desiccated hand holding an eye decorates this door. Deep scratches make the inscription illegible.
Staircase
The staircase, blocked by rubble, leads to the Vale of Shadows. That realm and its contents are beyond the scope of this adventure, but you can flesh them out as you see fit. Otherwise, the staircase is impassible.
S2: Wasteland of Filthy Vines
This room mirrors the Wasteland of Filth (area D2). The floor is Difficult Terrain.
Treasure
The first character to sift through the trash and succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check unearths five cracked urns hewn from black granite. The urns are worthless. Four of the urns are empty, but one contains a Potion of Healing and a glass eye with an emerald pupil worth 10 GP.
S3: Labyrinth of Gloom
This stone maze mirrors the Labyrinth of Doom (area D3). The maze is home to toxic plants and four Shrieker Fungi. Two Hostile Myconid Adults also roam the maze, fighting any non-Plants they encounter.
If the shriekers sound off, the myconids investigate the disturbance. The shriekers don't shriek if the myconids come within 30 feet of them.
Secret Door
A secret door (see "x") is set into the wall near the southeast corner of the maze. It leads to area D3.
Spore Traps
The labyrinth contains three spore trapsâswollen plant bulbs that exhale puffs of toxic sporesâtriggered by stepping on pressure plates of inflated mushrooms. These traps are marked on Dungeon of Shadows map with a "T." The fungus-infested walls obscure the bulbs that spray these spores.
Each spore trap has the following rules:
- Detect and Disarm. As a Study action, a character can examine the walls and make a DC 15 Intelligence (Nature) check, identifying the toxic bulbs on a successful check. Alternatively, a character can take the Study action to inspect the floor and make a DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check, identifying the fungal pressure plate on a successful check. Trimming the stems that connect the bulbs to the pressure plate prevents the trap from triggering.
- Triggering the Trap. When a creature moves onto a pressure plate for the first time on a turn, the bulbs spray toxic spores that fill a 5-foot Cube centered on the pressure plate. Each creature in the Cube must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution Saving Throw or have the Poisoned condition for 1 hour. The trap resets immediately.
Treasure
A dilapidated chest in the middle of the labyrinth contains a broken wand and 25 GP. The wand is useless.
S4: Forge of Annihilation
This room mirrors the Forge of Gibbletrax (area D4). If the Demogorgon spawn survived its previous encounter with the characters (see area D3), it lurks here. Read or paraphrase the following text:
The Demogorgon Spawn fights to the death.
Forge of Annihilation
Unlike the goblins' blessed forge in the dungeon above, this forge is a cursed apparatus capable only of destruction. The Forge of Annihilation causes living creatures to wither and die. As a Study action, a character can inspect the forge and make a DC 13 Intelligence (Arcana) check. On a successful check, the character identifies the eldritch hazard and the threat it poses.
A creature that enters the forge for the first time or starts its turn there must make a DC 15 Constitution Saving Throw, taking 4d8 Necrotic damage on a failed save or half as much damage on a successful one.
[image: The Forge of Annihilationâa sinister reflection of the Forge of Gibbletraxâlooms within the Shadow Dungeon]
S5: Den of Bitsy
This room mirrors the Den of Itsy (area D5). It belongs to Bitsy, an equally territorial Giant Spider. Bitsy fights the characters on sight.
Secret Door
Set into the east wall in this room is a secret door (see "x") that connects to area D5.
Statue
The statue depicts a knight with a menacing helm. As a Study action, a character can examine the statue and make a DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) check. On a successful check, the character realizes the statue's base is unstable; a significant push could topple the statue.
As an action, a character within 5 feet of the statue can make a DC 10 Strength (Athletics) check to topple the statue into a space within 5 feet of it, doing so on a successful check. When the statue topples, each creature beneath it takes 4d6 Bludgeoning damage and has the Prone condition. The statue crumbles on impact, revealing treasure within (see "Treasure" below), but its helm remains intact.
Webs
The web-filled areas are Difficult Terrain.
A creature that enters a web-filled area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there must succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity Saving Throw or have the Restrained condition. As an action, a creature Restrained by the webs can try to escape from them, doing so with a successful DC 12 Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check.
Each 5-foot Cube of webs has AC 10; HP 7; Vulnerability to Fire damage; and Immunity to Piercing, Poison, and Psychic damage.
Treasure
The statue's helmet is a crimson Dread Helm that resembles the head of a horned devil. Inside the statue is a heart-shaped black tourmaline worth 30 GP.
S6: Altar of Vecna
This room mirrors the Altar of Yeenoghu (area D6), but this altar honors evil of a viler caliber.
The first character to inspect the hourglass hears the sound of a ticking clock, followed by a baleful chime. The hourglass then cracks, and the sand spills out, revealing a mummified eye within the lower bulb. No other character hears the sound.
Afterward, a character can examine the altar's contents and make a DC 12 Intelligence (Religion) check. On a successful check, the character recognizes the hand and the eye as the symbol of Vecna, a powerful lich feared throughout Greyhawkins. The hourglass is a ceremonial object used by members of Vecna's cult to symbolize the lich's dreadedâand inevitableâreturn.
Conclusion
After the characters defeat the Demogorgon spawn and locate Flizzlebin, the gnome rewards them. Read or paraphrase the following:
For their efforts, Flizzlebin gives the characters his Cap of Vanishing. If one of the characters didn't find a magic item during the adventure, the gnome presents the cap to that character.
Flizzlebin is Friendly and willing to speak to the characters. During conversation, he fondly recalls the characters' deeds and commends them on their creativity, heroism, or any other qualities you deem appropriate. He then wishes them farewell and vanishes once more, disappearing to a faraway dungeon to challenge a new group of adventurers.
Character Advancement
After the characters receive Flizzlebin's reward, everyone in the party gains 1 level. Direct each player to record any treasure they found over the course of this adventure.