Uni and the Hunt for the Lost Horn

Running the Adventure

This product includes everything you need to run the adventure.

Background

The spellcaster Kelek has long sought to harness the rare magic of unicorns to fuel his nefarious ambitions. Recently, he devised a one-time magical way to use his ornate walking stick to drain a unicorn's innate magic and remove the horn from its head. What's worse, Kelek found a tome with directions to a hidden demiplane, along with instructions to ritually cast a Wish spell there using a unicorn's horn as a component. Kelek plans to use this ritual to supplant his superior, the evil wizard Venger, as the overlord of the Realm.

Kelek, however, is only falling into Venger's trap. Venger planted the tome to tempt Kelek and test the spellcaster's loyalty. The demiplane is inside Venger's Crystal Ball. No wish awaits Kelek at the end of his ritual, only his master's scorn.

No matter what happens to Kelek, Venger is certain to destroy Uni's horn and use it for his own nefarious ends. The characters must free Uni from Kelek's minions and stop Kelek and Venger from misusing Uni's magic and destroying her horn.

Adventure Hooks

Use one of the following adventure hooks to draw the characters into the story:

Back to the Realm. This hook continues the story of the Dungeons & Dragons animated series and assumes the players choose the premade characters that accompany this adventure. Long ago, the characters were transported to the Realm, a world filled with magic and monsters. With magic items they received from a powerful being called Dungeon Master, the characters undertook many adventures before finally returning to their own world. Years passed, and these exploits became the gossamer memories of a dream. The Realm has now called the characters back, though they don't know why. Now adults, the characters have been reunited and a new friend has joined them. But what—or whom—could have brought them here?
Quest for the Unicorn. The characters seek a unicorn for personal reasons. Perhaps the unicorn's healing magic can cure a character's dying relative or friend. Maybe the characters seek a patron or a powerful ally. The characters are traveling together when their journey leads them to a wood where a unicorn is rumored to dwell.

Setting the Adventure

Uni and the Hunt for the Lost Horn can take place in any woodland setting where magic and monsters are rife. The Dungeons & Dragons animated series unfolds in the Realm, although this adventure can easily take place in a different world. Consider the following suggestions:

Dragonlance. The famed wizard Fizban tasks the characters with finding a unicorn in the forests around Windkeep in Kharolis on the world of Krynn. Fizban needs to ask the unicorn to travel back to Windkeep with the characters to help him complete some beneficent magical research.
Forgotten Realms. Harbin Wester, the townmaster of the mining settlement of Phandalin on the Sword Coast, asks the characters to find a unicorn in the nearby Neverwinter Wood. Harbin hopes the unicorn will return to Phandalin and cure his ailing cousins, who fell under a strange curse after venturing into the old mines.
Greyhawk. Queen Yolande of the elven nation of Celene hires the characters to invite a unicorn to live in her stables and bless her court in exchange for a lavish lifestyle. The queen suggests a unicorn may live in the forests around Enstad, the capital.

Overview

The adventure is designed to unfold in two to three hours of play and is split into the following parts:

Uni in Danger. The characters must free Uni from Kelek's minions. They soon learn that Kelek has stolen Uni's horn and fled through a portal, intent on using the horn to fuel a ritual.
Inside the Crystal Ball. The characters follow Kelek into a demiplane inside Venger's Crystal Ball. Regardless of whether the characters defeat Kelek, the demiplane begins to close, forcing the characters to escape. The characters can return Uni's horn to the unicorn to reverse Kelek's magic.

Uni in Danger

The adventure begins on a woodland trail on a bright, sunny day. Read or paraphrase the following to begin the adventure:

The winged figure is Willowbrush, a Sprite trying to save Uni. She flutters east through the woods toward the sounds of a struggle.

Woodland Pool

When the characters follow Willowbrush, they emerge into the westernmost point of a clearing with a woodland pool, where Kelek's minions hold Uni captive. Willowbrush rushes to the northwest edge of the clearing. Her friend Knock, another Sprite, is near the southeast edge of the clearing. Uni is no longer the youngster of the animated series; she is a fully grown unicorn.

Just moments earlier, Kelek rapped Uni on the head with his walking stick, magically removing and stealing her horn. Willowbrush and Knock then came upon the scene. Although they couldn't stop Kelek, who fled through a strange portal nearby, they are attacking the spellcaster's minions, who hold Uni captive.

Woodland Pool Features

Map 1.1 shows the woodland pool's layout. The area has the following features:

Bushes. The dense foliage around the pool is Difficult Terrain.
Magic Portal. Any creature that moves through the portal in the northeast corner of the map is transported into a demiplane (see the "Inside the Crystal Ball" section below).
Pool Depth. The pool is 10 feet deep near the waterfall. The shallower water near the banks is Difficult Terrain.
Puffball Mushrooms. Brightly colored puffball mushrooms grow in the locations shown on the map. Each puffball mushroom has AC 5, HP 1, and Immunity to Poison and Psychic damage. When a puffball is reduced to 0 Hit Points, it explodes and releases a cloud of sickening spores in a 10-foot Emanation originating from it. Each creature in that area must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or have the Poisoned condition until the end of that creature's next turn.

As a Study action, any character who examines the mushrooms and succeeds on a DC 10 Intelligence (Nature) check knows what the mushrooms are and what they can do.

Pool Confrontation

Read or paraphrase the following when the characters approach the pool:

The following creatures are present, as shown on the map:

Uni the unicorn, who has the Restrained condition while tangled in the Net
Two Sprites, Willowbrush and Knock
A Bugbear Warrior named Grump, the goblinoid who stands on a 60-foot-high bluff
Ten Bullywug Warriors, who answer to Grump

Uni

Kelek has drained Uni's magic and taken her horn. Uni currently uses the Warhorse stat block, except she's a Lawful Good Celestial and can speak Common, Elvish, and Sylvan. Uni is frantically struggling to escape the Net, but she's too tangled in it to do so alone. As an action, a character within 5 feet of Uni can free her with a successful DC 10 Strength (Athletics) check to remove the Net. Destroying the Net (AC 10; HP 5; Immunity to Bludgeoning, Poison, and Psychic damage) also frees Uni.

Sprites

Willowbrush and Knock perch on high branches to keep out of melee. The Sprites target the puffball mushrooms with their arrows, hoping the exploding fungi will poison nearby bullywugs (see the "Woodland Pool Features" section above). Willowbrush and Knock apologize to any characters affected by an exploding puffball.

Grump

The bugbear orders the bullywugs to attack the characters. Now that Kelek has removed Uni's horn, Grump plans to sell Uni as a packhorse and won't let her go without a fight.

Development

Once Uni is free of the Net, Grump realizes his plans are falling apart. From that point on, a character can try to convince Grump to depart the clearing and take all remaining bullywugs with him; Grump is Hostile toward the characters. As an Influence action, a character can convince Grump by succeeding on a DC 12 Charisma (Intimidation or Persuasion) check. A character can instead make a DC 12 Charisma (Deception) check if trickery is used to fool the bugbear into leaving (for example, if the character claims to be working for Kelek).

If the characters defeat eight or more bullywugs, Grump surrenders and begs for mercy. If the characters question Grump at that point, the bugbear reveals that Kelek used a book to find the nearby portal. The book includes instructions on using a unicorn's horn to ritually cast a Wish spell inside the demiplane to which the portal leads.

Treasure

Each bullywug wears paste jewelry worth 5 GP and carries a pouch containing 4 GP. These coins bear the embossed face of the bullywugs' monarch, King Gurgle, who wears a powdered wig.

Grump carries a pouch containing 50 GP.

If one or more characters are wounded at the end of the battle, Willowbrush and Knock each produce two Potions of Healing. They offer the potions to the characters who appear to be most in need of healing.

After the Confrontation

Once the characters have freed Uni and defeated her captors, Willowbrush and Knock introduce themselves and explain they're Uni's friends. If the characters address Uni, the distraught unicorn entreats the characters to retrieve her horn.

Willowbrush and Knock provide the following answers to the characters' questions:

What Happened Here?. "We heard Uni whinnying in distress. When we rushed to help, we saw that awful, white-bearded spellcaster called Kelek hit her on the head with his walking stick! Uni's horn disappeared from her head and appeared in Kelek's hand, and then he ran away. Then, the bullywugs and bugbear who were with Kelek threw a net over Uni. Who knows what they were going to do—we're so glad you arrived to help!"
What Happens If We Retrieve Uni's Horn?. "Kelek used magic to remove it! We're pretty sure her horn will reattach if you bring it back to her." (Willowbrush and Knock are correct. Kelek imbued his walking stick with a one-use magical ability to drain Uni's magic and temporarily detach her horn from her body. If the severed horn is brought within 5 feet of Uni, the horn is restored to her brow and Uni regains her magic.)
Where Did Kelek Go?. "Kelek, some more bullywugs, and some wolf-things stepped through that strange portal over there. Kelek said something about using Uni's horn as a focus in a ritual. We think he's going to destroy the horn!" Willowbrush and Knock indicate that Kelek fled through the portal shown on map 1.1.
Who Is Kelek?. "He's an evil spellcaster who serves an even eviler master, a wizard named Venger who calls himself the Force of Evil."

Entering the Portal

Uni promises the characters her eternal gratitude plus a future favor if they retrieve her horn. Since the unicorn is currently without her magical abilities, Willowbrush and Knock insist on remaining at Uni's side to protect her.

When the characters step through the portal shown on the map, they arrive at area C1 inside Venger's Crystal Ball.

Inside the Crystal Ball

The portal leads to a demiplane inside the Crystal Ball in Venger's throne room, far from the woods.

Along with this demiplane, Venger created a tome that includes cryptic directions to a portal entrance, as well as fake instructions on using a unicorn's horn to ritually cast Wish inside the demiplane. Venger left the book for Kelek to find, curious whether Kelek would try to use the Wish to betray Venger. Disloyal to the last, Kelek has entered the demiplane to do so, along with several minions tasked with ensuring no one stops the spellcaster.

Demiplane Features

The demiplane has the following features.

Chilly Mist

The interior of the demiplane is filled with cool mist that doesn't obscure vision.

Crystal Shell

The demiplane is spherical; its outer shell is made of pale, translucent crystal. The shell is indestructible, and creatures can't pass through it. Strange lights and shadows shift over its surface.

Floor

A flat crystal plane bisects the spherical demiplane, forming a disk-shaped floor. Gravity pulls creatures toward this floor, while the shimmering hemisphere of the crystal shell is visible above.

Interior Walls

The demiplane's interior walls are made of dense thornbushes. These walls have Immunity to all damage. Any creature that is pushed against the thornbushes must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw or have the Restrained condition, as it becomes snagged on thorny branches. The condition ends on the creature if it takes an action to free itself from the thornbushes or if another creature within reach of it does the same (no ability check required in either case).

Paths A and B

Four paths wind through the thornbushes toward the demiplane's outer shell and seem to extend even beyond it. A creature that reaches the end of one path is magically teleported (see "Teleportation") to the end of the path on the opposite side of the demiplane (marked A or B).

Crystal Ball Locations

The following areas are keyed to map 1.2.

C1: Magic Portal

When the characters enter the demiplane, read or paraphrase the following:

A single path leads away from this area toward the clearing in area C2.

Portal

The portal remains open. Characters can use it to return to the woodland pool at any time.

C2: Misty Clearing

The puppy is Nosey. Nosey uses the Blink Dog stat block, except his size is Small. Bullywugs captured Nosey outside the demiplane and were planning to offer the puppy to their king as a gift, but Nosey escaped from them.

Nosey suffers from a bad cold and sneezes every few minutes. With each sneeze, he accidentally teleports (see "Teleportation") to a random unoccupied space within 40 feet of him that he can see. Having sneezed himself free of his captors' sack through a small hole, Nosey is looking for a way home.

Nosey pantomimes his capture and escape, and any character who pays attention to the puppy's behavior figures out the basic details. If the characters are friendly to Nosey or promise to help him escape, he stays close to them and even fights alongside them.

Bullywug Pursuers

Before the characters can leave or search this area, they hear three Bullywug Warriors approaching from area C3. Read or paraphrase the following:

Loud, grumpy-sounding croaking noises echo from the area. The characters overhear the following exchange in Common:

Moments before the bullywugs arrive, Nosey sneezes repeatedly, teleporting to the middle of area C3 and leaving the characters to face the bullywugs by themselves.

If the characters don't leave this area immediately, the bullywugs see them. One runs to alert King Gurgle in area C4, while the other two attack. Otherwise, the bullywugs continue searching for Nosey.

Treasure

Each bullywug wears paste jewelry worth 10 GP.

C3: Bullywug Ambush

Four additional Bullywug Warriors are trying to recapture Nosey, but they quickly turn to attack intruders instead. If a bullywug dies, one remaining bullywug dashes off to warn King Gurgle in area C4 while the others cover its retreat.

Treasure

Each bullywug wears paste jewelry worth 10 GP.

C4: King Gurgle's Tent

The cooking pot contains a foul stew made from worms.

Two creatures are here. King Gurgle, a Bullywug Bog Sage, is next to Grouch, a Bugbear Warrior. Grouch is loyal to Kelek. King Gurgle's alliance with Kelek, however, is tenuous.

King Gurgle has lent Kelek the service of his bullywug subjects in exchange for a place at Kelek's side when Kelek becomes all-powerful. Irascible and impatient, King Gurgle is unhappy that Kelek's ritual is taking so long.

If the king was warned about the characters, he's waiting outside the tent with Grouch, ready to fight. Otherwise, he's inside the tent, complaining to Grouch and Indifferent toward the characters. Characters who approach the tent hear the following exchange in Common:

Development

As an Influence action, a character can convince King Gurgle to turn against Kelek with a lie or compelling argument and a successful DC 14 Charisma (Deception or Persuasion) check. A character who backs up their words with an offering of food has Advantage on the check. On a successful check, the king and his bullywugs join the characters as allies during the confrontation in area C5. Grouch is completely loyal to Kelek and fights to the death.

Treasure

King Gurgle wears a powdered white wig that is worth 30 GP once it is washed. He also carries a pouch containing three 100 GP garnets.

C5: The Ritual Space

The four wolflike creatures are Worgs who defend Kelek, a human Mage, as he reads lines of gibberish from the book. If two Worgs are defeated or Kelek takes damage, Kelek joins the battle, incensed that the characters interrupted him. Kelek has 40 Temporary Hit Points from removing Uni's horn. He loses any remaining Temporary Hit Points if he loses possession of the horn.

Venger Appears

When Kelek is reduced to fewer than 25 Hit Points or on Initiative count 0 of the fourth round (losing Initiative ties), whichever comes first, Venger appears outside the demiplane. Read or paraphrase the following:

Venger has no further need for the demiplane, which begins to crumble and dissolve into icy mist (see "Vanishing Demiplane" below).

Continue with the Initiative order.

Grabbing the Horn

Uni's horn lands at the feet of a random character. A character can pick up the dropped horn easily (no action required).

Kelek's Fate

At the start of Kelek's next turn, the floor shatters under his feet. With a shriek, he plunges into a cloud of mist and disappears. A moment later, the same thing happens to any surviving Worgs, which howl in terror as they fall.

Vanishing Demiplane

It takes 1 minute for Venger's demiplane to vanish, and creatures still inside the demiplane can use the portal in area C1 to escape. Any creature that doesn't escape in time takes 10 (3d6) Force damage as it is teleported to the clearing with the woodland pool (see "Teleportation"). Kelek's treasure (see "Treasure" below) also appears next to the pool, but there's no sign of Kelek or his beasts. The portal disappears along with the demiplane.

Any allies the characters have made in the demiplane are also ejected from the portal.

Treasure

Kelek carries a nonmagical, jeweled walking stick worth 1,000 GP. He also carries Venger's ritual book, which is worthless.

Conclusion

Once they return through the portal to the woods, the characters reunite with Uni, Willowbrush, and Knock. Nosey the puppy also reappears, happy to be back in familiar territory.

When Uni's horn is brought within 5 feet of her, Kelek's magic is undone. The horn melds to Uni's brow with a flash, and her magical powers return. The unicorn thanks the characters and promises that, should the characters need Uni's help in the future, the unicorn is more than happy to be of assistance.

If the characters ask for a reward, Willowbrush and Knock give them a treasure map they took from a sleeping adventurer a few weeks ago. Where does the map lead? To the next adventure, of course!

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