At the Main Hall the player characters (all assumed to be new members of the Guild of Free Adventurers) are advised by the Irishman to take the guild's training course which is set up in a cave several miles south of Evenhold. Arriving at the site, the adventurers get instructions from the Knight Marshal William Misslefire who tells them the cave presents simple problems to overcome and low-level creatures to defeat, and shouldn't pose any significant danger.

Venturing into the cave, the party initially finds things to be just as Misslefire said, encountering what they discover to be magically summoned creatures (rats, doppelgangers, and a gorilla) in some early chambers, and a trained, flesh-and-blood mimic in another. However, they also find a transient who suggests things in the cave may be amiss; he mentions that dark figures were moving around the deeper parts of the cave last night. Moving farther in, the party encounters damaged chambers that don't properly summon their intended creatures.

Stepping beyond the bounds of the training exercise, the party uncovers a hidden passage leading to a small underground temple where a cultist is performing a ritual around a bound girl. After interrupting the rite and dealing with the cultist, the party discovers that the girl is Cynthia Luxom, daughter of Duke Fedrik Luxom, who was kidnapped last night by pirates and brought by boat to the caves. The party learns that the cultist was hired by the pirates to perform a ritual that hides Cynthia from the magical divinations that the duke's agents are using to find her.

Going deeper, the party finds a ransacked library, then a tunnel that descends to Pirate's Cove where the leader of the pirate band waits by his boat. The leader wields a dangerous magical sword, but he and his crew can be defeated by the combined efforts of the party. They may learn that the leader didn't mastermind the kidnapping but is following orders from a commander, and that Cynthia was targeted not just for a monetary ransom but to coerce her father the duke into cooperation with some unspecified plan.

Having solved the mystery and foiled the pirates' schemes, the party may retrace their steps to the entrance, or alternatively they may find concealed steps in the cove's walls that lead back to the top of the bluff. They meet up with the surprised Misslefire who praises the party for their discovery of the pirates' incursion and initiative in thwarting the scheme. All return to Evenhold. The players receive a monetary reward from Duke Luxom for Cynthia's safe return and are allowed to keep possession of the pirate leader's sword.

The Guild has owned and operated the Beginners Cave for many years, and venturing through it has become a rite of passage for new recruits.

The official responsible for its operation is Krovyn Mawr, better known around the Main Hall as the Warlord, an ex-mercenary commander and highly skilled summoner who now serves the guild. To avoid the costs and logistical challenges of stocking the cave with flesh-and-blood creatures, the Warlord used his expertise to build a tidy and nearly autonomous system that regularly summons conjured creatures using magic.

A stone font of conjuration, installed in a hidden service chamber near the entrance, senses when adventurers pass through the course and manifests weak spirits in various forms that persist for an hour. There are small inscribed metal plaques mounted in the individual training chambers which act as targets, telling the font where each creature should appear. The manifestations last for up to an hour before dissipating, and each chamber can normally be activated once per day. Damaging a plaque stops the corresponding manifestation from forming correctly; removing it prevents it from forming at all.

The entrance to the Beginners Cave is situated near the top of a bluff close to the sea, which lies to the southwest. The adventurers can hear gulls and distant surf, and can smell the fresh, salty air blowing off the water, but the sea is not visible from this vantage point. The area has scattered trees but mostly consists of exposed, lichen-covered rock mixed with patches of heather, fescue grass, and gorse. Other than a small wooden shelter for the knight marshal, there are no nearby buildings and the closest settlement is miles away.

The cave entrance itself is a dark opening that angles gently downward into a large outcropping of rock. It has no gate, just a wooden sign above it that reads "beginners only". Tethering posts with enough rings for six horses stand nearby. One horse (the knight marshal's) is already tied there.

Though formed naturally millennia ago, the small set of tunnels and caverns has been worked over the years into usable passages, stairways, chambers, and cells. The caves all slope gradually down toward the sea, and one rough passage winds all the way to the foot of the cliffs surrounding nearby Pirate's Cove. This lower portion is not part of the training course; it's separated from the upper chambers by a locked wooden gate, and blocked at the bottom by a masonry wall.

Guild officers regularly inspect the cave but it isn't constantly supervised. Misslefire won't stay at the entrance while the chracters are inside, but he'll return by the time the party is finished.

Summary: The party makes the journey from the Main Hall to the cave.

To reach the cave, the party will first need to decide on transportation since it lies about ten miles south of town:

• Rent horses. A Free Adventurer can rent a horse from the guild stables for a modest fee: 1 gold piece for the day, due back by sunset. (The usual deposit is waived for members in good standing.) This is the quickest and easiest method.
• Hitch a lift. If the party wants to save their coins they can try to catch a ride on one of the many goods wagons that regularly depart the city. Free Adventurers are generally well regarded by the locals, so a friendly driver can usually be persuaded to make room.
• Steal horses. The party might want to try "borrowing" horses that belong to others, but this risks attracting the attention of the guards who regularly patrol the streets and is likely to complicate matters.

The party will exit the south gates of the city and travel down the busy Coast Road, along with a diverse mix of travelers making their way in wagons or carriages, on horseback, or on foot. This can be a good chance for players to chat and get to know each other (if they don't already). After about five miles a dusty side-road (not much more than a trail) branches off to the right, and after five more miles on this trail the party will reach the cave. See an interactive map of the surrounding area.

The adventure assumes that the characters leave Evenhold after breakfast and arrive at the cave by mid-morning.

At the DM's discretion, this part of the adventure can just be background, and play can begin at the cave mouth.

Summary: The knight marshal gives the party their instructions.

When the players reach the vicinity of the cave, feel free to read the following to them, either all at once or in pieces:

As you approach the cave you spot the guild's knight marshal sitting in the small guard shelter near the cave entrance, reading a broadsheet. A mature, stern-looking man with a trimmed salt-and-pepper beard, he's lightly armored and carries rope and a sword on his belt. He rises and steps out to greet you.

"Hail, friends," he says. "You found the place, then. My name is William Misslefire."

You exchange salutations and introductions with the knight; he's courteous but not very interested in small-talk. He has the demeanor of a tired tour-guide, someone who's done their job so often that it's become boringly routine.

"In the cave you'll find marked encounter chambers. Every one teaches a lesson. They'll throw challenges at you but nothing you can't handle if you have your wits. Good judgment matters more than a strong sword arm, so exercise that and you'll be fine." He pauses and looks you over skeptically, then continues. "You'll be fine, just don't be reckless."

"Now then, these are the rules set forth by the Warlord and the Wardens of the Guild." He ticks them off on his fingers. "First: beginners only. No veteran escorts. You learn by doing, not by having a baby-minder. Second: you can keep whatever treasures you find in the encounter chambers. Third: don't take anything off the walls. Fourth: don't leave your rubbish behind. Fifth: meet me right back here when you're finished. If I'm not here when you're done, wait for me. I'll be taking my lunch at the farm up the way, but I doubt you'll get through the cave that quick."

"You'll have the place to yourselves... except maybe for a harmless old vagrant. He's not part of the exercise, just a derelict who sometimes sleeps rough in the caverns. Don't feed him, don't give him money, and don't believe his wild stories. Last time he swore he was the king of the potato people."

After the knight marshal gives his remarks, players may ask him questions about the cave, its history, previous groups who've ventured through it, etc. He may reveal...

• there's a small stash of emergency supplies kept in a side-room off the great chamber should they need them.
• the cave is powered by a mostly autonomous system of magical spells set up by the Warlord, but he refuses to give details so as not to spoil any challenges.
• the cave system snakes all the way down to the coast, but the lower tunnels aren't part of the training course. A locked gate at the end of the encounter hall keeps beginners out of the sections beyond.

Whenever they're ready, players head south into the cave mouth.

The tunnel slopes gently downward, with shallow and uneven steps carved into the stone floor. The sunlight is soon replaced by torchlight. After about 60 feet the entrance tunnel opens onto a large and roughly circular cavern.

The Great Chamber is wide, cool, and lit by a handful of torches around the perimeter. The floor has been smoothed and evened, but it's obvious that this was and is a natural cavern: jagged stalactites still hang overhead, casting dancing shadows onto the rough ceiling. Hundreds of names and dates have been scratched into the walls by previous adventurers.

An uneven opening in the west wall leads to a dimly-lit space beyond. A small archway in the east wall has a wooden door marked "storage", standing slightly ajar. A larger archway in the south wall leads a few steps down into a long and well-lit gallery. To the north the entry tunnel snakes upward to the cave mouth.

Characters with a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 10 or higher will sense faint rustling noises from both the west and the east. The party can investigate the exits in any order.

Summary: The vagrant mentioned in the briefing is sleeping in the storeroom. If treated kindly he'll share clues about some unusual activity in the cave.

Approaching the east door, your hear the rustling a bit more clearly, mixed with occasional soft muttering. Pushing the door, it swings inward and you step inside.

The low-ceilinged storeroom is just large enough for your group to enter. A table along the north wall holds a couple of small boxes with a larger crate stowed below it, all illuminated by a single flickering torch near the door.

In the southeast corner of the room is a recess filled with what looks (and smells) like a pile of rubbish until you see it move and realize it's a bearded man in filthy clothes laying on a crude bed of debris. He mutters, rolls over, and his eyes open. Spotting you he clutches his garbage nest around himself and eyes you warily.

"Let me be, I'm not hurting anything!"

This is the vagrant hermit that the knight marshal mentioned. He's initially wary and brusque, but if the characters treat him respectfully, offer him food, or otherwise show him some kindness they can get him talking. He refuses to accompany the party, instead preferring the safety of the storeroom and the comfort of his garbage pile.

Personality-wise the hermit is cantankerous but perceptive, and (contrary to what Misslefire suggested) doesn't seem delusional. He may admit that he makes up silly claims just to annoy or confuse Guild officers, and is happy to learn that Misslefire repeats them.

Insights he can share

Last night during the small hours of the morning he heard several strangers moving through the cave from the south. They wore wet boots and they smelled like seawater. He also heard the voice of a young girl among them. One of the strangers was a very large man in robes. The hermit also heard some hammering and scraping from the training chambers, and he caught snippets of conversation but couldn't make out what they were saying. He doesn't know who the strangers were or what they were doing.

Emergency supplies

The hermit has helped himself to one of the Guild's healing draughts. ("I was just keeping it safe!") If the characters treat him kindly he'll grudgingly offer it to them, especially if anyone in the party is injured. The small glass vial contains a single dose of bitter red liquid used as an emergency restorative. Drinking it takes an action and restores 2d4 + 2 hit points.

A few more items may be found in the boxes on the table including some bandages, a couple canteens of fresh water, and a salve for burns. The crate beneath the table is marked "lost property" and contains a leather glove, a boot, some assorted arrows, and a small shield with a sticker across the front that says, "Hi, I'm Heinrich".

Summary: This chamber introduces basic combat, giving the party the chance to fight as a team against a group of easy opponents.

You step into a natural cavern weakly lit by a single flickering torch near the entrance. Affixed to the wall by the entrance is a small silver plaque about the size of an index card that bears the coat of arms of the Guild. It's inscribed with an intricate set of runes and a single recognizable word: "Cooperation".

Unlike the entry hall, this cavern is mostly unworked, with rough, rounded walls that curl and snake away into the darkness. The soft dripping of water echoes through the dim space, as does the scuffling noise, now much clearer. As your eyes adjust to the gloom you notice a pair of gleaming eyes peering at you from the darkness, soon followed by several more.

The eyes in the darkness belong to a pack of giant rats, magically summoned by the cave's system of creature conjuring. They're identical to real rats except for a bluish glow that shines from their eyes. The number of rats in the pack is equal to one more than the number of characters in the party. Each rat has a distinct color of fur: black, brown, reddish-brown, grey-blue, and tan. (Add an additional black rat for larger parties.)

The rats spread out instinctively, each one trying to bite the nearest unengaged character and inflict piercing damage. They're aggressive but poorly coordinated. They don't pursue characters beyond the chamber and they never attack anyone who's unconscious. Trying to distract or drive off the rats may work briefly, but they'll quickly resume their attacks.

When a rat is injured, a wispy, bluish vapor seeps from their wounds. When slain, its body collapses into vapor, leaving behind a single, polished, semiprecious stone at the spot where it fell.

Characters who inspect the stones will see that they're ordinary semiprecious gems (not magical items). The Guild expects adventurers to take them.

Summary: The long gallery provides access to various training chambers.

This cavern has been worked into a long, straight, brightly-lit gallery with smooth walls and an even floor. Iron chandeliers hang from the arched ceiling and heavy wooden doors, alternating left and right, line both sides of the chamber. The doors are all closed. Occasional banners in the colors of the Guild hang from the walls.

The gallery stretches south about 150 feet, descending slightly as it goes, ending at a wall with a door.

Summary: This is a puzzle chamber. At the far end is a small treasure, but the party can't reach it because they're blocked by magical duplicates of themselves that match their every move.

Stepping through the west doorway you first find a tall stone partition that screens the chamber from the doorway. On it is affixed another small silver plaque covered in complex runes and glyphs, and a single recognizable word: "Ingenuity".

Walking around the partition you find yourself in a great hall, some 40 feet wide and twice that in length. The stone has been smoothed and the walls carved with shallow decorative arches that make the space feel like the nave of a cathedral. It's well lit by iron braziers that are set firmly into the walls above reach.

What immediately catches your eye, however, are the figures moving at the far end of the room. Like you, they're emerging from behind a partition and peering into the chamber. You suddenly realize they are you, or rather mirror images of you! Each member in your party has a doppelganger that moves in exactly the same way, instantly mirroring every action, however slight.

The players will quickly realize there's no mirror: the room is simply long and built with near-perfect symmetry, and the duplicates are tangible physical forms that look almost identical to the members of the party. The only visual difference is that (like the summoned rats) their eyes glow with a soft, magical radiance of bluish light.

Each duplicate precisely mirrors the position, posture, and movements of their counterpart across an imaginary line that crosses the middle of the chamber. At this midpoint the two can meet, making it impossible for characters and duplicates to pass each other just by sidestepping, crawling, jumping, etc. The duplicates make no sound when mimicking the movements of speech. When a character touches their counterpart, it feels solid and unnaturally cold. The duplicates cannot cast any magic spells or effects, but carry all the same clothing and equipment. The gear (like the duplicates) is a solid manifestation that dissipates if removed from the chamber.

Attacking a duplicate is ineffective since it makes the exact same attack at the same instant, and the blows cancel each other out. If several characters coordinate their attacks, their doubles perfectly copy the same coordinated maneuver from the opposite side.

The players will notice one difference between the two ends of the chamber. While the partition wall standing in front of the entrance is empty, the corresponding wall on the far end has a bracket that holds a glass bell jar, and under it is some small piece of glittering jewelry (though precise details are hard to make out from the middle of the room).

Potential solutions:

• Use a doppelganger to collect the treasure. One member of the party can go to the spot that matches where the treasure is at the other end, thus making their duplicate go to the actual treasure. They can carefully mime lifting the bell jar and grabbing the jewelry, which the duplicate will do for real. They can then mime carrying it to the middle of the room and tossing it to the other side.
• Get the hermit to do it. The cave's magic doesn't recognize him as one of the trainees, so he has no double. If the party can persuade him to join them, he can simply walk around the figures with no obstruction.
• Use a summoned creature. Since the duplicates can't actually perform magic, any magically summoned creature or familiar who wasn't present when they entered the chamber would not be blocked by a duplicate.
• Use Mage Hand. The spell can be used to retrieve the item, but the 30-foot range means the caster would have to be nose-to-nose with their double (since the treasure is 30 feet back from the middle of the room).

Reward players for other creative ideas on how to get the treasure. Any plan that exploits the mirroring rule (rather than just overpowering the duplicates) should have a reasonable chance of success.

Reward

The piece of jewelry is a small, oval-shaped pendant of polished metal which surrounds a piece of clear blue glass, on the surface of which is etched a tiny eye. It's nicely crafted but the materials are not expensive.

Once per day, while holding the pendant and concentrating on something they can see within 30 feet, the holder can gain Advantage on one Wisdom (Perception) or Intelligence (Investigation) check made to detect something hidden, disguised, illusory, or otherwise difficult to notice. The pendant regains its use at dawn.

Summary: Not every dangerous creature needs to be fought! After the party collects a piece of equipment from the chamber, a gorilla appears at the exit and must be calmed, distracted, or persuaded to move aside.

Like the Great Chamber, the floor and lower walls of this room have been smoothed and worked, but stalactites hang high above. It's simple, roughly rectangular, and about 30 feet across. You enter through a small antechamber in the west wall, and you see a similar pocket in the far wall. Inside the pocket is a hook on which hangs a neatly coiled length of pale rope.

The room is empty and quiet with no sign of activity. The small, rune-covered plaque by the entrance is marked, "Restraint".

The rope is a 50-foot length of silk rope provided by the Guild as the chamber's reward. It is ordinary but high-quality adventuring gear and may be kept by the party. Removing the rope from the hook triggers the chamber's magic:

A faint blue mist curls upward from the floor by the entrance. It immediately swirls, thickens, and forms itself into an enormous gorilla. Its eyes glow with the same cold, blue light that you saw in the rats. The ape drops onto its knuckles, gives a deafening roar, and pounds the stone floor hard enough to make pebbles jump. It bares its teeth and advances a couple of steps, then stops. It's directly between you and the only exit.

The gorilla is a magical manifestation created by the cave's conjuration system. It's deliberately intimidating but it's not meant to attack immediately. The purpose of the gorilla is to teach beginners to evaluate threats intelligently and to avoid unnecessary combat and injury.

Reading the gorilla

The gorilla is territorial and agitated but it's not predatory. So long as it's not attacked or provoked it stays near the entrance and tries to frighten the characters away. Players may notice:

• It behaves aggressively but it doesn't charge. A successful Wisdom (Animal Handling) or Wisdom (Insight) check will confirm that the gorilla is trying to intimidate the party rather than start a fight.
• It gets more agitated if characters approach it, wield weapons, shout at it, or stare directly at it.
• It gets less agitated if they give it space, lower their weapons, are quiet, and avoid eye contact.

Potential solutions:

There's no single action that automatically solves the encounter; instead the gorilla responds to the behavior of the party as a whole. Characters may:

• Keep their weapons lowered
• Avoid direct eye contact
• Speak quietly
• Crouch or appear non-threatening
• Toss some food or a distracting object to one side of the chamber
• Use magic to calm, charm, or distract the gorilla

Once the party takes several of these nonthreatening actions, or they successfully distract the gorilla, its posture relaxes. It stops beating the floor and its lips close over its teeth. With a grunt it moves far enough from the doorway for the characters to exit. The gorilla continues to watch them warily. Once the party leaves the chamber, the gorilla does not follow.

If attacked, the gorilla will defend itself, but the chamber's magic prevents it from deliberately killing anyone. It prefers shoving, grappling, knocking characters prone, and driving them back, and it won't pursue incapacitated characters. If the characters disengage, the gorilla will return to its normal threat-display behavior. If the players insist on trying to defeat it through combat, they can certainly try (a stat block is provided below) but this is the less efficient and much more dangerous solution.

Note: if the characters decide not to take the rope, nothing happens and they can leave the chamber freely. The encounter begins only if and when the rope is removed from its hook.

Split parties

If only a subset of the party enters the chamber to retrieve the rope, the gorilla still appears, separating the two groups. Characters outside the chamber can see and communicate with those inside and may help with advice, food, distracting magic, or other nonviolent solutions.

Summary: This chamber gives players experience detecting and overcoming locks and traps, and features an encounter with a disguised mimic.

This chamber is smaller and more finished than the preceding ones. Decorative arches are carved into the walls, with columns that curve and meet in a vaulted ceiling. In the middle hangs an iron chandelier whose burning candles fill the room with a warm, comfortable light.

A small hanging, iron bell is also affixed to the ceiling. Characters examining the bell notice that its pull-rope is positioned such that it can be reached easily from anywhere near the center of the room, but nothing identifies its purpose.

Five chests of varying sizes and styles are arranged around the chamber, along with several wooden chairs. You also spot a worn dirk laying on the floor. The room has the standard Guild plaque near the door, and on it is carved the word, "Discernment", but unlike the other plaques there are no magical runes inscribed on it.

Perceptive characters may notice a few subtle patches of bluish chalk dust on the chamber's floor.

There appear to be five chests in the chamber, each constructed solidly enough that breaking them is impractical. They are:

• A chest that has no lock or traps.
• A chest that's locked.
• A chest that's trapped.
• A chest that's both locked and trapped.
• A mimic imitating a chest.

The chests are of varied sizes and shapes. Starting from the chest on the north wall and moving clockwise, these are their properties:

The trapped chests are each built to contain three charges or either chalk powder or glitter. Each time a chest is opened without disabling the trap, it will go off. When the characters arrive the chalk powder chest has only two charges remaining; the glitter chest has all three.

The restorative salve is a pale, greenish paste in a little ceramic jar. It can be applied to a wound (requires an action) and it will restore 5 hit points. The salve is consumed when used.

The mimic

This trained, juvenile mimic gives adventurers a taste of a genuine monster encounter. Unlike the other creatures in the caverns, it's actual flesh and blood, not magically conjured.

If the mimic is left untouched it will remain disguised and do nothing. When touched, two pseudopods will immediately spring from its sides and attempt to grapple the nearest character. The "lid" will open and characters will see that it's actually a mouth lined with sharp teeth; however, the mimic will only grapple and will not attempt to bite.

If a character rings the hanging bell while the mimic is active, the mimic will disengage from combat and quickly slide away through a low trapdoor at the bottom of the back wall. The mimic will also retreat once it's reduced to half its hit points. If the bell is rung while the mimic is disguised, nothing happens. The trapdoor is too low for characters to pass through; it leads only to the mimic's resting and feeding chamber.

When the mimic retreats, characters will notice that it was sitting over a small depression in the floor, inside of which lies a gold ring. The retreating mimic will also shed a small strip of torn cloth that was stuck to one of its pseudopods.

Suspicious signs

The worn dirk on the floor and the presence of chalk powder suggests others have been in the room recently. After the chalk powder chest is disabled and opened, a character studying the trap mechanism will notice the one of the three charges has already been used. Careful examination of the dirk suggests it may have belonged to a sailor or fisherman. The same is true for the strip of torn clothing, which smells of saltwater.

Summary: This chamber gives the party their first unmistakable sign that things are amiss in the cave. The damaged magical plaque conjures the chamber's training monsters (fireworms) but in strange and obviously glitchy ways.

This cavern has been shaped into a long, empty, high-ceiling chamber with four thick columns. A flickering torch is attached to the outer face of each column, illuminating the walls but leaving the center of the chamber dimly lit. The floors and rough stone walls bear many long black scorch-marks, and there's a faint smell of burning.

You again notice the standard silver plaque on the wall by the entrance, but this one is damaged: it's bent and cracked, and a corner is broken off. Only a fragment of a word remains legible: "Cau—".

As you peer into the chamber, a faint orange glow flickers by one of the columns. For an instant the front half of a long, segmented creature appears in midair, its skin glowing like hot coals. Its jaws open and a burst of flame spits across the floor... but then the creature breaks apart into a swirl of sparks and vanishes. A second later something else materializes by the opposite wall: a section of writhing, segmented body without a head. It scrabbles violently against the stone floor before dissolving into blue-white vapor.

The broken manifestations continue at irregular intervals, never lasting or forming properly.

The damage to the plaque is causing the chamber's normal manifestations (a pair of fireworms) to form incorrectly. The cave's magic keeps trying to create them, but they almost immediately collapse back into puffs of magical energy. No training prize remains in the chamber. If there ever was one, it's been taken.

The plaque

Anyone examining the plaque can see that the damage was deliberate and not caused by normal wear and tear. There are fresh pry marks both on the metal and on the stone, and the surviving mounting pins are bent, suggesting that someone tried to wrench it off the wall.

The worms

Any character who succeeds on a DC 12 Intelligence (Nature) or Intelligence (Arcana) check will correctly identify the manifestations as fireworms. They're a dangerous, part-reptilian, part-vermiform creature, native to remote parts of Eamon, which spits short, intense bursts of flame.

Characters can safely observe the worms from the doorway. Anyone who enters the chamber and spends more than a few moments there risks being caught in an unpredictable burst of flame. At the DM's discretion, have the player make a Dexterity saving throw: DC 10 or 11. On a failure, the character takes 1d4 fire damage; on a success, they avoid the burst.

Summary: Two empty and completely disabled chambers offer further proof of deliberate damage. The gate at the end of the course has been broken from the inside.

The final section of the long gallery again has two side-chambers, one to the west, one to the east.

The west chamber is a carved room with carefully smoothed walls. In the center of the floor is a shallow, bowl-like pit roughly 20 feet wide. The stone around the pit is scuffed and stained, as though innumerable small creatures have moved across it over time. The room is silent and completely empty.

The east chamber is a natural, low-ceilinged cavern; its floor has been partially smoothed but it's otherwise unworked. A pool of clear water fills much of the cavern, roughly eight to ten feet at its deepest point. A short wooden platform extends out to the middle of the pool. Soft, blue-tinted ambient light comes from patches of luminescent fungi growing throughout the cave.

Both chambers have spots near their entrances where plaques were once affixed, but both have been removed and are nowhere to be found. Pry marks and broken mounting pins show that the plaques were recently wrenched off the walls.

These chambers give more clear evidence that cave has been deliberately damaged by some unknown party. Unlike the fireworm chamber, neither room shows any sign of unstable manifestations. With the targeting plaques completely gone, the cave's magic has nothing to target and the chambers remain completely inert. There's nothing of value to be found in either chamber.

Moving on, the characters reach the official end of the course:

To the south the long gallery ends. Though the cavern clearly continues, a wall of wooden beams has been erected across it. In the wall is a solid wooden gate upon which hangs a sign: "End of course. Guild officers only beyond this point." The door is ajar, and the splintered and bent hardware make it obvious that the gate was recently forced open from the south side (within).

Choosing to investigate

At this point the characters must decide whether to obey the sign or to investigate the breach. By now the damaged plaques, the signs of intruders, and the broken gate should have made it clear to the players that something has happened beyond the normal course. There's no help to be had from Misslefire: he already said he was leaving to take his lunch at a nearby farm. (If anyone goes back to the entrance they'll find that he has indeed left.) The party is on their own.

Assuming they choose to investigate and press onward, they'll enter a darker section of the caverns:

Swinging open the broken gate, you see what lies beyond: a smaller and rougher cavern tunnel that stretches southward into darkness, sloping gently downward as it goes. Though some rocky outcrops have been chiseled down for easier passage, there are many uneven areas and there are no torches to light the way.

Summary: The party finds a side-tunnel that leads to an underground temple.

After following the rough passage south for about 35 feet, characters with a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 13 or higher notice the faint smell of sweet smoke as they pass. Any character who deliberately investigates the rough tunnel also notices it without a check.

Following the smell leads the party to the east wall. A successful DC 13 Intelligence (Investigation) check immediately reveals the concealed door. On a failure, continued searching eventually locates the seam anyway, but costs several minutes.

Running your hands across the rough, uneven stone of the wall, you detect a very slight gap. Following it with your fingers, you realize that it surrounds a skillfully concealed door. Pushing firmly against it, the door silently moves, swinging slowly inward to reveal a dark side-passage beyond. The smell of burning incense and herbs becomes stronger.

Summary: The party encounters a cultist performing an occult ritual with a bound, kidnapped girl.

What's really happening

The knowledge of what's going on in the temple (and why) is something that will unfold gradually for the characters, but the DM should know the following up front:

• Cynthia, the daughter of Duke Fedrik Luxom of Yomber, was kidnapped last night by pirates.
• The pirates hired a cultist to hide Cynthia from divination, making it harder for the duke's agents to locate her.
• The cultist's ritual hides Cynthia by invoking the power of the Nameless, a dark and frightening deity.
• The ritual has to be conducted in a consecrated space, and the cultist knew of the ancient abandoned temple under the Beginners Cave.
• Cynthia, the two altars, the burning bowl, and the cultist's invocations are all necessary parts of the ritual.
• On the gold altar are some of Cynthia's possessions: her necklace and slippers.
• On the red altar are fresh smears of Cynthia's blood from her cut hand.
• The party arrives at the start of the ritual's final phase, and the growing intensity makes it clear that it's rapidly approaching a climax.
• The cultist wants to finish the rite more than he wants to fight.
• Whether he succeeds or fails, Cynthia won't be harmed and can still be rescued.
• Pirates await farther below at Pirate's Cove.

Entering the temple

Like the main tunnel, this side-passage is unlit, rough, and slopes downward as it winds crookedly into the rock, but is a bit narrower. After twisting along for about 40 feet, it begins to smooth out and widen, and you glimpse torchlight ahead. You also smell incense and herbs more strongly. Wide steps lead gently upward toward a large, open space where you can hear a man singing.

Lit by dancing torchlight, the space reveals itself as an ancient temple. Ornately carved columns stand like dark tree trunks, and faded murals of long-forgotten deities cover the stone walls. Against the far wall stands a broken statue, now little more than disembodied legs, and next to it are two altars: one gold, the other a dark ruddy color.

What immediately captures your attention is the hulking man in religious vestments standing before the altars, his arms raised as he sings a wordless melody. Before him on the floor sits a girl in her early teens, clad in a long white gown with her hands bound and a hood over her head. Her posture is rigid with fear and one of her hands is bandaged. A metal bowl of burning oil sits beside her, giving off curls of sweet-smelling smoke that fill the chamber.

No one knows the cultist, but a DC 13 Intelligence (Religion) will associate the charms and vestments with the Cult of the Nameless, a deity appeased through darkness, secrecy, and destruction of knowledge.

The girl under the hood is unidentifiable, but the quality of her garments clearly suggests wealth.

The Nameless Ritual

The ritual has three phases: preparation, offerings, and invocation. The first two have already been completed by the time the party arrives. Cynthia was listening and may relate the details later.

Now, as the party watches from the shadows, the cultist begins the third and final phase: the Invocation of the Nameless. The process requires incantations (shouting and singing syllables in an unknown tongue) alternating with somatic movements (sweeping motions of the arms and shapes made with the hands). Growing darkness suggests to the players that the process is nearing a climax.

If uninterrupted, the ritual progresses like so:

Round 1: The invocation begins.

The light in the temple dims slightly, even though the flames on the torches and in the burning bowl haven't lowered. Shadows around the edges of the room deepen and seem to creep inward. Sound begins to dull slightly.

Round 2: The ritual intensifies.

The light in the temple dims further. Shadows thicken and draw in toward Cynthia and the burning bowl. Some of the shadows move independently of any bodies in the room.

Round 3: The ritual nears its climax.

The temple feels oppressive and strangely dim, and voices grow muffled as if far away. You get the eerie sensation of an additional presence in the room, though you cannot see or hear it.

Round 4: The ritual completes.

Deadening silence and absolute darkness smother the temple. After a few long moments it begins to dissipate and disperse like smoke, revealing the kneeling and exhausted cultist, his arms still upraised, the extinguished bowl, and the frightened but unharmed Cynthia.

During the invocation, the first character to get within 10 feet of an altar, the bowl, or Cynthia will be lashed by a shadow for 1 point of damage. Anyone touching the blood altar during the invocation has to succeed on a DC 11 Wisdom saving throw or else be Frightened of the altar until the end of their next turn.

If the ritual is completed, then for five days any magic used to determine or scrye upon Cynthia's whereabouts is confounded. Attempts will reveal only featureless darkness.

Interrupting the ritual

Roll initiative as soon as any character attacks the cultist, tries to grab or move Cynthia, interferes with a component of the ritual, or otherwise forces physical opposition. If the party remains hidden and observes the ritual play out, initiative isn't needed.

The ritual advances one stage at the end of each of the cultist's turns unless it's been successfully interrupted. The cultist has to be able to complete both the vocal and somatic portions of each stage for it to progress. If he's prevented from speaking or from freely moving his arms during his turn, the ritual will not advance that round.

The progression of the ritual will be delayed if the party does any of the following:

• physically restrains the cultist so he can't move his arms freely.
• gags the cultist or otherwise prevents him from speaking.
• forces him off the dais.

The ritual will immediately fail if the party does any of the following:

• extinguishes the bowl. (Merely spilling the burning oil is insufficient.)
• removes Cynthia from the dais.
• removes her belongings (necklace, slippers) from the gold altar.
• removes her fresh blood from the blood altar.
• keeps the cultist off the dais for a full round.

The cultist will struggle with all his considerable strength to continue speaking the incantations and making the ritual movements, even if grappled or injured. While doing movements instead of incantations he's free to converse and will scream threats and warnings at the party:

"Stay back! The girl is in no danger unless you interfere!"

"You don't know whose attention you're inviting!"

"I was paid to hide her, not hurt her!"

"Fools, you may anger what I'm trying to appease!"

"Keep your hands off the altars!"

"Your quarrel is with the men below, not with me!"

Once she's aware of the party's presence, the hooded Cynthia will also call out:

"Help me! He cut my hand! My things are on the altar!"

"The bowl! He said the bowl was important!"

"There are more men below, pirates, down by the boat!"

If any of the essential components of the ritual are removed or extinguished, the cultist immediately realizes he's failed and abandons the invocation.

Summary: With the ritual ended, the party can free Cynthia, question the cultist, and learn that pirates are waiting below at the cove.

Dealing with the cultist

However the ritual ends, the cultist sinks exhausted to the floor. If he succeeded, he'll be serene; if not, he'll be glum. Either way, his priority now is survival. He may...

• try to flee back through the secret passage.
• surrender, especially if he's wounded.
• demand a guarantee of safety in exchange for information.

He doesn't care about Cynthia's ransom and shows no loyalty to the pirates. For him, the kidnapping was mainly just an opportunity for him to perform a sacred rite to honor and appease the Nameless (whom he refuses to renounce). When questioned he may reveal...

• he was hired by the pirate leader, not forced to help.
• he was tasked with hiding Cynthia from magical divination.
• Duke Luxom's agents are almost certainly trying to locate Cynthia using magic.
• he chose the old temple because it's consecrated ground, something necessary for the ritual.
• the temple isn't dedicated to the Nameless but to some ancient and forgotten gods.
• the pirate leader and his men are waiting below at the cove.
• the pirates plan to use Cynthia as leverage to coerce her father.

He doesn't know the details of the pirates' wider plans: "I just did my job and cast a shadow. It's not my business what other men choose to hide within it."

If asked about the Nameless, he'll make it clear he doesn't love the god, but worships it because he fears what it might do if not appeased.

If asked about Cynthia's injured hand: "Just a few drops of blood for the rite. She was never in mortal danger."

The party will have to determine what to do with the cultist:

• fully bind him and leave him in the temple while they explore further,
• bind just his arms and bring him along,
• turn him loose with a warning not to alert the pirates, or
• some other creative option.

Freeing Cynthia

Removing Cynthia's hood, the party sees she's a girl of about 13, pale and exhausted by her ordeal but still alert. She has dark hair, is wearing an expensive night gown (now dirty and torn), and an expression that shows she's working hard to keep her composure. She explains she's Cynthia Luxom, daughter of Fedrik Luxom, Twenty-First Duke of Yomber.

Cynthia's intelligent, well educated, articulate, and is obviously accustomed to speaking confidently, even though she has no experience with danger. If the party treats her kindly she'll be very eager to help. She may reveal...

• pirates abducted her last night from her family's estate south of Evenhold.
• they took her to a waiting boat and sailed down the coast to Pirates Cove.
• the cultist was with them as they sailed.
• she was hooded and couldn't see the pirates, but heard at least three speak.
• the pirates brought her up through the tunnels, then left her and the cultist in the temple.
• the pirates are waiting below at the cove.

Cynthia also reveals that she has a rudimentary understanding of Oïl, a language often used by pirates, and gleaned a little of their plans:

"My tutor thinks it's unbecoming for me to study Oïl; he calls it a coarse and degenerate language, but I think it's beautiful, even if a lot of the people who speak it are brutes. The pirates didn't expect me to know what they were saying, and I didn't tell them. Their talk was rough and hard to follow, but it sounded like they wanted gold from my father, and maybe something else. There's an item he has... maybe something he seized? Whatever it is, it's important to them. There was lots of talk about ships and sailing too. Oh, and one of the pirates boasted about possessing an épée de sorcier — a magic sword."

If the party decides to continue down to the cove, Cynthia will insist on accompanying them rather than remain alone in the temple. She isn't trained for combat and will keep away from dangers as much as possible.

Summary: The party discovers a library and workspace for Guild officers that's been ransacked by the pirates.

Returning to the main tunnel, the party continues south, and after about 40 more feet approaches a sharp bend.

Ahead you finally spy a torch, and by its flickering light you can see it marks the end of the south tunnel. To the right, a doorway opens into a darkened chamber. To the left, the tunnel continues, descending downward and eastward toward the cove.

Inside the darkened doorway lies a broken door that's been knocked off its hinges. Beyond it in the dim light you see a chamber that seems to be a combination library, office, and store room for the use of Guild officers. It's in terrible disarray and looks to have been ransacked. Most of the books from the cases lining the walls have been pulled down and lie strewn across the floor. A writing desk on the west wall has been rifled through and its documents thrown around, while a work table in the middle of the room lies on its side.

The scattered papers are mundane Guild documents relating to the setup and management of the training course, along with maps, ledgers, schedules, and other records. Among the books are histories and bestiaries, but most are reference works on various branches of magic.

There's little of value to find since the room has already be plundered, and anything that remains is still Guild property.

Optional discovery

Characters who spend several minutes searching the library may come across an unusually well-preserved book among the clutter that gives off a faint magical glow. Reading the book can trigger a transformation effect in the reader. This discovery is entirely optional and shouldn't be introduced if the party is pressing on toward the cove. Details TBD...

Summary: The party confronts the pirates in the cove.

Reaching the cove

The tunnel winding down from the library feels ancient and long-disused, but fresh muddy footprints prove that its peace was recently disturbed. Making your way along it you first catch a whiff of sea air, then as you draw closer to the cove you hear the hiss of breaking waves and the cries of sea gulls. Finally after about 100 feet you see brilliant sunlight shining at the exit.

The mouth of the tunnel is strewn with broken stone blocks and mortar where a rough wall (which once blocked access to the lower caverns) has been largely knocked down from the outside. Beyond, past the base of the bluff, stretches a pebbly beach lapped by the clear, blue waters of the secluded cove. Nesting sea birds dot the surrounding cliffs.

Straight ahead lies a sloop, large enough to carry six to eight people and a small amount of cargo. It sits about 50 feet from the cave mouth, its bow lightly resting on the shingle and an anchor holding it in place. A severe-looking man with a thick black beard and a tricorn hat sits on a stone near the boat, watching two other men who are moving cargo and preparing the sail. "Get that line tightened," he barks. "We'll launch as soon as they get back." A sword in its scabbard hangs from his belt.

The characters can see this from the mouth of the tunnel, which is partially obscured by great boulders that litter the base of the bluff and by the broken blocks of the wall.

The pirates

As the DM, you know...

• there are a total of four pirates at the cove.
• the pirate leader (marked "P1" on the full DM map) wields the magical sword Trollsfire. He engages whoever the strongest visible threat is, and tries to make an opening to get to Cynthia.
• the pirate crewman ("P2") is on the boat adjusting the sail and is armed with a cutlass. His clothing is covered in patches of blue chalk dust. He fights near the boat but will head for Cynthia if ordered.
• the pirate deckhand ("P3") is on the boat moving some crates and is armed with a mace. One sleeve is torn. He protects the boat and the leader.
• a lookout ("P4") is stationed high above the beach in the cliffs; he carries a shortbow and acts as a sniper. (The party doesn't immediately see him but can infer his presence from the leader occasionally waving or signaling to him.)
• farther along the beach are some hidden steps carved into the cliff that lead up to the lookout's spot and to the top of the bluff.

The pirates risked their safety and spent a fair amount of gold to carry out the kidnapping, so they're dedicated to seeing it through if they can. However, they won't fight to the death:

• A badly wounded pirate will look for a chance to retreat, surrender, or seek cover instead of continuing to fight.
• The crew will follow their leader; if he flees or surrenders, they'll do the same.

The encounter

The pirates may not immediately notice the party, particularly if characters are using rocks for cover, so how the engagement begins is up to the players. The players may wish to debate the best approach.

If the pirate leader notices the characters, his first response depends on whether he see also sees Cynthia:

• If he doesn't see Cynthia, he won't know whether anyone's found the hidden temple and freed her, and may assume the characters happened upon the pirates by accident. He may bluff and suggest that he and his crew are just sailors who stopped in the cove to make minor repairs to their boat. "We'll be on our way soon. You'd best get back to your training."
  Asked about the damaged rooms, he may say, "Yes, we spied some disreputable-looking ruffians running out o' the tunnel just before you arrived. Pirates, like as not. They just sailed off!"
• If he does see Cynthia, he'll know the jig is up, but will still try to salvage the situation. He may bargain: "Hand over the girl and we'll give you treasures worth a hundred times more than any of the childish little trinkets they give you in the cave." He may also threaten: "The girl is ours. Keep her from us and it'll be the last thing you do." Since they don't have a clear numerical advantage, combat is their final option, but if all else fails they'll attack.

Their top priority will be to recapture Cynthia alive. The leader may call on the two crewmen to join him and together they'll advance on the party. Facing combat, the leader will draw his sword:

The pirate leader reaches for his scabbard and pulls out a blade of flashing steel carved with intricate patterns. With a wicked smile he mumurs "Trollsfire" to the sword and a bright green flame suddenly races along the blade.

The lookout in the cliffs will take shots at the party when he can. He avoids shooting into melees and instead targets exposed characters at range, especially spellcasters or anyone who's trying to reach the boat. His view of anything within 15 feet of the tunnel entrance is blocked by rocks. Characters can spot him whenever he moves or fires.

If it becomes clear that Cynthia is unrecoverable, the pirates will try to escape with whatever they can and avoid capture. Escaping by boat is their first choice. They will try to...

• reach the boat,
• push it free,
• board it,
• haul up the anchor, and
• raise enough sail to get underway.

If escape by boat becomes impractical (perhaps a character damages or blocks it), then getting away up the cliff steps will become their priority. If they can't reach that escape route either, they'll surrender. The lookout in the cliffs will flee.

Alternatives

The players are free to handle the encounter in different ways:

• They may wait unobserved and see what the pirates do. After only a few minutes the pirate leader will become impatient; he'll tell the crewman to continue preparations for departure while he goes back up to the temple to check on the cultist. The party can then ambush him somewhere in the tunnels. (Separated from his crew, he'll be more likely to surrender immediately.)
• They may go back to the cave entrance and enlist the aid of the recently-returned Misslefire. He knows the surface route from the entrance to the top of the cliffside steps by the cove. If the party brings in Misslefire, he shouldn't entirely solve the problem (which would feel anticlimactic) but instead should just help, perhaps by protecting Cynthia, dealing with the lookout, etc.
• They may find some other unexpected approach! Reward boldness and creativity.

Summary: After dealing with the pirates, the party returns to the cave entrance.

If the pirates got away

If the pirates successfully got away in their boat, the encounter is over and the characters can use either the caves or the cliff steps to return to the top of the bluff.

If they escaped up the cliff steps and legged it across the countryside, the party is free to examine their abandoned boat. (See below.)

If the pirates are captured

If the party succeeded in forcing the pirates to surrender and now hold them captive, the characters will need to decide what to do with them. Options include...

• tying them up securely and guarding them in the cove until help arrives.
• binding their arms securely and marching them back to the cave entrance (either by ascending the cliff steps or by going up through the caves).

The pirate sloop

The pirates' boat is in good condition and ready to sail. A search reveals a couple crates of supplies including food (hardtack, salted meat, and some very questionable cheese); a few bottles of beer and rum; some assorted tools; lots of rope; a crudely-drawn map of the local coast with the cove and the Luxom estate marked; a purse with a few gold and silver coins; a water-damaged scroll; and two sacks of pilfered items.

Among the items in the sacks are gilded candlesticks marked with the Luxom coat-of-arms; the missing silver plaques from the cave's training rooms (one marked "Adaptation", the other "Resourcefulness"); and some writing supplies (a silver inkwell and a set of silver nibs) that likely came from the ransacked library.

The handwriting on the scroll is poor and splashes of seawater have blurred much of it; it's also written in Oïl. The names "Evenhold" and "Luxom" are clear, but the rest of the scroll requires fluency in the tongue to decode. If asked, Cynthia will eagerly try to decipher it:

Cynthia studies the blurred text, sounding out words under her breath. "It's Oïl. Most of this is ruined, but this says the daughter, and here there's something about the coast being left clear. That word could mean ship, or maybe cargo? The handwriting is atrocious. This part here is definitely a date: three nights from now. The signature is 'La Vatour', which I think means 'The Vulture'."

Returning to the entrance

The players are free to return to the entrance of the cave. Depending on what they did with the cultist, they can either retrieve him or tell the Knight Marshal where he is.

When the players return to the entrance they'll find that Misslefire has returned and is waiting for them. He'll be astonished to see the unfamiliar faces of Cynthia and (if they're in tow) the captive shady characters. Shocked by the pirates' intrusion, he'll praise the party for their initiative in thwarting their scheme and freeing Cynthia.

Misslefire suggests that everyone should ride back together to Evenhold, with the bound prisoners made to walk beside the horses. He offers Cynthia his own horse and volunteers to walk, but she prefers to ride with him.

"Before we go," Misslefire says, "there's one last bit of the course you haven't finished. Adventurers who complete the Beginners Cave traditionally inscribe their names in the Great Chamber wall, and you my friends have clearly earned that right. I'll guard these ruffians if you want to take a few minutes to go in and carve your names into the limestone before we set out.

The limestone is easy to carve. Some of the earlier names include Sam, Jason of the Boar Ring, Hedric, Gorgar, Rolf, Bob, Nanock, Glenda, Deljem Frolic, Osla Big Knife, Elidath, Genzenbraun, Iron Mike, Maya, Rowena, and many others.

Your adventure in the Beginners Cave has become the talk of the town! Even people you've never met in the Main Hall shake your hands, clap you on the back, and offer to buy you drinks at the bar. The greatest honor of all may be the small, silent nod of approval you receive from the Irishman.

Cynthia's anxious parents rush to the Main Hall and are reunited with their daughter, who having rested and had a hot meal now considers the whole affair a rare and exciting adventure and eagerly recounts it (with some breathless embellishments). The duke praises your courage and gives you his heartfelt thanks. He rewards your group with a purse containing 200 gold pieces and grants each of you a lifetime privilege of hunting in the Forest of Yomber whenever you please.

The pirates are taken into the custody of Lord Collingwood of the king's navy and are being held for trial, while the cultist is being held in the city's jail on lesser charges. After their possessions have been catalogued and thoroughly examined, Collingwood determines there are no claims on Trollsfire and it's not required as evidence, so in recognition of your party's service he grants you possession of the sword.

The Guild temporarily closes the Beginners Cave while the damaged chambers are repaired. The stolen plaques are recovered from the pirate sloop and are reattached in their proper places, and the library is put back in order. Misslefire mentions that the guild hopes to have the cave ready for more beginners soon.

The name La Vautour quietly circulates among the duke's officers and the king's navy. Whatever happened at Pirate's Cove, it appears to have been just a small piece of a larger scheme.

The party advances to 2nd level.

If the pirates escaped, skip the last three paragraphs and instead read these:

Lord Collingwood of the king's navy launches a manhunt for the pirates and confidently predicts that the "oily brutes" will be found and hung within a fortnight.

The Guild temporarily closes the Beginners Cave while the damaged chambers are repaired. Misslefire mentions that the guild hopes to have the cave ready for more beginners soon.

Maps for The Beginners Cave were created using Dungeon Scrawl and are suitable for use with Roll20.

UVTT export for Roll20: BeginnersCave_uvtt.zip (3.1MB)
ZIP of all adventure files: BeginnersCave.zip (34.7MB)

Full DM map

Regional map

For an interactive map of the region surrounding the Beginners Cave, see the map of Addar.

Building an RPG fantasy world is a wonderful hobby and one that I've greatly enjoyed, but it really takes an adventure to bring the world alive, so I'm pleased and excited that The Beginners Cave is finally complete. This is the first TTRPG scenario I've ever written, so if you decide to run it with your group I'd love to hear feedback!

Adapting the adventure

There was no doubt in my mind which Eamon adventure I needed to adapt first: it had to be the cave. Built by Donald Brown in late 1979, The Beginners Cave is the very first Eamon adventure ever made and is almost certainly the most played by a hefty margin. Anyone who's ever fired up the game and created a fresh, new character has probably sent them off to the cave to gain a bit of quick gold, expertise, and a souvenir Trollsfire. With some adjustments I felt like it could also be a great starting point for a team of eager, fresh-faced Dungeons & Dragons characters ready to make their mark on the world.

My two fundamental goals in adapting Brown's adventure were…

1) to hold on to as much of the detail and flavor of the original as possible, and

2) to create an experience that's exciting and satisfying for a party of novice D&D players.

Challenges

Brown's adventure was charming and nostalgic, but adapting it for table-top RPGs presented some immediate challenges:

• The original, like all Eamon outings, is meant for a single adventurer, while this one needed to support three, four, or even five player characters. Offering larger and more varied challenges would be necessary to keep all the characters engaged and give them all meaningful parts to play.
• The original (again like many Eamon stories) is intentionally light, quirky, and thin on detail. The simplicity was the necessary result of primitive '80s hardware, and the don't-worry-about-it hand-waving was part of what made the game endearing, but a modern DM facing curious players would need to be able to paint a deeper and more detailed picture to draw people in.
• Brown never made it clear which bits of the adventure are officially part of the expected training course and which are not. While the Warlord may be responsible for the rats and gorillas, it seems pretty clear that the humans inhabiting the caverns aren't part of the standard course, so working out an explanation for their presence would be necessary.
• Likewise, the NPCs' motivations are never developed in the original: we don't know what the cultist is hoping to accomplish in the temple, what the pirate in the cove was waiting for, etc. I also never liked the idea of Cynthia being just a dimwitted lump with nothing to contribute, so giving her a modicum of personality and agency of her own felt important.
• The death trap in the library (a book that kills whoever reads it by turning them into a fish) wasn't going to fly in an introductory RPG adventure, but it was also too memorable a part to completely remove, so it needed to be adapted into something challenging but non-lethal.

On top of all this, I wasn't intimately familiar with the latest developments in D&D so I needed to understand how modern adventure modules for the system were being built and presented, and what DMs expected from them. I combed through Candlekeep Mysteries, Keys from the Golden Vault, Forgotten Realms: Adventures in Faerûn, and several other collections to get a handle on the kinds of things that needed to be pinned down and how best to present them. Though I tried not to be too slavish in copying D&D's style, I definitely followed their lead since I wanted my presentation to be comfortable and familiar for DMs. This blog post by Luke Hart at the DM Lair was also an excellent reference and well worth reading!

Like Luke says, a good story is paramount, so my first challenge was to knit together all the loose threads from the classic adventure into what I hoped would be a compelling narrative. Thus was born the idea of a pirate plot to kidnap the duke's daughter to extort cooperation, and the pirates' choice to involve a cultist who could help keep the girl magically concealed. The cave itself became a more orderly training course with set challenges and explicit boundaries, but with mysterious faults and worrisome clues that would drive the curious trainees to go looking for answers.

What I changed

The biggest change to the cave as a whole is that each chamber now has a specific instructional purpose beyond just killing things. While a brute-force, hack-and-slash approach can be a lot of fun, in D&D it can get your party into trouble, and that's a lesson I wanted to make sure beginners learned early. The updated cave gives characters a chance to approach problems in several different ways, and to work out more than just their sword arms.

I kept all the original monsters, but I used them in new ways, and only added one entirely original puzzle: the doppelgangers. (Based on an idea at the wonderful Dungeon Snacks website, this puzzle occupies the chamber that was left vacant by Heinrich and gives players the chance to tackle a flexible, lateral-thinking, non-combat problem.)

The three damaged or disabled chambers exist to add more evidence of a disruptive intrusion, and being able to skip over them lets the party get more quickly to the pivotal encounters in the temple and at the cove. It's fun to imagine the puzzles players would've faced if the chamber were working properly. For the "adaptation" chamber I was imagining it would have conjured swarms of gelatinous muckmoods, an obscure monster mentioned in Super Eamon.

Finally, I gave Cynthia a part to play. While helpless in combat, her elite education as the child of a high-ranking noble gives her specialized and useful knowledge that careful players will put to use.

What I cut

The most obvious cut is the friendly warrior Heinrich. Try as I might I just couldn't find a good way to fit him into this adaptation.

The cut is mostly due to one fundamental difference: the original adventure was built for a solitary player while the adaptation is built for a group. In the single-player Eamon, survival often depended on befriending "monsters" that the character would encounter along the way, thus building up an ad hoc adventuring party that could take on bigger battles than a lone adventurer ever could. That's why Brown added Heinrich: he's an ally who's there to stop the adventurer from having to proceed alone.

In this adaptation, players start off in a group of three, four, or even five, so the adventuring party is baked in. Throwing more allies on top felt unnecessary, and even detrimental: the party becomes a crowd, and novice RPG players who might not have even learned how to share responsibilities with their teammates now have to also factor in an NPC. Heinrich just didn't work. (However, I made sure his memorable shield still appeared in the lost-and-found box!)

Ties to the wider world

I drew on existing Eamon canon wherever I could:

• The nameless deity that the cultist summons in the temple comes from Tom Zuchowski's 1988 adveture Walled City of Darkness, set in the holy city of Lumen.
• The fire-worms in the damaged training chamber are the creation of Bob Davis who included an overgrown specimen in his 1984 adventure The Prince's Tavern.
• The idea of pirates being francophones (or a close Eamon equivalent) came from Sam Ruby's adventure Buccaneer! which revolves around the notorious brigand Henri le Marque and his ship L'Intransigeant.
• Likewise, Lord Collingwood (mentioned in the epilogue) is also from Ruby's Buccaneer!
• Yomber, the name of Fedrick Luxom's dukedom, is the name of a town in Escape from Mansi Island by Scott Starkey that's surrounded by thick forest.
• The names carved into the walls of the Great Chamber are pulled from adventures or game documentation, or are adventurers created and used by actual players.

The mysterious pirate kingpin La Vautour ("the Vulture") is my own creation, inspired by the real-world 18th-century pirate Olivier Levasseur, aka La Buse ("the Buzzard"). More details of his machinations may be revealed in follow-up adventures.