Escape from the Volcano
Can you stop a powerful sorcerer before he awakens a dormant volcano and destroys the village at its base?
The Situation
You’ve just sat down to each lunch in Farfaria Tavern when a man bursts through the door, out-of-breath with wild, frantic eyes.
My child, my child! Someone please help.
The man tells you that his name is Mercer Skiprock. He’s from a small town in the valley on the other side of the Northern Mountains.
Lorak the Sorcerer has taken my child to his lair inside Meltinstone Volcano. The volcano has been dormant for centuries, but we’re now in grave in danger.
He leans in, eyes still wild with nervous energy, and whispers…
My child, Zephyr, possesses a gift—or a curse, depending on how you look at it—that can awaken the volcano. If it erupts, it will destroy my village and unleash the dark forces that live within. We cannot let that happen!
He places a small sack of gold on the table.
I don’t have much, but will you help rescue my child… and save our village?
Locations, Events & Monsters
The Journey North The Volcano is on the other side of the Northern Mountains, farther than most people in your village have ever traveled.
You can hand-wave your way through this, or make it a bigger event with its own encounters and events.
- Picking up supplies
- Encounters with woodland monsters
- Survival encounters in the mountains
Entrance to the Volcano After searching the base of the volcano, you find what appears to be the opening to a tunnel into the volcano. It’s covered in now-hardened lava.
- Events
- After entering, the roof caves in behind the adventurers, sealing them in.
Lava Pond After following the tunnel a short while, you come to a lake of lava. It’s dotted with volcanic rock. Blackened, porous walls ooze magma in places.
- Events
- While trying to cross, lava will periodically bubble and pop, launching into the air. Any adventurer who’s hit by it takes D6WR damage.
- Some stones in the lava pond are more stable than others. Smaller ones can tip, or sink completely.
Supply Alcove There are no challenges here, but adventurers may find supplies left by previous explorers or a stock room used by the current inhabitants.
Ideas for supplies
- Rope
- Healing Potion
- Cloak of Invisibility (big enough for half the party)
Lava River A bit further down the path, the adventurers come to a rope bridge, spanning the gap across a roaring river of lava. The bridge swings and sways 20 feet above the liquid rock. It looks quite old.
- Events
- Several boards fall into the river below as the adventurers attempt to cross it
- The bridge collapses completely
Cavern of the Rock Monster The adventurers enter what appears to be an empty cavern.
- Events
- If the party is not extermely quite, a giant boulder begins to move, revealing a previously sleeping Rock Monster
- Monsters
Rock Monster
3D6 · 15 HP · 5 DR (16 for D20 variant)
Throws rocks. Resistant: Bludgeoning, Slashing, Fire.
Mushroom Cavern The dim cavern is illuminated by large clusters of iridescent mushrooms.
The mushrooms are magical. Eating one will produce a random effect. Roll a D6: 1-2 produces a detrimental effect, 3-6 produces a helpful one. (Don't eat random mushrooms in real life!)
- Events
- If the party lingers too long, they’ll begin to experience hallucinations
- If the party picks a mushroom, cave gnomes will emerge and attack them
- Monsters
Gnome
D6WR · 5 HP · 3 DR (10 for D20 variant)
Secretive. Master of illusion. Avoid conflict, but will attack in groups if threatened.
Trap Door The floor transitions from rock to wooden beams, then back again.
- Events
- A DR Hard Perception Check will reveal the trap door ahead of time. If the party fails, the wooden floor drops out below them.
- Any player that succeeds on a DR Medium Speed roll jumps to safety. Anyone who fails falls into a 15’ deep pit.
- After a minute or two, the pit begins to fill with lava that slowly oozes through cracks in the walls.
- Gnomes attack if you linger too long.
Dragonhead Hallway Players approach a long, straight hallway, adorned with stone dragon head figurines.
- Events
- A successful DR Hard Perception Check will reveal that the dragon heads spit dire before the players attempt to walk down the hallway.
- A successful DR Hard Speed roll will allow the players to run down the hallway avoiding the flames. Players can try other tricks, too.
Lava Lake The hallway opens up into a tall, wide cavern, with a giant lake of lava. In the middle are two islands of volcanic rock. A sturdy wooden bridge connects each end of the cavern to the islands, and the islands to each other.
- Events
- A successful DR Medium Perception Check reveals hidden archers high up in the cavern walls
- Goblin archers begin shooting at the party from hidden balconies in the walls
- Monsters
Goblin
D6 · 5 HP · 3 DR (10 for D20 variant)
Attacks in swarms. Does 2D6 when attacking in a group.
The Lone Goblin As they round the corner, the party finds an nearly empty cavern… except for a long goblin, crying in the corner.
- Events
- If the party is nice to the Goblin, he will reveal secrets about what’s ahead and urge them to turn back: more archers, lava and rock monsters, and a small contingent of goblin soldiers.
Supply Closet A place to resupply and heal up if needed.
- Healing Potion
- Armor
- Magical items (the next battle is going to be brutal)
The Palace At the end of the short hallway, players come to the entrance to the Volcano Palace. The room is massive. Way off in the distance, beyond a stone bridge spanning a wide river of lava, they spot Lorak the Sorcerer sitting on a throne of lava and bones.
The rock and lava monsters can be absolutely devastating for smaller parties. In those situations, you may want to lower their stats.
- Events
- A small band of goblin soldiers attacks the party
- Before the battle with the goblins is over, goblin archers begin shooting at them as well.
- On the next tier of the mezzanine, one or two hideous statues move, revealing rock monsters launching a surprise attack
- Just before the bridge and lava river, a lava monster oozes from the walls. On the far side of the bridge, more archers launch attacks.
- Monsters
Goblin
D6 · 5 HP · 3 DR (10 for D20 variant)
Attacks in swarms. Does 2D6 when attacking in a group.
Lava Monster
3D6 · 15 HP · 4 DR (13 for D20 variant)
Throws lava balls. Immune: Fire. Vulnerable: Cold.
Rock Monster
3D6 · 15 HP · 5 DR (16 for D20 variant)
Throws rocks. Resistant: Bludgeoning, Slashing, Fire.
The Throne As the party approaches the throne, the see the Zephyr Skiprock, the child, locked behind a gate built into the wall. A key hangs on the throne behind Lorak the Sorcerer.
- Events
- Lorak engages the party in a battle
- If the party begins to win, he casts a spell that causes the cavern to begin collapsing, and flees. The party must rescue Zephyr and escape before the whole mountain collapses.
- If they befriended the Lone Goblin, he appears at the last second and leads them to a hidden tunnel under the throne that gets them out of the volcano.
- Monsters
Sorcerer
2D6 · 10-15 HP · 4 DR (13 for D20 variant)
Has a wide assortment of powerful spells. Resistant: Magic.
Game Master Tips
- If you want to make the campaign more difficult or longer, you can have Lorak the Sorcerer awaken the volcano before the players have a chance to stop them. This will create an additional side-campaign: stopping the volcano from destroying the village.
Questions
- What have they heard about Lorak the Sorcerer?
- What gift (or curse) does the child possess?
- How does the sorcerer awaken the volcano?
- Why does sorcerer want to awaken the volcano?