Locked Doors
Setting
In the town of Dustholde, magic and metal intertwine and create innovations that have improved the lives of every citizen in the country of Strovania. Yet Dustholde itself is isolated because of its reputation for wild magic and the danger that brings. Thus, though the city is technologically wealthy, it is often poor in settled residents. Those who do stay, however, have become used to the vagaries that come with being constantly surrounded by magic barely contained by metal. Strange creatures, twisted magic items, and experiments gone wrong appear constantly in Dustholde and, for the most part, the citizens simply avoid them as much as possible to get on with their day. But sometimes the strangeness is simply too dangerous to be ignored. To address this, a cottage industry has sprung up only in Dustholde of investigators that specialize in "paranormal" situations and magical mysteries. The characters playing in this one-shot are members of that industry and have their own investigation business. They have been working in Dustholde for a bit and so they have gained the trust of many of the residents.
<h4 data-wa-element-h4=
This adventure is a mystery where the players will be investigating a very strange and bloody murder where a wooden door appeared in the torso of a half-orc man named Orin, apparently when he surprised a robber in his house. There is no sign of break-in.
The culprit of this crime is Kemal Greenoak. His father, Jeffers, had a magical key that he found in the nearby woods when he was a young man. The key could be used to open any lock and Jeffers used this to basically mess with people who looked down on him. Kemal's father also used the key to burn down some poor neighborhoods so he could offer up the services of his construction business to rebuild them. This gave Jeffers the reputation of being very charitable and also raised the profile of his business.
When Jeffers died, he left all of his assets to Kemal despite the fact that Kemal was always a disappointment. Jeffers included in the note an assertion that Kemal should use the key to make something of himself.
Meanwhile, Kemal is addicted to gambling on arcane carriage races. Though he has lost a lot of money, Kemal's more pressing desire was to gain respect within this community by proving his "knowledge" about the sport. But this hasn't happened; instead, Kemal is considered a pathetic hanger-on. Meanwhile, Kemal developed an obsession with Vallana, the elven arcane mechanic who began to rise in popularity among the carriage racers. Kemal always thought that he had a chance with her until she started dating and later became engaged to a half-orc mercenary named Orin.
Thus, when Kemal found his father's magic key, the first people he thought about getting revenge on was Vallana and Orin. He knew that Orin was out of town on a job and knew how to get Vallana out of the house. He originally planned to wreck their house and maybe take some valuables. However, Orin came home early and surprised him, attacking him on sight and overpowering him easily. In desperation, Kemal attempted to stab Orin with the only thing he had: the magic key. Rather than stabbing, the key created a wooden door in Orin's torso and opened it, spilling his insides out. Kemal panicked, stealing a jewelry box and Orin's engagement ring before fleeing.
Kemal regretted his actions at first, but after stewing for several hours and under the Skeleton Key's increasingly powerful influence, Kemal decided that killing Orin was just proof of his own superiority, which he has always felt to be true. And after all, Kemal didn't intend to kill Orin; it was just an inevitability of Orin confronting Kemal. By the time the players will encounter Kemal, he is completely convinced of the morality of his actions, but also determined that no one should know it was him.
The key itself is actually an artifact from another plane with a very rudimentary type of sentience within it. The sentience's limited mental capacity is devoted solely to finding the door back to its extra-planar owner, which causes it to both open every existing lock and also create doorways and locks in things that don't already have them. The key is attempting to open everything it possibly can to try to find an extraplanar portal.
To that end, the key is also capable of transferring this single-minded devotion to its wielder if that wielder has a weak mind. Jeffer's mind was strong (if twisted) and he used the key at most once a year, so this did not impact him until he had been using it for several decades. Kemal is much weaker-willed and has been obsessing over it as his last chance to redeem himself in his dead father's eyes, so the possession is happening much faster for him.
The players must figure out who murdered Orin and how and then almost certainly fight Kemal possessed by the key's power to get it away from him.
Backstory
The Crime
The Key
Introduction
We begin the story in the middle of the night and the party members are asleep in their respective homes when they are awoken by an urgent knocking on their doors. There is a different city guardsman at each of their homes; they have been assigned to bring the players to a crimes scene immediately. The only thing any of the guardsmen know is that there is some strange magic thing that was used in a murder. They also know that the lead investigator was incredibly disturbed after seeing the scene. The guards haven't seen the actual murder victim or the scene; they were just told to get the players. The guards lead them to a residential area and a simple brick house that looks much like every other simple brick house on the street except that it is surrounded by city guards who have set up temporary barricades. The party is allowed inside and led to the house's living room. When the players enter, read the following:There are two people in the very ordinary living room of this very ordinary house. One is a goliath woman you don't recognize but you immediately notice that she's wearing a detective's badge. The goliath woman is writing in small notepad, but looks up as you approach. She says "Good, you're here. I'm Detective Naragath Woundwalker and I need your help."
The Crime Scene
The situation started earlier tonight when the guards got a frantic call from Vallana Tanacal, a female elf who was engaged to a male orc named Orin. She said that she found Orin dead in his house, but the guard couldn't get any more details out of her she was so distraught. So, Det. Naragath came to Orin's house to investigate. Vallana was waiting here in the living room and directed the detective to the bedroom. At this point, Naragath stops and seems to struggle with what to say next. She then continues:I've seen a lot of shit in this job, but what is in that bedroom is absolutely the worst thing I have ever seen. Orin is dead in there, but it seems like a door was somehow put into his torso and then opened up. And I am not talking hypothetically. There is a wooden door in his torso where his skin is supposed to be and someone opened it up and let all of his insides spill out. The coroner says Orin died of traumatic blood loss and likely went into shock almost immediately when the door was opened. The city guard have found no signs of break-in at the house, but there is a sign of some sort of struggle between Orin and someone else. Other than that, though, none of us have investigated more in the room. We realized pretty quickly this was out of our wheelhouse and none of us wanted to inadvertently mess something up for you all. We have done a preliminary interview of Vallana but I think you should talk to her yourself. She's waiting in the backyard. I am at your service to do anything you think would be helpful, because I think we need to catch whoever did this as quickly as possible.The players can ask questions of Det. Naragath, but she doesn't have a lot more information than she's already said. If there's weird magic shit happening, she didn't want to touch anything until they got here. However, if the players want to send her to go interview someone or investigate something, she would be happy to go do that and report back. Whenever the players want to hear about the guard's interview with Vallana, Det. Naragath can give them the following information:
- Vallana is Orin's fiancee and she has been living with Orin in this house for a little over a year.
- Vallana and Orin have been dating for two years and they delayed getting engaged because Orin was establishing his security business and Vallana was starting her own carriage repair business.
- The couple's businesses were doing well, so they decided to get engaged two months ago. Their wedding is scheduled for three months from now.
- Orin wasn't supposed to be home this evening. He was escorting a merchant caravan on a trading mission and that wasn't due to return until the day after tomorrow.
- Vallana was also out of the house when Orin came home. She got an urgent request from a long-time client who suddenly found serious damage to his carriages and needed them fixed immediately. She left around 10pm and got home to find the scene as it is now at midnight.
- Vallana noticed that a box of jewelry that was on the vanity and Orin's wedding ring were missing.
The Bedroom
They will then be allowed into the room where Orin's body is and allowed to investigate. Cosmo stands in the doorway, probably giving unhelpful comments and trying not to gag. When the players first enter, read the following:The first thing you notice when you enter is the overpowering, metallic scent and the layer of dried blood coating the entire floor. From the door, you can only see Orin's feet sticking out past the king-sized bed that dominates the room. The body appears to be lying on the floor in the corner of the room opposite to the door. Other than the body, the only other item that stands out to you in the room is a vanity with a round mirror attached that is now cracked. The vanity it against the wall to the left of the body.Each of the items in this room have clues that can be gleaned based on the success of the players' checks. Use your judgment to determine whether you want to give the players the option to pick what stat they want to use or dictate it based on the information they are looking for. For instance, perception is appropriate if a player wants to know what shape a wound is, but investigation may be more appropriate if they wish to know what weapon caused the wound. Feel free to allow creative uses of skill checks, such as nature or medicine.
DC 15 or higher:
You can deduce that the blood pooling on the floor likely spread after the assailant already left, meaning that any footprints would have been erased by the puddle of blood.
However, there is so much blood in the room, including blood spattered on the walls and the bed, that whoever was in this room in any proximity to Orin at the time he died must have gotten a lot of blood on them.
DC 20 or higher:
You find a few very small droplets of blood leading out of the room and through a side door in the kitchen.
The Body
Orin is laying on his back on the floor behind the bed. He is a half-orc man, about 6 feet tall, with short-cropped black hair and pale green skin made even paler from the extreme loss of blood. He is shoe-less, wearing black pants and a black shirt. The ground around Orin is covered in a thicker layer of blood than the rest of the floor and blood cakes his clothes and every visible surface of his arms and legs. Smears of blood streak his cheeks. In the middle of his torso, cutting through his shirt and his skin, is a wooden door that is hanging open. From the perfectly rectangular hole in Orin's body, his intestines spill on the ground in long, shiny ropes. You can see his stomach, liver, and kidneys jumbled in his stomach cavity and hints of white peeking through the viscera; you're seeing his spine from the inside.
DC 10 or higher:
The door itself is made of solid wood, grey and weathered. It feels rough and you may get a splinter running your hand over it. The door is only as thick as necessary to get through the shirt, skin, fat, and muscles over Orin's stomach.
The door has no handle. There is only a gold keyhole in the place where a handle would be. The gold around the keyhole has a bit of rust on it where the paint is flaking off. There is no key in the keyhole nor anywhere else around the body.
Orin's wedding ring is indeed missing and you can see a band of skin that is paler than its surroundings where it used to be. In Orin's right pant pocket is a small jewelry box with a pair of gold hoop earrings and a note that says "For Vallana <3 Orin."
DC 15 or higher:
The keyhole in the door is just a hole with no actual moving mechanisms inside. The hole is a little under an inch deep, though the door itself is about half that depth. There is no latch nor any obvious internal locking mechanism on the door.
From the smears in the blood below Orin, it's clear that he was writhing around a good deal before he died. There are bloody handprints on the door and indents in his intestines showing that he attempted to close the door but succeeded only in pinching his intestines.
DC 20 or higher:
You see small bits of glass on Orin's right hand. They appeared to have fallen there from the cracked mirror on the vanity during some sort of altercation. However, there aren't any wounds on his hands or anywhere else on his body that would explain the blood on the vanity mirror.
The Vanity
Standing on spindly, curved legs is a white wooden vanity with a large oval mirror attached to it. There is one drawer in the front and a number of cosmetics scattered haphazardly on the table top. Some of them have fallen to the floor. You also see that the mirror is cracked with a bit of blood on it.
DC 10 or higher:
The bottles and containers on the table and on the floor are a collection of lotions, makeup, etc. it seems that Vallana uses this vanity a bit more than Orin, though there are some skin care products with names like "Badass" that are probably his.
The vanity's drawer is slightly crooked as if it had been bumped out of place by something hitting the vanity hard. Inside the drawer is a stack of wedding invitations and a gold bracelet that looks like an heirloom.
DC 15 or higher:
The vanity is well-dusted, but you see a bit of dust on the table next to the mirror that outlines half of a square where a box once sat but is no longer anywhere in the room.
The cracks on the mirror are from something bigger than a fist slamming into it with force. You see the indents made by short nails on the underside of the front of the vanity's table as if someone was gripping onto it with their palm on the top and their fingers curled around the edge.
DC 20 or higher:
The blood on the mirror is certainly not Orin's as there is no wound on the body that would account for this. The vanity was likely the center of a struggle between Orin and the unknown murderer. You think that Orin was winning the fight until the door appeared on Orin's torso and opened.
The Kitchen
The kitchen is situated to the left as one exits the bedroom or to the right as one enters the house from the front door. It is a typical kitchen with a table, four chairs, a sink, and cabinets. The floor is tiled and there is a door leading to the backyard in one of the walls.
DC 10 or higher:
The front door and the side door are the only entrances to the house and neither of them have any sign of damage or forcing the lock.
Naragath can tell you that when Vallana arrived, the front door was unlocked and Orin's bags were sitting inside next to the door. The kitchen door was closed and locked. No window was broken or forced open.
DC 15 or higher:
You see a few small drops of blood heading from the bedroom door to the kitchen door. That is almost certainly where the assailant left from and possibly where they entered as well.
A closer look at the lock both inside and outside of the kitchen door show only the typical scratches that result from normal fumbling with keys. There is no mark of lock picks. You also find a bit of blood on the underside of the doorknob on the inside of the kitchen door.
DC 20 or higher:
On the outside lock of the kitchen door, there are spots of rust on the lock that are identical to the pattern of rust on the lock in the door in Orin's chest.
The Backyard
Through the door in the kitchen is a fenced backyard. The fence is chest high and made of white slatted wood. This backyard abuts the backyard of a quaint stone cottage whose windows are currently dark. The lawn is well-manicured and there is an open-sided carriage house with a polished, cherry red chariot inside. On a wicker chair near the door sits an elven woman with a guard standing a respectful distance away, but still keeping a discreet eye on her. Her chestnut hair is pulled into a messy bun and she is wearing work overalls with spots of grease on them. Tears are silently streaming from her unfocused eyes.
DC 10 or higher:
There are streaks of dirt on the white fence between this backyard and the cottage's. They appear to be from someone climbing over the fence. If the players go to knock on the door, there is no one home in the cottage.
The red chariot is one of the latest types, powered by magic, and seems to have been customized. It's most likely Vallana's. On the wall of the carriage house, you see three frames holding certificates awarding Vallana the "Best Mechanic" award from the Carriage Racers Association.
DC 15 or higher:
Underneath the chariot, you see a few bootprints made when the murderer stepped in a puddle of grease. The players can record the pattern and size of the shoes as a piece of evidence the players can take with them (see: Backyard Footprint).
Among the framed certificates, there is a small hole where something else used to hang. Whatever hung there was taken and the hook was pulled out of the wall. You likely will have to ask Vallana what it was.
DC 20 or higher:
You find the torn-off corner of a piece of paper on the ground near the dirt streaks on the fence (see Corner of a Piece of Paper)
Interview: Vallana
- Vallana is Orin's fianceé.
- They have been dating two years, living together for a year and a half, and got engaged two months ago. Their wedding is scheduled for three months from now.
- Vallana owns a carriage repair business that specializes in racing carriages and chariots. Orin is a mercenary for hire.
- Orin was on a job escorting a merchant caravan and he wasn't supposed to be back until the day after tomorrow. He must have gotten home early and wanted to surprise her.
- Vallana was going to be home this evening, but she got an urgent call form one of her racing clients, a bugbear named Nor Borgir. He needed repairs immediately to participate in a race the next day.
- Vallana left the house around 10pm and got back around 12am. She drove her red chariot to Nor's garage at the Racetrack.
- Nor is well-known in the racing circuit for always checking his carriage the night before a race at 9:49pm exactly. He's very superstitious and believes it's good luck.
- The damage was clearly done deliberately. Sabotage between racers isn't uncommon, but Nor isn't really high enough in the rankings to attract that kind of effort usually.
- She came in through the kitchen door and immediately smelled blood. When she entered their bedroom, the scene was as the players have seen.
- Vallana identified that her jewelry box (see Vallana's Jewelry Box) was missing as well as Orin's Engagement Ring.
- Vallana couldn't bear to look at the scene long. So, when Det. Naragath came, the detective wrote down all the items that could be seen in the room and asked Vallana to read it and see if anything was missing.
- Vallana's engagement ring is on a chain around her neck, which is always how she wears it when she's working
After Further Investigation
Kemal Greenoak
- Vallana will only know who you are talking about if you point Kemal out in the background of the Stolen Picture.
- Kemal would hang around her at the public after-parties that the racers would hold, usually in a local tavern. He's been around the scene for a long time, at least three or four years.
- Kemal was never overtly inappropriate, and never really made any romantic overtures, but Vallana still got a strong feeling that he was attracted to her.
- Orin would come to the parties with Vallana a good amount once they started dated, and that put an end to just about every creeper with designs on Vallana. Orin was an intimidating person, though he wasn't quick to use violence.
Research and Tools
The players have a few resources within the town that they can reliably consult at any time during their investigation to get assistance either with information or tools. They can be useful if the players get stuck (such as failing a crucial check) and can be a means of giving the players a hint or another means of investigating. However, they are not necessary for the story to work. Below are the characters you can utilize for this purpose and what they might offer:Det. Naragath Woundwalker
One of the most distinguished detectives in the city guard. She can get you into places where you have been denied entry or get evidence from someone who refuses to give it to you. However, you must first show her something tangible to convince her that what you're asking is relevant to the case. There is also some information that she might be able to give the players based on knowledge of current criminals in the town. <h4 data-wa-element-h4=
When there's a robbery in the town, the city guard would usually go to Jammy, a harengon man, real name Jammock, who is a well-known fence for stolen goods. He's given the city guard some information in the past, and is especially willing to cooperate if the goods he's given were obtained through any violence.
They also might speak to Gibble, a goblin man who's been caught thieving many times before. Gibble tends to prefer pickpocketing over robbery, but he might have branched out.
Also, if the players ask her specifically about the vandalism at the local hospital, Naragath will say that the city guard hasn't prioritized that issue, but they have instructed the hospital not to clean it off until they can investigate. It only happened three days ago, but Naragath's first interview was going to be Mrs. Greenoak to see if she knew anyone who would want to do this (or if she did it herself in anger at being cut out of the will).
Dr. Basil Wallace
A prominent inventor in town who has a particular interest in creating new tools for investigating strange phenomenon. He usually has a prototype device that he wants you to test on your latest job and only requires payment in data. <h4 data-wa-element-h4=
For this case, Dr. Basil can give the players a small metal box, the size and shape of a breadbox, with a pane of glass on the lid that he identifies as the "Lookback Device." If you put an item inside and close the lid, the device will display scenes from the object's history on the glass pane. However, because it is a prototype, its effectiveness can be uncertain. In addition, it can only be used on an item that can fit entirely within the device with the lid closed fully.
Proud Jewel
Proud Jewel is the face of your organization and the one who keeps track of your appointments and job requests. Jewel also takes care of the mundane tasks like billing, screening clients, and filing. Given how much she has to do on your behalf, it's rather remarkable that she also seems to keep up to date on all the interpersonal drama and gossip around town. She normally keeps this information to herself, but as long as the players send her paychecks on time, she'll make an exception for them. <h4 data-wa-element-h4=
Orin: He was well-liked by everyone and always very supportive of Vallana. There were several people in the racing scene who had huge crushes on Vallana and maybe resented Orin. No one would challenge him, though; he was a professional mercenary, after all.
Vallana: She had a tough time breaking into a heavily male sport, but she's really made a place for herself by being a very talented arcane mechanic. Vallana didn't show any interest in dating despite getting several offers, until she met Orin. They just clicked really well with each other.
Nor Borgir: He insists on participating in the carriage racing despite being at best mediocre. He's also very superstitious and rich enough to indulge this unprofitable hobby. He's a goof, but harmless.
Gibble: He is a well-known petty thief, but people tend to leave him alone since the most he'll steal is a few coins or a trinket or two. It seems to be a compulsion more than something he does for money, even though he's always been very poor. There has been a rumor lately, though, that Gibble has been seen wearing some pretty nice clothes lately. He might have come into some money.
Jammock: He is a lot of fun and probably a criminal of some kind, but who cares? Proud Jewel will imply but never outright say that she hooked up with him a couple of times.
Kemal Greenoak: Kemal is a loner, though he spends a lot of time in the racing scene. He's pretty inoffensive, though the amount of time he spends at the racetrack and the state of his clothes indicates that he may have a gambling problem. Proud Jewel thinks that Kemal was probably overshadowed by his father quite a lot.
Jeffers Greenoak: Recently deceased father of Kemal Greenoak. He was a very well-respected member of the town and did a lot for charity while also running a successful construction company. There have always been rumors, though, that he had a darker side.
For instance, he left everything to his son, which made some people speculate that Jeffers' marriage wasn't very happy despite lasting for over 35 years. There was also a disturbing event that happened recently where someone vandalized a commemorative plaque honoring Jeffers for his donation to a local hospital. Someone painted the word "monster" on the plaque.
Agnita Greenoak: Jeffers Greenoak's widow and Kemal Greenoak's mother. People in the town don't know much about her; she's always been hanging back and silently supporting her husband in his endeavors. When her husband died, everything he had was left to Kemal. Kemal is taking care of his mother, but she doesn't have a penny of her own and even the house she lives in belongs to Kemal.
Numo
The one and only librarian of the one and only library in your town. He has some books that may answer player questions but also keeps an archive of documents reflecting the town's history.What he can give the players
For this case, Numo can provide the players with historical police reports that were never solved and also involved break ins without forced entry. When the players look through them, and on a DC 15 investigation check, they can identify a series of police reports spanning more than a decade that all have the same very strange circumstances.
Each one of the reports involve some prominent member of the town -- including a business owner, a judge, a doctor, an inventor -- coming home to find the furniture of their living room pushed against the walls with every picture on the walls throughout the house pulled down and piled in the center of the room. It looked like those pictures were then set on fire just enough to char them, but not enough to make them unrecognizable.
There was no sign of forced entry nor any other clues as to who did this. The incidents were all separated by at least a year and at most three years. The last one happened a year ago. The owners of the homes tended to think it was some malevolent spirit or poltergeist, but the detective at the time, now-retired detective Gordinor Riverthorn, never agreed with that interpretation. He believed it was some person who had a serious grudge against these people, but couldn't quite figure out who that could be.
Investigation
After investigating the crime scene, the most suspicious thing the players may pick up on is that someone happened to sabotage Nor Borgir's carriage right before Vallana's house was broken into, which was done to lure Vallana out of the house. The best place to go to learn more about this would be the Racetrack. If they went to the library and got the Old Police Reports from Numo, they may want to investigate the cold cases. In that case, they can easily find the retired detective's house and visit Gordinor Riverthorn.Interview: Gordinor Riverthorn
- The "fancy poltergeist" case, as it was known around the city guard office, was considered very low priority because nothing was really taken and no one was hurt. For those who didn't think it was a ghost, they assumed it was some sort of intimidation.
- Gordinor didn't ascribe to either theory. He has always thought that this was someone with a grudge against these people who was "punishing" them and then secretly enjoying the reaction.
- None of the victims ever had any demands made on them, though some in the city guard thought that the victims just wouldn't tell the guards about the demands.
- Gordinor didn't think that was the case simply because the victims were all powerful people who had no reason to fear the guards and no reason to give in to anyone's demands. Even if one or two didn't meet that criteria, he can't believe that all of them would.
- Gordinor's theory was that it was another prominent person in society who would know when the victims would be gone and have opportunities to interact with them (and form a grudge against them). There just wasn't enough evidence and his captain wouldn't let him spend the time to do interviews with all the many possible subjects.
- On a successful DC 18 persuasion check, he will say that Jeffers Greenoak was the person he was most suspicious of. There was never anything concrete; Gordinor just got a weird vibe from him, like he really enjoyed other people's suffering.
- Gordinor has been keeping tabs on him by following rumors and public reports.
After Further Investigation
Jeffers Greenoak
- Jeffers was high on Gordinor's very long list of suspects, but mostly because Gordinor felt something was off about Jeffers. But Gordinor could never prove it; instead he just kept tabs on Jeffers.
- Jeffers was well-known for being very generous to charities. He also donated his construction services to rebuild some poor neighborhoods that burned down a couple different times.
- Jeffers used to be poor before his business took off and he had a reputation for making social faux pas. This was probably poorly tolerated among the elite at first, until he had enough to money to be formidable anyway. Gordinor never heard of Jeffers taking offense at insults about his manners, but there is the possibility it could have festered into a grudge.
- Jeffers died very suddenly a few months ago after contracting a fast-acting disease.
- If the players have found Jeffers' Journal, then this will fully confirm Gordinor's theories and solve the case for him. He'll be mad that the bastard escaped justice for so long, but it also means that Jeffers must have had something that would have given him the ability to enter locked houses without breaking in. Gordinor assumes that must be some magical item and maybe it was among the belongings he left to his son when he died.
Agnita Greenoak
- No one really knew much about Agnita, even when she was hosting high society parties and attending galas with her husband. She was always very well-put together and perfectly polite.
- In retrospect, however, the fact that Jeffers didn't leave her anything when he died was perhaps an indicator that her life was not as happy as she let on.
- She was apparently unemotional at the will reading, almost like she expected it.
Kemal Greenoak
- Jeffers was pretty obviously disappointed in his son, to the point that it was noticeably uncomfortable to some people who saw them together at parties. Kemal was rarely allowed to important events.
- Kemal is just a general screw-up and has dropped the ball on every responsibility Jeffers attempted to give him. Eventually Kemal was just on the payroll at Jeffers' company, but wasn't given any real job.
- Even now, Kemal is technically the owner of the company, but the will was written in such a way that he doesn't have any decision-making capabilities.
- It was actually pretty surprising that Jeffers left everything to Kemal. There was speculation immediately after Jeffers died that he was going to leave everything to the many charities he supported, but that didn't turn out to be true.
The Racetrack
The racetrack and grounds take up over 50 acres of land far outside of town, but the infrastructure built here almost makes it look like a tiny town of its own. The racetrack is a dirt oval in the very center surrounded by thick wood barriers protecting raised bleachers. There is an announcer's booth perched high above the track and a small kiosk near the entrance with a painted sign on it that reads "Betting." The rest of the grounds are taken up with a cluster of large buildings set behind a security post and a tall metal fence. The area is labeled as "Racers Only."When the players arrive, there is a carriage race ongoing and the stands are packed with cheering fans. The carriages here aren't pulled by horses; instead they are made of arcane mechanics. The drivers sit in the normal spot that they would on a carriage, but the carriage itself is sleek and low. The reins held by the drivers have glowing runes on them and attach to spectral horses made of pure magic. The easiest option for the players right now is to join the crowd watching the races. There are no tickets required; the players can just get in the stands. They could also investigate the betting counter. No one is standing in front of it right now, but there are people manning the counter who will be happy to give information to someone on official investigator business. All of the racers' garages are in the Racers Only area. Nor's race was first thing this morning and is already over, so the players can find him in the garage. The players will have to convince a surly security guard to get in (or sneak around him). Each option is detailed below.
Bleachers
The stands are packed with people of all sizes, ages, and races. Some are ecstatic with joy, others watch in rapt suspense, and others have collapsed in despair. All of them have their eyes fixed on the carriages zooming around the racetrack, except for two people that you notice. One of them is a goblin man wearing a flat cap balanced on his long, pointed ears. His clothes are perfectly ordinary and worn by many washes, but he has a gold chain tucked under his shirt and his shoes are brand new, shiny leather. He is zig-zagging in between rows of people, paying more attention to the crowd than the race. The other is a thin human man with a 5 o'clock shadow and dark circles under his eyes. He is wearing a plain white shirt and worn black pants. He is standing at the front of the crowd, pressed against the safety railing and clutching a piece of paper in his hand. He appears to be trying to pay attention to the race, but his eyes continue to dart around nervously and sometimes he just stares at the ground.The goblin is Gibble, a local semi-professional thief, and the human man is Kemal Greenoak. On a DC 18 perception check on the goblin, they can see Gibble pick pocket a person in the crowd. The players can approach both of the people in either order. If they wait until the race is over, they will see Kemal trudging towards the betting counter and Gibble scampering towards the exit.
Interview: Gibble
Before Gibble will talk to the players frankly, they must convince Gibble that they're not cops. Gibble has been around the block enough to know that cops don't have to tell you if they're cops.
The players have to pass a DC 18 persuasion check, which will be reduced to DC 15 if the players tell him about the murder and that he may be a suspect. If the players spotted him pickpocketing on the DC 18 perception check above, they can make a DC 13 intimidation check and threaten to turn him into the cops.
Information
- If the players fail the persuasion check, Gibble will claim to know nothing about thieves or thievery or robbery or stealing or pick pocketing or filching or the five finger discount. Asking him more about this topic will only get you more synonyms for theft and more flat denials.
- Gibble has a +8 to deception checks and determining that he is lying will require an insight check contested by his deception check.
- However, even with a failed check, Gibble is a notorious gossip-monger and will talk about other people to anyone who shows the least bit of interest. There's just a limitation on the crowds that Gibble runs in; he only knows a limited number of people.
- Jammock: Gibble knows this harengon by the name "Jammy." He's a good guy and a lot of fun to be around and also probably Gibble's best friend. Gibble won't tell the players anything about Jammy's business in fencing stolen goods unless they pass the persuasion check.
- Kemal Greenoak: Kemal definitely has a gambling problem. He's at the race track almost every day which is really messed up because apparently his dad left his entire estate to Kemal without giving a penny to Kemal's mom. You'd think that Kemal would spend more time taking care of his mom. Kemal is also one of those guys who gets fixated on a particular woman regardless of whether they pay him any attention, but Kemal doesn't have enough friends to confide in for Gibble to know who Kemal had "crushes" on.
- Nor Borgir: Everyone knows Nor's superstitions about checking his carriage before a race. It would make him a very easy target for sabotage, but Nor's really just a rich hobbyist at the sport and not a threat to anyone. He also always buys all the other racers at least one round of drinks at the end of race day, so he's well-liked.
- If the players pass the persuasion check, they will convince Gibble to answer questions about his criminal activities, Gibble will tell them the following:
- Last night, Gibble was on the opposite side of town from the neighborhood where Orin and Vallana's house is. He will be reluctant to tell them exactly where or to give them the names of anyone who was with him.
- Succeeding on a DC 15 persuasion check (reduced to DC 10 if the players tell him about the murder) will get Gibble to reveal that he was actually at the Oceanic Flower Gallery, which was showing his art. He's a painter who has been putting art out there for a long time, but recently it's actually been getting sold.
- This is why he's had more money lately for things like new shoes and gold chains. He has a compulsion to steal things, so his change in circumstances hasn't stopped the stealing entirely. He will direct the players to Jammock who was the only person from the other side of his life that attended the showing (and even bought two paintings). Gibble doesn't want people jeopardizing his moderate success by asking a lot of suspicious questions at his gallery.
- Gibble also doesn't do house robberies; they're too much work and not enough skill in his opinion. He prefers pick pocketing, which actually requires some dexterity and cunning.
- Jammock would know who was robbing houses and possibly even have the stuff that was stolen if it was given to Jammock to fence. Gibble can tell the players that Jammock can be found in the Wealthy Badger Tavern.
Interview: Kemal Greenoak
Kemal has certain things that he is not going to admit to anyone. He has a +5 to deception and +9 to perception. The Skeleton Key is not on him right now; it is back at Kemal's house in the Basement.
Kemal is also very taciturn and suspicious in general, most susceptible to flattery than anything else, so to get any deeper information, the players will have to succeed on a DC 15 persuasion/deception check (which is increased to DC 18 if the players mention the murder).
On a DC 15 perception check, the players can determine that the paper crumpled in Kemal's face is a betting ticket that appears to record several losses today. If the players have found the Corner of a Piece of Paper and either manage to take the betting ticket away from Kemal or pass a DC 18 perception check, the player can determine that the torn corner comes form a betting ticket from this racetrack.
Information
- If the players fail the persuasion check, Kemal will only tell them the below information if the players specifically ask him about the topic. Most of these are lies unless otherwise noted that can be discovered with an insight check contested by Kemal's deception check (+5).
- He was home alone all last night. He went to bed early, around 9pm, and woke up at 7am. He was sorting through his dead father's belongings yesterday so he was really tired.
- Not a lie: Kemal intends to take care of his mother, Agnita, after her husband died without leaving her any of his assets. Even though Kemal technically owns her house now, he is working through the paperwork to transfer ownership to Agnita. Kemal owns his own small townhouse in another part of town.
- Kemal doesn't know who Vallana or Orin are. He might have passed them at some gathering of the carriage racing community at some point, but he didn't pay them much attention.
- If the players have the Stolen Picture, Kemal will say that he must have just glanced at Vallana by accident just as the picture was taken and that it doesn't mean anything.
- Kemal will immediately dismiss anything that Vallana says about him as arrogance on her part and he will deny anyone else's observations about his obsession with Vallana.
- Kemal knows Nor Borgir, of course, but no one would want to sabotage his carriages. He's a decent guy and not at all good at carriage racing so it would really be a waste of time.
- Pass or fail, Kemal will vehemently deny that he knows Jammock if asked.
- If the players pass the persuasion/deception check, Kemal will let the following true information slip, which may cause him to panic and attempt to leave the conversation without looking lik he's fleeing.
- Kemal felt a lot of resentment towards Orin and Vallana's relationship with him. In his opinion, it's typical of beautiful women like Vallana to go for dumb meatheads rather than intelligent guys that would be super good to them.
- Kemal is sure that Orin was cheating on Vallana, especially with how often he was out of town "for work." Maybe he even had a second family somewhere. Really, Kemal feels sorry for Vallana.
- Kemal hasn't had a lot of luck wagering on carriage races lately, but his luck will turn around soon. He has a new method of figuring out the racer with the highest likelihood of winning, but it's going to require watching a lot more races to get information to put into the calculation.
- He won't tell anyone what that calculation actually is, but will get an ego boost from people trying to get him to talk about it.
- Everyone thinks that Kemal's dad, Jeffers, thought that Kemal was just a screw-up, but Jeffers actually saw a lot of potential in Kemal. That's why he left Kemal all of his assets when he died. Jeffers knew that Kemal could handle it and also take care of his mom.
- Kemal might let slip on a second DC 15 persuasion/deception check that Jeffers actually left him the secret to Jeffers' success and so clearly the reason Jeffers didn't give Kemal much responsibility in Jeffers' business was in order to encourage Kemal to make his own way.
- There is no check where Kemal will reveal what the item Jeffers left to him was and pushing him to do so will end the conversation.
Betting Counter
Just inside the entrance to the racetrack is a small, stand alone building with a sign saying "Betting" over a long window with four half-circle openings in it. Inside the building, two women and two men are sitting, each behind one of the openings in the window. They are all wearing the same maroon and white uniform and each have a lockbox and a stack of small, rectangular pieces of paper in front of them.The ticket counter attendants are named Hetet, Hubruk, Hilda, and Hanathra. They are quadruplet dwarves and talking to any of them can give the players the same information.
On a DC 10 investigation check or higher:
The attendant tells you that there are a lot of people who place bets here and they will be happy to tell the players about a specific person if they have a name that the attendant can look up.
Kemal has placed a lot of bets and occasionally wins some money, but he has far more losses than wins. He bets almost every day. Vallana has on occasion, but only small amounts and though she has a higher than average success rate, it's nothing that would raise any alarms for someone with her talent and connections. Nor Borgir never bets on the races and people very rarely bet on him. Anyone else the players can ask about have never placed a bet on carriage racing.
On a DC 15 investigation check or higher:
If the players found Corner of a Piece of Paper, they notice that the pieces of rectangular paper behind the glass are betting tickets that reflect what bets the person has placed that day. The torn corner is from one of these tickets, though it is impossible to know which person's betting ticket it came from.
On the back wall of the betting kiosk is a board with racing statistics from various racers. You can see that Nor Borgir has very few wins under his belt and high odds in any race he's in. He was in a race this morning and has no more races today. Next to the statistics board is a map of the "Racers Only" area and you can spot the garage that is labeled as belonging to Nor Borgir.
On a DC 20 investigation check or higher:
Looking closer at the map of the "Racers Only" area, you see that there is a spot near the north eastern corner where someone has circled a part of the fence in pencil and written "Fix ASAP."
Racers Only Area
There are a few ways to get into the Racers Only Area.- Pass a DC 18 persuasion or deception check on Selvig Greystone, the dwarven man who guards the gate in front of the Racers Only Area. The DC can be reduced to DC 15 if they have gotten any proof from Det. Naragath that they are on city guard business.
- Pass a contested stealth check against Selvig's perception check to sneak past the guard gate. Selvig gets a +9 to his perception.
- Squeeze through the broken area of the fence around the Racers Only Area. This can be found on a DC 20 or higher investigation check of the betting kiosk or a DC 15 or higher investigation check if the players spend time scouting the entire perimeter of the fence.
- However, if they take the latter route, they must pass a DC 18 stealth check to make sure that no one inside the area sees them skulking around and calls security (which will not bring Selvig away from gate; another security guard will come).
- If the players know of the broken area from the betting kiosk, they do not have to make the stealth check as they won't have to risk detection by looking at the entire perimeter.
Nor Borgir's Garage
Nor Borgir's garage is a large rectangular building with a wide door on each of the short sides, bit enough for two carriages to pass each other. The doors can be closed with metal doors that now stand open. Inside, you see three arcane carriages parked on one side of the building and two parked on the opposite side. A sixth carriage is on a lift near one of the doors. A bugbear wearing black coveralls crouches next to the carriage rummaging through a toolbox.Nor Borgir will allow the players to investigate the garage as much as they want. He's trusting by nature and so rich that he doesn't really care if some of his carriages get messed up. He'll also happily answer any questions the players want to ask in a gregarious and utterly open manner.
On a DC 10 investigation check or higher:
None of the doors or windows are broken and Nor will say that he always locks up when he leaves. When he came in last night, the doors were locked and he didn't see any open or broken windows.
The carriage that was broken when Nor came in was the one he calls "The Haymaker" that he was going to use in the race this morning. He called Vallana urgently to get it repaired. Vallana said that both the wheel and axel were split and needed to be mended. Nor assumes that it was another racer who did it and is actually pretty psyched that he's been included in one of the only experiences he hadn't had yet as a carriage racer. It's all in good fun and Vallana fixed it really well. Nor has the Haymaker up on the lift just to see how Vallana's work held up after the race and it looks good as new.
Nor can confirm that Vallana got here around 10pm and left a little before midnight. Nor paid her extra for coming out on such short notice. Nor is pretty much an open book and doesn't require a real high roll to get him to talk about everything he knows (it's mostly repeated information that the players probably got from Vallana already).
On a DC 15 investigation check or higher:
You see the shattered remnants of the wheel and axel in the industrial dumpster inside the carriage house. The wheel and axel were smashed with what looks like a mallet of some kind. You also find a large rubber mallet with tiny splinters in the head. It is hanging on the wall with other large tools.
You also find a Splinter of Wood in the empty stall, pushed into a corner. You can use the Lookback Device on this item. You also notice that each stall where the carriages are parked is surrounded by thin metal walls with a metal door that swings up when it is opened. It has a lock on the front. The Haymaker's door was locked when he came in according to Nor. There is no sign of tampering on the lock for the stall.
You also spot a wall full of pictures and a few scattered awards, mostly for "best sportsman" and "appreciation." You see several pictures of groups of racers posing with and without trophies, usually at bars. There are several with Vallana in them. However, you also find a small hole in the wall where it looks like someone pulled a picture off the wall. Nor hasn't noticed this and won't notice unless it is pointed out to him. He remembers the photo being another copy of Stolen Picture, but Nor will not remember that Kemal was in it. He will remember that the picture was the only one he had that Orin was in. He doesn't know who Kemal is.
On a DC 20 investigation check or higher:
You remember the pattern of rust that was on the lock on the door in Orin's torso. You see the same pattern of rust on the lock to the Haymaker's stall door and on the outside of the frame of one of the windows. The window's locking mechanism was on the inside and there is no keyhole, but you do notice that the rust pattern is on the outside frame exactly over the window's lock mechanism.
Wealthy Badger Tavern
You enter the tavern through a door with a painting of a badger in a top hat and cane over it. You the sound inside hits you with an almost physical force and you see the whole tavern singing a rowdy drinking song. They are being led by a white harengon man who is standing with one foot on a table and the other on a chair. He is swinging his nearly empty tankard and tapping his large rabbit foot in time to the music while singing loudly.The harengon man is Jammock, a fence for stolen goods.
Interview: Jammock
Information
- If the players fail the second persuasion check, Jammy will not talk about his illegal activity. He won't lie about it necessarily, he will just say that he doesn't talk about business with strangers. The players might be able to try the check again if they drink with him and hold their own.
- If the players ask him about any of the other people involved, Jammy will give noncommittal but polite answers about them. He'll deny knowing Kemal and Gibble.
- Jammy knows about carriage races but doesn't really follow them himself. He does know a good amount of people who like to watch and bet on them, though.
- If the players pass the persuasion/deception check, Jammy will be much more forthcoming on the following:
- Kemal Greenoak brought him some jewelry to fence early this morning. He's already unloaded all of it except Orin's Engagement Ring. He will gladly turn this over to the players if they say that it was taken off a dead man.
- Kemal has a gambling problem, specifically carriage races, and Kemal has come to Jammy before to sell some very nice stuff, including some family heirlooms that he inherited after his father's recent death.
- Kemal also makes women uncomfortable. Jammy can hang with just about anyone, but even he is uncomfortable around Kemal when the guy sets his sights on a lady.
- Gibble also gives Jammy some stuff to fence, though Gibble specializes in pickpocketing, so it's mostly things like watches, fancy lighters, and loose cigars. Gibble has been dressing better lately, but Jammy's a good enough friend of Gibble that he attended Gibble's first art showing
- Gibble is really talented and Jammy knows he was nervous about the show. Gibble was definitely at the show from the time when Jammy arrived, around 9:45, until a little after midnight.
Final Confrontation
Once the players have figured out that Kemal is the culprit. Kemal's house is the best place to confront him and attempt to either steal the key (if they've figured out what Kemal used) or get Kemal to reveal what he used to kill Orin. There are multiple ways that the players can figure out where Kemal's house is. They can trick him into revealing it himself; Kemal is desperate for friends and may invite someone over if he is convinced they are friends. Jammock could probably find it out and will do so if the players pay him or if they have told him that Kemal committed a murder. Finally, telling Det. Naragath about the evidence they find that points to Kemal will prompt her to give the players the address and ask if they want backup when confronting him.Kemal Greenoak's Home
Kemal's home is situated in a decent neighborhood on the edge of town. It is a simple brick townhome with a small front yard and a fenced backyard that directly abuts a mountainous, sparse forest. The terrain is rocky with a few scraggly trees clinging to the ground. The townhome's windows are dark.The players can attempt to break in or sneak in to the house immediately; Kemal is not at home when the players arrive. On a DC 13 perception or insight check, the players can determine that this house has a basement and the basement is likely where Kemal would put things he wanted to keep hidden.
Basement
You open a door in the kitchen, revealing a steep set of wooden stairs that descend into darkness. Walking down, you enter a pitch black room with a single magic stone hanging on a chain from the ceiling. The stone casts a cone of pale light over a wooden roll-top desk with the top rolled up on the far side of the room. You hear nothing but the echo of your own breathing getting faster as you spot the glint of something gold on the table. It seems to be calling to you.If a player wants to back out of the room at this point, they must succeed on a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw. On a fail, they move all the way to the table. Once reaching the table, a player who has failed the saving throw and approached unwillingly can only see The Skeleton Key on the table. A person who approaches willingly can notice the full scene:
The desk has several drawers along one side and a honeycomb of smaller compartments in the back of the roll-top section. The most prominent thing on the desk is an ornate golden key. The key's teeth are on both sides of the shaft and end in a diamond shape that looks incredibly sharp. This key would not fit in any lock you know of. The top of the key has a metal oval with two holes and a carved pattern on it that makes it look almost like the key is glaring at you. Next to the key are two of the same picture showing a group of racers, Vallana, Orin, and Kemal. Both of the photos have burn marks over Orin's face. On the floor near the table is a pile of ashes with bits of black cloth in it and in the trash can there are the remnants of two smashed picture frames and numerous losing betting tickets.If the players investigate the drawers, they will find that most of them are empty except one, which has Jeffer's Note and Jeffer's Journal. The pile of ashes is where Kemal burnt his very bloody clothes. A player who gets close to the Skeleton Key must make a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw and on a fail, they pick the key up. The key's influence can't work fast enough to make the person do anything more with it, so after a second of holding the key, the person will come back to themselves not remembering why they picked it up in the first place. Regardless of what happens here, have everyone who is not in the basement roll a DC 13 perception check. If a player is physically holding or looking at the Skeleton Key, they will see or feel it vanish. A player who has the key in a pocket or is just in the basement will roll a DC 15 perception check to notice that the key has vanished and hear the front door open. On a success, they will see Kemal standing directly outside the house on the street. As they watch, a glowing golden key appears in front of him, embedding itself into his chest as his left eye glows the same golden color. Kemal/Skeleton Key will then turn slightly and sprint into the backyard.
Final Battle
The Skeleton Key's first "turn" before combat begins is just taking its full movement and a dash action to get around the house and start climbing up into the mountains. It is trying to take the shortest route to the place it thinks it can defend itself best, which is to get to high ground and away from possible reinforcements for the party. Have everyone roll initiative now. At the start of combat, the Skeleton Key is along the south side of the house and heading towards the mountains. Anyone who did not pass their perception checks will send their first turn coming out of surprise. On its turn, the Key will briefly turn, animate objects or conjure constructs to fight the players, then move further away from the house, attempting to find a tree or rock for half cover. Objects within the house can be animated from where the Skeleton Key is.
Skeleton Key Statblock
Homebrew (base Archmage)
Skeleton Key CR: 12
Medium to Large humanoid, true neutral
Armor Class: 12 (15 with mage armor)
Hit Points: 99
Speed:
30 ft
STR
10
+0
DEX
14
+2
CON
12
+1
INT
20
+5
WIS
15
+2
CHA
16
+3
Saving Throws: Int +9, Wis +6
Damage Resistances: damage from spells; nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
Condition Immunities: charmed, frightened
Senses: passive Perception 15
Languages: Common, abyssal
Challenge Rating: 12
The Skeleton Key is an 15th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 17, +9 to hit with spell attacks).
It has the following wizard spells prepared:
Cantrips (at will): fire bolt, mage hand, shocking grasp
1st level (4 slots): mage armor*, magic missile, charm person
2nd level (3 slots): knock, misty step, invisibility, arcane lock, Tasha's mind whip
3rd level (3 slots): counterspell, fly, hunger of hadar
4th level (3 slots): dimension door, summon construct
5th level (3 slots): animate objects, bigby's hand
6th level (1 slot): globe of invulnerability
7th level (1 slot): teleport
*The archmage casts these spells on itself before combat.
At will: The Skeleton Key can cast charm person and invisibility at will.
Magic Resistance
The Skeleton Key has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Actions
Fire Bolt
Ranged Weapon Attack:+9, Range 120 ft., One target
Hit: 22 (4d10) Fire damage
A flammable object hit by this spell ignites if it isn't being worn or carried.
Shocking Grasp
Melee Weapon Attack:+9, Reach Touch, One target
Hit: 18 (4d8) Lightning damage
The Skeleton Key has advantage on the attack roll if the target is wearing armor made of metal. On a hit, the target can’t take reactions until the start of its next turn.
Mythic Actions
When the Skeleton Key's host drops to 0 hit points, the Skeleton Key can manipulate the host's body into a "fighting form" by stretching its limbs, creating new joints and molding feet and hands into sharpened blades with key-like notches on the edge. This new form has returns to 99 hit points, but can only use the following abilities.
Multiattack
The Skeleton Key using the dead body of its host can make up to four Unlock attacks and one Skull Bash attack.
Unlock
Ranged Weapon Attack:+6, Range 20 ft., One target
Hit: 5 (1d10) piercing damage plus 5 (1d10) slashing damage
On a hit, the target of this attack must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. On a fail, the target takes an additional 1d10 slashing damage at the beginning of its next turn and is restrained. The target can repeat this saving throw at the end of each of its turns.
Each fail after the first causes the target to remain restrained and increases the damage taken at the start of its turns by 1d10. If it fails three times after the first fail, a door opens in the target's body. It takes 5d10 force damage and falls prone. A successful save resets the failure count.
Until the target drops to 0 hit points or the condition is ended, the target takes 5d10 damage at the start of each of its turns. A lesser restoration or remove curse spell is necessary to end this damage unless a healing spell can return the target to full hit points.
Skull Bash
Melee Weapon Attack:+4, Reach 20 ft., One target
Hit: 11 (2d10) bludgeoning damage
Reactions
Protection
The key itself has an AC of 20, is immune to all damage except fire, and has 250 hit points. If its host is hit by fire damage that would also affect the key, the key can use its reaction to pull itself deeper into the host's body. The host, therefore, takes double damage from fire until the end of its next turn.
The Skeleton Key is an extra-planar magical item that has a rudimentary sentience focused entirely on finding a portal back to its home plane. It cannot move or act on its own, but it can impart its purpose onto a host being if that being has a weak mind or keeps the key in close proximity to themself for a period of time. The key can project that influence out in emergency situations and will attempt to protect its host. It can also animate other objects to assist in this effort if it is put in danger.
Any effects, abilities, or stats of the Skeleton key are imparted to the host. The Key itself has an AC of 20, 200 HP and is immune to all damage except fire.
Skeleton Key Statblock
Homebrew (base Archmage)
Skeleton Key CR: 12
Medium to Large humanoid, true neutral
Armor Class: 12 (15 with mage armor)
Hit Points: 99
Speed:
30 ft
STR
10 +0
DEX
14 +2
CON
12 +1
INT
20 +5
WIS
15 +2
CHA
16 +3
Saving Throws: Int +9, Wis +6
Damage Resistances: damage from spells; nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
Condition Immunities: charmed, frightened
Senses: passive Perception 15
Languages: Common, abyssal
Challenge Rating: 12
The Skeleton Key is an 15th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 17, +9 to hit with spell attacks).
It has the following wizard spells prepared:
Cantrips (at will): fire bolt, mage hand, shocking grasp
1st level (4 slots): mage armor*, magic missile, charm person
2nd level (3 slots): knock, misty step, invisibility, arcane lock, Tasha's mind whip
3rd level (3 slots): counterspell, fly, hunger of hadar
4th level (3 slots): dimension door, summon construct
5th level (3 slots): animate objects, bigby's hand
6th level (1 slot): globe of invulnerability
7th level (1 slot): teleport
*The archmage casts these spells on itself before combat.
At will: The Skeleton Key can cast charm person and invisibility at will.
Magic Resistance The Skeleton Key has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Actions
Fire Bolt
Ranged Weapon Attack:+9, Range 120 ft., One target
Hit: 22 (4d10) Fire damage
A flammable object hit by this spell ignites if it isn't being worn or carried.
Shocking Grasp
Melee Weapon Attack:+9, Reach Touch, One target
Hit: 18 (4d8) Lightning damage
The Skeleton Key has advantage on the attack roll if the target is wearing armor made of metal. On a hit, the target can’t take reactions until the start of its next turn.
Mythic Actions
When the Skeleton Key's host drops to 0 hit points, the Skeleton Key can manipulate the host's body into a "fighting form" by stretching its limbs, creating new joints and molding feet and hands into sharpened blades with key-like notches on the edge. This new form has returns to 99 hit points, but can only use the following abilities.
Multiattack
The Skeleton Key using the dead body of its host can make up to four Unlock attacks and one Skull Bash attack.
Unlock
Ranged Weapon Attack:+6, Range 20 ft., One target
Hit: 5 (1d10) piercing damage plus 5 (1d10) slashing damage
On a hit, the target of this attack must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. On a fail, the target takes an additional 1d10 slashing damage at the beginning of its next turn and is restrained. The target can repeat this saving throw at the end of each of its turns.
Each fail after the first causes the target to remain restrained and increases the damage taken at the start of its turns by 1d10. If it fails three times after the first fail, a door opens in the target's body. It takes 5d10 force damage and falls prone. A successful save resets the failure count.
Until the target drops to 0 hit points or the condition is ended, the target takes 5d10 damage at the start of each of its turns. A lesser restoration or remove curse spell is necessary to end this damage unless a healing spell can return the target to full hit points.
Skull Bash
Melee Weapon Attack:+4, Reach 20 ft., One target
Hit: 11 (2d10) bludgeoning damage
Reactions
Protection The key itself has an AC of 20, is immune to all damage except fire, and has 250 hit points. If its host is hit by fire damage that would also affect the key, the key can use its reaction to pull itself deeper into the host's body. The host, therefore, takes double damage from fire until the end of its next turn.
The Skeleton Key is an extra-planar magical item that has a rudimentary sentience focused entirely on finding a portal back to its home plane. It cannot move or act on its own, but it can impart its purpose onto a host being if that being has a weak mind or keeps the key in close proximity to themself for a period of time. The key can project that influence out in emergency situations and will attempt to protect its host. It can also animate other objects to assist in this effort if it is put in danger.
Any effects, abilities, or stats of the Skeleton key are imparted to the host. The Key itself has an AC of 20, 200 HP and is immune to all damage except fire.
Table of Contents
The SettingIntroduction
The Crime Scene
----The Bedroom
--------The Body
--------The Vanity
----The Kitchen
----The Backyard
--------Interview: Vallana
Research and Tools
----Det. Naragath Woundwalker
----Dr. Basil Wallace
----Proud Jewel
----Numo
Investigation
----Interview: Gordinor Riverthorn
----The Racetrack
--------Bleachers
------------Interview: Gibble
------------Interview: Kemal Greenoak
--------Betting Counter
--------Racers Only Area
------------Nor Borgir's Garage
----The Wealthy Badger Tavern
--------Interview: Jammock
Final Investigation
----Kemal Greenoak's House
--------Basement
--------Kemal's Bedroom
----Final Battle
People
(click to open)
Evidence
(click to open)
(click to open)
Dr. Basil Wallace
Det. Naragath Woundwalker
Numo
Proud Jewel
Gibble
Kemal Greenoak
Gordinor Riverthorn
Jammock
Det. Naragath Woundwalker
Numo
Proud Jewel
Gibble
Kemal Greenoak
Gordinor Riverthorn
Jammock
Evidence
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Backyard Footprint
Vallana's Jewelry Box
Orin's Engagement Ring
Stolen Picture
Corner of a Piece of Paper
Old Police Reports
Splinter of Wood
Jeffer's Note
Jeffer's Journal
Vallana's Jewelry Box
Orin's Engagement Ring
Stolen Picture
Corner of a Piece of Paper
Old Police Reports
Splinter of Wood
Jeffer's Note
Jeffer's Journal
Locations
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Tools
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(click to open)
Orin's Bedroom
Orin's Kitchen
Orin's Backyard
Racetrack
Nor Borgir's Garage
Wealthy Badger Tavern
Basement
Orin's Kitchen
Orin's Backyard
Racetrack
Nor Borgir's Garage
Wealthy Badger Tavern
Basement
Tools
(click to open)
Lookback Device
Comments