If the PCs end Fanghort’s spell, then they receive 250 gp in compensation from Evan Goldwood. According to their conduct, they may also earn the favor of the powerful Goldwood Trading Company.

If the PCs negotiate a truce between the humans and animals, then they have a tougher job ahead of them. Evan withholds payment for at least a month, demanding that the PCs stay to ensure the mission is truly complete. Tensions may wax or wane during this time period, and the PCs will have to keep the peace.

Alternatively, some adventurers may choose to side with the animals and destroy the logging camp. Though unorthodox, this option could yield the greatest reward. The PCs can loot the 250 gp promised to them from Evan Goldwood, as well as another 150 gp in valuable trinkets and tools. Unscrupuous PCs may potentially kidnap and ransom Evan Goldwood to his father, though they will have made a powerful enemy in the process.

<= MAMA BEAR'S REVENGE

The bear’s cave is set into a step rocky incline. Inside, Mama Bear, a cave bear , guards Fanghort’s body (the PCs can see and inspect the body from a distance—see below for details).

Mama Bear understands that Fanghort’s body provides the creatures with intelligence. She speaks with several dozen woodland creatures ( swarm of woodland creatures ) and one white wolf .

If the PCs sneak close enough and listen in, they hear Mama Bear spewing anti-human propaganda.

The PCs may try reasoning with the animals, perhaps asking them to back down or organize a truce. A DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check results in the woodland creatures abandoning the bear. A DC 20 check also results in the wolf giving up. Mama Bear requires a check of 25 to give up the cause, making it a near impossibility.

A frontal assault could prove dangerous, but a DC 10 Perception check reveals a nearby tunnel that could possibly lead into the cave. Any PC may traverse this tunnel, but a DC 10 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check is necessary to avoid 1d4 slashing damage from the scrapes and bruises received while crawling through.

The tunnel leads to the back of the cave, 10 feet from Fanghort’s body and 25 feet from Mama Bear and the other creatures. If the PCs can dispel the curse on Fanghort’s body without alerting the animals, then they will be at a distinct advantage in the fight ahead.

Fanghort's Curse

Fanghort’s body radiates a cold green glow, and shimmering beetles crawl upon it. A DC 10 Arcana check is enough to determine that the body is the source of this strange magic. If the body is destroyed or dispelled, then the magic ceases. If the body is dealt 20 points of damage, then the magic immediately ends.

Each time the body is attacked, it releases a cloud of gas, dealing 1d4 poison damage to all creatures within 5 feet. Attacking the body is a noisy affair that may attract the attention of the animals.

Alternatively, the magic effect may be ritually dispelled. In a ritual that takes 30 seconds, a character may attempt a DC 15 Arcana check to end the spell. On a failure, the character is frightened for 1 minute, but may otherwise try again. The ritual itself is quiet, but it does require contact with the body. The character must make a DC 10 Dexterity (Stealth) check during the ritual to avoid being heard by the animals.

When the spell is broken, all of the animals immediately lose their sentience. Any creatures not in melee flee the scene in a panic, but those adjacent to PCs fight on. Mama Bear fights on even if not adjacent to the PCs. This is her home after all, and she is a bear.

<= MAMA BEAR'S REVENGE | CONCLUSION & REWARDS =>

The PCs can make their way into the woods by following Barkey’s directions to the bear’s lair. The way is not long (5 miles), but it is a rather treacherous journey through rolling grasslands and rough rocky hills.

Along the way, the PCs must face the some perils. Use the suggested challenged below; alternatively choose or roll on the rolling grasslands tier 0 exploration table. All creatures are sentient and can speak.

• Chatter, an eagle hails the PCs from above. He fills in any gaps in the PC’s story and describes what is going on at Mama Bear’s cave. He also explains that he just wants to go back to being a dumb eagle. He’ll assist the PCs in any way that he can, and points the way to Mama Bear’s cave.
• The flooded Moor-Run river blocks the PC’s path ( Bridge of Stones exploration challenge); or the PCs can ask the awakened fish for a safe crossing point.
• A pair of boars  accost the PCs as they make their way along a ledge (15 feet wide, with a 30 foot drop to the side). The boars have painted themselves ritually with red mud, and are acting as sentries. Should the fight go poorly, the boars attempt to escape to warn Mama Bear of the PCs.
• A sheer cliff must be scaled to reach the bear’s cave. The cliff is 30 feet high, with a DC 15 Athletics check required. While climbing, the PCs are attacked by three eagles .
• A confused awakened tree stands in the PCs’ path along a narrow slot canyon. The plant is not immediately hostile. Indeed, it willingly lets the PCs pass, only attacking if provoked. The tree questions its place in life, and asks the PCs for advice and their own purposes.

<= MAMA BEAR'S REVENGE | MAMA BEAR'S LAIR =>

Barkley’s Men have abandoned all semblance of work. They guard a basic perimeter of pit traps, gates and sharpened poles while they wait for the next attack.

Barkley’s Men are “reformed” orcs from the Crawley Hills (11 orc bandits led by Barkley, an orc scout ). Half a dozen orcs have already been killed during the animal raids, and tensions are high.

Note: use the varying heritage rule to apply the orc heritage to the bandit and scout statistics referred to here.

Some notable folk include:

• Barkley: Barkley (orc scout ) is small for an orc. With pinkish skin and dirty-blonde hair, he likely has a bit of human in his veins. Nonetheless, he commands his crew with authority. After all, it was Barkley that saved the orcs from execution and led them on their long journey here.
• Lewin: Lewin (orc bandit ) is currently injured from a skirmish. He is dull, barely understanding that this whole mess is his fault. Though quick to anger, he is an otherwise kind fellow.
• Evan Goldwood: Evan is a gregarious, spoiled, and extremely well dressed human noble . His father buys the crew’s lumber as it comes downstream and crafts it into trade ships. Evan is set to inherit his father’s fortune, but he likes getting his hands dirty in the meantime. He has been sent up to check on the missing shipments.

The foresters don’t know exactly what Fanghort did. All they know is that Lewin killed a bear, Fanghort went to the bear’s cave, and then talking animals attacked. They are largely suspicious of Fanghort, and believe that he has gone over to the other side.

The foresters can point the PCs to the bear’s den, where they (correctly) suspect Fanghort ventured.

Should the PCs spend more than a few hours at the campsite, they witness a wolf attack (6  wolves ). The attack is immediately preceded by a group of squirrels that hang in the trees and provide distractions and reconnaissance.

Barkley and two other orcs join with the PCs in repelling the attack, while the rest of the orcs stay back in case the wolves break through.

<= MAMA BEAR'S REVENGE | INTO THE WOODS =>

Not too far upriver of Blackford, on the edge of a small forest in the Southern Downs, a company of foresters known as “Barkley’s Men” has set up camp, clear-cut the area, and sends the logs downstream.

In their efforts, the foresters attracted the attention of a local druid named Fanghort. Fanghort attached himself to the camp, ensured that no animals were killed in the logging and, in return, kept dangerous wildlife away from the workers.

However, something was bound to go wrong. A forester by the name of Lewin killed a bear cub two weeks ago. Fanghort went into the woods to make amends, but he himself was killed by the cub’s mother.

Without ill will for either party, Fanghort enacted a powerful ritual with his final breath. Believing that animals and humanoids could get along if they could only communicate, Fanghort granted sentience (and the ability to speak) to all animals in the nearby wood.

Fanghort’s peaceful idealism has thus far proven unfounded. The animals gained sentience and immediately set their recently improved intellect to drive out the humans from their territory. For the past two weeks the foresters have been under attack from coordinated, enraged, insult-hurling animals.

The PCs Join The Fight

The PCs may enter into this adventure in a number of ways, as it makes sense for your campaign.

• They may be hired to accompany Evan Goldwood, the foresters' employer, and determine what is happening.
• They may hear rumors of aggressive, swearing animals from a nearby town such as Blackford or Thornbury.
• They may simply stumble across Barkley’s Men while travelling from one place to another.

Barkley and Evan Goldwood (the foresters' employer) are eager to pay for help. They offer 250 gp to anybody who can end the crisis and get the camp back up and running.

<= MAMA BEAR'S REVENGE | BARKLEY'S MEN =>

After the accidental death of a bear cub, Fanghort the Druid went into the forest to make amends. Now, the lumberjacks are under organized attack from woodland creatures—and all of them talk.

A short one-shot adventure for 1st-level characters by Jeff Gomez.

• Setting the Scene
• Barkley's Men
• Into the Woods
• Mama Bear's Lair
• Conclusion & Rewards

SETTING THE SCENE =>

In a world filled with magic, even the most mundane object might be more than it appears. Animated objects can sit motionless for years, only to spring to life at their master’s command. Though animated objects do not normally possess personalities of their own, some mirror the traits of their creator, their environment, or the creatures they interact with regularly.

Tireless Guardians. Their innocuous appearance makes animated objects the perfect guardians for those looking to catch intruders by surprise. Because they do not eat or rest, such objects can remain at their posts for centuries, long after their original owners have moved on.

Endless Variety. With potent enough magic, nearly any object can be granted the semblance of life. Creators of animated objects might weave other magic into their handiwork, such as the ability to sense falsehoods spoken in the item’s presence, immunity to a certain element or spell, or a curse that befalls whoever destroys the object.

Angels are the immortal servants of the gods and the extensions of divine power. They aid mortals, battle fiends, and further their deity’s causes. While most angels are good, some evil deities are served by evil angels. All angels hold their god’s divine laws as sacred.

Angels appear as awe-inspiring, winged humanoids of unearthly beauty and strength.

No Possessions. To angels, the physical world is not as real as their native realm of divine energy. Angels own no physical objects of their own, though they may sometimes safeguard another being’s treasure. Even an angel’s garments and weapons are made of astral energy and are changeable according to the angel’s needs.

Angels of Chaos. Legends tell of angels of chaotic alignment that travel the astral realm alone, unaffiliated with any god. They claim that angels existed before gods, and that the “fall of angels” was when most angels forsook their independence to become servants of the gods.

Aligned. An angel radiates a Lawful aura. Most angels also radiate a Good aura, and a few radiate Evil.

Celestial Dissolution. When an angel dies, its body and equipment dissolve into motes of light.

Detect Alignment. An angel knows the alignment, if any, of each creature within 30 feet that it can see.

Immortal Nature. An angel doesn’t require air, sustenance, or sleep.

This appendix contains statistics for many of the humanoids who inhabit the game world. These nonplayer characters (NPCs) may act as allies or adversaries during the characters’ adventures. An NPC may be of any humanoid ancestry: for instance, an archmage could be a human , a gnome , an orc , or even a merfolk or gnoll .

You can alter an NPC stat block in order to better represent a specific individual in your campaign. Most such changes do not require a change to the NPC’s Challenge Rating.

Varying Heritage

Heritage describes a creature’s innate, inherited abilities. You can add specificity to an NPC by assigning them signature following abilities and traits related to their heritage. This list is not exhaustive; most humanoid species can use an NPC stat block.

• Dragonborn: A dragonborn gains a breath weapon which they can use once per rest as an action. Each creature within either a 30-foot-long, 5-foot-wide line or a 15-foot cone (determined by draconic lineage) makes a Dexterity saving throw with a DC of 8 + Constitution modifier + proficiency bonus. On a failure, a creature takes acid, cold, fire, force, lightning, necrotic, poison, psychic, radiant, or thunder damage (determined by draconic lineage). The damage dealt is 3 (1d6) per point of the dragonborn’s Challenge Rating, with a minimum of 1d6 and a maximum of 6d6.
• Dwarf: A dwarf gains darkvision out to a distance of 60 feet. Their Speed is 25 feet.
• Elf: An elf gains darkvision out to a distance of 60 feet. They can’t be put to sleep by magic.
• Gnome: A gnome gains darkvision out to a distance of 60 feet. They are Small and their Speed is 25 feet. They know the minor illusion cantrip, using their choice of Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma as their spellcasting ability.
• Halfling: A halfling is Small and their Speed is 25 feet. When they roll a 1 on the d20 for an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, they can reroll the die and must use the new roll.
• Human: A human gains proficiency with one extra skill of their choice.
• Orc: An orc gains darkvision out to a distance of 60 feet. When they score a critical hit with a melee weapon attack, they can roll one of the weapon’s damage dice an additional time and add it to the extra damage of the critical hit.
• Planetouched: A planetouched creature gains darkvision out to a distance of 60 feet. Once per long rest , when they would be reduced to 0 hit points, they are reduced to 1 hit point instead.

Varying Culture

An NPC’s culture represents the society in which they were raised or trained, and may grant new traits or abilities. This appendix includes NPC variants that add cultural features, producing such variants as orcish wildling minstrels or cosmopolitan alchemists. While many cultures are associated with a particular heritage, any culture may include a person of any ancestry. For instance, a dragonborn may have been raised among shadow elves and have been trained as a shadow elf mage .

Varying Spells and Equipment

You can swap an NPC’s weapons or armor for others with which they are likely to be proficient. For spellcasting NPCs, you can swap out a spell for another spell of the same level on a spell list available to the NPC. If such a change increases a NPC’s Armor Class by 4 or more, or allows them to increase their maximum possible damage on one turn by 20 percent or more, then increase the monster’s Challenge Rating by one step (for instance, from 1/8 to 1/4 or from 5 to 6).

Legends and Lore

With a Culture or History check, characters can learn the following:

DC 10 The heritage and name of the NPC type (e.g. Archmage).

DC 15 The notable special abilities that the NPC type has.

DC 25 The name of this specific NPC.

Behavior

1  Going about their daily business.

2  Seeking somebody to help them with a quest or task.

3  Occupied in thought or concentrating on a solo activity. Will be irritated if disturbed.

4  Angry and looking for a fight.

5  Carousing, singing, or dancing.

6  Guarding something or someone.

7  Injured and nursing a wound.

8  On the run or hiding from somebody or something.

9  Lying in ambush.

10 Fighting a fierce creature.

Signs

1  A campfire or wagon.

2  A dropped trinket or minor piece of jewelry.

3  A trail of blood.

4  The sound of loud talking.

5  The sound of singing or music.

6  Smoke rising from just over a nearby hill or forest.

7  The sound of clashing blades and shouts of anger.

8  A backpack propped up against a tree.

9  A lone horse, saddled, but clearly separated from its rider.

10 The smell of delicious cooking.

The following entries from the Monstrous Menagerie are categories which include two or more individual monsters.

• Angels
• Animated Objects
• Ankhegs
• Azers
• Boggards
• Bugbears
• Clockworks
• Demons
• Devils
• Dinosaurs
• Dragons
• Faeries
• Genies
• Ghouls
• Giants
• Gnolls
• Goblins
• Gricks
• Guardians
• Hags
• Half-Dragons
• Hobgoblins
• Khalkoi
• Lizardfolk
• Lycanthropes
• Mephits
• Merfolk
• Minotaurs
• Mummies
• Nagas
• Ogres
• Oozes
• Remorphazes
• Salamanders
• Scarecrows
• Scorpionfolk
• Skeletons
• Titans
• Vampires
• Wraiths
• Zombies

• Beasts and Creatures
• Nonplayer Characters