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Message: <blockquote data-quote="iserith" data-source="post: 6778854" data-attributes="member: 97077">VOW OF THE SILENT KNIGHT[ATTACH]72434[/ATTACH]The SitchLong ago, the legendary treant Tannenbaum was the heart of a beautiful forest climbing the sides of a temperate mountain. That was until the mistletoe dryads - parasites by nature - came calling, charming and manipulating the good-natured treant. In short order, they corrupted Tannenbaum and began to control it, causing it to neglect its woodland realm. The forest went into decline as snow and ice, once kept at bay by the treant's goodness, covered the land.Recently, after witnessing a star fall to the earth, the fey knight Noëlle had a revelation that, with this heavenly light, she could banish the mistletoe dryads and restore Tannenbaum to its former glory. Vowing to the Ancients not to speak until she placed the fallen star atop the treant, Noëlle and her spritely squire, The Little Drummer Boy, set out on a quest over the river and through the woods to undo what evil the dryads had wrought and rekindle the light.Noëlle, however, needs help to complete her quest.[HR][/HR]ProtagonistsFour 3rd-level player charactersNoëlle, The Silent Knight, an elven paladin[spoiler]NOELLE, THE SILENT KNIGHTMedium humanoid (wood elf), neutral goodArmor Class 16 (breastplate)Hit Points 27 (6d8)Speed 30 ft.STR 15 (+2) DEX 14 (+2) CON 10 (+0)INT 10 (+0) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 13 (+1)Skills Nature +2, Perception +3, Religion +2Senses passive Perception 13, darkvision 60'Languages Common, ElvishChallenge -Fey Ancestry. Noëlle has advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put her to sleep.ACTIONSLongsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 2) slashing damage, or 8 (1d10 + 2) slashing damage if used with two hands.Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage.Longbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 150/600 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage.Lay on Hands. See Player's Handbook, page 84. For the purposes of this ability, Noëlle is considered to be 3rd level.[/spoiler]The Little Drummer Boy, a sprite (MM, pg. 283, equipped with a drum which he constantly plays)The initial meeting between the player characters and Noëlle should represent something of a social interaction challenge. She tries to explain to them the dire situation of Tannenbaum, the evil of the mistletoe dryads, and her vow to restore the treant to its former glory. She must do this entirely through what amounts to a game of charades which the DM is encouraged to act out at the table. If a player correctly guesses a given fact offered via sign language to the PCs, he or she earns Inspiration. If the players are struggling, the Little Drummer Boy can interpret for them, but the players earn no Inspiration in the doing.It takes a full day of travel to reach Tannenbaum's grove. The forest is full of natural hazards, beasts, monstrosities, and fey creatures that work to exhaust and confound outsiders that dare trespass upon this cursed land. It is left to the DM to work out appropriate challenges on the way to the grove. Even finding the grove before exhaustion begins to set in can be a suitable exploration challenge.Finally, while it is possible for a player character to climb the treant and place the fallen star to restore Tannenbaum, this does not satisfy the vow that The Silent Knight has taken. Noëlle herself must climb and place the star atop the tree to complete her quest. Upstaging her in this regard may change her attitude from friendly to hostile. Figuring out how to protect Noëlle and support her efforts is as much a part of the challenge as avoiding, countering, or surviving the worst of what the dryads or Tannenbaum can dish out (see below).[HR][/HR]AntagonistsTannenbaum, a treant (MM, pg. 289)Cinnamon, Holly, Nutmeg, dryads (MM, pg. 121, neutral evil, armed with shortbows)[spoiler]Add the following trait:Kiss of the Mistletoe Dryad. The dryad delivers its Fey Charm ability by kissing a creature. By doing so, the target has disadvantage on its saving throw.[/spoiler]The mistletoe dryads endeavor to charm those that visit the cursed grove, asking those that succumb to leave a valuable gift (e.g. magical items, a lot of gold, etc.) under the treant before departing forever. A charmed creature isn't under the control of the dryad, but a player that chooses to have his or her charmed character accede to the dryad's request gains the blessing of the mistletoe dryads while charmed. This blessing means that no fey creature or beast in the forest can attack them.Creatures that resist the charms of the dryads are subjected to their attacks - clubs and shortbows. They tend to stay at range using their Tree Stride ability, putting hazardous terrain between them and their foes. They encourage Tannenbaum to shove any creature that tries to climb it, preferably as it approaches the top so that the fall is particularly nasty.[HR][/HR]Features of the AreaDangling Icicles: From the branches of the treant hang innumerable sharp icicles which fall when disturbed. Each creature under Tannenbaum or in its branches when this occurs must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw. A target takes 2d6 piercing damage on a failed save, or half as much as a successful one. Disturbances include the treant moving its limbs (such as when it shoves someone), carelessly climbing the treant (DC 10 Athletics while climbing or the icicles are disturbed), or hitting the treant with a weapon or physical spell attack.Dryads' Gifts: At the base of the tree are many gifts given to the dryads by creatures they have charmed, ranging from objects of purely sentimental value to food to gold and magic items. Among these gifts is a labeled potion of climbing which can be found with some effort. It is up to the DM as to what other kinds of treasure might be found here. If Tannenbaum is successfully restored, the grateful treant offers the dryads' gifts to the adventurers.Icy Rocks: The 15-foot ring of sharp, icy rocks that surrounds Tannenbaum is slippery. Normal or hasty movement across the icy rocks requires a measure of acrobatic or athletic skill, a failure of which results in 1d6 slashing damage and falling prone. A creature moving at half its speed is not at risk of this.Tannenbaum: This is an enormous treant, some 80 feet tall and 40 feet wide. Tannenbaum is under a form of curse placed upon it by the mistletoe dryads. Its frozen limbs limit its ability to move or attack, allowing it only to shove other creatures. It can also use its Animate Trees ability, but only to animate a single tree which has a speed of 20 feet. It will do none of these things unless deceived or persuaded into doing so by the dryads (DC 10) as an action. It does not communicate with anyone other than the dryads while cursed, though a character can try to hinder a dryad's efforts by appealing to the treant's good nature as a reaction, setting the DC the dryad's have to hit with an appropriate roll. The dryads can use Tannenbaum for their Tree Stride ability, appearing under or upon any of its branches within range.Woodland: The trunks and branches of the bare trees of the woodland provide half-cover. The forest is thick enough where creatures with 30 feet or more distance between them have total cover from each other.[HR][/HR]ConclusionWill the characters help Noëlle complete her quest and restore the forest to its former glory? Will they fall prey to the dryad's charms? Will they have to complete the quest for the Silent Knight and possibly incur her wrath? Play to find out what happens! How do you think your group would set about this challenge?I welcome your questions and constructive feedback below. And special thanks Bawylie for helping me brainstorm this scenario. If you would like to see some additional scenarios, click <a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?470673-is3rith-s-Adventure-Scenarios" target="_blank">here</a>.Happy Holidays!</blockquote>

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