The 2025 Pumpkin Spice RPG Contest - Cast Your Vote!

Vote For Your Three Favorites!

  • Pumpkin Patch and Espresso-Fueled Pumpkin Head - by Vael

  • Rubiaceae, the Pumpkin Spice Dragon - by CleverNickName

  • Arsenal of the Pumpkin King - by Steampunkette

  • Smashing Pumpkin Spice: a Ten Candles Adventure - by Snarf Zagyg

  • Kukurbo, the Harvest King - by Whizbang Dustyboots

  • Be Careful What You Wish For - by RealAlHazred

  • Pumpkin Spice Latte - by jmarkdr2

  • Autumn Bastion Facilities - by Gradine

  • The Byorn's Annual Gourdgoyle Hunt - by GMMichael


Results are only viewable after voting.

CleverNickName

Limit Break Dancing (He/They)
Here are all of the entries for the 2025 Pumpkin Spice RPG Contest! Links to the original article are below, and I've quoted the entries themselves in the first post of this thread...so there are two ways for you to review them for yourselves before voting.

All ENWorld members are invited to take part in this poll. So have a look, and vote for up to three!

The List of Entries
In their Order of Appearing:
  1. Pumpkin Patch and Espresso-Fueled Pumpkin Head by @Vael - a custom Environment and Adversary for your Daggerheart game
  2. Rubiaceae, the Pumpkin Spice Dragon by @CleverNickName - a Legendary dragon for 5E D&D
  3. Arsenal of the Pumpkin King by @Steampunkette - an entire suite of pumpkin-themed magic items and monsters for 5E D&D
  4. Smashing Pumpkin Spice: A Ten Candles Adventure for the Halloween Season by @Snarf Zagyg - a new adventure for the Ten Candles RPG.
  5. Kukurbo, the Pumpkin King by @Whizbang Dustyboots - a new monster for the Shadowdark game
  6. Be Careful What You Wish For by @RealAlHazred - a Tale of Terror adventure seed
  7. Pumpkin Spice Latte by @jmartkdr2 - full 5E stats for the magical, iconic coffee beverage of the season
  8. Autumn Bastion Facilities, by @Gradine - a quartet of seasonal Bastions for your 5E D&D 2024 game
  9. The Beorn's Annual Gourdgoyle Hunt, by @GMMichael - an encounter featuring new monsters for the Modos 2 rules set

Voting
Polls are now open, and they'll stay open until October 20th*. Everyone on EN World is invited to participate.

Select up to three from the list of entries. Vote for any reasons you like: most original, most creative, best use of the theme ("Pumpkin," "Spice," and/or "Espresso"), most likely to use in your own home game, you can use whatever criteria you wish. You can even vote for your own entry if you submitted one and you think it's worthy; nobody can stop you.

*woops. I wanted to make this poll end on the 15th but I messed it up. (shrug) Ah well. I guess we're going to run it a little longer than expected.

Winning and Prizes
There are SO MANY great prizes this year! Special thanks to our donors (@Morrus, @DiceGrimorium, @MongooseBella) for making these prizes possible:
The entry with the most votes gets first pick of the prizes. The entry with the second-most votes gets second pick, and the entry with the third-most votes gets the third prize, and so on. (Prizes will be delivered by electronic gift certificate to your EN World account by direct message. The usual fine print applies: no purchase necessary, void where prohibited, etc.) In the event of a tie, the entry that was submitted first will win.

Thanks to Our Contestants
Special thanks to @Whizbang Dustyboots, @Steampunkette, @Vael, @Snarf Zagyg, @RealAlHazred, @jmartkdr2, @Gradine, and @GMMichael for putting their work out there for everyone to enjoy. Y'all are the best.
 
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Our Entries This Year
First Entry: "Pumpkin Patch and Espresso Fueled Pumpkin Head" by @Vael
Okay, submitting a Daggerheart Environment and Adversary to go with it.


Pumpkin Patch​

Tier 2 Exploration​

The ground is overgrown with vines and large pumpkins. Fog and moonlight make the air hazy and the scent of pumpkin spice and coffee permeates the air.
Impulses: Trip up the unwary, favor the knowledgeable, spice up your life
Difficulty: 12
Potential Adversaries: Cultists (Adept, Fang, Initiate), Spirits (Spectral Archer, Captain, Guardian), Young Dryad, Espresso-Fueled Pumpkin Heads*

Features​

Overgrown Vines - Passive: The ground is covered in vines and pumpkins, making fast movement difficult. Any Agility Roll made as part of movement through the patch is made with disadvantage and triggers an Overripe Pumpkin on a failed roll.
How do the PCs avoid tripping over the vines? How can the treacherous ground be taken advantage of?
Cultivate the spice - Passive: Pumpkin Spice can be carefully extracted from the various plants. This spice can be added to drinks to enhance their capabilities. A PC can make a Knowledge or Finesse Roll to safely extract d4 doses of spice. When consumed along with a beverage or potion, the spice can double either the potency or the duration of it. A failed roll triggers the Overripe Pumpkin Action. These doses have a limited shelf life and will expire when the season ends.
What memories does the smell of Pumpkin Spice trigger? How long does the season last? Do you still remember how we used to be?
Overripe Pumpkin - Action: An overripe pumpkin explodes. Choose a point within the patch. All targets within Very Short range of the pumpkin must succeed on an Agility Reaction Roll or take 2d8+2 physical damage.
What sound or smell warns of an impending explosion? Do you slam it to the left or shake it to the right?



Espresso-Fueled Pumpkin Head​

Tier 2 Standard​

An abnormally large Pumpkin with animated vines that are constantly lashing about.

Motives & Tactics: Keep moving, Slash and lash opponents.
Difficulty: 14 | Thresholds: 13 / 26 | HP: 4 | Stress: 3
ATK: +3 | Whipping Vines: Very Close | 2d8+4 phy
Experience: Gotta Go Fast! +2

Features​

Over-caffeinated - Passive: Attacks from beyond melee range have disadvantage against the Pumpkin Head due to its fast and jittery movements.
Can't Stop, Won't Stop - Passive: Whenever the Pumpkin Head ends its move, if it has the restrained condition or has not moved from where it was when it was spotlighted, it must mark a stress.
Jitterbug Stroll - Action: Spend a Fear to move the Pumpkin Head up to Far Range. During that movement, make up to three Whipping Vines attacks against different targets.

Second Entry: "Rubiaceae, the Pumpkin Spice Dragon" by @CleverNickName
My official entry (now with fewer typos!)

You've obviously seen Pumpkin Spice Lattes. And you've probably heard of Pumpkin Spice Donuts, and Pumpkin Spice air fresheners, and I dunno, Pumpkin Spice duct tape or whatever. But have you ever seen a Pumpkin Spice Dragon?!

For my offering this year, I give you Rubiaceae, the Pumpkin Spice Dragon!

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1759303160166.png

Art Credit: sneakypete, via flightrising.com (c) 2019.
5E Monster Stat block generator: Tetracube

Third Entry: "Arsenal of the Pumpkin King" by @Steampunkette
My official entry:

Arsenal of the Pumpkin King
Deep within the Long Night, a mirror-realm of the Material Plane plagued with eternal darkness and monstrous beings once native to Fey Realms, lives the dreaded Pumpkin King. A once powerful fey ruler long since deposed from his position of glory by the current courts and banished to the Long Night against his will. The dread entity seeks to return from the Long Night and bring his army of pumpkin soldiers, grown strong within his twisted realm, upon the Material Plane before making his way to the Courts of the Fey to unseat the usurpers...

Fortunately, no one has been foolish enough to allow the Pumpkin King his escape. But the rewards he offers to those in his service are potent, and dreadful...

Crown of the Pumpkin King
Wondrous Item, Legendary (Requires Attunement)
While this pitted and soot-stained iron crown was built to be worn on the head, there are no humanoids such a crown would fit. Instead of resting comfortably on the top of a massive oblate pumpkin, it is worn around the neck as an oversized gorget or necklace with large defensive spikes., While wearing the crown in this way, even before becoming attuned, you gain the following benefits:

  • +1 to AC
  • You take an additional point of damage from Weapon Attacks as the crown digs into your flesh.
While attuned to the crown, you gain the following benefits:

  • 1/ Short Rest you may cast the Entangle spell with a save DC of 16.
  • If you have an Entangle spell active, you may sacrifice 10ft of its area, two squares, to create a Pumpkin Soldier under your control.
  • You gain resistance to Poison damage
Finally, if the Crown of the Pumpkin King is placed upon a nonmagical pumpkin of Medium size or larger, the spirit of the Pumpkin King will inhabit the pumpkin and begin to generate its body from other pumpkins and pumpkin vines in the immediate area over the course of 1 minute. During the time the Pumpkin King forms, he will provide answers to questions as the Commune spell. Once the minute has completed, the Pumpkin King will be made manifest.

Long Night Armor
Armor (Any) Very Rare (Requires Attunement)
Armor crafted from the Long Night itself, this suit of magical armor is dark in color and bears a motif of skulls and jack-o-lantern pumpkins that cannot, by any means, be hidden. Magic designed to alter its appearance can change the size, shape, or placement of the motif, but never eliminate it. This armor is favored, to the point of being coveted, by vampires, ghouls, and other creatures of the night.

This armor functions as a +2 armor of the chosen type. While worn at night, it appears to stretch time around the wearer and those within 120ft as you slip between the real world and a dark mirror reality of eternal night. So long as you are moving at a fast pace or higher, each four hours of travel is only one hour of actual time passing. However, while walking the Long Night you still roll random encounters every hour, resulting in four chances of random encounters for every real hour of time that passes.

Time spent walking the Long Night still accrues exhaustion as normal, but it is possible to move 8 hours through the Long Night and still have plenty of darkness for a long rest at night.

Scepter of the Pumpkin King
Maul, Legendary (Requires Attunement)
This 5ft long scepter consists of thick and hardened intertwined vines forming a rough haft beneath a large jack-o-lantern that appears to have begun rotting a day or two ago. The flames within the pumpkin never seem to die out. This item functions in the following ways, even if you are not attuned:

  • Functions as a +2 Maul
  • +1d6 Fire damage on a successful hit
  • Sheds bright light in a 30ft radius and dim light a further 20ft
  • Cast Fear once per long rest with a save DC of 16
While attuned to this scepter, you may attempt to take control of any Pumpkin entities within 60ft. This ability functions like the Command Undead spell with a save DC of 16 but only affects pumpkin-entities. You may use this ability a number of times per short rest equal to your proficiency bonus, and a successful saving throw against it does not preclude a Pumpkin Guardian or Pumpkin Soldier from being targeted by the spell on subsequent rounds. If you are also attuned to the Crown of the Pumpkin King, there is no saving throw against this ability.

Finally, you may swing the Scepter of the Pumpkin King at the ground rather than at an enemy. Doing so creates a 30ft cone of Fear and Flame. Creatures in the area must make a DC 16 Constitution save. On a failed save they are frightened of you for up to 1 minute, but may attempt Charisma Saves at the end of each turn to end the effect, and take 4d6 Fire damage. On a successful save they are not frightened and take half of the fire damage rolled.

Seedling Bomb
Wondrous Item, Uncommon
These small turnip-sized jack-o-lanterns glow with an orange flame within. They function as a simple thrown weapon with a range of 20/60 and deal 1d4 bludgeoning and 1d4 fire damage on a successful hit. Plucked from patches in the Long Night, these dangerous little weapons become a problem on impact.

Once a Seedling Bomb has been thrown it explodes on impact with any object or surface and spreads a series of small, flat, rounded seeds which immediately seek to take root in the square they landed in. If the location does not contain soil of any kind, they instead burrow into wood or stone to a depth of 1 foot and become inert. If they land on soil, however, the area immediately becomes difficult terrain for 1 turn.

At the end of that turn, a number of Pumpkin Nuisances equal to the fire damage rolled are created. These tiny, hostile, gremlin like, creatures are uncontrolled and immediately begin to harass the nearest target, often the person they were thrown at to begin with. They immediately enter the creature's square and attempt to climb on them. The target may make a DC 13 Strength or Dexterity saving throw to keep the Nuisances at bay, but on a failed save they take 1 point of slashing damage and their speed is cut in half. Each Nuisance has 1hp and an AC of 10.

Smashing Pumpkin
Wondrous Item, Rare
This moderately sized jack-o-lantern can be easily hefted in one hand and hurled with as a simple thrown weapon with a range of 20/50. Once it impacts a creature or object, the jack-o-lantern explodes into a 20ft radius burst of flame dealing 6d6 fire damage to all creatures in the area, with a DC 13 Dexterity save for half damage. A creature struck by the smashing pumpkin, directly, does not get a saving throw against the fire damage.
The smashing pumpkin is consumed in this use.

Minions of the Pumpkin King
While the Pumpkin King, himself, is a powerful entity on par with most Warlock Patrons, the minions of the Pumpkin King are much more tangible and immediately threatening.

Pumpkin Soldier
Small (Fey), CR 1/2
Armor Class: 13
Hit Points: 10 (3d6)
Speed: 30ft
Str: 10 (+0), Dex: 16 (+3), Con: 10 (+0), Int: 9 (-1), Wis: 12 (+1), Cha: 10 (+0)
Saving Throws: Dex +5, Cha +2
Skills: Acrobatics (+5), Survival (+3)
  • Cruelty: The Pumpkin Soldier deals +3 (1d6) additional damage when it attacks a creature within the threatened area of an ally. This is applied once per round.
  • Shed Light: The Pumpkin Soldier's flaming head shines out in a 15ft radius of bright light with an additional 10ft radius of dim light.
  • Sunlight Destruction: With the coming of the dawn, or any spell or effect that mimics true sunlight, a Pumpkin Soldier becomes Inert and is reduced to 0hp until nightfall. In this state, it appears as a normal jack o' lantern.
Actions:
  • Claws: Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5ft, one target. Hit: 5 (1d4+3) slashing damage
  • Spit Seed: Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, 15/50, one target. Hit: 4 (1+3) fire damage.
Pumpkin Soldiers stand between 2 and 5 feet tall and exist in a dazzling array of variety. While their heads are always a pumpkin of some variety carved into a jack o' lantern, their ropey bodies are made of vines wrapped up into each other in varying lengths and thickness. Those with the largest pumpkin varietals for heads tend to be on the shorter sides, crushed down by the weight. While those with smaller pumpkins for heads tend to be taller and more slender. This results in all of them fitting into the small size category regardless of their apparent height.

Servants to the Pumpkin King, these fey creatures seek to conquer in his name, to spread the base of his power over an ever-expanding kingdom of night. However, they are not among the brightest of creatures and can be fooled relatively easily by offering them a handful of sweets as 'tribute' to the Pumpkin King, sparing you any need to battle. If, however, gifted with gold or other 'proper' tribute to the Pumpkin King, you can secure temporary protection from a Pumpkin Soldier to secure your home or campsite until the dawn.

If no tribute is offered, they will seek to conquer and displace anyone in the 'Rightful Realm' of the Pumpkin King.

Pumpkin Guardian
Medium (Fey), CR 1
Armor Class: 13
Hit Points: 30 (5d8+8)
Speed: 30ft
Str: 14 (+2), Dex: 14 (+2), Con: 14 (+2), Int: 10 (+0), Wis: 10 (+0), Cha: 10 (+0)
Saving Throws: Dex +4, Cha +2
Skills: Athletics (+4), Perception (+3), Stealth (+4), Survival (+3)
  • Shed Light: The Pumpkin Soldier's flaming head shines out in a 15ft radius of bright light with an additional 10ft radius of dim light.
  • Sunlight Destruction: With the coming of the dawn, or any spell or effect that mimics true sunlight, a Pumpkin Guardian becomes Inert and is reduced to 0hp until nightfall. In this state, it appears as a normal jack o' lantern.
Actions:
  • Maul: Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5ft, one target. Hit: 9 (2d6+2) bludgeoning damage
  • Spit Seed: Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, 15/50, one target. Hit: 4 (1d4+2) fire damage.
  • Strangle: Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 10ft, one target that is surprised or grappled by the Pumpkin Guardian. Hit: 9 (2d6+2) bludgeoning damage, and the target is pulled 5ft closer to the Pumpkin Guardian and Grappled (Escape DC: 12). If the target is already grappled, this attack automatically hits. The Pumpkin Guardian can only make one Strangle attempt per round.
Pumpkin Guardians are much taller and more dangerous than their smaller Pumpkin Soldier brethren. Ranging from 6ft to 9ft in height, following the same guidelines in structure as the Pumpkin Soldier, the Pumpkin Guardian is more malleable in its construction. When fighting, they prefer to take their targets by surprise and strangle the life out of them with a number of vines that leap from their form and drag their victim in. However, they're more than happy to wrap some vines around a nearby stone to form a makeshift maul of one of their arms to sling about violently.

If disarmed of the maul, they can spend one action to grab a new stone of appropriate size to wield as a maul on their following turn.

Slightly more intelligent than their smaller soldier brothers, a Pumpkin Guardian may be bribed with a handful of candy and a DC 12 Persuasion or Intimidation check to keep them from conquering you. But they will not protect your property regardless of how much gold you have to offer.

Great Pumpkin
Large (Fey), CR 2
Armor Class: 12 (Natural Armor)
Hit Points: 59 (7d10+21)
Speed: 40ft
Str: 19 (+4), Dex: 8 (-1), Con: 16 (+3), Int: 10 (+0), Wis: 10 (+0), Cha: 8 (-1)
Saving Throws: Dex +1, Cha +1
Skills: Athletics (+6), Perception (+2), Stealth (+1), Survival (+2)
  • Shed Light: The Great Pumpkins flaming head shines out in a 30ft radius of bright light with an additional 20ft radius of dim light.
  • Sunlight Destruction: With the coming of the dawn, or any spell or effect that mimics true sunlight, a Great Pumpkin becomes Inert and is reduced to 0hp until nightfall. In this state, it appears as a normal jack o' lantern.
Actions:
  • Hammerhand: Melee Weapon Attack: +6, reach 10ft, one target. Hit: 13 (2d8+4) bludgeoning damage. If the target is Medium or Smaller it makes a DC 14 Strength save to avoid being knocked prone.
  • Sweeping Strike: Melee Weapon Attack: +6, reach 5ft, all creatures within 5ft. Hit 8 (1d8+4) bludgeoning damage. If the target is medium or smaller it makes a DC 14 Strength save to avoid being pushed back 10ft.
  • Spit Seed: Ranged Weapon Attack: +1, range 30/120, one target. Hit 11 (3d6) fire damage.
Massive and towering entities, the Great Pumpkins are often used by the Pumpkin King as low-grade siege weaponry. Much like the Pumpkin Guardian, they can be disarmed of their Hammerhand, but it is far too large for a medium sized creature to wield as a weapon, and the Great Pumpkin can regenerate their Hammerhand with an action by grabbing a new small boulder.

Great Pumpkins cannot be fooled into service, and instead simply seek to destroy any structure on what they consider to be the Pumpkin King's land. Though they may be temporarily distracted with a handful of sweet treats, and will move up to twice their speed on a turn to try and take a proffered treat, as soon as they spend an action to consume it they will return to their previous activity of crushing any structure in the area, and any creature that attempts to protect those structures.

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Fourth Entry: "Smashing Pumpkin Spice: a Ten Candles Adventure" by @Snarf Zagyg
Smashing Pumpkin Spice: A Ten Candles Adventure for this Halloween Season

This is a “module” for the Ten Candles TTRPG to be run during the Halloween season. You can read about the game (and purchase it- please support indie RPG publishers) here:
Ten Candles — Cavalry Games

The following are suggestions to help allow the gamemaster and the players to drive each other to the brink of madness and despair. If you're not into reading, the theme should be a mashup of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and '90s Seattle, with a generous amount of pumpkin spice added to the mix.


Preparation Ideas
1. You cannot extinguish joy and hope unless you start with it. Since you will be playing the game at night (YOU WILL, RIGHT?), you should spend the day having fun, laughing, enjoying each other’s company, and carving small pumpkins. Before the game starts, you should have ten (10) small pumpkins carved with appropriately wicked and evil expressions.

2. Since you have ten pumpkins carved, you have perfect receptacles for the tea light candles that you use to play!

3. The module is set at the beginning of 1994 in Seattle, and it is recommended that you have a playlist of appropriate music to play in the background. If you are not familiar with “appropriate music,” the following bands and albums would be a good place to start (try and keep it to music released no later than July 1994, if you’re a stickler for details:
  • Nirvana. Nevermind, In Utero
  • Melvins. Houdini
  • Peal Jam. Ten, Vs.
  • Hole. Live Through This
  • Smashing Pumpkins. Gish, Siamese Dream
  • Tool. Undertow
  • Alice in Chains. Dirt
  • Soundgarden. Badmotorfinger, Superunknown
  • Stone Temple Pilots. Core, Purple
  • Ministry: Psalm 69

Scenario Background
Seattle, and the alternative music scene, is still reeling from the death of Kurt Cobain, lead singer of Nirvana. Fans are mourning, and it feels like a dark cloud has fallen over the city. And yet there is one man in Seattle who understands that with crisis, comes opportunity. Enter… Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks.

Schultz knew that Seattle stood for two things in the 1990s- grunge music and overpriced coffee. How could he possibly leverage this tragedy into an opening? And then he realized what had to happen: the biggest ever memorial concert that would, coincidentally, launch a new product! He knew that his R&D department had been working at perfecting a new product that they still weren’t ready to sell yet, but this was too good of an opportunity to pass up! Besides, it’s what Kurt would have wanted.

Thus was born: Starbucks Presents: The Kurt Cobain Memorial Concert Sponsored by Starbuck’s New Pumpkin Spice Latte

Schultz worked the phones feverishly, and got all the big names to agree to a massive concert to take place all day July 19, 1994, at the Kingdome. Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, Alice in Chains, Tool, Soundgarden … even local favorites like the Melvins and more underground bands like Ministry agreed to play. Kurt Cobain’s widow would play a set with her band Hole. And perhaps best of all think of the synergy Smashing Pumpkins would play that night!

The players arrive in Seattle the day before the concert, and it is overcast as usual. When they head to the Kingdome that morning, they don’t see the sun. Still, the concert is amazing. They are energized, not just by the music, but by the ever-present flow of caffeine and sugar in the new Pumpkin Spice Lattes. As it gets later, Hole plays a shambolic two and a half songs before Courtney Love screams at the crowd and is dragged off by the newly recruited Melissa Auf der Maur.

Then Smashing Pumpkins takes the stage. They are midway through I Am One when the power cuts out. The music stops. The stadium is in complete darkness. And then suddenly, you see a flickering light … from the stage. You were in the mosh pit, so you can see clearly. It’s Billy Corgan, but where his head was … is …. A pumpkin? An infernal, demonic pumpkin pumpkin head? And then you hear it … almost as much in your head in your ears, the voice coming from it.

I’m so happy! ‘Cuz today I found my friends! They’re in my …. HEAD!

With that, you hear maniacal laughter as the creature pulls his head off and throws it the bassist, sending the bassist’s head flying into the crowd! Both the bassist and Billy Corgan are headless, but then … with horrible squelching sounds pumpkins start growing from their necks and become new heads.

The crowd starts screaming, and you hear a distant sound of thunder as … you think … large panels from the Kingdome start falling, crushing others. As you try to rush out, the Headless Pumpkin Attackers begin to move forward, their ranks swelling…

These things are true: You are wearing flannel. You drank too many pumpkin spice lattes. The world is dark, and you are alive.


Areas of Note
Seattle Kingdome, Downtown Seattle (to the north of the Kingdome), Starbucks Global headquarters (to the south of the Kingdome), Underground Passages of Seattle, Pioneer Square, Central Saloon, Linda’s Tavern


Goal
Sell out? Die with integrity? Oh well. Whatever. Nevermind.

Fifth Entry: "Kukurbo, the Harvest King" by @Whizbang Dustyboots
Here's that Shadowdark entry, replacing my (removed) Pirate Borg one:

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KUKURBO, THE HARVEST KING
A tall robed skeletal figure formed out of pumpkin vines. It has a jack o’lantern for a head and carries a wooden scythe. A minor godling of the harvest, aging and death.
AC 16, HP 68, ATK 3 scythe +9 (2d10 + Life Drain) or 1 spell, MV far (teleport), S +4, D +3, C +5, I +3, W +5, Ch +5, AL N, LV 14
Life Drain. 1d6 CON damage. Death if reduced to 0 CON.
Regenerate. Regains 3d6 HP on its turn unless its wounds are cauterized with fire.
Summon Shambling Mounds (WIS Spell). DC 12. Summon 1d6 loyal shambling mounds that appear within near. They stay for 5 rounds.

Sixth Entry: "Be Careful What You Wish For" by @RealAlHazred
Because it was asked for...

Be Careful What You Wish For
A Tale of Terror Adventure Seed

Trigger Warning: violence toward children

The Investigators are in a house they are renting in a village of interest to their current investigations. One of the PCs (whoever has the lowest Sanity) is having a hard time sleeping. After several false starts, the PC gives up, and gets up to make in espresso in the kitchen. While there, they notice lights in the vacant lot next door.



The vacant lot contains rubble from the burned home, big piles of dirt, and some vegetation that's sprung up.

Among the vegetation is a pumpkin patch. The neighborhood children have noticed that the pumpkins here grow particularly large and misshapen, and have developed a number of stories to explain them. One of the stories is of "the Pumpking", a ghost of someone who died in the long-ago fire, who always inhabits the largest pumpkin.

A group of kids has decided to try a ritual to summon the Pumpking -- they are bored, nothing ever happens in the village, and they are hoping for a little excitement. They gathered what they considered to be suitably "occult" items from their homes and from sites around the village: wax candles, word books, and exotic spices like saffron and black cardamom; one kid actually found some myrrh at home. Unfortunately, one of the children took a knife that has been hanging on the wall of their house for several generations -- an enchanted knife that was once used in rituals to Yog-Sothoth. At midnight they started a homemade ritual that will actually summon... something.

The lights the player noticed from the kitchen are the candles the children placed around the lot. Depending on how quickly the Investigators respond, they can head off a lot of unpleasantness. Start the clock when the Investigator notices the lights.

11:45 PM: Eight children place and light candles, draw a "magic circle," while therestof theparticipants arrive.
12:00 Midnight: The ritual begins. Thirteen children (ages 10-14) participate. The Investigator becomes aware of the activity.
12:10 AM: The largest gourd slowly "inflates" as the ritual pulls power into it as the most suitable vessel nearby.
12:20 AM: The children notice the now-giant pumpkin and are excited. Some (about a third) are alarmed and pull to the back of the lot. Others (about a third) crowd closer to the Pumpking.
12:30 AM: The Pumpking achieves maximum size: easily 25 feet in circumference and weighing more than a ton, it animates and, being that there was no Binding spell, goes on a rampage. It turns slowly and menacingly, revealing one side of its body now bears a terrifying jack-o-lantern face. Its first targets are those closest to it, which probably includes at least 4 children.

The Referee is responsible for determining the flow of subsequent events.

THE PUMPKING
STR: 100 CON: 150 SIZ: 170 DEX: 25
POW: 70
HP: 32
Damage Bonus: 2D6
Build: 3
Move: 12
Sanity Loss: 1D6/1D20 Sanity points

Combat

Attacks per round:
1

Grapple (Fighting 40%): The Pumpking tries to entangle a victim with its creeping vines. If successful, it inflicts 1D6 crushing damage per round while holding on. If it makes a successful grapple attack, it can either maintain the grapple or attempt to drag the victim to its mouth.

Fiery Bite (Fighting 60%): The Pumpking has a fanged, toothy maw and it's interiorcontains aroaring flame the sizeof a bonfire. It can bite a grappled victim for 1D8 damage and sets the victim on fire, inflicting an additional 1D6 damage each round until it is put out.

Seventh Entry: "Pumpkin Spice Latte" by @jmartkdr2
Pumpkin Spice Latte


Potion, rare
½ lb.
This hot drink not only warms your body, it warms your spirit with the pleasant feelings of the harvest season.

When you drink this potion, you gain 10
Temporary Hit Points that last for 1 hour. For the same duration, you have advantage on saving throws to resist or end a frightened condition. In addition, are under the effect of the Guidance spell (no Concentration required). You may use the benefits of the spell up to three times before this effect ends.
This potion's pale-brown liquid is covered with white foam and dark, flavorful crystals.

Found On: Arcana - Rare, Armaments - Rare

Eighth Entry: "Autumn Bastion Facilities" by @Gradine

Official Submission

Autumn Bastion Facilities
A new addition to the rules of Dungeons & Dragons in 2024 are the inclusion of Bastions; home bases that characters can build and expand to provide additional benefits to the party. This stronghold-like system allows for facilities that can be given specific orders to provide those benefits. Want to add a little autumn flair to your Bastions? Consider adding the following options:

Pumpkin Patch (Garden Type)
Level 5 Bastion Facility
Prerequisite: None
Space: Roomy
Hirelings: 1
Order: Harvest

The Pumpkin Patch is a special kind of Garden Type that you can select when building your first Garden or a new Garden. Under normal circumstances, the Pumpkin Patch is the equivalent of a Food Garden, and the Harvest order produces 100 days of rations, as usual. However, once during each Fall season you may instead issue the following special order.
Harvest: Harvest Festival. When you issue the Harvest order in this facility, you commission the facility’s hireling to collect and prepare the following items: 20 jack-o-lanterns, 5 scarecrows, and 1 corn maze. A late-night party lifts the spirits of the hirelings within the Bastion; characters who are present may place one additional order at one special facility of their choice in the following Bastion turn.

Costume Shop
Level 5 Bastion Facility
Prerequisite: None
Space: Roomy
Hirelings: 1
Order: Craft

The Costume Shop is a special location that often provides costumes, makeup, and other decorations to help fully deck your Bastion out for an appropriate autumn celebration.
Costume Shop Charm. After spending a Long Rest in your Bastion, you gain a magical Charm (see “Supernatural Gifts” in chapter 3 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide) that lasts for 7 days or until you use it. This charm allows you to cast Disguise Self without expending a spell slot of using Material components. You can’t gain this Charm again while you still have it.
Craft Options. When you issue the Craft order to this facility, choose one of the following options:

Craft: Disguise Kit. You commission the facility’s hireling to craft a Disguise Kit. The work takes 7 days and costs no money. The Disguise Kit remains in your Bastion until you claim it.
Craft: Padded Armor. You commission the facility’s hireling to craft a set of Padded Armor. The work takes 7 days and costs no money. The Padded Armor remains in your Bastion until you claim it.
Craft: Clothing. You commission the facility’s hireling to craft on set of the following pieces of Adventuring Gear: 3 robes or sets of traveler’s clothes, 2 costumes, or 1 set of fine clothes. The clothes remain in your Bastion until you claim it.
Craft: Magic Item (Arcana). If you are level 9+, you can commission the facility’s hireling to craft one of the Common or Uncommon Wondrous Items that are worn as clothing (such as boots, belts, caps, cloaks, clothes, gloves, hats, mantles, robes, and slippers) but that are not jewelry, chosen by you from the Arcana tables in chapter 7 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide. The facility has the tool required to craft the item, and the hireling has proficiency with that tool as well as proficiency in the Arcana skill. See the “Crafting Magic Items” section in chapter 7 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide for the time and money that must be spent to craft the item. If the item allows its user to cast any spells from it, you must craft the item yourself (the facility’s hireling can assist), and you must have all those spells prepared every day you spend crafting the item.

Boutique Café
Level 13 Bastion Facility
Prerequisite: None
Space: Roomy
Hirelings: 1
Order: Empower

The Boutique Café is a spot for comfort and relaxation, where guests can enjoy a warm beverage and warm company.
Boutique Café Charm. After spending a Long Rest in your Bastion, you gain a magical Charm (see “Supernatural Gifts” in chapter 3 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide) that lasts for 3 days. This charm is extended to 7 days if your Bastion’s Boutique Café has been expanded (see below). This charm grants you immunity to the effects of extreme cold temperatures. With an expanded Boutique Café this charm also grants resistance to Cold damage. You can’t gain this Charm again while you still have it.
Empower: Pumpkin Spice Season. When you issue the Empower order to this facility, you enable the facility’s hireling to produce special seasonal beverages that people flock to from far and wide to have a taste. For the next 7 days, the Boutique Café serves the drinks that are listed below. A character cannot benefit from more than one such drink at a time, and can only gain the benefit from each individual drink once for each Bastion turn.
Hearty Pumpkin Mocha: Drinking a grande cup of this beverage grants you temporary hit points equal to 3 plus your character’s level. These temporary hit points disappear after 24 hours.
Salted Maple Latte: Drinking a grande cup of this beverage grants you the effects of a Barkskin spell that has a duration of 24 hours.
Hazelnut Nutmeg Cappuccino: Drinking a tall cup of this beverage grants you the effects of a Longstrider spell that has a duration of 24 hours.
Doubleshot Chai Espresso: Drinking a small cup of this beverage grants you advantage on saving throws against any effect that would cause you to fall asleep or gain a level of exhaustion. This effect lasts 24 hours.
Pumpkin Spice Latte: Drinking a grande cup of this beverage grants you the effects of a Bless spell that has a duration of 24 hours.
Enlarging the Facility. You can enlarge your Boutique Café to a Vast facility by spending 2,000 GP. If you do so, your Boutique Café adds hot tub and sauna facilities for their guests. This expands and improves the effect of the Boutique Café Charm, as seen above. A Vast Boutique Café gains three additional hirelings, for a total of four. These new hirelings are bright young baristas and one deeply strange middle-aged janitor from Icewind Dale (or your setting’s equivalent) that maintains the new facilities and doles out sage but inscrutable wisdom in broken Common.

Graveyard
Level 13 Bastion Facility
Prerequisite: The ability to use an Arcane Focus or Holy Symbol as a Spellcasting Focus
Space: Roomy
Hirelings: 1
Order: Harvest

The Graveyard is a place to store the bodies of the dead, and is a necessary addition to any Necromancer’s home.
Where The Dead Lie: This facility can house up to 6 undead creatures that are under your control due to magical effects, such as those of the spells Animate Dead or Create Dead. While housed in this facility, you do not lose control of these undead due to the passage of time. You must magically reassert control of the undead housed in this facility before removing them from this facility.

Harvest: Corpses. When you issue the Harvest order to this facility, you enable the facility’s hireling to produce dead bodies that are capable of being targeted by the spells Animate Dead and Create Dead. This work takes 7 days and costs no money. At the end of this work roll 1d6; this is the amount of usable corpses your hireling has been able to procure.
Harvest: Rare Component. When you issue the Harvest order to this facility, you commission its hireling to procure a rare spell component composed of human remains, such as a pickled eye, a desiccated kidney, or a hand of glory. This work takes 7 days and costs 250 GP. You can use this component in the place of one spell’s Material components. If the spell’s component has a cost of 1,000 GP or more, it is consumed by the spell. Otherwise the component is not consumed, even if the spell normally consumes its components. You cannot possess more than one component produced in this way at a time.

Enlarging the Facility. You can enlarge your Graveyard to a Vast facility by spending 2,000 GP. A Vast Graveyard can accommodate up to fifteen undead creatures under your control.

Ninth Entry: "The Beorn's Annual Gourdgoyle Hunt" by @GMMichael
Encounter:
The Beorn's Annual Gourdgoyle Hunt

Setup:
While traveling through a foreign land in autumn, the PCs encounter signs of a special event. First, there are fanfares heard from far off. Then they spot, along the road, brown-and-yellow standards adorned with winged pumpkins.
Finally, they meet two commonfolk in a heated argument. They've accepted a quest from Beorn Niccol, the lord of the land, to hunt a migrating alpha gourdgoyle and return it to the First Huntsman for stuffing and mounting. The tracking has been arduous, and all other hunters have given up the chase but these two.

Unfortunately, they've lost track of the alpha gourdgoyle, and can't agree on how to proceed. Emerton, the pleaser, just wants to make the beorn happy, providing the carcass of any gourdgoyle that comes along. But Laynci, the hunting purist, insists that there's only one specific procedure that must be followed or the beorn will not be pleased. This means finding not just any gourdgoyle, but the pack leader (the alpha).

Characters:

Emerton, the merchant
A tattoo-covered merchant in pleasantly black, non-offensive clothing. Has a small pack and wears a dagger on his hip. He immediately greets visitors, whether he's looking at them or not, and then typically proceeds to attend to other matters for at least five minutes (arguing with Laynci, in this case). He has a wooden whistle that simply "sounds delicious" and is "perfect for cozy Sundays or getting the attention of gourdgoyles." Upon inspection, PCs cannot find anything special about the perfectly common whistle. Regardless, Emerton offers to sell it for no less than 6.95 gold pieces.

Laynci, the hunter
Sporting a handlebar moustache (which might be drawn on) and vest pockets for her comb, a tiny scale, and a portable spice grinder, she looks much more suited to hunting and tracking than Emerton, but she has no weapon. It seems that she thought that she saw the alpha gourdgoyle and threw her javelin, custom-crafted to slay gourdgoyles, at it. The javelin has been lost in a thicket for hours now. She's arguing with Emerton, and refuses to hunt gourdgoyles with any other weapon because a lesser weapon wouldn't puncture the creature's head properly, causing what she calls "overextraction."

Gourdgoyle 2 (Modos 2 compatible)
A gourdgoyle is a distant relative of bats, known for its bulky, orange-furred head and grotesque, black, leathery wings and body. They typically measure two feet tall and can weigh up to 40 pounds, most of which is their heads. It is currently unknown how their little bat wings achieve flight. Gourdgoyles prefer elevated, warm perches. This results in them choosing to land on people's heads fairly frequently. It also results in the illusion that someone with a pumpkin head has lost that head, when the victim swats the gourdgoyle away and it topples to the ground.
Goals: perch on warm heads and find food (worms and insects). Migrate south. Flaw: awkward body shape results in lots of falling down and bruising.
Physical: 10
Mental: 14
Metaphysical: 8
Skills: movement 2
Perks: owl's eye, armor training (natural)
Gear: bite/claw d4, thick head (physical protection) d4

Quest options:
PCs choosing to pursue the beorn's quest must choose to capture any gourdgoyle or the alpha gourdgoyle. If they choose neither, gourdgoyles of various sizes will infrequently attempt to land on their heads anyway.
The following action options are suggested:
  • Purchase Emerton's whistle. Emerton will thank PCs and wish them a happy day if they purchase his whistle, but without his lucky hunting tool he's likely to consider his quest a failure. (Not a complete failure though: he did gain at least 6.95 gold!)
  • Take Emerton's side of the argument. The beorn doesn't know how big the alpha gourdgoyle is. Agree with Emerton to catch any gourdgoyle and he'll join the PCs' party in catching one. This causes Laynci to forfeit her quest.
  • Find Laynci's gourdgoyle slayer. A full party of PCs can reduce this search to about five minutes in the woods. Keep it, and use it as a weapon that kills a gourdgoyle with a single hit, making only a small hole that won't upset the beorn's First Hunter. Return it, and Laynci will join the PCs in hunting only the alpha gourdgoyle.
  • Take Laynci's side of the argument. There is only one proper way to do this, and it must be Laynci's way. Laynci will tag along with the PCs, offering hunting advice as thanks for the argument help, but she will continue to be a snob and insist that when the PCs find the alpha, it must be captured with a "french net" and periodically doused in boiling water to maintain the perfect temperature for taxidermy.
  • Buy the whistle, find the javelin, and request both Emerton and Laynci escort you to hunt a gourdgoyle, whether they can resolve their argument or not.
  • Take neither side. Emerton and Laynci continue to argue until sunset, when they finally decide to admit defeat and go home. PCs hunting for gourdgoyles or continuing to travel will meet d4 gourdgoyles, approximately one per hour. Roll a d4 for each encounter. A 4 result is an alpha encounter, and all results but the first 4 (result) are smaller, common gourdgoyles.

Resolution:
  • Returning a non-alpha gourdgoyle to the First Huntsman requires some persuasion/deception rolls. Successes result in an award of 40 silver. Failure results in the Huntsman declaring the quest a failure.
  • Returning the alpha gourdgoyle to the First Huntsman results in an immediate 50 silver reward and an invitation to the celebration banquet to follow.
  • Return Emerton and Laynci to the lord's keep without a gourdgoyle. If PCs somehow resolve their argument in the course of the day, the PCs gain Emerton and Laynci as friends.
 
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I made it a point not to read any of the other entries, and now I see @Vael and I tread similar terrain. Oh well, I probably should have stuck with my first entry.

Strangely, I have never had to worry about my entries being too similar to someone else's.

Remember- if at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.
 

Okay folks, I've gotten a good night's sleep, a hot breakfast, and a cup of coffee. Now let's take a look at what we've got going here, on the first day of voting.

As of 9:04 a.m. PST:

Leaderboard:
  1. "Smashing Pumpkin Spice" by Snarf Zagyg - 3 votes
  2. "Autumn Bastion Facilities" by Gradine - 3 votes
  3. "Rubiaceae, the Pumpkin Spice Dragon" by CleverNickName - 2 votes
  4. "Arsenal of the Pumpkin King" by Steampunkette - 2 votes
  5. "Pumpkin Patch and Espresso Fueled Pumpkin Head" by Vael - 1 vote
  6. "Pumpkin Spice Latte" by jmarkdr2 - 1 vote

Games Represented:
5E D&D: 4 entries, 7 total votes among them
Daggerheart: 1 entry, 1 vote
Modos 2: 1 entry
Shadowdark: 1 entry
System Neutral: 1 entry
Ten Candles: 1 entry, with 3 total votes

Types of Entries
Adventures: 3 entries, with 3 votes among them
Items: 2 entries, with 3 votes among them
Monsters/NPCs: 3 entries, with 5 votes among them

Votes:
12 votes have been cast by EN World members.
 
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@Gradine : I haven't played the 5E 2024 rules update, so this was my first look at the rules for Bastions. My brain still skips ahead to this image whenever I read the word "Bastion" in a gaming context.
View attachment 418525
We can talk about images all we want, but you know and I know and you know I know and I know you know, that the first thing that pops into your brain when you think of this game is not an image, but a voice :cool:
 



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