Missing Familiar Friends
A local breeder, hedge-witch, or temple caretaker asks the party to investigate why the village cats have vanished overnight.
Campaign Overview
Register to save this campaign forever!
This campaign will be deleted in 6 days. Create a free account to claim all your generated content.
Campaign Overview
In a quiet settlement where cats are treasured guardians against bad luck, the animals have begun disappearing on moonless nights. Soon after, people report pale shapes in the alleys, drained livestock, and strange scratching sounds from sealed crypts. The party is drawn into a mystery that blends superstition, predation, and uncanny feline instincts.
Act I focuses on unraveling the first disappearances, protecting the village, and discovering that the vampire’s influence is tied to the cats themselves. The tone is gothic, eerie, and a little whimsical, with plenty of opportunities for stealth, investigation, and tense rooftop chases.
This free preview covers the opening act only.
Player Handout
Midnight of Whiskers and Blood
Cats are more than pets in your home village—they are ward-keepers, good-luck omens, and quiet companions in the dark. Lately, they’ve been vanishing. At first it was one or two. Then the lanterns began to fail, livestock were found with strange marks, and villagers heard soft purring in empty rooms.
You arrive just as fear spreads and the nights grow longer. Someone—or something—hunts under moonlight. The village begs for help, and the cats seem to know more than they can say.
Tone: Gothic mystery, creeping dread, rooftop chases, eerie charm.
Starting Hook: A worried villager offers payment to find the missing cats before the next new moon.
Free Act I Preview
Midnight of Whiskers and Blood
Act I is a small-town gothic mystery designed to start with missing cats and escalate into a vampire-linked investigation. Keep the pace brisk: each scene should reveal a clue, pressure the village, and push the party toward the old crypt. The central villain is not yet fully exposed at first; the players should think they are dealing with animal theft, then a blood-drinking predator, and finally a magical link between the vampire and the cats. End Act I with the first confrontation or a near miss and a clear lead into Act II.
Adventure Hooks
The Night Market Scratchings
Merchants report stolen food, bloodless chickens, and claw marks on shutters after a silent figure stalks the midnight market.
Act Structure
Act I: The Cats That Watched the Dark
Recommended level: 1-2The party investigates missing cats, nighttime attacks, and eerie signs of undead activity. The mystery begins with local superstition and ends with a crypt, where the vampire's influence is revealed through animal-linked wards and a hidden passage.
Objectives
- Learn why cats are disappearing
- Protect villagers from nighttime attacks
- Trace the threat to the cemetery crypt
- Rescue at least one group of missing cats
- Confront or expose Lord Varkos Nhal
Cats Gone Missing
At dawn, the village looks normal except for one detail: no cats sit on the walls, no cats watch the stalls, and every doorstep seems to have been scrubbed free of paw prints.
Open with rumors, missing animals, and a clear request for help. Let the party gather information and choose between social, investigative, or stealth approaches.
Checks
- DC 10 Wisdom (Insight): notice villagers are hiding fear about the cemetery
- DC 12 Wisdom (Animal Handling): calm a panicked cat that flees from a particular alley
- DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation): find bloodless feathers and claw marks leading toward the old district
Clues
- The cats avoid one specific street.
- Someone has been buying lamp oil, black candles, and grave soil.
- A well-dressed stranger was seen only after sunset.
Transitions
- Leads to rooftop pursuit through the old district
- Leads to questioning the caretaker at the chapel
- Leads to the first nighttime encounter
Moonlit Pursuit
A crash of tiles breaks the silence, and a pale shape moves from roof to roof with impossible grace, pausing only long enough for you to hear a cat hiss in the dark.
Run this as a fast chase or a short combat. The point is to show the enemy is organized and animal-aware, not random bandits.
Checks
- DC 11 Dexterity (Acrobatics): cross gaps safely
- DC 12 Wisdom (Perception): spot a hidden route to the cemetery wall
- DC 13 Charisma (Persuasion) or Wisdom (Animal Handling): get frightened cats to guide the party instead of flee
Clues
- The attackers are searching for cats, not valuables.
- A cemetery token or key fragment is dropped during the chase.
- One rooftop route leads directly to an old crypt entrance.
Transitions
- Leads to the chapel rescue scene
- Leads to the crypt threshold encounter
- Leads to discovering the villain’s lair
The Crypt Below
The old seal cracks with a sound like a sigh, and something inside the darkness seems to recognize the living before the living can see it.
This is the climax of Act I. The party should learn the villain's name or title, rescue surviving cats, and survive the first serious undead resistance.
Checks
- DC 13 Intelligence (Religion): identify the seal as a ward against a vampire or similar undead
- DC 12 Wisdom (Survival): follow cat tracks through the cemetery
- DC 14 Strength (Athletics): force open a jammed crypt gate
Clues
- The cats have been used to locate holy wards.
- The villain is hiding beneath the cemetery, not in the village proper.
- The crypt contains evidence of a larger ritual or future attack.
Transitions
- Ends Act I with the villain revealed or driven off
- Sets up pursuit into deeper tunnels in later acts
- Awards the party a key item and milestone advance
Milestone: The party reaches level 2 after discovering the crypt and surviving the first confrontation with the vampire's influence.
Villain Character Sheets
Lord Varkos Nhal
Completed
Lord Varkos Nhal is the kind of villain who does not arrive in a roar of thunder. He arrives in a courteous knock, a measured compliment, a…
Premium Campaign Feature
Free campaign generations include one villain sheet. Additional villain, NPC, and player-facing module character sheets are available in premium campaigns.
Subscribe NowMonsters & Enemies
Premium Campaign Feature
Free campaign encounters use official monsters only and do not include generated monster sheets. Subscribe to create custom campaign monsters and enemy stat blocks.
Subscribe NowVillain Plans
Lord Varkos Nhal Character Sheet
Motivation
Lord Varkos Nhal is a refined vampire who feeds on fear as much as blood. He has learned that the village cats can sense ward-lines, hidden passages, and holy protections, so he steals them to map the settlement and weaken its defenses before a larger rise in power.
Personality
Soft-spoken, courteous, and unnervingly patient. He never raises his voice, always compliments the party, and treats violence like an unavoidable inconvenience.
Resources
- A hidden crypt lair beneath the cemetery
- A handful of obedient undead and hired scavengers
- Charm, disguise, and influence over frightened townsfolk
- Cats used as unwilling scouts and magical indicators
Battle Plan
He avoids direct battle in Act I, preferring to appear briefly, test the party, and withdraw into darkness or mist. If cornered, he uses charm, mobility, and minions to separate targets before retreating to his lair.
Defeat or Redemption
He can be driven off, temporarily sealed away, or exposed publicly in Act I. Redemption is unlikely but possible if the party discovers he is bound by an older curse tied to the village crypt.
Running Notes
Recommended party: 3-5 characters
Session Zero
Discuss gothic horror, animal harm boundaries, and how strongly the table wants to engage with creepy themes involving cats in peril. Use lines and veils for blood-drinking, graveyards, and animal endangerment. Confirm whether the group wants the cats to be threatened, rescued, or mostly offscreen. Encourage heroic tone despite the horror.
Scaling Guidance
For a weaker party, remove one enemy from each encounter and replace the ghoul with a skeleton. For a stronger party, add one skeleton or one swarm of rats, and let the villain escape with a magical mist rather than being cornered. Keep the focus on clues and tension, not attrition.
DM Advice
Keep cats useful, not just decorative: let them point, flee, hiss, or lead. Make every scene reveal one concrete clue. The vampire should feel elegant and dangerous, but Act I works best if he appears briefly and escapes before a full fight. Reward animal handling and creative noncombat solutions.
Secrets & Clues
- Cats can sense hidden undead wards and reveal safe paths through the village.
- The vampire is using servants and scavengers to avoid direct exposure.
- The cemetery crypt is built over older tunnels that connect to several homes and abandoned shrines.
Unlock Detailed Campaign Locations!
Discover intricate areas, locations, and points of interest that will bring your D&D world to life. Premium users get access to fully detailed locations including taverns, dungeons, cities, and more!
Level Up to Premium!Join the ranks of Dungeon Masters creating unforgettable adventures!
Enhance Your Story with Rich NPCs!
Get access to detailed NPCs, faction relationships, and character backgrounds that will make your campaign truly memorable!
Unlock Premium Features!Create compelling characters and factions that your players will never forget!
Craft Epic Quest Lines!
Unlock detailed quest structures, branching storylines, and meaningful rewards that will keep your players engaged for months!
Start Your Epic Journey!Join DMs creating unforgettable adventures with our premium quest system!
Encounters
Roofline Ambush
Encounter Builder
Moderate
Suggested Level: 1-2
The party is stalked across slick rooftops by spawn or servants while the cats’ agitated cries echo from nearby chimneys and gutters.
Creatures
Terrain Features
- Slippery tile roofs
- Chimneys for half cover
- Narrow gaps between buildings
- Rain-slick ledges that risk falling
Treasure
A silver locket holding a cat hair ribbon and a bloodstained note naming the cemetery.
DM Notes
Use goblins as hired henchmen or desperate cult scavengers. Reduce one creature if the party is very small.
Crypt Threshold Fight
Encounter Builder
High
Suggested Level: 1-2
At the cemetery entrance, undead guardians rise as the party disturbs the old seal protecting a buried passage beneath the stones.
Creatures
Terrain Features
- Broken headstones
- Half-buried crypt stairs
- Narrow choke points
- Ancient iron gate that can be barred or shattered
Treasure
A funerary charm worth 25 gp and a clue etched into the crypt seal.
DM Notes
This is the hardest fight in Act I. Replace the ghoul with a skeleton if needed, or add one skeleton if the group is strong.
Moonlit Cat Rescue
Suggested Level: 1-2
The party finds the missing cats inside a ruined chapel where the vampire’s magic has left them skittish, watchful, and strangely protective of one corner crypt.
Creatures
Terrain Features
- Cracked stained-glass windows
- Rotted pews
- Hanging chains and collapsed rafters
- Small altar nook offering concealment
Treasure
One rescued cat carries a tiny key tied to its collar, opening a locked crypt compartment.
DM Notes
This encounter should feel more like a tense rescue than a brawl. Allow animal handling, stealth, or magic to resolve parts of it.
Magic Items
Collar of the Night Sentinel
Completed
Collar of the Night Sentinel
Uncommon
A silver cat collar that lets the wearer understand simple feline intent and grants advantage on checks made to calm or direct cats in the village's haunted streets.
Location
Act I, recovered from the ruined chapel or a rescued cat's collar
Attunement
False
Lantern of Faint Purrs
Completed
Lantern of Faint Purrs
Uncommon
This hooded lantern burns with pale blue light. While lit, it reveals invisible tracks left by cats, rats, and undead that have crossed the area within the last hour.
Location
Act I, found in the cemetery caretaker’s shed or the crypt threshold
Attunement
False
Thornward Medallion
Completed
Thornward Medallion
Rare
An iron-and-silver charm shaped like a curled cat. While attuned, you gain advantage on saving throws against being frightened by undead or nocturnal beasts.
Location
Act I, hidden behind the crypt seal or awarded after rescuing the missing cats
Attunement
True; requires attunement by a creature that has spent a long rest protecting a cat or caring for animals.
Player Characters
You need to register to create and view player characters in this campaign.
Register Now