The adventure ahead
The world has been overrun by dinosaurs. You wake in a cave with no memory of how you got there. A survivor tells you that the only way to save the world is to reach the dimension of Partoon and destroy Gambro's dinosaur figurine. But first, you must choose your path: the ruined city of Grambella or the magical forest witch. Your choices will shape the fate of the world.
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You wake in a cold, damp cave. The air smells of ash and blood. A stranger named Theron tells you that the world outside is destroyed, overrun by dinosaurs. He speaks of a dimension called Partoon and a villain named Gambro who controls the beasts with a figurine. To save the world, you must destroy it. As you step out of the cave, you see two paths: one leads to the ruined city of Grambella, the other to a magical forest witch. Which will you choose?
Behind the screen
Act I of The Partoon Figurine. The party wakes in a cave, learns of the dinosaur apocalypse, and must find a way to Partoon. They travel through the Verdant Ruins, visiting a crossroads, the ruined city of Grambella, and the witch's glade. They face Gambro, a lieutenant of the greater evil, who wields a dinosaur figurine. The act ends with the party entering Partoon. Key themes: survival, choice, and the first hints of a larger conspiracy.
Hook 01
Theron the Survivor finds the party in the Awakening Cave and begs them to carry word of the apocalypse to the last free settlements. He offers the only lead he has: a dimension called Partoon and the carved figurine that commands the beasts.
Hook 02
The party wakes with no memory of the last month, only ash on their boots and a shared dream of a glowing figurine. Whatever brought them to the cave also bound them to the task of destroying it before the dinosaurs finish what they started.
The party wakes in a cave, learns of the dinosaur apocalypse, and must find a way to Partoon. They travel through the Verdant Ruins, choosing between the city of Grambella and the witch's glade. They face Gambro's minions and learn of his figurine. The act ends with the party entering Partoon.
Read aloud
You wake to the sound of dripping water. A gaunt man kneels by a small fire, his eyes wide with fear. 'You're awake,' he whispers. 'The world is gone. Dinosaurs rule everything. But there is hope. We must reach Partoon and destroy Gambro's figurine.'
Theron explains the apocalypse and the mission. He is desperate and will answer questions. He knows about Partoon and Gambro but not how to get there. He suggests seeking the witch or the city.
Read aloud
The signpost creaks in the wind. East lies Grambella, a city of ruins. West lies the witch's glade, a place of magic. Theron says, 'The city may have answers, but the witch has power. Choose wisely.'
Theron advises going to Grambella first, as it is closer and may have resources. He will accompany the party if they wish, but his home is the cave. If they go to the witch first, adjust the story accordingly.
Read aloud
A grizzled guard points a spear at you. 'State your business,' he growls. Behind him, the city lies in ruins, but there is life here yet.
Captain Varro questions the party. If they mention Partoon or the witch, he becomes interested. He will let them in if they help with a problem (e.g., a dinosaur attack).
Read aloud
The witch's hut creaks as it turns to face you. Mira steps out, her green eyes piercing. 'You seek Partoon,' she says. 'Many have tried. Few have returned. What makes you worthy?'
Mira tests the party with a riddle or a task. If they succeed, she opens the portal. She warns them of Gambro's power.
Milestone: The party reaches level 3 when they enter Partoon.
Gambro, the Figurine Keeper
Gambro is a gaunt young man in his early twenties, all sharp elbows and wild energy, wrapped in crude robes stitched from dinosaur hide and…
Free campaign generations include one villain sheet. Additional villain, NPC, and player-facing module character sheets are available in premium campaigns.
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Subscribe NowGambro wants to reshape the world into a prehistoric paradise, serving a master who gave him the dinosaur figurine. He believes dinosaurs are the rightful rulers.
Cruel, childish, obsessed with dinosaurs. He speaks to his figurine as if it were alive and throws tantrums when thwarted.
Gambro uses the figurine to summon dinosaurs to fight for him. He stays at range, using spells and the figurine's power. If cornered, he becomes desperate and reckless.
Gambro can be defeated and the figurine destroyed, breaking his control over the dinosaurs. He might be redeemed if shown that his master is using him, but he is likely to flee to warn his master.
Recommended party: 4-5 characters
Before play, agree on tone: this is a survival adventure with apocalyptic imagery, dead settlements, and children in danger. Use the safety tools your table prefers, such as lines and veils, the X-card, or an open-door policy, and name them out loud. Confirm that dinosaur horror, mass destruction, and cult sacrifice are acceptable, and offer to soften the chapel scene if needed. Build characters together and explain that the party begins with a shared gap in memory; let each player decide one false memory their character clings to. Establish that the party already trusts one another enough to travel together, and that fleeing a fight is always a valid choice.
Act I is built for four to five characters of levels 1-3. For a party of three, drop one Velociraptor from the Crossroads ambush, use three Cultists in the chapel, and remove the Pteranodon from the glade fight. For a party of six, add one Velociraptor to each dinosaur group, add two Cultists in Grambella, and let Gambro fight until 25 percent hit points before fleeing. If the party skips Grambella and goes straight to Mira, run the chapel encounter as a roadside ambush on the way back and keep the glade fight as the act finale. Never let Gambro die in Act I; he is the hook for the greater villain, so have him escape through a rift whenever the fight turns against him.
Keep Act I tight and propulsive: the cave teaches the mission, the crossroads forces a choice, and the city or the glade delivers the route to Partoon. Play Theron as frightened but useful, and let his evasions about his past surface naturally rather than through exposition. Use the bone charms, the wax-sealed letter, and the coded map fragment to drip-feed the greater villain without naming it. Dinosaurs should feel like weapons, not wildlife: they flank, they withdraw, and they answer to the figurine. End the act on the portal's light and the first glimpse of Partoon, with Gambro's master still unseen.
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Gambro, the Figurine Keeper
Gambro is a gaunt young man in his early twenties, all sharp elbows and wild energy, wrapped in crude robes stitched from dinosaur hide and…
Free campaign generations include one villain sheet. Additional villain, NPC, and player-facing module character sheets are available in premium campaigns.
Subscribe NowFree campaign encounters use official monster sheets, plus the campaign villain character when referenced. They do not include generated custom monster sheets. Subscribe to create custom campaign monsters and enemy stat blocks.
Subscribe NowGambro wants to reshape the world into a prehistoric paradise, serving a master who gave him the dinosaur figurine. He believes dinosaurs are the rightful rulers.
Cruel, childish, obsessed with dinosaurs. He speaks to his figurine as if it were alive and throws tantrums when thwarted.
Gambro uses the figurine to summon dinosaurs to fight for him. He stays at range, using spells and the figurine's power. If cornered, he becomes desperate and reckless.
Gambro can be defeated and the figurine destroyed, breaking his control over the dinosaurs. He might be redeemed if shown that his master is using him, but he is likely to flee to warn his master.
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Fallen pews give half cover, the altar is difficult terrain, and a cracked stained-glass window can be shattered for a distraction. The chained deinonychus has 10 feet of slack until someone breaks the chain (AC 15, 10 hp).
A locked strongbox (DC 13 Thieves' Tools) holds 75 gp, a Potion of Healing, and a wax-sealed letter naming the Keeper and the dimension of Partoon.
For a stronger party, add 2 Cultist or free the deinonychus at the start. For a weaker party, use 3 Cultist and have the deinonychus break free only on round three.
Suggested Level: 3
Glowing mushrooms provide dim light, Mira's hut on chicken legs can be circled for cover, and the cauldron is a hazard (DC 12 Dexterity save or 1d6 fire damage). The portal frame is fragile; a stray area effect may destabilize it.
Gambro drops a cracked figurine shard, a Potion of Invisibility, and a coded map fragment pointing to Partoon. Mira grants the party her Portal Compass if the portal survives.
For a stronger party, add 1 Velociraptor and let Gambro stay until 25 percent hit points. For a weaker party, remove the pteranodon and have Gambro flee at half hit points.
Suggested Level: 1-2
Open clearing with a wooden signpost (half cover), knee-high ferns (lightly obscured), and a fallen log that can be climbed. A shallow ditch on the east side counts as difficult terrain.
A buried cache under the signpost (DC 15 Perception) holds 2 Potions of Healing and 50 gp in old coin. One raptor wears a crude bone charm marked with a figurine sigil.
For a stronger party, add 1 Velociraptor or upgrade one to a Deinonychus. For a weaker party, use 2 Velociraptor and let the third flee at half hit points.
Theron's Memory Shard
Completed
Found in the Awakening Cave (loc-awakening-cave) during Act I.
True — by a spellcaster
Figurine Shard
Completed
Dropped by Gambro in the Witch's Glade (loc-witch-glade) during Act I.
False
Mira's Portal Compass
Completed
Given by Mira in the Witch's Glade (loc-witch-glade) at the end of Act I.
True — by a creature who can cast a spell
