The adventure ahead
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A small fishing town plagued by disappearances, fog, and monsters. The party investigates the cult-like monks and the cave.
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You are traveling to the remote fishing town of Fogmoor when a thick fog rolls in. You hear a single bell toll, then silence. The town is quiet, its people fearful. They whisper of disappearances and things in the water. The church monks watch you with cold eyes. You must find out what is happening and stop the spreading evil.
Behind the screen
Act I of a campaign. The party arrives in Fogmoor, investigates the town, church, docks, and cave, uncovering a cult led by Father Malachar, who is sacrificing townsfolk to a deep-sea entity. They confront him in the cave, but he is merely a pawn; clues point to a greater evil.
Hook 01
Elin Marsh approaches the party in the foggy town square, begging them to find her missing husband. She whispers that the monks know more than they say, and that people vanish near the docks and the woods. This personal plea draws the party into investigating Fogmoor's terror.
Hook 02
As the party travels the coast, a single bell tolls from Fogmoor's church tower, and the fog thickens unnaturally. A terrified fisherman on the road begs them to turn back, but the bell tolls again—and he collapses, whispering of the Sunken Maw. The party is compelled to investigate.
The party arrives in Fogmoor and uncovers a cult sacrificing townsfolk to a deep-sea entity. They investigate the town, church, docks, and cave, and confront Father Malachar.
Read aloud
The fog parts to reveal a huddle of wooden houses. A bell tolls once, twice, then stops. The few people on the street hurry past, eyes down. A woman in a faded shawl approaches you, her voice a whisper: 'Please, you have to help us. They keep taking people.'
Elin explains her husband vanished. She points to the church and the docks. The party can ask around. The townsfolk are terrified of the monks. Captain Rorik can be found at the guard post, and Old Tomas at the inn.
Read aloud
The church is cold and smells of salt and incense. Monks in grey robes kneel in silent prayer. One of them, an old man with hollow eyes, glances at you and quickly looks away.
The party can talk to Aldric, who is terrified. He hints at the crypt. Sister Vaela watches. If the party is too obvious, Vaela will confront them. The crypt contains prisoners and a ledger.
Read aloud
The fog is thick here. The water laps against the pilings. A young girl crouches behind a barrel, eyes wide. 'They come at night,' she whispers. 'The things in the water. They take people.'
Mira describes a giant shape in the water. She can show where a body was dumped. The party might fight a Giant Octopus or Specter. The sunken boat can be searched.
Read aloud
The cave opens into a vast chamber. A black pool of water fills the center. Monks chant in a circle around a bound figure. At the far end, a tall man in grey robes holds a silver bell. He turns, and his eyes are like drowned stars. 'You are too late,' he says. 'The Drowned God rises.'
Father Malachar is the villain. He will fight with spells and summon shadows. The party can rescue the prisoner (Jack). After defeating Malachar, they find a tome hinting at a greater evil. Captain Rorik may have accompanied the party or given them the mission earlier.
Milestone: The party reaches level 3 after confronting Malachar and discovering the larger threat.
Father Malachar, the Bell-Tower Whisperer
Father Malachar is a tall, gaunt man in his late fifties, draped in layered grey monk robes trimmed with faded sea-blue, the hems stiff wit…
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Subscribe NowHe believes he is saving the town by appeasing a deep-sea entity called the Drowned God, but he is actually being manipulated by a greater evil.
Calm, soft-spoken, fanatical. He never raises his voice, even when threatening.
Malachar begins by ringing the silver bell to disorient the party, then casts spells from a distance while his monks and summoned shadows engage in melee. If reduced to half hit points, he retreats toward the black pool to perform a desperate ritual.
He can be killed, or if shown the truth of his manipulation, he may repent and help the party against the greater threat.
Recommended party: 4-5 characters
Before play, discuss boundaries around horror themes: drowning, sacrifice, mind control, and body horror. Establish that the fog and the cult create a tense, fearful atmosphere, but player characters are heroes who can make a difference. Use a safety tool like the X-card. Confirm the party wants a mystery-driven game with investigation, combat, and moral choices. Create characters with ties to the coast or a reason to care about Fogmoor.
Adjust encounters by party size and level. For a party of three, remove one Shadow from each encounter and reduce Malachar's hit points by 25%. For a party of six, add one Shadow to the docks and church encounters, and add one Wraith to the cave encounter. If the party is level 1, treat the church encounter as High difficulty and encourage stealth or retreat. If the party is level 3 before the cave, keep the cave as written but allow Malachar to summon two Shadows instead of one when bloodied.
Keep the fog ever-present: describe muffled sounds, cold damp, and the bell tolling at odd times. Let the party choose their investigation order. Use Elin, Mira, and Old Tomas to deliver clues if they stall. Malachar should be calm and soft-spoken, never a ranting villain. Foreshadow the Drowned King in every scene—whispers in the water, dreams of a drowned crown, and the tome's final page. End Act I with the fog lifting but a distant bell tolling under the sea.
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Father Malachar, the Bell-Tower Whisperer
Father Malachar is a tall, gaunt man in his late fifties, draped in layered grey monk robes trimmed with faded sea-blue, the hems stiff wit…
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 NowHe believes he is saving the town by appeasing a deep-sea entity called the Drowned God, but he is actually being manipulated by a greater evil.
Calm, soft-spoken, fanatical. He never raises his voice, even when threatening.
Malachar begins by ringing the silver bell to disorient the party, then casts spells from a distance while his monks and summoned shadows engage in melee. If reduced to half hit points, he retreats toward the black pool to perform a desperate ritual.
He can be killed, or if shown the truth of his manipulation, he may repent and help the party against the greater threat.
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The pier is slick and rotting; a DC 10 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check is needed to run without slipping. The water is dark and cold. Barrels and crates provide half cover. The sunken boat can be searched after the fight.
In the sunken boat: a waterlogged chest containing a ritual dagger (worth 25 gp), a note reading 'The Maw hungers. Bring more to the deep,' and 15 gp in wet coins.
For a weaker party, remove one Shadow. For a stronger party, add one Specter or a second Giant Octopus.
Suggested Level: 2
The crypt is cramped, with stone pillars providing cover. A ritual circle on the floor glows faintly. The bound prisoner is Jack, who can be freed. A locked chest sits in the corner.
The chest contains a ledger listing names of the taken, a map marking the Sunken Maw, and 30 gp in mixed coins. Jack carries a silver locket that matches Elin's description.
For a weaker party, replace the Specter with one Shadow. For a stronger party, add one Wraith or a second Specter.
Suggested Level: 3
The chamber is large, with stalagmites for cover. The black pool is deep and cold; falling in requires a DC 13 Strength (Athletics) check to escape. The silver bell hangs from a stalactite and can be grabbed with a DC 15 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check.
Malachar carries a tome titled 'The Drowned King's Call' (worth 50 gp, contains clues about the greater evil), the silver bell (magic item), and a key to the church crypt. The bound prisoner is Jack, who can be rescued.
For a weaker party, remove two Shadows and reduce Malachar's hit points by 25%. For a stronger party, add one Wraith and have Malachar summon two Shadows instead of one.
The Silver Bell of the Drowned Choir
Completed
Act I, in the Sunken Maw cave, held by Father Malachar or hanging from a stalactite.
True — by a cleric or paladin
Ritual Dagger of the Deep
Completed
Act I, in the sunken chest at the Rotting Docks or on Sister Vaela's body in the church crypt.
False
Locket of the Lost
Completed
Act I, given by Elin Marsh after the party agrees to help, or found on Jack in the cave.
True — by any character
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