The Collector’s notes point the party to the Greenwood Cemetery where they can find their next target: a vengeful Ghost.
The Ghost is the spirit of a deceased 18 year old named Ferdinand. Ferdinand was murdered in the cemetery after being lured there by a man (the Collector) who had just murdered Ferdinand’s mother, Franthia, that very same evening.
The party has been hired to capture the Vengeful Ghost (Ferdinand), must avoid the acidic fog and grappling vines, and fend off the Swarms of Snakes that continually appear while Ferdinand’s ghost remains in the cemetery.
Maps
Primary Objectives
- Travel to the Spooky Cemetery
- (Optional) Fend off the Swarms of Snakes that appear continuously while Ferdinand’s ghost remains in the cemetery.
- (Optional) Destroy the pumpkin-headed scarecrow to stop the vines from grappling.
- (Optional) Pray or pay respects to the Great Owl Idol statue to receive secret benefits.
- Capture the Ghost of Ferdinand inside a Pyramidion Stone.
DM Only: Don’t refer to the ghost as Ferdinand unless the party has already discovered his identity. Ferdinand’s ghost is bound to the cemetery and cannot willingly leave unless his bones bones are removed or he is captured in a Pyramidion Stone.
Reuniting Family: If the party reunites Franthia and Ferdinand here, Franthia is pleased to see her son but maddenend by his death. She cannot rest until Ferdinand also safely rests. Ferdinand will attack the party if he sees them release Franthia’s spirit from a Pyramidion Stone. If Furball is present, he follows Franthia’s lead.
Patchy, Acidic Fog
The cemetery includes 4 to 5 areas of patchy fog that create a lightly obscured area. All creatures have disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks when looking into or through an area of patchy fog. See map for fog locations.
Acid Damage: Any time a creature other than Ferdinand enters an area of patchy fog, or starts their turn inside one, they must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or take 1d6 acid damage.
Swarms of Snakes
Swarm of Poisonous Snakes: A swarm of snakes emerge from a random grave every 3-8 rounds, beginning immediately after anyone in the party moves into the cemetery.
The first Swarm of Poisonous Snakes may cause surprise and take a turn immediately: Roll a Dexterity (Stealth) check for the snakes (+4). Any PC with a passive Wisdom (Perception) score equal to or lower than the roll will be surprised. If the swarm is in dim light, any PC without dark vision gets -5 to their passive Wisdom (Perception) score. Roll for the swarm’s initiative to be used in subsequent rounds.
For every emerging swarm after the first, the swarm appears at the start of the combat round without surprise. The DM may choose how often swarms appear. Roll for the swarm’s initiative as soon as they appear.
Love of Snakes: If any PC protects or otherwise acts positively towards any swarm of snakes, Ferdinand’s ghost is heard mumbling the word “friend”, and he no longer will attack that PC as long as they don’t attack him or a swarm of snakes.
Pumpkin Vines & Scarecrow
Pumpkin Vines: Anytime a PC walks within 5 feet of a vine anywhere in the cemetery, they must succeed on a DC 15 Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) saving throw. On fail, the PC is Restrained by the vine. On subsequent turns after being restrained, the PC can spend an action to escape with a DC 15 Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check, or the vine can be destroyed as noted below.
Vines have an AC of 8 and 33 HP.
Pumpkin Head Scarecrow: The pumpkin-headed scarecrow at the west end of the cemetery is the “life force” of the vines. If the scarecrow is destroyed, the vines throughout the cemetery no longer attack.
The pumpkin-headed scarecrow has AC 6 and 66 HP.
The Great Owl Idol
If any PC sits on the bench in front of the Great Owl Idol, or says a prayer to it, compliments it, or otherwise pays homage, that PC feels a dark surge of energy through their body. It doesn’t feel painful or immeniently dangerous, but it feels like a shadow has passed through their body.
DM Only: The idol grants a worshipper one of the following buffs while inside the cemetery. Once That PC leaves the grounds, the effect ends.
- Flyby: doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks.
- Keen Hearing and Sight: advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks.
The PC doesn’t know exactly what buff they receive. Consider telling the PC of their buff privately and forbid them from telling other players. When they encounter a situation where the buff applies, play out the scenario as if the PC doesn’t know why the buff effecy occurred.
Franthia’s Grave
Protecting Family: If any PC attempts to dig, deface, or otherwise interact with Franthia’s grave, beyond just reading the gravestone, the Ghost of Ferdinand becomes enraged and gains advantage on all hit rolls, ability checks, and saving throws for 3 turns.
Ferdinand, The Vengeful Ghost
See the NPC Backgrounds in the adventure resources chapter for details about Ferdinand.
Ferdinand will appear once a character finds and interacts with the grave of Ferdinand or Franthia, or if any PC interacts with the blood stain on the southeast sarcophagus. Interactions include digging, defacing, praying, calling out, investigating, etc.
Ferdinand loves snakes.
Ferdinand was returning to Greenwood Village to visit his mother Franthia after several years away, having last received a letter from his mother one month before he began his journey home. Before Ferdinand reached the Wood Spike saloon where his mother worked, the Collector intercepted him under the guise of a friend, and convinced him his mother had passed away. The Collector offered to bring Ferdinand to the cemetery to visit his mother’s grave (which did not exist yet). That is where the Collector killed Ferdinand, by slashing his throat. The Collector admitted to murdering his mother after he delivered the soon-to-be fatal blow to Ferdinand.
Ferdinand died knowing his mother had been murdered and wanted nothing more than to avenge his mother’s death as he took his last breath. He is unable to leave the cemetery grounds unless he is trapped in a Pyramidion Stone or his corpse is buried in the cemetery next to his mother.
Ferdinand’s spirit will not rest until he can get revenge on the man who murdered him and his mother. He is bound to the cemetery and cannot leave of his own volition. If he is absorbed into the Pyramidion Stone before getting his revenge, he shouts as he’s being trapped:
Noooo! I must avenge my death, and the death of my mother! Please! Aaaaaagghhh!
Map: Spooky Cemetery
Approaching/Entering the Cemetery
When the party first enters this map area, present the following read aloud.
As you approach the cemetery, you can see a 12 foot iron fence along all sides. A faint smell of vinegar hangs in the air, and you see several areas of patchy fog throughout the cemetery. An open gate lies on the east side of the cemetery grounds.
Within the confines of the cemetery gates, a bumpy brick pathway cuts through the center of the area from east to west.
On the north side of pathway lies two rows of graves with rough hewn gravestones, 12 in total, and a granite sarcophagus lies in the northeast corner near one of the dead, leafless trees.
Off to the southwest of the cemetery, you see a large stone statue of an owl encircled with a stone and iron fence. The area inside the fence is paved with bricks. A small wooden bench lies just east of the fenced owl statue.
In the southeast corner of the cemetery lies another granite sarcophagus, a pair of gravestones and a pumpkin plant with long vines reaching out across the ground. You notice similar vines throughout the cemetery, some woven through the tombstones to the north, others surrounding the wooden bench in front of the owl statue.
At the west end of the brick pathway, you see what appears to be a scarecrow with a pumpkin for a head.
Use the info in this chapter to run the scene. Consider having the PCs roll for initiative so precise movements and actions are used.
Observing & Investigating the Cemetery
Perception or Investigation Roll Rewards: Use the following details as reward for successful ability checks.
Anywhere in the Cemetery
- Moving Vines: As you look around the area, you think for a moment that one of the pumpkin vines moved. The air is completely still within the cemeteray gates, so you’re certain it was not the wind that moved that vine.
- Putrid Fog: The smell of vinegar in the air seems to be stronger near the patches of fog.
- Cobwebs: The many webs around the cemetery appear coated in dust. You don’t see any spiders, althoug the cemetery has many dark corners for creatures to hide in.
Northwest Area
- Use an item from “Anywhere in the Cemetery” above.
Northeast Area
- Fresh Grave: One of the graves in the northeast section of the cemetery appears to be freshly dug. Bones can be seen amidst the freshly turned soil, and a broken shovel lies on the ground nearby. It appears as though the grave diggers may have been interupted while they worked, and left the area in a hurry.
Southeast Area
- Fresh Bloodstain: The bloodstain on top of the sarcophagus in the southeast corner appears to be somewhat recent. Based on the pattern of the blood spatter, it looks as though a creature had been slashed across a major artery with a sharp object.
- Large Bony Hand:
Southwest Area
- Owl’s Gaze: The owl statue appears to be gazing down upon the wooden bench in front of it.
- Owl’s Presence: The expression on the face of the owl, if there is one, gives the appearance of confidence and compassion in spite of its ominious, piercing gaze. The wings of the owl appear strong, yet graceful.
Conclusion
Once the party successfully captures the Ghost, they can move on to the next phase of the quest.
Appendix: Gravestone Reference
This lists all the gravestone markings throughout the cemetery. The numbered graves begin at the top left of the map (northwest) and proceed clockwise.
North Graves
Graves are numbered starting from the left side of the northern most row heading east, then down to row below it starting back on the left. The sarcophagus in the northeast corner is #13.
01 02 03 04 05 06 13 07 08 09 10 11 12 13
| Grave No. | Occupant |
|---|---|
| 01 | Cornelius Corvander |
| 02 | Zeke of the Street |
| 03 | Cardwell |
| 04 | Grondo Hogan |
| 05 | Blithe Shanty |
| 06 | Umvar Igstein |
| 07 | Beorn |
| 08 | (no name) |
| 09 | Cherie Sandor |
| 10 | William Holmes |
| 11 | Oggvath Bildranovich |
| 12 | Franthia Warmflanks |
| 13 | (sarcophagus) Ignasios Pendleton |
South Graves
Graves are numbered left to right, starting from the southern sarcophagus.
01 02 03 01
| Grave No. | Occupant |
|---|---|
| 01 | (sarcophagus) Henry Haggleboar |
| 02 | Judith Snow |
| 03 | Maxwell Bigbuldge |