Beneath the Floorboards an Adventure for 5th Edition Dungeons and Dragons by Brian Reeves Beneath the Floorboards is a simple introductory adventure for a party of 4 - 6 characters of 1st level, though it could serve for higher levels with modification. This scenario can take place in any moderately-sized town or city. The only requirement is that there is a river close to the home of Yannock Tippleton. In the Forgotten Realms, Saltmarsh is an ideal candidate. The contents of this adventure are a fan creation and not associated with Wizards of the Coast, or Hasbro, Inc. Copyright 2014 by Brian Reeves.

Background For city dwellers, rats are a source of constant trouble. They get into food stores, spread disease, and some of the larger species have been known to be quite dangerous. But some rumors tell of rats that are more than just rats – they are more intelligent than their common brethren, capable of executing clever plans, and can even talk in common with tiny, hushed voices. Most consider these rumors too ridiculous to entertain, but the truth is even more strange. These rats are intelligent, yes, but their wits and reasoning powers wax and wane with the moon itself. During the new moon, they are no more canny than common rats. But as the moon grows full their intellect returns, until during the nights of the full moon they are smarter than many humans. In one city, a group of these special rodents – “moon rats” – has found a way to potentially halt the cycle and remain eternally at their peak: an enchanted amulet crafted from a small piece of the moon. It radiates a magic that affects the moon rats in the same manner as the full moon, but the magic is unending. With this amulet in their possession, they will be free from the curse that hinders them. Led by Campion, the largest and most clever of them all, they have isolated the amulet in a hidden vault beneath a bookseller's home. The bookseller's name is Yannock Tippleton. He is the curator of a self-made library that has spilled over from a simple private collection to take over much of his home. A few years ago he moved his collection to a new home and supplements his income by concocting herbal remedies for people in the neighborhood. What few know is that Yannock once tried his hand at adventuring, only to find

the danger and hardship of that lifestyle didn't suit him. His most valuable treasure was a sacred moon mote he discovered on the body of a slain Selunite elf. Tradition and honor demanded that he return it, but he stole away with it and since then has kept it in a secret vault, along with a few meager trophies from his adventuring days. Under Campion’s direction, the rats have slowly weakened the foundation under the house by digging a shaft from the river, then flooding the network of tunnels they’ve built under Yannock’s house. Evidence of this can be heard by the creaks and pops of the house, and by the cracks in the basement floor and walls. Since they cannot gnaw their way through the door or walls to reach the moon mote, they hope to reach it by collapsing the floor. However, the stream they’ve created under the house threatens to drown the moon rats out of their own lair if left to flow all the time, so over the last few full moons they’ve devised an ingenious dam mechanism at the river inflow site that uses a system of counterweights to raise a metal plate, which will release water into the tunnel. They attempt this only at night, when their full intellect is available to them and Yannock is asleep. They need only a couple more days before their plan will come to fruition. NOTE: During the events of this adventure, the moon can be either waxing or waning, but should be a crescent. This affects the abilities of the moon rats and will motivate them to stay close to the site of the adventure.

Getting Started There are any number of reasons the characters might be in the city – selling their haul from their latest adventure, repairing equipment, passing through on their way elsewhere, etc. The way they hear of Yannock's plight depends on their circumstances. One of them could be related to Yannock or know of him already. A wizard might have purchased a book from him. They might hear of him second-hand, or be hired by him directly on the street. The introduction below assumes the characters have already agreed to meet him and investigate. Under the Floorboards 1

Read the following: Before you is a looming, second-story house which must at one time have been quite grand. The years have not been kind, though, and the woodwork is sagging, some windows are broken, and weeds grow around the base of the house. A sign swinging over the front door reads, “Saltmarsh Book Sales and Repository, Yannock Tippleton, proprietor.” The door opens to reveal an unattractive, bent man in his middle ages. It’s clear he doesn’t waste much time on maintaining his appearance, because his hair is oily and in disarray and his clothes are rumpled. When he realizes you aren't bookbuyers, but have come to investigate his haunting, he invites you in, leading you to a parlor crowded with books. “It all started about five months ago. I awoke in the middle of the night to hear what sounded like little child’s footsteps running quietly through the house. I went to investigate and saw nothing, though from deeper in the house I swear I heard someone whisper something. After a few nights of this it faded away. Then about a month later the sounds came back, though this time I swear I heard two voices speaking in the dark. One of them said something about the walls, and the other said he didn’t care. It was all very puzzling. I hired a cleric who came and blessed the house, and I thought that would be the end of things, but then about a month later I began to hear it again. It’s all very strange: it seems like I hear the voices for a few days, then they go away, and then come back again a few weeks later. Lately, things have gotten worse. I keep finding books have been disturbed around the house, pulled off shelves or left open on tables. The house is creaking on its own, especially late at night. And I hear the whispering, always quiet and hushed, somewhere else in the dark house. I can hardly stand to live here any more. If you will determine the source, I’ll gladly reward you. I can’t afford to move my whole business elsewhere, and I have too many valuable books to leave them unprotected. Yannock is prepared to offer 30 gold pieces per person as a reward, though a successful Charisma (Persuasion) check can double that. For the cash-strapped Yannock, that’s scraping the barrel. He can tell them the following specific information: • The voices seem to most often come from the book repository in the basement. • The footsteps “skitter” and sound very small, like those of a child or fairy moving fast. • Occasionally all these things are accompanied by a strange gushing sound coming faintly from below. The characters are free to go anywhere in the house in search of the source. Yannock can usually be found puttering around his study if they need him.

Exploring the House Probably the first thing the characters will want to do is perform a full survey of the house. This should lead them into the repository where they will hear the voices themselves. If for some reason they don’t discover the tunnel, later that night they will actually hear someone running through the house. Tracking the sound will take them to the dead end, where they should find the tunnel. They may learn a little more about Yannock and the situation if they discover the secret door. If Yannock catches them entering his vault, he will cancel the contract and expel them from the house.

Locations The upper floors of Yannock's house are not detailed here, but if the characters wish to explore the rest of the house, Yannock will permit it. Nearly every room has been put to use as book storage. Stacks of books are propped against walls and chair legs and just about any other available walking space. The house is, in fact, a major fire hazard, and books and papers so abundant that passage through many halls and rooms is considered rough terrain (see the following entry).

Yannock's Book Repository Basement 1. Main Repository Down in this musty basement lies the main “repository” by which the shop gets its name. Every kind of book imaginable is jammed down here in a literal maze of homemade shelves that take up every available space. Sagging shelves are crammed to capacity, and books spill out onto the floor or are piled haphazardly against corners. Some attempt to label things was made long ago: yellowing paper nailed to the shelves list categories like, “The Crown Wars,” “Netheril,” and “The Shining South.” Others purport to sort books by type, separating biographies from epistolaries, tomes on mathematics from essays on travel. One section says, “Deities and Demigods.” Another says, “Cryptozoology.” Still another says, “The Planes.” Spiderwebs cling to every corner and crack. The ceiling is lower here than the rest of the house, propped up by stout beams, and the floor is swept dirt crisscrossed with tiny rat tracks. After the characters have made it nearly halfway through this room, have them make DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) checks. If they succeed, read the following: From somewhere farther back in the dusty repository, you hear soft, whispered voices. “The cracks are too much showing,” one says. “Too long time!” Another says, “No, no, not long. Soon we will- Shh – listen! I thought I heard someone.” “I didn’t hear. . . Wait, I smell them. Hide!”

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The voices came from two moon rats near the entrance to the tunnel (area 4). Trying to pin down the location of the voices is almost impossible, requiring a DC 20 Wisdom (Perception) check. Even if the characters are successful, by the time they arrive the two moon rats will have entered the tunnel. Examining the rat tracks will give the characters their first real lead: they seem to originate from a dusty corner in the northwest side of the basement. On the bottom shelf between propped up books is a hole leading back into the earth. See area 4 for further information. The closeness of the halls and the occasional book piles presents a hazard. Rolling a 1 during combat may result in toppling one of the bookshelves and starting a chain reaction. While this may seem appealing at first glance, for the mayhem and possible damage to enemies it may cause, it will also result in turning this room into a nearly uncrossable mound of books and broken bookcases, not to mention earning the ire of their employer. The books and wooden shelves also present a fire hazard. Any time a flame is exposed in here, there is a 30% chance it will start a small fire. These old books ignite easily, and if someone doesn’t put out the fire in three rounds, the fire will engulf one 5’x5’ area. Every round thereafter, it has a 30% chance of spreading to all four neighboring squares until the entire basement is aflame. Anyone caught in a burning square takes 1d6 fire damage, and it and all adjacent squares are so smoky that vision becomes heavily obscured. When the whole basement is engulfed, the house itself can be considered to be on fire and the characters have about 10 rounds to get out before it collapses on them, which is surely instant death. Putting a value on all these books is tough, not only because the books are so numerous and rare, but because the damage they’ve taken over the years has, in many cases, significantly lowered their value. If the books were to be sold they would probably command around 30,000 gp; however, selling them all would probably take months, if not years, and would require countless hours of negotiations and travel. It’s all academic, though, because the characters cannot legally come into possession of this collection. If anything ever happens to Yannock, the bulk of it is deeded, along with the house, to his sister Misha Larakti, and any attempt to arrange otherwise is illegal and will be met with action. If a character steals a book or two they will certainly get away with it, though. The DM can determine the exact nature and value of the book, but for low-level characters it should not exceed more than 50 gp. 2. Alchemy Laboratory At the back of the repository, a brick archway opens into a smallish chamber littered with glass vials and flashpots and herbs dangling from ceiling hooks. A lantern burns with a ghostly light over everything, illuminating rickety tables heaped with odd-looking mixtures and putties.

This is the room where Yannock makes some extra money by brewing simple alchemical items for patrons. It doesn't look like it has been used in a couple of weeks. The lantern is actually a light cantrip. A Wisdom (Perception) check on the entire room will reveal a couple different items of interest: • DC 5: Numerous rat tracks and droppings can be seen everywhere, but seem to be strongest near the east wall. • DC 15: The bricks on the eastern wall appear miscolored. The secret door is a false front of thin bricks cemented to a heavy, solid wooden frame. It has 15 AC and 25 hit points. Anyone bashing at the door will surely attract the attention of Yannock Tippleton. Near the floor is a keyhole leading to a well-crafted lock, requiring a DC 20 Dexterity check to pick. The key is hidden elsewhere in the house. Although this area radiates very low-level alchemical magic, no one object is of significant value. If everything in here is sold, it can command roughly 100 gp. 3. Hidden Vault This small chamber is dusty and damp. Shelves on either side hold strange trinkets: a humanoid's skull, a sheathed dagger, a necklace of teeth, a horn carved in the likeness of a wolf, a pair of torn boots, a satchel, a leather half-helm, and an ivory statuette of an unknown king. But what catches your eye the most is a stone pedestal, about four feet high, topped by a glass dome. Inside is a pendant on a silver chain. Even though the chain is quite plain, the pendant itself looks to be very valuable, an exquisite white teardrop-shaped pearl. Perhaps strangest of all, many tiny cracks seem to converge under the pedestal, which is beginning to lean on the sagging floor. If it is nighttime, the characters can make a DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) to hear what sounds like flowing water coming from underground. The “pearl” is actually a moon mote, a magic item considered sacred by worshippers of Selûne, the “Moonmaiden.” Though it is only a curiosity to most (it can be sold for about 150 gold pieces), Campion wants it because the moon rats will never again have to worry about losing their wits during the phases of the moon. The other objects mainly have sentimental value to Yannock, though the statuette and horn can be sold for 20 gold pieces each. 4. Rat Passage This cramped tunnel extends back into the darkness. It appears to have been carved out of the very earth through months of exertion by little claws. The rats use this tunnel to check on their progress. If the characters go in the tunnel, read the following: Far down the passage, you hear two squeaky voices speaking in hushed tones: “Should we kill them?” asks one. “Too curious they are getting for their own good,” responds another. “Shh! Here them come!” Under the Floorboards 3

While not a tiny passage, only characters of medium size or smaller may fit in it, but must proceed on their hands and knees. Medium-sized characters are at disadvantage while in the tunnels (small characters are not affected by the tight quarters). 5. Downward Slope Veering around the tangled roots of a tree, the passageway begins to slope steeply downward. Ahead you hear in the blackness you hear the hollow, echoing splash of water. The slope presents a challenge of its own. Moving on the gravelly slope, whether up or down, requires a DC 12 Strength (Athletics) check. Failing it will send the character down the 15’ slope to plunge into the shallow water below (though no damage is taken). Fighting on the slope puts all combatants at disadvantage. 6. Dark Water The earth has been hollowed out here into a complex series of soggy chambers under about a foot of water. Oddly, a series of seemingly random wooden panels, rigged with pulleys to act as small dams, form an intricate labyrinth of holding areas for the water. This chamber is a little taller than the tunnel. Small creatures can stand upright, and medium creatures can crouch or bend at the waist. Large creatures must still be on hands and knees. The moon rats have built the dams to contain the flow of water when needed. By deactivating the pump at the mill house, the water will stop flowing and any leftovers can be funneled off into unused areas. If the characters are here during the daylight hours, all the dams are down and water is pooled in the various catchment chambers. Dams are only about a foot higher than the water and are considered rough terrain. If the characters are here at night, most of the dams are up and water is flowing freely through. The exertion of fighting the stream puts anyone attempting a Strength, Dexterity, or combat check at disadvantage. The moon rats must swim in here, though they can cling to the walls with a successful DC 5 Strength (Athletics) check. As soon as the characters enter this chamber, a small swarm of moon rats will attack them. There are 10 rats waiting in ambush behind various dams. They will fight to the death, though the last one will attempt to escape, preferably upstream toward the mill. Exploring downstream will reveal the ultimate cause of all this tunnel dredging. Right at the spot underneath the pedestal holding up the moon mote, the moon rats have used the water’s natural carving capacity to weaken the ground supporting the foundation. A DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation) will allow the characters to realize this, though any dwarf will be able to tell without having to roll. Several sticks have been wedged in place to serve as bracing until enough ground has been dissolved to collapse the floor. Because the braces are so precarious and so numerous, passing this point is something only a tiny

creature, like the moon rats, can do. But the flow of the water carries on past here to finally dump into the river a couple blocks away. A small or larger creature being swept downstream stands a significant chance of seriously injuring themselves if they knock the props out. Roll a 1d4 for a small creature or 1d6 for a large creature to see how many supports they knock out before stopping themselves. If four or more supports are knocked out, a ton of earth collapses on them, doing 2d6 damage. The floor under the pedestal will sink several inches and be instantly noticeable to anyone in area 11.

The Abandoned Mill Not far from Yannock's house (approximately 100 feet) is an abandoned saw mill. Built out over a swift-flowing river, the mill used a large wheel and mechanism to cut logs into planks. Upon the death of the miller, the mill fell into disuse as the miller's children squabbled over what to do with it. The moon rats devised a clever method of using the mill wheel to power a pump, with which they draw water up out of the river and force it down the pipes to flood the tunnel. When the characters finally clear out the tunnels below the house, they will find themselves at that old mill. The tunnel ends at a hole in the floor beneath an old office, and from there the characters can follow the pipe into the main room of the mill. Here, Campion and his remaining rats will attempt to defend their territory and their plan until the bitter end. However, while this far away from the moon mote, its effect on the moon rats dwindles. Treat them as if under the effect of a Half Moon. 7. The End of the Tunnel Up ahead the tunnel seems to come to an end at the mouth of a pipe which sticks through a hole in the floor. Through the ragged hole you see a dim light filtering. Skittering sounds come from beyond the hole, and someone up there hisses, “Here come them! Positions!” Climbing out of the hole takes 2 movement. If the characters arrive at this point at night, the pipe will be spewing forth cold river water. Otherwise it drips solemnly. 8. Office This small room is totally bare, though it once perhaps served as an office or other type of chamber. In one corner is a dark hole in the floorboards. Snaking into the room is a crude pipe, which feeds into the hole. The hole in the floor leads to area 7. 9. Mill Room This tall chamber was obviously once used as a mill, though now it seems to be deserted. Piles of scrap wood and shavings lay abandoned here and there against the walls. Old rusty lanterns hang from their hooks in the overhead rafters. Between each floor plank you can see the rushing river. In the center of the room a huge mill wheel protrudes up out of the foundation, only see the top quarter Under the Floorboards 4

visible. It is still doing its duty, rotating with a grating, knocking sound, its blades dripping with river water. A crude pump has been jury rigged and attached to the wheel, a pipe extending from it into the hole in the front office. The pump is powered by the constantly-rotating mill wheel. It can be disabled by jamming the wheel with something very stout or by damaging the pump. The pump mechanism has a 10 AC and 10 hit points. Once disabled, the moon rats won’t be able to repair it until the next moon phase and their plan will be temporarily foiled. There are many places in here for the moon rats to hide. They can scuttle along piles of wood, drop through cracks between the floorboards and the brick foundation, scamper across beams holding up the ceiling, or slip through holes in the baseboards to reappear outside or in another room. They've also scattered rubbish everywhere – pieces of wood, sharp stakes, bricks, etc. – which impedes normal movement for larger creatures. Almost every surface is considered rough terrain (the moon rats are exempt). This room is where the moon rats will attempt to make their last stand. Ten of them were waiting in ambush in area 6, so now only twenty remain, including Campion. They will strike swiftly then retreat, taking advantage of their small size and the numerous objects in the room. They will swarm anyone who falls prone, attacking with advantage. When their numbers dwindle to two or three, they will abandon Campion and their entire plot and flee into the river to swim to safety. Campion is determined to win, though, and will do whatever it takes or die trying. Traps: Campion and his rats have filled this area with traps which they turn on the characters. A: There are pungee stakes under the weakened floor boards. DC 10 Dexterity save or take 1d6 damage. B: Crude caltrops made of bent nails litter the floor. DC 10 Dexterity save or take 1d4 damage and fall prone. C: A spiked board at the end of a rope swings down from a rafter. DC 10 Dexterity save or take 1d6+1 damage. D: Failing a DC 10 Dexterity save causes a small or larger victim to fall through the weak floor up to the waist. Moon rats beneath the floorboards then attack the legs with advantage. Climbing out is an action. E: Rats drop four large, heavy stones from the rafters onto characters heads. This is a ranged attack with advantage that does 1d8 bludgeoning damage. F: Two rats run out from here with the ends of a rope in their mouths, binding the ankles of an unsuspecting character. They make a special grapple attack using their Dexterity (Acrobatics). Failure means the target is grappled and falls prone, then swarmed by rats. G: Failing a DC 10 Dexterity save causes a small or larger victim to break through the weak floor and fall into the river below, where they will be swept downstream. H: A rat gnaws the cord holding up a pile of empty barrels, which roll in a straight line for 15”. Anyone caught in their path must make a DC 10 Dexterity save or be knocked prone.

Concluding the Adventure If the characters succeed in defeating Campion, the moon rats will scatter, never to return. As long as the characters have upheld their end of the bargain, Yannock Tippleton will pay them in full. He makes a good contact, as he knows many members of the community and can point the characters in the direction of future adventures.

Monsters Moon Rat Tiny magical beast, chaotic neutral Armor Class 13 Hit Points 1 (1d4) Speed 15 ft. STR 4 (-3)

DEX CON INT WIS CHA 16 (+3) 11 (+0) 2* (-4) 13 (+1) 2 (-4)

Skills Acrobatics +2, Stealth +6 Senses darkvision 30 ft., passive Perception 11 Languages None* Challenge 1/8 (25 XP) Keen Hearing and Smell. Moon rats have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell. Mob Tactics: Moon rats gain a cumulative +1 bonus to attack rolls for each friendly creature that also has this trait and is within 5 feet of its target, to a maximum of +5. Lunar Mind. Moon rats experience a monthly shift in their Intelligence. With each phase of the waxing and waning moon, their Intelligence score is increased or decreased as following: New Moon: 2, Crescent: 4, Quarter: 6, Half: 8, Gibbous: 10, Almost Full: 12, Full: 14. During any phase but New, moon rats can speak a broken, guttural Common. During a full moon they speak eloquently.

Actions Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1 (1d4-2) piercing damage. Campion is a stronger, smarter version of the typical moon rat. He has 2 HD (8 hit points), 18 DEX, 6 STR, and 14 WIS. Treat him as one moon phase ahead of his brethren. Moon rats are magical relatives of regular rats, and do not differ in outward appearance to their common cousins.

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