Depths of Madness
This adventure is the second part of a three-part mini-campaign called The Tear of Ioun. If the group used the first part of the mini-campaign, this adventure starts after the PCs return from the Forlorn Tower. However, even without the background of the first adventure, there are plenty of reasons for PCs to investigate the troubles of Wellspring.
Just what is happening in Wellspring? No one is quite sure but strangers walk the streets and murders occur each night. People are paranoid and the number of attendees at the town's temples increases with each passing day. The people are scared and they aren't afraid to tell others of their fears.
The adventure is set up in terms of days, with each day bringing a new expression of the tensions forming in the town. PCs get to investigate the murders to find their source and the secret that puts Wellspring at risk. As they travel the streets, PCs hear a number of rumors about what is going on in town. PC action or inaction affects the events in towns in very real and concrete ways. In addition, there is a skill challenge that allows the players to become crime scene investigators and other skill challenges help frame the interaction between the PCs and some of the town's inhabitants.
At 41 pages, there is a lot of information in this adventure. There are 12 defined encounters along with hints on creating a few more. In addition, there are a number of NPCs at all levels of society, a number of skill challenges, and a few other surprises, like diseases and random tables. Overall, it seems well-thought out, nicely detailed and I can't wait to use it in a game.
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