Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. The Created - The Gothic Conversion LAIR OF THE SITH The Created The Gothic Conversion Requires the AD&D Ravenloft Adventure The Created, to play by Igor Comunale
Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. The Created - The Gothic Conversion 1 The Created The Gothic Conversion Requires the AD&D Ravenloft Adventure The Created, to play by Igor Comunale DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, Ravenloft, Eberron, the dragon ampersand, Ravnica and all other Wizards of the Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries. This work contains material that is copyright Wizards of the Coast and/or other authors. Such material is used with permission under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild. All other original material in this work is copyright 2022 by Igor Comunale and published under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild. ©2016 Wizards of the Coast LLC, PO Box 707, Renton, WA 98057-0707, USA. Manufactured by Hasbro SA, Rue Emile-Boéchat 31, 2800 Delémont, CH. Represented by Hasbro Europe, 4 The Square, Stockley Park, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB11 1ET, UK.
his conversion updates to the fifth edition of Dungeons & Dragons the AD&D Second Edition TThe Created adventure set in Ravenloft. This adventure is suitable for characters from 2nd to 4th level. This conversion assumes a four 3rd level characters party, but can be easily adapted for lower or higher level characters. Adventure Summary Guiseppe (ji-SEP-pee) is a puppeteer and doll maker. He is an elderly man who lives alone and has no friends. Over the years, he became obsessed with the idea of creating the perfect puppet, for it would be the child he never had. Guiseppe dreamed of the puppet for a long time before he began the actual work. He knew exactly which wood he would use, what colours of paint he would select, and so forth. In his loneliness, he poured so much of himself into the doll that, when it was finally finished, it became animated with a life of its own. Delighted with his work, Guiseppe named the puppet Figlio (FIG-lee-o) and presented him to the town. While the doll maker adored his creation, most of the townspeople did not. The adults of Odiare (o-d-R-a) didn't believe in Figlio, and the puppet grew to hate them even more than he hated not being real. Even Guiseppe believed Figlio was little more than a puppet, and Figlio's heart filled with hatred for his maker. The children of Odiare were a different matter, however, for they believed in Figlio. The puppet hatched a plot: He would kill all the adults of Odiare. With only the children left, Figlio could play all day and be given the adoration he deserved. The angry puppet coerced Guiseppe into making more puppets. Each was a "living" doll, but cold and inhuman, not at all like Figlio. To Guiseppe's horror, they obeyed Figlio and ignored their true creator. During a theatre show, Figlio's "carrionettes" (as he called the puppets) slew all the adults present, but spared the children. This heinous act carved out a small domain in Ravenloft just for Figlio, and the entire town was transported to the demiplane of dread. That night Figlio renamed himself Maligno (ma-LEEG-no). He sent his carrionettes into the streets to look for other adults so that the puppets could take over those bodies. They would become the new "adults" of Odiare, all loyal to Maligno. Maligno, in turn, tried to take over the body of Guiseppe. He discovered that the demiplane of Ravenloft confers a curse upon all its lords. He alone of all the carrionettes is unable to inhabit a human body. To this day Maligno burns with rage and frustration. He keeps Guiseppe prisoner, forcing him to make more carrionettes as the puppet needs them. Running the Adventure To manage the adventure using this conversion, you need the main rules of Dungeons & Dragons fifth edition (Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, and Monster Manual) and Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft. Non-player characters and monsters that are not present in these sources are presented at the end of this conversion. Characters' Progression If the characters are at 3rd level, they level up during the adventure with an event-based progression as follows: • Characters obtain 4h level at the end of the adventure. Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. The Created - The Gothic Conversion 2 Introduction
his section describes the necessary updates to play the adventure with the rules of Dungeons & Dragons 5 th Edition. The updates follow the same order and have the same title as the parts in the original adventure. If a reference to a part of the adventure is absent, then it means that it does not require any modification and can be used in its original form. T The text appearing in this way is intended to be read or paraphrased to the characters when they arrive at a certain place or certain events occur, as described in the text. The text that appears in these boxes contains additions to the adventure and game recommendations for the DM. Opening Act The characters start this adventure in Odiare, a small town in their normal campaign world, before the town becomes part of the Ravenloft demiplane. As the adventure opens, there is a festival in the town, celebrating Bambeen (BamBEE-n). Bambeen is a spring holiday honouring life, growth, and children in particular. A Joyful Celebration At the start of the adventure, nothing should hint the horror that's about to fall upon Odiare and his inhabitants. Describe with colourful details the atmosphere of joy, fun and lightheartedness. Children are playing, adults are laughing, young boys and girls dance at the gay music of the street musicians. Everyone seems to enjoy the joyful atmosphere and the good weather. In the central plaza there are street performers doing juggling, walking on stilts, living statue plays, fire eating, and other entertainment shows. There are even soothsayers and palm readers (just colourful frauds) willing to predict the characters' future for just one silver coins. They all only say stereotyped phrases and vague predictions, revealing themselves for the con artists they are. The characters can purchase drinks and food from peddlers and enjoy other amenities. It's important to make the characters distract themselves to enhance the later horror atmosphere. You can even add some street games and challenges to which characters can compete, like pie eating contests or strength challenges. When the tragedy strikes, make sure to describe by contrast how grim and sad the village becomes, with its empty streets and desolate appearance. The Town Map Before the incident at the theatre, the town of Odiare is like any other town. As soon as Maligno does away with the adults in the theatre, Odiare becomes a domain in Ravenloft. The town is then restricted to the small square shown on the map. Each of the roads exiting the map connects to a road on the other side, which leads right back in. A PC fleeing west (or any other direction) will eventually end up right back where he started. 1. Alchemist Argon is a fraud. Some of the remedies in his shop are potions of poison. 7. Apothecary Hazel can make a variety of potions: elixir of health, potion of heroism, and potion of poison. In her shop there are 4 potions of healing in a box under the counter. She is one of the carrionette's first victims. After the encounter at the Secolo Theater, she is possessed by one. Investigating the Murder If Giselle's room is searched, on a successful DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check, the characters can find a small, bloody knife. It is poorly concealed under her bedsheets. The blade is no more than 4 inches long. On a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Medicine) check, any character can confirm this knife is the murder weapon. Speaking with Giselle requires first a DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check to make her answer to questions. On a DC 10 Wisdom (Insight) check, any character can confirm Giselle is saying the truth and she's really scared about something. The carrionette will remain motionless all the time, feigning to be just an unanimated toy. It will never react to the characters' actions. Putting together all the clues, on a DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check, the characters can deduce there are very few elements to discover what happened. In the parent's bedroom there is no trace of the culprit, and also in Giselle room the only element is the hidden knife. The child is too weak for being able to kill an adult with a little knife, and the wife seems in distress and desperate enough to seem innocent. Aldo the constable will hear what the characters have to say about the murder and take some notes. The constable asks the characters to keep in touch, just in the case other elements should emerge about the murder. Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. The Created - The Gothic Conversion 3 Conversion
Enter the Villain nce the PCs have done as much as possible at the Sertino home, they are likely to attend the play at the Secolo Theater. The theatre is actually two buildings. One fronts the street while the other is accessible only from the alley. Both buildings rise two stories high, although the theatre proper merely has a high ceiling while the other actually has two floors. O Terror at the Theater The streets are dark, empty, and hazy. Lamplights on the street corners, held aloft on lamp poles, flicker gently, shedding a soft radiance in a small circle. The buildings are mostly dark. A few show a single lamp in the window, but they are empty, as if someone had hastily left. The cobblestone alleys are devoid of people. This is the way Odiare looks for the rest of the adventure. The sun will never again rise here, and there is no moon. A thin haze limits visibility to about 120 feet. Beyond that the street lights can't penetrate. Even magic light can't help to see beyond the haze. Every alley is in dim light, coming from the lamplights in the broader streets. Where no light reach, the darkness is deep and impenetrable, the starlight forever obscured by the clouded sky. Sounds come somewhat dimmed, it's difficult to individuate the source of a given sound beyond 60 feet from the characters. Every Wisdom (Perception) check to pinpoint the source of a sound beyond that range is made with disadvantage. Investigation While Guiseppe flees, 4 carrionettes emerge from the seats to fight the characters. Horror Opportunity: No Hope in Fighting You could use this opportunity to transmit the sense of dread of the events of this adventure strongly using this variant. As Guiseppe flees the stage, describe to the characters how dozens of puppets take life around them. Let them understand they are outnumbered as waves of carrionettes emerge from everywhere. This variant makes the character understand clearly that's impossible to them to fight every single carrionette in Odiare. To survive they must act cleverly and covertly. If the characters insist in fighting, give them the opportunity to flee. But if they persevere on this course of action, they are overwhelmed and captured. The story continues as indicated in the Dim the Lights chapter. Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. The Created - The Gothic Conversion 4
s the characters try to chase down Maligno and Guiseppe, they will inevitably wander the streets. If they spent any significant amount of time in any particular building before the events at the theatre, mark it in on the map for the players. As they reach the edges, where the map wraps around on itself, tell them when they pass landmark buildings on the other side of the map. They will quickly get the idea that the map circles back on itself, although they may not actually figure out how. A Charge!: 4 carrionettes grab a pitchfork from the stable. They hide and attack taking the characters by surprise with the pitchfork, then they flee or fight with their silver needles. Pitchfork. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage. Peek-a-boo: One carrionette lets itself be seen at the opening of an alley. It immediately turns and flees into the alley. Just inside the entrance to the alley, obscured by shadows, is a trip wire. The first character following the carrionette must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or fall prone. If the character was running, he has disadvantage on the saving throw. Cautious movement automatically detects the wire. Once on the ground, 4 carrionettes swarm over the downed character and thrust needles into his or her limbs, with advantage. Other Denizens: Emboldened by the empty streets, 10 giant rats attack the characters. They flee when 5 or more rats are slain. Runaway Carriage: The carrionettes have commandeered a carriage from the stable. The carriage has two horses, each with a carrionette clinging to its mane. Another carrionette holds the reigns in the driver's seat. Four more stand atop the carriage, ready to leap upon the PCs as they go by. The carriage will not stop, dropping just the four carrionettes it carries on the top on the run. Since the carrionettes are lousy coach drivers, they have little control over the horses. The characters first hear the clatter of hooves and wagon wheels coming toward them. Then the carriage bursts out of the haze-shrouded mists, careening toward the characters. Any character who declares he is seeking cover can automatically avoid the horses. Any character who tries to remain in the street for even a single round must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw to avoid being trampled. Being trampled causes 6d6 bludgeoning damage. Boarding Party: A band of 4 carrionettes tied strings to lamp posts and are waiting nearby on roofs. When the characters are in position, the carrionettes launch themselves and swing down onto the characters. The puppets are, of course, wearing pirate hats and eye patches. As it swings, each doll holds a silver needle forward like a lance. They perform the first attack with advantage and automatically surprise the characters. Each puppet that scores a hit clings to the character. The character is grappled, but its speed is just halved instead of becoming 0. The carrionette can't drag or carry a grappled creature with it. Ankle Biters: A horde of 8 carrionettes swarm the characters. Four of them make a single silver needle attack, while four of them make grapple attacks to cling on the characters as described above. The carrionettes who don't try to grapple run away, while the remaining fight against the characters. Horror Opportunity: Innocents In the course of their exploration among the streets of Odiare, the characters may encounter children playing in the open, oblivious of what is happening and lost in various childish games. If the characters speak with them, the children believe to be involved in some kind of big and funny game for the celebration of Bambeen. If any characters ever makes a move to hurt or tries to intimidate any children, 4 carrionettes appear from an alley and attack the characters. Anyway, these encounters are a good opportunity to enhance the horror atmosphere of the adventure creating unsettling situations. Hide and Seek: The characters spot a child counting loudly with its head against a wall. The child stops at twenty and begins searching. If the characters talk to him, the child says he's playing hide and seek with his puppet friends. He tells he has no time to talk now because he have to find all his thirty hidden friends all around the street. Jump-Rope: Three children are playing with a rope in the middle of a street. Before spotting them, the characters hear the rhymes they are singing. In the mist they sound distorted and unsettling: Maligno, dressed in yellow / Went upstairs to kill a fellow / Made a mistake / And killed a man / How many doctors / Did it take? If asked, the children answer that their new friends taught them the rhyme. These friends are Maligno's carrionettes. Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. The Created - The Gothic Conversion 5 Interlude
fter the attack at the Secolo Theater, Maligno recognizes that the characters are a genuine threat to him, so he prepares a trap at the toy shop. Guiseppe's Toy Shop is lit up like a lighthouse beacon, for every lamp in the place is lit. All the characters will notice the light as soon as they round a corner and sight the shop. A The ambush against the characters is performed by Maligno and 8 carrionettes. Awakening in the Toy Shop The transformed characters have the statistics of carrionettes. They have no silver needles. They are constructs and have no class ability or spells. If a puppet is reduced to 0 hit points, it's not destroyed, but can't move until repaired. A character can try to repair damage to itself or to another using glue and other improvised materials on a successful DC 15 Dexterity check. The character is healed 2d4+2 hit points. Escaping the Cages: A character falling with its cage suffers 1d6 bludgeoning damage. Escaping the Toy Shop: The toy shop is littered with animated toys, all set to prevent the characters from escaping. The toys will generally act to drive the characters back from the windows, doors, and stairs. They don't mind causing damage, but they will avoid attacking with a good chance of destruction. Upstairs, Gatto (a cat) will play with the characters, preventing their escape if possible. Guiseppe's Toy Shop Closed door can be picked on a successful DC 18 Dexterity check. Characters in puppet bodies can't pick a lock. All the animated toys have the same statistics (based on their size) unless differently stated in their singular entries. A1. Display Shelf Animated Toys (Tiny): • Darts, 4 (Speed fly 40 feet; Slam: 1d3 + 2 piercing damage) • Jack-in-the-box, 1 (automatic surprise when popping out of box; Multiattack: the toy makes two slam attacks) • Tin soldier, 1 (Armor Class 18; Sword: 1d3 + 2 slashing damage) • Rag doll, 1 (Damage Resistances: bludgeoning) • Wheeled horse, 1 (Speed 40 feet; if the horse moves at least 20 feet and hits, the target must succeed on a DC 8 Dexterity saving throw or fall prone) A2. Display Shelf Animated Toys (Tiny): • Wooden dragon, 1 (Speed fly 40 feet; Fire Breath (Recharge 5–6). The dragon exhales fire in a 10-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 11 Dexterity saving throw, taking 7 (2d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one) • Punch & Judy puppets, 2 (Club: 1d3 + 2 bludgeoning damage) • Wooden bear, 1 (Hit Points 32) • Battering ram, 1 (Slam: 1d6 + 2 bludgeoning damage) A3. Display Shelf Animated Toys (Tiny): • Doll-in-a-doll, 1 (creates five duplicates, each with 3 less hit point than the previous). This hollow wooden dolls that has a smaller version of itself inside. That doll in turn has yet another, smaller, version inside, etc. Each can "slide" around to move and has a pair of articulated arms that it uses to attack. Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. The Created - The Gothic Conversion 6 Dim the Lights
• Sling shot, 1 (Marble: Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 1d4 + 2 bludgeoning damage) • Marionettes, 2 (String: 1d2 + 2 slashing damage) A4. Display Shelf Animated Toys (Tiny): • Roller skates, 1 pair (Speed 40 feet; if the skates moves at least 20 feet and hit, the target must succeed on a DC 8 Dexterity saving throw or fall prone) • Tops, 3 (if a top hits, the target must succeed on a DC 8 Dexterity saving throw or fall prone) • Marionette, 1 (String: 1d2 + 2 slashing damage) E. Fireplace Climbing the flue, which takes six rounds, is one way out of the toy shop. However, any character doll caught in the fire suffers 1d6 fire damage per round. Climbing the flue without putting out the fire causes 1d3 fire damage for three consecutive rounds. I1 to I2. Display Tables The I1 display table has three wooden puppets (tiny animated toys) that have been animated. The I2 display table has two of them. They can us their strings as whips (String: 1d2 + 2 slashing damage). K. Hobby Dragon The toy dragon is a small animated toy. It can breathe fire (Fire Breath (Recharge 5–6). The dragon exhales fire in a 10-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 11 Dexterity saving throw, taking 7 (2d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one). L. Rocking Unicorn The rocking unicorn is a small animated toy. It can attack with its horn (Horn: 1d6 + 2 piercing damage). M. Hoop and Stick The hoop and stick is a small animated toy. It has additional abilities (Multiattack: the toy makes two slam attacks; Slam: 1d3 + 2 bludgeoning damage). N. Kite The kite is a small animated toy (Hit Points 22; Speed fly 40 feet). Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. The Created - The Gothic Conversion 7
nce the PCs have escaped from the toy shop, they still need to get their own bodies back. First, they need to find some silver needles. Then they need to find their possessed bodies. As they wander the town searching for these things, they are subject to random encounters. O Suspicious Carrionettes: The characters are confronted by 2 carrionetes. Dog Pack: The characters encounter a pack of 4 large dogs (wolves). The easiest way to avoid this encounter is to play dead. The dogs will sniff the doll bodies and then leave. Julio the Wild Man: Julio is a commoner armed with a burning torch (he can use it as a club or inflict 1 fire damage). Innocence: Angelica has a speed of 20 feet. Other Denizens: 5 giant rats attack the characters. If the characters play dead, the rats will sniff the doll bodies and then leave. Bad Luck: The characters encounter Maligno and 2 carrionettes. Maligno can summon other 1d4 carrionettes per round as an action. Where the Bodies Are The 13 celebrating people are commoners. Finding Maligno The characters can find Maligno at the Secolo Theatre, engaged in a show for the children of Odiare. If the characters attack during or just at the end the show, they must face Maligno, 2 carrionettes and a small animated toy dragon that can breathe fire (Fire Breath (Recharge 5–6). The dragon exhales fire in a 10-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 11 Dexterity saving throw, taking 7 (2d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one). Conclusion If the characters destroy Maligno, they are free to leave Odiare by its misty border. The fate of the children of Odiare is for the characters to determine. Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. The Created - The Gothic Conversion 8 Curtain Call
Maligno h, the innocence of a child! That innocence can act as a shadow where evil can hide, protected by its dark cloak. This is the tale of an innocent toy, so harmless in the hands of a child . . . so deadly when it steps from the shadows into the cold light of reality. O Appearance Maligno is a 1 -foot-tall wooden marionette (a puppet controlled by strings). He is painted and carved to look like a happy, friendly little boy. He wears loose green shorts that have suspender-like shoulder straps (called lederhosen), a white short-sleeved shirt, a long-sleeved jacket, and a cap with a single white feather stuck in it. His creator, Guiseppe, is a superb craftsman. Maligno's body and face have dozens of articulated parts. His eyebrows, eyes, lips, mouth, even individual fingers, can all move independently. This gives him great expressiveness and agility. Maligno's voice is like that of an eight-year-old boy, pitched high and even a bit shrill. He is a consummate voice actor. Maligno can sound honest, naive, bullying, petulant, fearful, or just about anything else. He is not able to imitate other people's voices though. Background Maligno is the unique creation of the mad toy maker Guiseppe. Driven by his own demented fantasy of creating a son for himself, Guiseppe crafted a marionette - a marionette like no other. So strong was Guiseppe's desire that this puppet actually came to life. There is an old adage that says, "Be careful what you wish, for you might get it." That is what happened to poor Guiseppe. Though the marionette's body looks like that of an innocent school boy, the puppet is actually a thoroughly selfish and evil creature. Blinded by his paternal feelings, Guiseppe is unable to see the puppet for what he really is. Guiseppe's delight with his new creation knew no bounds. He named the puppet Figlio and showered him with love. Delighted with his work, Guiseppe presented Figlio to the town. While the doll maker adored his creation, most of the townspeople did not. The adults of Odiare didn't believe in Figlio, and the puppet grew to hate them even more than he hated not being real. His envy and rage and hatred grew until it included even Guiseppe. But the children of Odiare were a different matter, for they believed in Figlio. The puppet loved the children, for they loved him in return. The puppet hatched a plot: He would kill all the adults of Odiare. With only the children left, Figlio could play all day and be given the adoration he deserved. The angry puppet coerced Guiseppe into making more puppets. Each was a "living" doll, but they were cold and inhuman, not at all like Figlio. To Guiseppe's horror, they obeyed Figlio and ignored their true creator. During a theater show, Figlio's "carrionettes" (as he called the puppets) slew all the adults present, but they spared the children. This heinous act carved out a small domain in Ravenloft just for Figlio, and the entire town was transported to the demiplane of dread. That night, Figlio renamed himself Maligno. He sent his carrionettes into the streets to look for other adults so that the puppets could take over those bodies. They would become the new "adults" of Odiare, all loyal to Maligno. Maligno, in turn, tried to take over the body of Guiseppe. He discovered that the demiplane of Ravenloft confers a curse upon all its lords. He alone of all the carrionettes is unable to inhabit a human body. In fact, any harm befalling Guiseppe seemed to affect Maligno as well. Current Sketch To this day Maligno burns with rage and frustration. He abhors his own body and wishes always that he were human. Most of his plots have one of two major themes. He is either trying to get a human body for himself, or he is trying to kill all adults that he can find. Maligno keeps Guiseppe prisoner, forcing him to make more toys and carrionettes as he needs them. He gives many of these to the children of Odiare as friends and protectors. The evil little puppet still needs the adoration of a crowd. He puts on regular shows in the Secolo Theater for the children. He is a wonderful actor, drawing gasps of wonder and peals of laughter from his young audience. Maligno basks in the glow of their attention for that brief time. When a show is over and he is again forced to contemplate his true nature, Maligno is at his worst. Woe to the grown man or woman that meets this malevolent marionette soon after. Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. The Created - The Gothic Conversion 9 Who's Doomed
Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. The Created - The Gothic Conversion 10