The Horn of

Plenty
A Level 4 Basic Rules Adventure from

Winghorn Press
W
hen a powerful magic item is stolen When the Concern's council refused to
from a wealthy farming association, listen, Gantz gathered a band of struggling
the leaders turn to a band of reliable farmers and stole the powerful item. The group
and - most importantly - discrete adventurers have since retreated into the Bubbling Grotto, a
to retrieve it. cave system guarded by a pair of angry
Their journey takes them into a cave system Owlbears, and hope to repair the damage before
filled with sickness and rot, and thrusts them they are forced out. When the adventure begins
into a debate over applying magical solutions to they’ve been hiding for a tenday.
practical problems. Where will their loyalties Local scouts have already tracked Gantz and
fall when forced to make a tough choice? his accomplices to the grotto, but the Concern is
waiting for adventurers to flush them out.
What is this adventure?
A Basic Rules Adventure only uses the free Basic
Beginning the Adventure
Rules published by Wizards of the Coast at: The Concern is keen to keep the Horn a secret,
dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/basicrules as they fear that many peasants will see things
the same way as Gantz. They need outsiders who
This means that you will always be able to
can discreetly deal with the problem, and as
access the stat blocks, magic items and other
such the adventurers may hear of the Concern's
rules used in this adventure, without needing to
need to aid through travelling merchants,
own a specific book or supplement. Any
message boards in nearby towns or by simply
creatures or items not included in the Basic
wandering into Camdell.
Rules will be included in the text.
They are asked to meet over lunch with the
THE HORN OF PLENTY is a short adventure for
Master Grower, a halfling female named Deidre
level four parties. It features social scenes,
Sprout, in the Growers' Hall. The building is
dungeon exploration and combat.
rather grand and opulent, and though they
It also includes an ethical dilemma for the aren't nobility the senior members are clearly
players - and their characters - to tackle. wealthy landowners.
By default the adventure is set in the While enjoying the meal, Sprout outlines the
Forgotten Realms, but this can easily be adapted basics of what happened (see Background). She
to other settings. does not refer to the Horn directly, instead
Background describing its rough appearance - a huge goat's
horn about three feet long and two feet across. If
Around 100 years ago the Camdell Growers' pressed for details she asks the adventurers to
Concern acquired a Horn of Plenty - a powerful swear an oath not to reveal the Concern's secrets
magic item capable of magically conjuring up before relaying the full story.
huge quantities of fresh fruit and vegetables.
A tenday has passed since the theft.
For many years they used the Horn to
The Concern will pay 300gp to each
supplement their own production and make
adventurer if they retrieve the Horn of Plenty.
hefty profits, but eventually the over-use took its
Sprout is willing to raise this to a maximum of
toll. The Horn cracked and the food that they
500gp if pushed.
drew from it became infested with parasites and
fungus. Sprout and a small group of her fellow
Concern council members accompany the
Stripped of their magical shortcut, the
adventurers to the cave, and wait outside while
Concern realised they had been relying too
they work.
much on the Horn's magical powers and had
neglected their own farms, causing a famine
that devastated the area.
The Bubbling Grotto
A group of four Scouts watch over the cave from
The Horn has been locked up in their hall a distance of around 200 ft., sticking to the
ever since, where it is used to teach new treeline. Nobody has left or entered the cave
members an important lesson in hard work and since they arrived here a tenday ago.
the futility of taking the easy way out.
The cave is set into a craggy grey cliff
However, one farmer didn't see things the around 100 ft. high. The area around it is clear of
way that the Concern did. trees and a wide path has been worn in the grass
Gantz, a former thief who escaped a life of around its entrance.
poverty to buy his own farm, believes the The Owlbears have not been seen for around
Concern’s decision to hide the Horn is motivated five days, but the scouts could hear them
by selfishness and greed. He believes they should hooting from time to time and dared not
repair the device and provide free food to those approach to investigate.
who need it.
The Bubbling
Grotto
4.

3.

1. 2.
 Optional Encounter: Encounters
Four Bandits lurk in the shadows and shoot at
Darkmantle Raid any adventurers who enter. They stick to the
As they travel along the road to the cave the cover of the rocks (counting as ¾ cover) and hide
adventurers hear a crashing noise in the trees. where possible. Two Thugs attempt to intercept
A group of Eight Darkmantles flap drunkenly any adventurers as they cross the bridge.
through the air, bumping into branches as If at least half of the gang are killed, the rest
they try to reach the party. surrender.
Each time a darkmantle attacks a creature They all come from farming families who
it is not already attached to, roll a d6. On a have fallen on hard times. Gantz told them
result of one it completely misses its target, about the Growers' Concern keeping the Horn
slamming into the ground and taking 1d6 for themselves and agreed to help him steal it.
bludgeoning damage. Each of them believes Gantz to be a hero.
It is obvious that the creatures have They were assigned to stop anyone from
something wrong with them. Their strange coming into the cave and stopping Gantz from
and erratic behaviour is caused by consuming repairing the horn. One of them has a key to the
food produced by the broken Horn of Plenty, iron door leading to his workshop.
causing them to become infested with fungal The group was supposed to report back
parasites. regularly, but the next chamber has become
A DC10 Wisdom (Nature) check allows an infested with mould and fungus. The last
adventurer to confirm that darkmantles never member of their group enter was killed two days
normally leave their subterranean lairs and ago, when a tentacle dragged her off a stepping
certainly don't attack prey during the day. stone and into the water.
The entire group is hungry and thirsty. They
1. The Owlbear Lair do not trust the water in the stream.
A broad, arching cave with a dusty stone floor. A 3. The Cave of Spores
natural ramp curves up to the eastern wall, A domed chamber with a soft, loamy floor. It is
rising to create a small cliff around 10ft. high. lit by two small shafts that allow weak beams of
The chamber smells of fur and old meat, as sunlight in through the ceiling. To the east
well as a scent that any character proficient in stands a pool of water fed by a small waterfall to
medicine will recognise as the odour of sickness. the north. It slowly flows into a crack in the
There are exits to the east and north. The southern wall.
sound of flowing water can be heard to the east. The pool smells intensely of rot and decay.
Encounters The areas where the water is flowing seem
Two Owlbears, one male and one female, lie relatively clear, but the more stagnant parts are
amidst the rocks. Unless the adventurers made covered with a thick film of filth. Rotten apples,
any loud noises they are dozing. A DC15 Wisdom potatoes and other produce linger in the water.
(Nature) check reveals that they look sickly. An ironwork door to the north blocks a
Crossing the chamber without waking the passageway leading up to Gantz's Workshop. It
owlbears requires DC12 Dexterity (Stealth) check is locked, and can be opened with a key held by
from all adventurers. If the owlbears wake up Gantz's allies or a DC13 Dexterity check using
they immediately attack, though both are Thieves' Tools. A passage to the south leads to
poisoned and have disadvantage on attack rolls. the Owlbear Lair.
An adventurer examining an owlbear up A passageway to the southwest leads to the
close, alive or dead, may attempt a DC15 Wisdom Thieves' Retreat, but it is on the far side of the
(Medicine) check to determine that the creatures water and can only be reached by three large
were poisoned by foul food or water. stepping stones. Jumping from stone to stone is
trivial under normal circumstances, but
2. The Thieves' Retreat requires a DC10 Dexterity (Athletics or
A craggy cave bisected by a fast-flowing stream, Acrobatics) check during combat.
with the eastern half being dotted with large Encounters
rocks. A stone slab acts as a bridge the leads to Ten Violet Fungus are scattered about the
an exit on the northern wall. chamber. Four are in the pool, and six are on
A pair of lit torches are propped up on the solid ground.
western wall, illuminating any adventurers that Shortly after the adventurers enter the
enter in bright light. The rest of the room is chamber a large gas bubble emerges from the
shrouded in darkness.
water with a plopping noise. As it disperses all
adventurers within 10 ft. of the pool must make
a DC14 Constitution save against poison or begin GANTZ
Medium humanoid (Human), Chaotic Good
hallucinating. This save can be repeated at the
end of an adventurer's turn, with all effects Armor Class 15 (leather)
ending on successful save. Hit Points 55 (10d8 + 10)
You may decide the nature of the Speed 30 ft.
hallucinations yourself or use the table below. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
10 (+0) 17 (+3) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) 14 (+2) 16 (+3)
At the beginning of each round roll a d6. On
a result of one, the pool emits another gas Skills Deception +5, Insight +4, Perception +6,
bubble. Persuasion +5, Sleight of Hand +5, Stealth +5

4. Gantz's Workshop Senses passive Perception 16

Languages Common, Thieves’ Cant
The path from the Cave of Spores climbs Challenge 2 (400 XP)
upwards until it opens onto a wide, low-
Cunning Action. On each of his turns, Gantz can use a
ceilinged chamber. Sections of wall have been bonus action to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide
shaped into shelves and storage areas, but the action.
work seems to have been carried out long ago. Sneak Attack (1/Turn). Gantz deals an extra 10 (3d6)
A stream runs along the eastern portion of damage when he hits a target with a weapon attack and
has advantage on the attack roll, or when the target is
the room. Rotten food lies discarded along its within 5 feet of an ally that isn't incapacitated and he
banks and a thick film of scum has formed at doesn't have disadvantage on the attack roll.
the point where it disappears into the southern
ACTIONS
wall. Multiattack. Gantz makes two Shortsword or Hand
To the rear of the chamber stand several lit Crossbow attacks.
torches. Behind them the adventurers can see Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
what appears to be a mass of fruit and one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage.
vegetables suspended in the air. This is actually Hand Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit,
range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing
a Gelatinous Cube that Gantz has been using as damage.
a test subject for the food produced by the Horn.
One of the stone slabs set into the western
wall is lit with several candles. It holds a number The thief has just completed his repairs. He
of thick books and arcane tools, as well as the appears to be calm and relaxed, though a DC15
Horn of Plenty. Wisdom (Insight) check will reveal a glint of
Any adventurer with knowledge of alchemy madness in his eyes.
or proficient in Arcana would recognise that Gantz is happy to chat to the adventurers.
both books and tools are very expensive, He firmly believes that he is in the right and is
estimating their cost at around 500gp. confident that he can talk them round to his
Encounters way of thinking. He admits to being a thief
Gantz sits by the Horn. He wears brass-rimmed before becoming a farmer, and claims that his
goggles on his head, which adventurers may entire life has been a struggle against the selfish,
recognise as Goggles of Night. inconsiderate elite - like the leaders of the
Growers' Concern.

D6 Hallucination Penalty
Any non-poisoned adventurers are Does not treat non-poisoned adventurers as allies
1 changelings, mimics or some other kind of for the purposes of sneak attack, etc, and cannot
impostor willingly be the target of their spells and abilities.
2 The water in the pool is solid ground None
The growths of violet fungus are some
3 Cannot willingly attack or harm violet fungus
friend, loved one or ally

4 They are stood on the ceiling Must pass a DC14 Wisdom save before moving

Their weapon or spellcasting focus has

5 Must drop their main weapon or spellcasting focus
transformed into a dangerous creature.

Their teeth, fingernails and horns (if All attack rolls, skill checks and saving throws are
6 applicable) are falling out made with disadvantage
 If questioned about the rotten food being
dumped in the stream, Gantz admits that he Horn of Plenty (Damaged)
didn't want to bother testing the obviously
spoiled food on his cube. WONDROUS ITEM, LEGENDARY
He will allow an adventurer to examine the This wondrous item has ten charges. While
repaired horn, though he is paranoid and wary holding the Horn of Plenty you may expend
of any tricks. one charge to produce enough fruit and
A DC 13 Intelligence (Arcana) check reveals vegetables to feel 50 people for one day.
that a crack running across the rim of the horn The Horn of Plenty regains all spent charges
has indeed been repaired, but it is unclear at dawn.
whether the work will hold for long. A result of Defect: Each time the Horn of Plenty is used roll
16 or more allows them to estimate that the horn a D100. On the result of a 1, the Horn of Plenty
has a roughly 1% chance of permanently failing explodes, showering rotten fruit and vegetables
each time it's used. within a 10 ft. radius.
If a fight breaks out Gantz extinguishes the
candles on his desk, kicks over the torch and
dons his goggles of night. With no fire to hold it
back the gelatinous cube attacks.
Credits & Legal
Author: R.M. Jansen-Parkes
Gantz knows how the gelatinous cube acts
Art: Supplied by Adobe Stock Images. Cover by
and tries to avoid being its closest target. He Grandfailure.
focuses his attacks on creatures who cannot see Maps: Designed by R.M. Jansen-Parkes using
in the dark, which provides him with advantage. Campaign Cartographer 3

Completing the Playtesters: Lauren Jansen-Parkes, Fran Lane, Dr. Emily

Temple, and the folks at Spaghetti ConJunction 3A
Adventure Legal: DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the
Coast, Forgotten Realms, Ravenloft, Eberron, the dragon
The adventure can finish in several different ampersand, Ravnica and all other Wizards of the Coast
product names, and their respective logos are
ways, depending who the party chooses to trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other
support and what they do with the Horn. A few countries.
more likely scenarios are described below. This work contains material that is copyright Wizards of
If the adventurers finish their job and the Coast and/or other authors. Such material is used
with permission under the Community Content
hand back the damaged Horn the Growers Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild.
Concern happily pays them. If Gantz remains All other original material in this work is copyright 2019
alive they speak with with passes for local law by R.M. Jansen-Parkes and published under the
enforcement and hand him over for a lengthy Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters
prison sentence, while any surviving farmers Guild.
are fined and sent home.
If the adventurers side with Gantz and
support his use of the Horn the Growers
Concern refuse to pay (obviously). Gantz freely
supplies food to anyone who needs it, but within
a few months it fails. Whether this causes unrest
or other consequences is up to the GM.
If the adventurers attempt to broker a
compromise between Gantz and the Growers
Concern they will need to think up a persuasive
argument that can bring both sides to the table.
This may include a provision for the Horn to be
used in emergencies only - though who defines
an emergency will be a controversial issue.
Any other results will require some
improvisation from the GM.

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