Mini-Dungeon #143: Enchantment by the Sea

Mini-Dungeon for 4–6 characters of level 3.

A Beautiful Place to Disappear

In the enchanted isles, sailors sometimes vanish without a trace. Some are believed to have abandoned the hardships of life at sea for an island paradise. Others are said to have fallen prey to creatures beneath the waves or deep within the jungle.

Sometimes the truth is a little of both.

A secluded tropical bay appears peaceful enough, with clear water, bright sand, and three captivating fey named Lawa, Paga, and Pulu. They invite newly arrived travelers to rest, play, and share fresh fruit beneath the coconut palms.

Their welcome is carefully rehearsed. Guests who surrender to the island’s charms may awaken bound and awaiting sacrifice in a hidden shrine beyond the beach.

When Hospitality Becomes a Trap

Enchantment by the Sea rewards characters who pay attention to their surroundings and question a welcome that seems too perfect. They may discover that the feast has been tampered with, resist attempts to charm them, or follow the trail of earlier victims into the island’s caves.

Even capture does not have to end the adventure. A party that succumbs to the fey can awaken as prisoners and turn the encounter into an urgent escape and rescue.

Beyond the beach lies a dangerously rigged cave entrance, a spring-fed chamber, and a crude shrine dedicated to a creature believed to dwell in a nearby ocean trench. A twisted spirit of the tide hopes that continued sacrifices will earn the creature’s favor, while another presence lingers near the prisoners and feeds upon their fear.

The characters must locate the missing sailors, survive the shrine’s guardians, and escape before another offering is made.

Easy to Add to a Coastal Campaign

This compact adventure can be placed along almost any tropical coast, remote island chain, or sea route. It works equally well as a missing-person investigation, an unexpected stop during an ocean voyage, or a dangerous diversion after the characters make landfall.

Six keyed areas combine deceptive roleplaying, investigation, traps, rescue, and combat without requiring extensive preparation.

Adventure Features

• A complete coastal adventure for 4–6 characters of level 3
• A seemingly idyllic island welcome concealing a sinister purpose
• Fey enchantments, poisoned refreshments, and opportunities for investigation
• A trapped cave entrance and hidden sacrificial shrine
• Multiple paths into the adventure, including capture and escape
• Missing sailors and other prisoners awaiting rescue
• Varied supernatural threats tied to the sea and the island
• The scales of the sea, a new uncommon magic item
• Six keyed locations suitable for a single session

Included in the PDF Edition

• Mini-Dungeon PDF
• GM Maps
• Player Maps
• VTT Maps

Enhanced Edition

The Enhanced edition includes everything in the PDF edition, plus:

• Dynamic Dungeons moving maps for both the tropical beach and the shrine caves
• M4V and WebM animated-map formats for VTT or television-table play
• Five coastal audio tracks covering ambient, exploration, and combat scenes