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Bad
   D

Apples
ips or the Game Master

• Tis is your  dungeon
 dungeon adventure. I you don’t like how some- • Tis adventure will work best when you take the time to read
thing works, change it. I you think an item or NPC  rom through the packet first, so you’re amiliar with everything
your campaign world works better than an item or NPC that’s going on. Sometimes the monsters that lie in wait to
presented here, make the switch. I a puzzle is too hard or an ambush the party, traps that are hidden rom sight, or the
encounter is too easy
e asy,, drop some hints or add some monsters clues to a puzzle may be glossed over i you’re not prepared.
- do whatever is best or your game. You’re the master o your
gaming world, this packet is just a guide to help you. It will • Te goal o each adventure is to give the party enough
present hints and opportunities or you to customize, but experience points to advance one level. Tis depends on a
ultimately everything is up to you
to  you.. You don’t need permission lot o things however - the party
par ty needs to complete most o
  s to break the mold. the encounters and be o the approp
appropriate
riate size and level or
  e
   l that to work out. Ultimately, you might want to go without
  p• Te encounters listed within this packet were designed by experience points altogether
a ltogether,, and simply allow the players to
  p the book - but by the book isn’t
isn’t always the most practical or advance to the next level once they’re finished the dungeon.
   A every party
par ty o adventurers. You
You may need to give a monster Tis means a lot less record-keeping on you part!
   d ewer hit points, udge some dice rolls, or just plain ignore
  a some o the rules i you think an encounter is a risk o killing • Te ultimate
ultimate goal is to have un! I you’
you’re
re having
having un while
   B the entire party. playing, then you’re playing correctly.

Copyright © 2016 Dan Coleman. Tis Dungeons on Demand  product

 product is published through the Open Gaming License. See the License sec tion or complete details.

 2
Contents

Background & Inormation.............................................................................................................................. 4

Adventure Hooks............................................................................................................................................... 5
Overview Map ................................................................................................................................................... 6
Prelude ................................................................................................................................................................ 7
Encounters.......................................................................................................................................................... 8
Epilogue .............................................................................................................................................................. 17
Appendix A: New Monsters & NPCs.............................................................................................................. 18
License ................................................................................................................................................................ 19

3
   d What is an Adventure Short?  Adventure Background
  n
  a An adventure short  is a different ormat or Dungeons on Demand  Te party has arrived in [own] to find it in the midst o
  madventures. Each short is intended to supply enough content preparing or the harvest estival, the most important and
  e or a single gaming session. Unlike other Dungeons on Demand  anticipated celebration o the year!
   Dadventures, the encounters in an adventure short may not provide
  nenough experience or each player character to gain a level. Fewer Citizens and businesses are decorating their houses and shops
   Obackground details are provided, encouraging Game Masters to with all the trappings o the estival. Banners o cornhusks and
  s ully tailor an adventure short to their game worlds. twine adorn doorways. Pumpkins, carved with wicked aces, stare
  n
  o Bad Apples is designed or a party o 4 to 5 3rd-level adventurers. I rom windowsills. Everywhere, children can be seen building
  e strawmen and making costumes. Everything is in place… with
  g your game has more or ewer players, you can adjust the number o one exception. Te delivery o this year’s cider rom the remote
  nmonsters present in each encounter to fit the proper difficulty.
  u apple orchard is inexplicably late ! Te cider is the most important
   D part o the estival; without it, the celebration simply will not be
the same.
···
Residents o [own]  are beginning to worry. Newton ell , the
“The harvest fesval without eccentric, middle-aged man that runs the cider mill, should have
the cider will be like g puddin’ sent or help gathering apples or the cider by now. Te estival is
 just a ew short weeks away, and it’ll take that long or the cider to
without the gs.”  erment to just the right flavor. o make matters worse, the roads
to the orchard have been overrun with bandits lately. Everyone
··· wants to get the cider delivered in time or the estival, but no one
wants to risk the trip there to get it.
Preparing to run Bad Apples Anxiety has reached the point where local authorities are
Consider the ollowing when preparing to run the Bad Apples beginning to take matters into their own hands. Tey’re prepared
adventure short. to approach able-bodied men and women, those armed and
Character Level. Tis adventure short is designed or parties o willing to make the trek to the apple orchard, offering to pay upon
3  to 4th level characters, and assumes there are our players in the
rd
returning with enough cider to ensure the estival goes off without
party. I you have more or ewer players, or i the characters are a hitch.
o a higher or lower level, you can alter the statistics or number
o monsters present in the combat encounters to adjust each
encounter’s difficulty.
Playing ime. It should take approximately 4 – 6 hours to Game Master Inormation
complete this adventure short. Playing time will vary, depending Te ollowing inormation and developments are important or
upon how many players you have and how quickly the party the Game Master to know beore beginning play.
finishes the combat encounters.  Newton ell. Te mill owner, Newton ell, is dead, slain by
[own]. It’s assumed that the party receives adventure hooks bandits days ago. Te bandits considered his orchard to be an
or Bad Apples rom NPCs in a city or town, reerred to in the ideal hideout, and murdered the poor man while he was picking
adventure as [own] . It’s up to the GM to fill in the details o the apples. His spirit rose as a poltergeist, lef in anguish at the
unknown town, giving it a name and filling it with flavor and thought that [own] will be without its beloved cider or the
NPCs. Alternatively, the GM can simply fill in with an already harvest estival. Now the poltergeist haunts the cider mill.
existing city or town in his or her game world or this location. Te Orchard. Something else transpired when Newton ell
Harvest Festival. Te adventure revolves around retrieving was murdered. Te entire orchard has been transormed into a
cider rom a haunted orchard quickly to ensure it’s ready or the dismal place. A dark shroud hangs over it, making it gray and
upcoming harvest estival. Te name o the estival, and when dreary even on the brightest o days. Some trees have uprooted
exactly it is set to take place, is up to you to de cide. themselves, stalking the orchard and dropping malicious apple
 NPCs. No named NPCs are provided in this adventure, though blights. Te strawmen that decorated the orchard have come to
  s several are reerenced. You might want to have a ew names handy lie, attacking all they see.
  e to use or the names o authority figures and commoners in
   l Bandits. Te bandits that came here to seek reuge have either
  p[own], bandits, and other NPCs you may insert along the way. been slain by the creatures animated in the orchard, or have fled
  p Orchard Location. It’s assumed that the orchard is located in this place as quickly as they could.
   Aa relatively remote area, close enough to [own] that a trip there  Alchemist . Newton ell dabbled in alchemy, an occupation that
   d normally is manageable, but is now too ar with the threat o benefitted rom the solitude afforded by his lie on the orchard.
  a bandits along the route. You can come up with a precise location Tere are a ew people in town who know about ell’s work
   Bthat best fits your campaign. Ideally, it should take at least a day outside o making cider. I you’re using the Sensitive Ingredients
or the party to travel between [own]  and the orchard. Te adventure hook, the party is aware o this beore they go to the
orchard is depicted and described in the adventure as occupying adventure site.
an area within a nearby wood.

 4 Background & Information

 “Here, here! A strong group of adventurers, this is just the sort of folk I
need. Listen well...” 
Adventure Hooks
You can use the ollowing adventure hooks in addition to any you
may come up with yoursel. Te italicized text afer e ach hook can
be read aloud to the players as dialogue or an NPC delivering the
hook to the party or party member.
Casks of Cider  discover the poisonous reagents and will start snooping around
[own] must have its cider or the harvest estival! Te local
magistrate is offering a reward o 50 gold pieces per cask o cider
delivered. It will take at least 10 casks to satisy the town’s needs
or the celebration.
“Here, here! A strong group o adventurers, this is just the sort
o olk I need. Listen well. Te harvest estival is only a couple
o weeks away, and we haven’t heard high nor low rom Mister
ell in months. His orchard isn’t ar rom here, and he should
have sent word to the townsolk or assistance harvesting the
apples by now. It’s probably nothing, I’m sure, but there’s been
one too many bandit attacks along the road or me to just
dismiss it. Either, the man can’t get word to us because the
roads aren’t sae or, well, he can’t get word to us or… other
reasons. We used nearly ten ull casks o cider last year. I you’re
willing to head to the orchard and return with as many, I’ll
supply you with a wagon and two strong horses. I’ll pay you 50
 gold coins per cask . Do we have a deal?”  back. Should be in a blue bottle marked “Adder ongue.” I you
I the party accepts the offer, they’re given a wagon and two draf
horses as promised.
Sensitive Ingredients
Newton ell’s silence is troubling to a particular NPC in [own] .
Te NPC is aware that ell is an amateur alchemist, and had
supplied some “sensitive” ingredients to him in the not too distant
past. Te NPC is worried that anyone going to the mill will
town looking or their source. He or she is willing to pay the party
400 gold pieces to find out what’s happened to ell, and return
with these materials.
“Look, the cider’s all well-and-good and all, but that wasn’t
the only thing the man did. I have it on good authority he
was, let’s say, a “budding,” alchemist, and I may or may not
have sold him a ew ingredients that were, well, less than legal
around here. I thought he may have just had a rat problem or
something, honest, I wouldn’t deal in poisons to a hal-cocked
man. Anyway, I know you’re understanding, but some olk
‘round here might not be patient so as I could explain, and
i adventurers are heading there, well then there’s going to
be noses in business where noses don’t belong. Wouldn’t take
a turn o a day or people to start looking my way and then
 people will start doing rash things. Let’s make this simple. I can
 pay you 400 gold i you find the poison I sold him and bring it
do find it… uh… don’t mix it up with any o your canteens.” 
Adventure Hooks 5
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   A
   d 1 square = 5 eet
  a
   B
Hostile Creature(s) Plot Driver reasure Puzzle

6 Overview Map
Prelude: Beginning the Adventure
Te orchard is gated off, approached by a path leading west
through the woods. When the party first comes upon the orchard,
Heading to the Orchard
you can read the ollowing aloud to the players.
Once the party is aware o the situation, and has investigated
as much as they can in [own] , they can head to the orchard
to find out what has happened to Newton ell and the delayed
delivery o cider.
Bring a Wagon!
I the party attempts to leave or the mill without a wagon in tow,
a concerned citizen will inorm them that they’ll need something
to help carry the casks o cider back . Locals know Newton ell
owns a wagon, but there’s no telling what’s become o it or him. I
When the party reaches this point you can begin the adventure at
you’re using the Casks o Cider  adventure hook, the party is issued
Area A.
a wagon and a pair o draf horses. Otherwise, these items can be
acquired or their listed prices in the PHB rom local vendors.
Optional Encounter: Bandits on the Way 
At your discretion, a group o bandits can ambush the party as
they travel urther rom [own] and draw closer to the orchard.
You can use the ollowing hostile creatures and rea d aloud text or
the encounter.
Hostile Creatures: bandits
6 bandits (MM  pg. 343) 150 XP
1 bandit captain (MM  pg. 344) 450 XP
 Autumn has painted the woods in yellows, browns, and
oranges, the orest canopy bursting with color as leaves around
 you casually float to the ground. Detritus on the ground gives a
satisying snap beneath your boots as you trod over it.
 A high-pitched whiz grabs your attention, as something
suddenly rockets past you. Your head turns to see a crossbow
bolt buried into the trunk o a tree behind you. From up ahead
a man wearing leather armor and holding a crossbow steps out
onto the path rom behind the oliage.
“I ain’t hadta miss, ya know,” he says, revealing a mouth with
a checkerboard smile. “Now put down yer arms and anything
o value on the ground in ront o yous, or else my pals here’ll
show ya how good a shot we really is.”  to judge? Te man makes a good drink and I can’t blame him
 Another bandit steps out rom behind the brush, then another,
and another…
Te bandits only intend to rob the party, but i the players
respond aggressively, they’ll attack them. Tese bandits have fled
the orchard though, and are cowards. I any are reduced to hal
their total hit points or ewer, they’ll attempt to flee. I captured
and interrogated, the bandits tell the party the orchard they’re
traveling to is haunted, though they do not admit to murdering
Newton ell.
Each bandit carries 3 electrum pieces. Te bandit captain has 6
gold pieces and 12 electrum pieces.
Approaching the Orchard
Te path you’re traveling eases a bit, and it eventually yields to
a clearing. You see the orchard, just beyond a wooden bridge,
which crosses a small stream that cuts through the orest. You
can immediately tell something is wrong. A pall hangs over this
 place, like a dark curtain covering a painting. A wind picks up
to make the trees sway. A pair o crows fly overhead, landing on
the orchard’s rickety ence.
 � Gossip �
You can use the ollowing lines o dialogue or various NPCs
in [own] regarding the events at hand.
Regarding the missing cider…
“Te harvest estival won’t be the same without the cider! Each
 year the man at the mill invites us to the orchard to pick apples—
oh the place is all done up with strawmen and pumpkins, with
apples everywhere, it’s so lovely. Whatever is holding up Mister
ell has got me worried.” 
Regarding the harvest estival…
“You must be new ‘round these parts, I’m guessin’? Te harvest
 estival is only the biggest to-do this place sees all year. Games,
dancin’, costumes, and all the ood you could eat. ‘Course
 pourin’ the cider is the main event, which is why everyone’s in
such a mood o late. Te harvest estival without the cider will
be like fig puddin’ without the figs.”
Regarding Newton ell…
“You mean the man that lives on the orchard? He’s a… unny
little man, to put it politely. Not terribly old, but up there in
 years and perhaps a little off his rocker already—but who am I
 or being a little off, especially considerin’ he lives by himsel
most o the year without another soul to keep him company.” 
“Yeah, I know the old coot that lives by himsel in the cider mill.
Rumor is he’s a bit o a wizard or something, all the better he stays
where he’s at. Only good thing he does is bring the cider round
once a year or the estival, and he hasn’t even done that yet.” 
Regarding the bandits…
“Yeah, it’s true, and you adventurin’ olks best be warned about
it too. Cutthroats be livin’ in the woods, raidin’ travelers and
makin’ off with their valuables. Te bandits have already knied
a share o those without their wits who tried to end ‘em off. I
 you run into any o these scoundrels, best give ‘em your coins
and leave with your lives, i you ask me.” 

Prelude: Beginning the Adventure 7

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System Reference Document 5.0

Copyright 2016, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Mike
Mearls, Jeremy Crawford, Chris Perkins, Rodney Thompson,
Peter Lee, James Wyatt, Robert J. Schwalb, Bruce R. Cordell,
Chris Sims, and Steve Townshend, based on original mate -
  s rial by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
  e
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  p Bad Apples
  p
   ACopyright © 2016 Dan Coleman
   d END OF LICENSE
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 20 License