Introduction
Signs of madness is solo adventure that takes place in the royal court of Corodill, the capital of Thortmere, and by the end of this adventure the player could potentially gain access to the Tome of Fey Secrets, a cursed book full of forbidden spells that slowly drives its owner insane. This book contains spells that trifle with the subject’s mind, as listed in Appendix B. This adventure is intended for one character of 5th level or higher.
Adventure Background
In the past few months, numerous the people of the court of Sun Rock Castle have been executed for treason. One of them was lord Oderus Fritston, a beloved member of the court who was allegedly conspiring against the king. His wife Minara still can’t believe that it’s true. She refuses to believe that her husband, the man she knew and loved, would do such a terribly stupid thing. It wasn’t just that she missed him, the idea of him conspiring against the king is outright preposterous to her. Of course, she accepted the king’s decision to execute her husband and didn’t confront him about it. That would be suicide. But she is determined to get to the root of this and find out what had actually happened.
Running the Adventure
Signs of Madness is a mystery adventure intended for one player one DM. This adventure assumes the PC is a member of the royal court of Corodill in Thortmere, but it can take place in any royal court. If you do decide to run this adventure in a different setting or a different place, some NPCs introduced in this adventure may or may not be relevant to you. You may modify existing or use different NPCs to run this adventure.
Before starting this adventure, ensure that the player is an accepted member of the royal court of Sun Rock Castle (or any royal court you choose to set this adventure in), or alternatively, that they have been granted entry through favors or successfully completing bounties and missions for the crown. Alternatively, you may have the player create a brand new character for the purposes of this adventure.
Backgrounds
A number of pre-made backgrounds are provided for the player to choose from, but you may use any background that makes sense within the context of the adventure and make adjustments as necessary.
The Court Auditor’s Assistant
The player was initially the court auditor’s assistant, helping Oderus Fritston to process records related to royal investigations, transcripts of meetings, and legal documents. They’d spend long hours reading, copying, and indexing these documents that few others in the court have ever touched. Their task was to process arrest warrants, interrogation records, confessions, witness statements, and execution orders after the fact, often days and weeks after the events themselves. They were expected to notice any inconsistencies and report them to Oderus, and to prepare the documents for his review, arranging them chronologically and flagging any important or missing details.
After the
Part 1: An Unjustified Execution
“I had never seem him like this. He was so sure that the king was after him for some reason and he told me that the only way to get out of this was to escape the castle. I don’t know what had got into him, but it wasn’t the Oderus I knew. He didn’t tell me the real reason he thought he was under investigation, only these signs; like, the way that the king looked at him, masked threats within the documents he received, coded messages he overheard around the court. He was completely paranoid. Delusional, even. He told me he noticed a pattern in recent executions. Courtiers acting paranoid all of a sudden prompting investigations and interrogations. Very little evidence, if at all. Strange confessions that seemed out of character. It’s the same thing that happened to him.”
Appendix A
Mirtenville
Mirtenville is a small village near Harkstone around the center of Thortmere. It’s snowy in the winter and still a bit rainy in the summer, creating a nurturing ground for crops most of the year.
Jasper Middlewood
Jasper is the spymaster’s assistant in the court of Sun Rock Castle. He is a strange individual who seems constantly on edge, always muttering to himself and getting lost in thought, but he’s useful to king Krad. He is a fey sorcerer by trade, his magical powers originate from a secret interaction with the fey in his early life. When he was younger, he was romantically involved with a wood faery called Sypharia from a forest near Mirtenville, the village in which he grew up. She tricked him into saying that his heart belongs to her and her only, and then she disappeared. Shortly thereafter, he found that he could manifest magic when he thought of her. His eyes would well up with silvery tears of longing and he could affect simple spells. As his heartache grew more and more unbearable, his powers became stronger.
Word has begun to spread: the son of a farmer had somehow acquired sorcerous powers. Nobody knew how–Jasper refused to tell the full story; he still yearned for Sypharia, missing her presence and grace. The king’s spymaster dispatched a carriage to Mirtenville. A sorcerer from a common bloodline was rare–and dangerous. He was brought in for questioning disguised as a feast in his honor. During the feast he was subtly interrogated by the spymaster, the king and his advisor, the court wizard, the high cleric who casted zone of truth 2nd Level (Enchantment)
You create a magical zone that guards against deception in a 15-foot-radius sphere centered on a point of your choice within range. , and the captain of the royal guard. They wanted to find out how he got his powers, whether or not he was a threat, and if he could be useful to them. He revealed that his powers come from the feywild but remained evasive around the topic of Sypharia. After the meal he was offered a room for the night. The king and his court had decided that it’s best to keep him close, so they offered him a position as the spymaster’s assistant.
One night at the court garden, Sypharia returned with a gift, a magical tome (See Tome of Fey Secrets) from somewhere in the feywild. She refused to say how and where she got it, but she wanted Jasper to keep it for her until she returned to take it back. They kissed and she disappeared again, without a trace. Jasper spent a lot of time with the book. It was in Sylvan, which he learned to speak and read from the time he spent with Sypharia. Over time, he discovered the secrets hidden within the tome and learned the strange spells it has to offer. He didn’t realize how it slowly started driving him insane.
Ever since, he’s been secretly using spells from the tome in order to subtly sow confusion and chaos in the court. The tome has been telling him things, feeding him tales of his greatness, causing him to mistrust his superiors, and encouraging him to infect others with madness. Using metamagic, he’d subtly cast spells like detect thoughts 2nd Level (Divination)
For the duration, you can read the thoughts of certain creatures. in order to find out what other courtiers are thinking, then he would cast notion 1st Level (Enchantment)
You whisper a message of twenty five words or less intended for a creature within range. or intrude thoughts 2nd Level (Enchantment)
You intrude the thoughts of a creature you can see within range. to try and plant strange ideas in their minds. On his ostensible path to the top, whenever he’d like to get rid of or neutralize another courtier, he’d use delusion 4th Level (Enchantment)
You attempt to delude another creature. to cause him or her to believe that the crown is investigating them due to suspicion of treason. They would start acting suspicious, trying too hard to prove their innocence and loyalty. Then the king would actually grow suspicious of them which would result in a real investigation. Regardless of whether the king had found anything to convict the courtier, they would lose favor and be subjected to torture. The interrogation would always end in a confession of some sort, sincere or otherwise, and an execution would follow.
Armor Class 16 (Mage Armor)
Hit Points 32 (7d6 + 7)
Speed walk 30 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON |
| 11 (0) | 17 (+3) | 12 (+1) |
| INT | WIS | CHA |
| 11 (0) | 13 (+1) | 15 (+2) |
Saving Throws CON +4, CHA +6
Skills Arcana +3, Deception +6
Damage Vulnerabilities Psychic
Senses Passive Perception 11
Languages Common, Sylvan
Challenge 4 (1100 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +3
Traits
Fey Mind. Jasper has advantage on saving throws made to avoid or end the Charm condition, and magic can’t put him to sleep.
Heightened Spell (2/day). When a spell cast by Jasper forces a target to make a saving throw to resist its effects, he may cause one target to have disadvantage on its first saving throw made against the spell.
Subtle Spell (1/day). When Jasper casts a spell, he may cast it without any verbal or somatic components.
Bonus Actions
Artful Magic. Immediately before or after Jasper casts a spell of 1st level or higher (that he can’t cast at will), he can use his bonus action to teleport up to 15 feet to an unoccupied space he can see.
Hide and Seek. Immediately after Jasper casts a spell of 1st level or higher (that he can’t cast at will), he can use his bonus action to become invisible for 1 minute, or until he attacks or casts a spell.
Misty Step (2/day). Jasper casts Misty Step, using the same spellcasting ability as Spellcasting.
Actions
Multiattack. Jasper makes one Psychic Strike and casts Momentary Madness if available.
Psychic Strike. Wisdom Saving Throw: DC 16, one creature within 90 feet. Failure: 12 (2d6 + 5) Psychic damage.
Momentary Madness (Recharge 5-6). Wisdom Saving Throw: DC 16, one creature within 60 feet. Failure: The target has the Charmed condition for 1 round. While charmed in this way, the target’s eyes glow a sickly shade of purple. The charmed target must use its action before or after moving to make a melee attack against a creature other than itself that Jasper mentally chooses. If Jasper chooses no creature or if none are within the charmed target’s reach, it acts normally.
Spellcasting. Jasper casts one of the following spells, using Charisma as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 16, +8 to hit with spell attacks):
At will: dancing lights, mage armor (included in AC), mage hand, message, notion, prestidigitation
2/day each: fog cloud, fly
1/day each: blink, dimension door, invisibility
Silvery tears slowly come down from Jasper’s eyes whenever he casts a spell or uses a magical ability.
Reactions
Shield (2/day). Jasper casts shield in response to the spell’s trigger, using the same spellcasting ability as Spellcasting.
Oderus Fritston
Lord Oderus Fritston was the court auditor in Sun Rock Castle. He was the person who ensured that the crown’s laws and procedures are exercised properly and cleanly. He didn’t initiate arrests or inquiries, but examined completed investigations for procedural irregularities. This had made him a threat to Jasper, as he started noticing a pattern in the recent executions: the subjects started acting paranoid for no apparent reason, there was very little physical evidence if at all, and the confessions didn’t make sense. Jasper had learned this through the detect thoughts 2nd Level (Divination)
For the duration, you can read the thoughts of certain creatures. spell, before Oderus had the chance to talk to anyone about it. He then casted delusion 4th Level (Enchantment)
You attempt to delude another creature. on him and made him believe that the king has already started investigating him as well, and he is convinced that Oderus is conspiring against him. Without realizing that he’s repeating the pattern that he’d just figured out, he started compulsively searching for hidden signs that he’s being investigated in the documents he received, the way the king talked to and looked at him, and parts of overheard conversations around the court.
Oderus knew that the investigation could only end in one way, so he decided to try and make an escape. He told his wife, Minara, that it’s not safe for him at the court anymore and they have to leave. She refused to come with him without an explanation, so he told her that the king is convinced that Oderus is conspiring against him and has started an investigation. She asked how does he know that he’s being investigated and how does he know what the king is thinking, and he listed the many signs he noticed that confirm his suspicions. He told her that these investigations always end in torture and an execution, and that he has to leave the court before that happens. He didn’t want to endanger Minara so he told her to meet him the next morning at Mince & Hops tavern, where he had trusted friends who would let him hide there. Unfortunately, he got caught when he tried to exit the castle in the middle of the night, and an interrogation ensued. He was executed the next morning.
Appendix B
Tome of Fey Secrets
This book contains forbidden knowledge of spells and incantations that mess with the subjects’ minds. The contents of this book are written in Sylvan. If you are a spellcaster and spend 24 hours over a period of 6 days of fewer studying the book’s contents and practicing its guidelines, you can attune to it.
While attuned to this book, you can use it as a spellcasting focus, and you gain a +3 bonus to spell attack rolls and to the saving throw DC of your spells. You also know the following spells and can cast them using any spell slots you have:
| Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | Hideous Laughter , Momentary Madness , Notion |
| 2nd | Intrude Thoughts , Searing Pain , Suggestion |
| 3rd | Fear , Mistrust , Voices |
| 4th | Delusion , Paranoia , Phantasmal Killer |
| 5th | Control Thoughts , Geas , Modify Memory |
| 6th | Delirious Whispers , Irresistible Dance , Mass Suggestion |
| 7th | Switch Minds |
| 8th | Dominate Thoughts , Feeblemind |
| 9th | Delirium |
Curse. This tome is cursed. Attuning to it curses you until you are targeted by a Remove Curse 3rd Level (Abjuration)
At your touch, all curses affecting one creature or object end. spell or similar magic. While cursed, you have vulnerability to psychic damage.
Whenever a creature successfully succeeds an Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma saving throw against a spell you cast, make a Wisdom saving throw against your own spell save DC. On failure, you take 1d4 psychic damage and roll a d12 to determine the side effects from the Side Effects Table:
| d12 | Side Effect |
|---|---|
| 1 | You feel a terrible sharp pain in your head. |
| 2 | You hear unintelligible whispers behind you until you turn around. When you do, you see a monster that disappears the next time you blink. |
| 3 | A sudden scream echoes in your head for a few seconds. |
| 4 | You feel something brushing against your arm, but nothing is there. |
| 5 | You hear a voice whisper your name behind you. |
| 6 | Your skin prickles as if insects are crawling over it. |
| 7 | You feel a cold breath against your neck. |
| 8 | You hear whispers in a language you don’t know. |
| 9 | You feel your hair being tugged lightly. |
| 10 | You can’t breathe for a few seconds. |
| 11 | You feel a hand resting on your shoulder, but if you turn to look nothing is there. |
| 12 | You hear the ticking of a clock in the back of your head. |
In addition, once you attune to this tome:
- You start hearing voices originating from the tome, whispers telling you strange things, warning you of dangers that aren’t there, turning you against your allies, telling you that you’re meant for great things.
- You start seeing hallucinations, monsters at your peripheral vision, people that disappear at a blink of an eye, insects that turn out to be smudges on the wall.
- Other people seem to look at you strangely, eying you carefully and suspiciously, with glances of disdain.
Momentary Madness
| Level | School | Range / Area | Components |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Level | Enchantment | 60 ft | V, S, M * |
| Duration | Casting Time | Attack / Save | Damage |
| 1 Round | 1 Action | WIS Save | Charmed |
One humanoid of your choice that you can see within range must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become charmed by you for the duration.
While charmed in this way, the target’s eyes glow a sickly shade of purple. The charmed target must use its action before or after moving to make a melee attack against a creature other than itself that you mentally choose. If you choose no creature or if none are within its reach, the charmed target acts normally.
At higher levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, you can target one additional creature for each slot level above 1st.
* - (a gold coin.)
Notion
| Level | School | Range / Area | Components |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Level | Enchantment | 120 ft | V, M * |
| Duration | Casting Time | Attack / Save | Damage |
| 1 Round | 1 Action | WIS Save | None |
You whisper a message of twenty five words or less intended for a creature within range. The target (and only the target) hears the message but doesn’t recognize you as the source. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On failure, it believes the message is a spontaneous thought that occurred to it in its mind. If the target is not another player, the DM decides the consequences of the message. If the message is unreasonable, the target will dismiss it.
You can cast this spell through solid objects if you are familiar with the target and know it is beyond the barrier. Magical silence, 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood blocks the spell. The spell doesn’t have to follow a straight line and can travel freely around corners or through openings.
* - (a small seed of mustard.)
Intrude Thoughts
| Level | School | Range / Area | Components |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd Level | Enchantment | 30 ft | V, S, M * |
| Duration | Casting Time | Attack / Save | Damage |
| 1 Minute | 1 Action | WIS Save | None |
You intrude the thoughts of a creature you can see within range. If the target has an Intelligence of 3 or lower, it is unaffected. When you cast this spell and on each of your turns for the duration, you can use your action speak in the target’s thoughts if you know a language it understands. You can also use your action to force it to imagine what you are imagining.
The target is not initially aware of your presence in its mind, but it becomes aware of it if the content of your thoughts or imagination conflicts with its own, contradicts strongly held beliefs, or is inconsistent with its knowledge. If the target is or becomes unwilling, it makes a Wisdom saving throw. If it succeeds, the spell ends.
* - (a small needle, which must pierce into the flesh of the caster just deep enough to draw blood.)
Voices
| Level | School | Range / Area | Components |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3rd Level | Enchantment | 120 ft | V, S |
| Duration | Casting Time | Attack / Save | Damage |
| 1 Hour | 1 Action | WIS Save | None |
A creature you choose starts hallucinating voices for the duration. The target must make an Wisdom saving throw. On failure, it hears strange voices telling it what you decide for the duration. The voices seem to originate somewhere from the target’s surroundings, but it can never quite find the origin point. If the target is not a player, the DM decides how the voices affect the target and if it listens to them.
At higher levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 6th level or higher, it lasts until dispelled if you concentrate on it for the full duration. A remove curse or greater restoration spell cast on the target ends the lasting effects of this spell.
Delusion
| Level | School | Range / Area | Components |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4th Level | Enchantment | 30 ft | V |
| Duration | Casting Time | Attack / Save | Damage |
| 1 Minute | 1 Action | WIS Save | None |
You attempt to delude another creature. One creature you can see must make a Wisdom saving throw. If you are fighting the creature, it has advantage on the saving throw. On a failed save, the target will entertain the possibility of one notion you suggest. If it takes damage or is targeted by another spell before you finish, this spell ends and the target dismisses what you say.
For the duration, you can mentally describe a simple notion that is personally related to the target. It has to be realistically plausible. The target must be able to understand your language for the notion to take root. Its mind fills in any gaps in the details of your description. If the spell ends before you have finished describing this notion, the target is not deluded. Otherwise, the delusion takes hold when the spell ends.
The delusion must be personally related to the target–it is an all-important individual, someone is attempting to poison it, a friend is secretly planning to sabotage it, its partner is being unfaithful, etc. The delusion doesn’t necessarily affect how the target behaves, but it’s fiercely convinced that it’s true.
When presented with contrary evidence, the target repeats the saving throw. On success, the delusion ends. A remove curse or greater restoration spell cast on the target also ends the delusion. Although, the target may not necessarily remember the source of it.