AWild Sheep ChaseA 4th/5th Level Adventure for Dungeons & Dragons 5E

by u/TheRainyDaze

SummaryThe party’s attempt to grab a rare afternoon ofdowntime is interrupted by a frantic sheepequipped with a Scroll of Speak to Animals and afierce determination to get their attention. Withthe aid of some magic, the creature reveals itselfto be no mere beast, but a wizard who fell victimto an embittered apprentice and a stolen Wand ofTrue Polymorph.

After two years imprisioned with nothing to eatbut his own lawn, the ex-elf has escaped and is indire need of aid. Transformed assassins arelooking to grab themselves a mutton dinner,while the only object capable of restoring hisopposable thumbs lies in the hands of his formerpupil and current nemesis. Fortunately, thewooly wizard has found new allies he can relyon, right?

Can the heroes put an end to Ahmed Noke’stransmutational tyranny and restore an innocentwizard to his true form? There’s only one way tofind out...

How to Use This AdventureThe main text is divided into several distinctscenes, each covering a location, encounter ormajor plot point. These usually have severalways for the players to advance the story, but areby no means exhaustive. Other information,enemy stat blocks and notes are highlighed ingrey boxes.

This is followed by maps, detailed characterdescriptions and roleplaying notes.

While it is possible to run the game on the fly, itis recommended that you read the adventure inits entirety before starting to play.

Adventure HooksGetting the players into this adventure is prettystraight-forward. All that is requires is that theybe walking down the street in a town or citylarge enough to host a wizard. If you want toplant seeds in advance, you may wish tointroduce the character of Noke through rumorsor idle conversation with shopkeepers andinnkeepers, who view him with fear and awe.

Scene 1: Baaaa-d NewsThe game begins with the party idling away anafternoon. They might be enjoying a drink at atavern, resting at their base of operations orsimply walking down the street without a care inthe world. No matter where they are, however, itsoon becomes clear that something quite odd ishappening.

There is a sound of clattering hooves, surprisedyelps and a frantic bleating, Before the party canreact, a sheep bounds towards them. The beastappears to be a regular sheep in every way -fluffy white coat, black face, curled horns - but itis carrying and elaborate scroll in its mouth.

The sheep tries to get close to the mostmagically-gifted member of the party and wavesthe scroll at them, letting them take it shouldthey reach for it.

A wax seal purports that it is a Scroll of Speak WithAnimals (Modified). If a character says this outloud - to explain to other party members, forexample - the sheep appears to nod and bleatenthusiastically.

Should they use the scroll, all of them hear thesheep’s baaing instantly morphs into cultured,elven-accented Common, albeit with a slight hintof a bleat.

After establishing that the player can understandwhat it’s saying, the sheep introduces itself asFinethir Shinebright, a wizard in dire need ofaid. If the players are willing to listen, heexplains that he recognises them as adventurersand that he is in dire need of their aid.Specifically, he wants them to help take back anextremely powerful magical artifact from adangerous, possibly insane wizard.

He will attempt to tell his story, but shortly afterhe starts the sound of howling fills the air…

Shinebright’s StoryUntil two years ago Finethir Shinebrightowned and worked out of a tower on theoutskirts of town. He was a wizard of no smalltalent, specialising in transmutation magic. Hismost prized possession - and probably the keyto his success - was an incredibly rare Wand ofTrue Polymorph, which he used to work manywonders on behalf of local officials, nobles andmerchants.

However, one fateful night he ended from hismeditative trance to find his apprentice,Ahmed Noke, standing over him, clutching thewand. Shinebright demanded to know whatthe boy was doing, but the only noise he couldproduce was an angry ‘baaaaah’. It was alreadytoo late.

With the wand representing his only chance ofsalvation, the wizard became a virtual prisonerin his own garden. He was forced to graze onnothing but grass and buttercups while hungrywolves and other beasts - actuallypolymorphed guards - looked on.

Last night he felt hope for the first time inmany months when Noke left his homewithout closing the door. Shinebright snuck in,made his way to an old bookshelf and stole theScroll of Speak to Animals.

He then rushed into town with the scrollclenched between his teeth, and was searchingdesperately for the aura of magic that wouldindicate someone able to activate the spellwhen he found the party.

Answers to tricky questionsWhy come to us and not the authorities?Who would trust the word of a sheep over arespected and feared wizard?

Doesn’t Speak With Animals only last 10 minutes?

The scroll uses a version of the spell modified byShinebright and can last up to eight hours.

Why do you need the wand? Can’t any wizard turnyou back?

True Polymorph is a 9th level spell, so unless thetown the adventyre is set in boasts an extremelyprestigious magical university it's extremelyunlikely that anyone nearby can cast it.

GuzMedium half-orc, chaotic neutral

Armor Class 14 (leather armour)Hit Points 67 (9d8 +27)Speed 30ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA16(+3) 12(+1) 17(+3) 8(-1) 11(+0) 8(+1)

Skills Intimidation +2Senses passive perception 10Languages Common, OrcChallenge 2 (450 XP)

Reckless. Guz can choose to gain advantage onall melee weapon attacks for during his turn, butin return all attack rolls against him also haveadvantage until the start of his next turn.

ActionsWhirling Greatsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 tohit, reach 5ft., two targets. Hit: 10 (2d6+3)slashing damage.

Scene 2: Shepherds, CrooksIf the party is in public a huge Half-Orc swaggerstowards them, pushing through the crowdwithout a care for angry yells left in his wake.

If they are in their base of operations oranywhere private, he settles for violentlyhammering on the door.

He's accompanied by trio of collared wolves (MMp341) with strangely intelligent eyes and ashadowy, hulking figure that stands at least eightfeet tall wearing a dirty brown cloak.

The half-Orc, Guz, demands that he be given"Master Noke's sheep." He says it escaped, and isof great sent-ee-ment-all value to his master.Any mention of Shinebright's true nature is metwith hollow, mirthless laughter.

Guz is not a bright fellow, but he is very loyal anddetermined to complete his task. His trackersknow that Shinebright is there, no matter howwell the party tries to hide him, and he will nottake no for an answer. While he would prefer towork through violence and intimidation, he isalso willing to offer bribes and promises ofmagical favours if that looks like the best option.

If he feels like he's not making progress, Guz willsimply attack without warning. The wolves willfollow him up, while the cloaked figure will letits hood fall, revealing that it is in fact apolymorphed Brown Bear (MM p319).

Combat TacticsThe exact details of any battle that breaks outwill depend on the location. If it takes place in aninn, tables and overturned chairs litter the floor.In a street, you may wish to have frightenedpassers-by form zones of difficult terrain.

All of the beasts still have an intelligent humanmind contained within them, and actintelligently. Guz is happy to charge into thefront line and take on any heavy hittersalongside the Brown Bear.

Meanwhile the Wolves will aim to cut roundbehind the party in a bid to grab Shinebright(use the statistics of a Pony (MM p325) but withINT and WIS scores of 18 and 14 respectively.

They intend to capture Shinebright, not kill him.

After the Dust has SettledOnce Noke's goons have been defeaated,distracted or otherwise dealt with, Shinebrightpleads with the party. Without their help, he isdoomed. Noke still has many guards still workingfor him and eventually they will find him.

If they’re feeling mercenary, he reminds theparty that in his true form he is a powerful andwealthy wizard and promises great rewards. Heis more than willing to commit to deals that heknows he can't actually fulfill.

In any case, in order to turn back into hisoriginal form Shinebright needs another dose ofTrue Polymorph. Which means he needs access tohis old wand.

The sheep explains that his former apprenticestill dwells in his old home, located just to thesoutheast of town. He keeps the wand on him atall times and only leaves if he absolutely has to.

Shinebright knows his old home’s layout (seeScene 3) intimately, and is more than happy todescribe it in endless detail.

If Guz captures him, he and his allies will set offfor Noke's home. The party will have to decide ifthey follow, potentially launching a chase scene.

Scene 3: The Housein the WoodsThe path to Noke’s Tower cuts off from a mainroad a few miles out of town, darting off betwena gap in the bushes. It is a well-trodden routethat soon begins to weave its way between talloak trees

Anyone who cares to examine the path for trackswill easily see the impression of many feet andpaws, with the most fresh sets appearing tomatch up with the group led by Guz.

The track continues through sparse woodlandfor perhaps a mile without any sign ofhabitation. Unless they know what to look for,the party may be surprised bu the view thatawaits them when Shinebright's old houseappears through the treetops.

Tree HouseRather than stone or glass, Shinebrightfashioned his home from the living branches offour sturdy oak trees. These have been shapedand woven to create three thick platforms.

The lowest of these platforms is roughly 40ftacross and sits about 10ft from the ground. Theonly obvious route up is a gentle slope formed ofroots and branches that connects roughly withthe main path.

The branches that form its base are roughlybowl-shaped, and from the floor it’s possible tosee flowers and small trees growing around itsedge. The rest is forms a garden with a well-trimmed lawn ringed bisected by a stone path.

The middle platform is the largest, with adiameter of roughly 60ft. It is about 20ft abovethe ground and is fully enclosed with brancheswith a roof of woven twigs. There are around adozen evenly spaced, window-sized gaps, as wellas what appears to be a door at the point closestto the garden platform.

Entry to the platform is provided by branchesthat grow to link it with the garden platformwhen the passphrase is spoken. The passphraseis ‘Mae Tref Cathode,’ the name of Shinebright’sancestral home in a local dialect. The bridge canbe activated from both ends.

Inside it is divided up in to three sections. Onecontains a combination library and lab, one asitting room and one dining room/kitchen.Untidy bookshelves line much of the outer wallsand worktables are covered with stacks of ink-spattered notes and complicated anatomicaldiagrams of various beasts and monsters. Atnight it is warmly lit by a series of enchantedlamps set in sconces.

The final, tallest platform is roughly 30ft abovethe ground, and is accessible by another branchslope from the second platform. It is only about15ft across, and functions as a bedroom for Noke,containing little beyond a wardrobe, a largewooden bed and a cluttered dressing table.

Scattered beneath the platforms are two smallhuts, apparently also fashioned from enchantedwood, and a large outhouse. The huts containone or two beds each, a few of which areoversized, as well as the general detritus of thecommon men who occupy them.

Clever Girl...Noke is naturally paranoid and Shinebright’srecent escape hasn’t exactly improved hisoutlook. This makes luring him away from thesafety of his tower an extremely difficult task,though not an impossible one.

Noke's lust for fame and power slightlyoutweighs his fear of being unseated, for thetime being at least. This means that a very, veryskilled set of liars with a sufficiently deviousplan and a good helping of luck may be able totempt him with the offer of a particularlyprestigious, lucrative contract.

Even so, when Noke leaves he will take all of hisremaining bodyguards with him and will beextremely quick to suspect the party of betrayalif there is any hint of a double-cross.

He will, of course, have his wand to hand at alltimes. Should he be given enough time to cast it,Noke will use a charge of True Polymorph totransmute some nearby item into a Wyrmlingthat uses roughly the same stats as the BedDragon Wyrmling (see p5).

Depending on what it was made from, it may nothave the same flavour and might need to have itsresistences/vulnerabilities tweaked slightly.

Bed Dragon WyrmlingLarge dragon, chaotic neutral

Armor Class 16 (natural armour)Hit Points 70 (10d8 +20)Speed 30ft., climb 30ft., fly 30ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA19(+4) 14(+2) 17(+3) 8(-1) 8(-1) 4(-3)

Skills Perception +2, Stealth +5Senses passive perception 12Damage Vulnerabilities fireLanguagesChallenge 4 (1,100 XP)

ActionsBite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5ft.,one targets. Hit: 15 (2d10+4) piercing damage.Splinter Breath (Recharge 5-6). The Bed DragonWyrmling send out a shower of wooden splinters in a15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make aDC13 Deterity Save, taking 24 (7d6) piercing damageon a failed save, or half as much damage on asuccessful one.

Showdown?When the party arrives at the compound, there isa pair of Wolves either sleeping or playing withan oversized pair of dice on the lawn, markingscores on a slate with claws. A Brown Bear is inthe outhouse, taking care of business.

Noke will be in the central platform, workingfuriously on new spells. If he notices the party asthey approach he will order them to "return thesheep and in return I will not destroy you all."

If they talk, he will reveal his reasons for hatingShinebright and boast disjointedly of his ownachievements. He will also ask if they killed ‘myman, Guz,’ and be visibly upset if they have.Should they refuse to return Shinebright despitehis pleas, orders and attempts at bribery, he willorder his men to attack.

Combat TacticsThe most important part of this fight is Noke,who is offensively weak but can buff up his alliesdramatically. Once the Brown Bear emergesfrom the outhouse he will cast Enlarge/Reduce(PHB p237) on it in a bid to increase its damage.He will supplement his minions’ damage withRay of Frost (PHB p271) but that’s about it, as hewill focus on keeping up concentration.

The two wolves will act intelligently, dartingaround to attack casters and other weak targetswhile the bear blocks the path up towards Noke.However, the polymorphed guards are not likelyto fight to the death and will flee once they fallbelow half health.

Once it becomes clear that the fight is lost, or aplayer simply gets too close to him, Noke willcast Haste (PHB p250) or Expeditious Retreat (PHBp238) flee into the central platform, locking thedoor behind him and retracting the bridge. Hewill move to his bedroom as fast as he can andcasts True Polymorph on his bed, which is thelargest thing he can find.

Three rounds after he runs away he burst fromthe roof of his bedroom riding the Bed DragonWyrmling., a beast that looks like a dragoncarved from wood, with billowing bedsheets forwings and a tail that ends in a soft pillow. If theparty are in the main living ares he will crashthrough the ceiling and attack.

The Wyrmling is not that smart and will use itsSplinter Breath as often as possible, simply tryingto attack the closest target when it is notavailable. It will, however, prioritise enemiesthat use fire against it. While riding theWyrmling, Noke will simply use Ray of Frost toslow down any party members trying to retreat.

A Messy EndShould the Wyrmling be lost – either to damageor because Noke loses concentration – it will turnback into a a plain old bed.

Desperate and unwilling to let his old masterwin, a babbling Noke will attempt to use thewandl on himself, intending to transmute hisform into that of some monstrous creature.

However, the over-used wand will crackle, fizzand malfunction with a loud bang, turning Nokeinto a misshapen pile of flesh. For a few momentsthe steaming, oozing meat will twitch and moan.Then the ruined mess of the thing that was Nokewill sag, never to move again.

Not Like This...While the chain of events set out in Scene 3cover the most likely outcomes, remember thatnothing is not set in stone.

A stealthy party may be able to steal the wandwhile Noke sleeps, while a combination of luckyroles and inventive tactics may allow a player todisarm the wizard before he gets the chance totransmute his bed, let alone himself.

Should this happen, don’t force the story backtowards the ‘ideal path’ presented above, but

allow it to develop naturally. The characterdescriptions at the back of the adventure shouldallow you work out how Noke and Shinebrightmay react when they come face-to-face.

One thing that you must do, however, is try toprovide at least a hint of the dangers associatedwith the modified wand before the players tryand use it. Possibly it sparks unnaturally when acharacter touches it, drawing attention to thecracks running its length, or Noke himself mayfeel honour-bound to warn them.

Ahmed NokeMedium Human, Neutral Evil

Armor Class 12Hit Points 35 (7d8)Speed 30ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA9(-1) 14(+2) 16(+3) X(+X) 12(+1) 10(+0)

Saving throws Int +5, Will +4Skills Arcana +6Senses passive perception 12Languages Common, Elven, Dwarven, DraconicChallenge 2 (450 XP)

Spellcasting. Noke is a 7th level spellcaster. Hisspellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC14, spell attacks +6 to hit). He has the followingspells prepared:Cantrips (at will): Ray of Frost, Mending,Prestidigitation, Message.First level (four slots): Expeditious Retreat, Jump,Thunderwave.Second level (three slots): Enlarge/Reduce,LevitateThird level (three slots): Haste, Slow..Fourth level (one slot): Polymorph.

ActionsDagger. Melee or ranged weapon attack: +5 to hit,reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 4(1d4 + 2) piercing damage.

Scene 4: Big ChoicesShould the players recover the wand it becomesimmediately obvious that it is damaged. Anyoneproficient in Arcana can tell that it has beenmodified so it can be used more often, butoveruse has rendered it extremely unreliable.

If they wish to speak to Shinebright, a quicksearch of the central platform will allow them tofind another Scroll of Speak with Animals. At thesight of his former apprentice's ruined corpse,Shinebright may even undergo some realisationof how poorly he treated his former apprenticeand turn somber despite his triumph.

Shinebright is willing to risk his own death inorder to be turned back into an elf. However, heis also open to persuasion if the party try to talkhim out of it.

Before undergoing the risk of having the spallperformed on him, Shinebright will ask that ifhe does die, the party give word to his oldcollege.

ConsequencesIf the party decides to go ahead with the spelland it succeeds, Shinebright congratulates theparty heartily. He will have to be reminded ofanything he actually promised them while hewas still a sheep, and cannot actually pay anyfinancial reward, as Noke was virtually bankruptand had sold most items to pay for researchmaterials and guards.

He will, however, be willing to performtransmutations of up to 5th level for them,charging just ehough to cover the components.He will also take in any polymorphed guardswho fled, promising to work towards returningthem to their natural shapes.

If the party decides to go ahead with the spelland it fails, Shinebright dies permanently. Theparty is free to honour his final wish and leavethe tower more-or-less intact, or loot to theirhearts’ content. The tower is surprisingly emptyof anything of benefit to non-transmuters,however, with valuables restricted to expensivelab equipment and arcane paraphernaliaestimated to be worth around 1,000gp. If theplayers wish they can also take the entire towercomplex as their own, though this may cause

trouble when the local nobles try to pay Noke avisit and find him missing…

If the party refuse to perform the spell,Shinebright accepts but will not give up hishopes entirely. He will take back his old homeand work towards a way to remove his curse. Inany case, he heads to the bedroom and slips onone of his old robes, which he wears until he istransformed back to his natural shape. Thoughhe will be upset with them, Shinebright willacknowledge that he owes the party a large debt.

Modified Wand ofTrue PolymorphFormed of a long, thin twig taken from an oaktree, this wand holds 1d4-1 charges of TruePolymorph, with a minimum of 1. These can becast by anybody with a spellcasting ability whohas spent at least one hour attuning to the wand.The amount of charges resets at dawn each day.

In order to increase the amount of times thespell has been case, the wand appears to havebeen fitted with a bulbous, rune-inscribed ironband and has cracks running along its length.

If inspected with a DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana)check, reveal that the modifications have left thewand extremely unreliable. Each time a charge isused the user must pass a DC 17 Intelligence(Arcana) check.

If they succeed, the spell casts normally and theDC needed to use it permenantly increases by 1.

If they fail by five or less, the spell willtransmute the target into a hideous lump ofseemingly random limbs, organs and facialfeatures that is unable to act and dies once 1d4rounds have passed, not returning to its originalform.

This transformation cannot be undone by anyspell lower than 9th level and cannot becancelled by ending concentration. The targetcan make a saving throw against this effect inthe same way they would against a regularcasting of True Polymorph.

If they fail by more than five, in addition to theabove consequences the wand explodesviolently, dealing 1d12 force damage to allcreatures within 10 ft for each charge remainingin the wand. This destroys the wand.

CharactersFinethir ShinebrightArrogant, self-obsessed and filled with aninflated sense of his own ego, FinethirShinebright is one of the people worst suited tobe transformed into a sheep. Still, no matter hisform the former elven wizard manages to exudean air of fussy, bookish intellectualism.

Left to his own devices, Shinebright will talk atlength about himself, his achievements and hisstudy of the arcane. He shows a staggeringinability to notice anybody's needs or desires andis perfectly capable of ruining friendships orprofessional relationships completely byaccident.

Despite his flaws, however, he is generally good-hearted. Assuming he notices them and it doesn’tinconvenience him too much he will try to helpothers where possible, though he will loudlycomplain of their inability to grasp concepts assimple as poly-planal transweave theory.

Once upon a time the local nobles, merchantsand arcanists spoke the name of FinethirShinebright with respect, awe and grudgingadmiration. A master of transmutation, he wouldregularly be called upon to carry out grand taskssuch as clearing blocked roads by turningmassive boulders into rabbits.

Two years as a sheep have taught him very littleabout humility, but a lot about grass.

If he returns to his natural form, Shinebright is awillow-thin high elf with straw-coloured hairand an extremely long nose. He favours looseblue robes and almost always wears slippers.

Key Characteristics:

- Arrogant, snobbish and self-absorbed

- Kind at heart

- Incapable of reading social situations

- Desperately wants his wand back

Ahmed NokeThe youngest child of a blacksmith, Noke hasalways been fascinated by the transitoryproperties different materials could adopt -metal that was soft as treacle one moment couldbe hard as stone the next.

He left home at just 14 to study the wonders ofarcane transmutation, but found college didn’tchallenge his abilities. Instead, he abandoned hisscholarship and travelled to visit Shinebright,who agreed to take him on as an apprentice.

Though Noke hero-worshipped the legendaryShinebright, the years dragged on and onwithout any change in their relationship.Decades passed and still the master transmutertreated him like a child, expected to cook, cleanand recite answers by rote. When Noke pressedhim on it, Shinebright would explain that his washow he had been taught, and didn’t seem toregister Noke’s claims that, as a human, hecouldn’t spare a century to serve out anapprenticeship.

At the same time, Noke began to realise thatmuch of Shinebright’s acclaim came not from hisown abilities - extensive as they were - but fromthe Wand of True Polymorph he wielded.

He finally cracked on the night of his 40thbirthday, when Shinebright ignored his requestto advance his studies, saying he was too young.

After polymorphing his master, Noke began toset himself up as a master wizard. However, acombination of guilt and suddenly unstopperedambition spelled bad news for his mental state.He is paranoid that someone will attack him ashe attacked Shinebright and rarely sleeps. Thisparanoia has led him to invest in a troop ofguards, many of whom he has transmuted intostronger, more bestial forms.

With expenses rising and determined to exceedthe fame of his former master, Noke is keen totake on even grander projects, even if this meanspushing the wand to its very limits.

Ahmed is a relatively short, dusky-skinnedmiddle-aged man with untidy salt-and-pepperhair. He wears Shinebright’s old blue robes,which have been badly altered and drag alongthe floor. He has a nervous habit of gentlypinching his left earlobe when under stress.

Key Characteristics:

- Determined to prove his brilliance

- Still burns with anger for Shinebright

- Paranoid of losing the wand

- On the edge of madness

GuzA hulking brute of a half-orc, Guz views violenceand intimidation as the only sensible methodsfor achieving his goals and assumes that mostpeople feel the same way.

Though to most outside observers he may appearwholly reprehensible, he is incredibly loyal toNoke - who genuinely doesn’t care what acreature looks like on the outside - and owes himunswerving devotion.

Guz isn’t particularly intelligent and can beeasily confused by quick-talking foes, though thisusually just makes him angrier.

In person he stands well over six feet tall, wearstattered but clean leather armour and wields anenormous greatsword that he is more thancapable of wielding with a single hand.

His hair is woven into a single plait that reachesto the small of his back. He is also fond of tryingto use long, complicated words he has picked upfrom Noke - though the extent to which heactually understands what they mean is up fordebate.

Key Characteristics:

- Incredibly loyal to Noke

- Works through violence and intimidation

- Tries to emulate Noke by using long words

- Not very intelligent

Credits andAcknowledgments- Cover image taken from animation created byBlizzard Entertainmant.

-Map created using Pyromancer's DungeonPainter (www.pyromancers.com).

- Dungeons & Dragons is the property ofWizards of the Coast.

Any feedback on this adventure or any adventuresyou'd like to see can be sent as a message tou/TheRainyDaze on Reddit or torjpwriting@gmail.com