In D&D 3.0, the Plane of Shadow served as a doorway connecting different Prime Material Planes to each other. I decided to use the plane in a similar way in my D&D Next campaign to allow the PCs to travel from Toril to Oerth. I looked around to see if I could find any existing D&D books to inspire my plane and adventure building. I found Gloomwrought, a D&D 4E post-Essentials city in the Shadowfell.

Because Gloomwrought came out after Essentials I had never looked at it. I was never going to buy the Essentials rulebooks so I missed out on several interesting adventures/locations created after Dark Sun. I picked up Gloomwrought and was quickly impressed by the boxed set.

Gloomwrought is a constantly shifting city of factions vying for control. Dark emotions influence everyone and everything on the Plane of Shadow and the city itself reflects these unpleasant feelings in both its people as well as the physical makeup of the city itself including streets and buildings that shift and change.

I took inspiration from some of the encounters in the Encounter Book, simply converting monsters and DCs to D&D Next. That book is the smaller of the two included. The main book, the Campaign Guide, describes Gloomwrought and the surrounding area, as well as several factions that struggle for dominance over the shadowed city.

The boxed set also includes a deck of cards to inflict negative emotions on PCs, some cardboard monster chits, and a battle map.

Getting Started

I started with the adventure I wanted to run — a transition from Toril to Oerth. The desire to move from one place to another pointed me right to Dead Man's Cross and the House of Black Lanterns.

Dead Man's Cross

"The crossroads is an abnormally strong shadow crossing, linking the Shadowfell to dozens of locations throughout the planes.”
-The Shadowfell: Gloomwrought and Beyond page 76

Not only is the crossroads the perfect location to draw PCs into the Plane of Shadow, it is also powerfully imagined.

"At the center of the crossroads stands a grisly marker, a signpost adorned with an ancient corpse bound to its crosspieces. The constant abrasion of windblown dust has scoured clean the placards of the signpost and turned the body into a desiccated husk. The corpse's skin is black as night and as hard as boiled leather. The lids of its eyes are stitched closed, and its lips have pulled back around its teeth into a grin.”
-The Shadowfell: Gloomwrought and Beyond page 76

What is really interesting about the Dead Man is that it guides travelers along the dusty roads of the Shadowfell. I am using the following rules in D&D Next in regards to the Dead Man.

While the setting book says the Dead Man can also teleport travelers within the Shadowfell itself, I am not using that magical ability for this trip. Perhaps if the PCs return at another time.

The crossing is sometimes haunted by spirits of the recent dead. If the PCs watch the spirits interact with the Dead Man, they may deduce that the Dead Man points the way to any destination on the Plane of Shadow.

If the spirits don't clue them in, any PC seeing the Dead Man for the first time can make an Intelligence (Arcana) check DC 5. Success means the PC has heard about the Dead Man and that he can be questioned about directions in the Plane of Shadow with the arcane knowledge of the questioner guiding the conversation. A successful Intelligence (Arcana) check DC 15 coupled with a request for directions causes the Dead Man to uncurl his skeletal fingers and point toward the destination.

If one of the spirits sees its killer at the crossroads, the spirit attacks. Stats for a wraith, or a shadow or specter from the Slaver's bestiary download would work for a vengeful spirit. I plan to roleplay any such interaction, using a recently slain opponent the PCs know as an angry spirit bent on revenge.

The crossroads is also a lure to bandits who hide in the surrounding ruins. The Cracked Jaw tribe of orcs is the most successful. Any orc or the orcs and half-orc from the Against the Slave Lords bestiary download can be used to represent their members.

House of Black Lanterns

This location provides protection for weary travelers. It can also travel to other places. I have decided it can connect to Oerth. The House won't be at the Crossroads when the PCs arrive, so they have to quest to Gloomwrought and beyond to gain access to its unique traveling power via its owner, the tiefling Yarol.

Winter Wolf

Winter wolves prowl the Shadowfell. D&D Next stats are found in the Against the Slave Lords bestiary. One thing I added to the winter wolf from Gloomwrought as a Reaction was:

Polymorph—Snow Zephyr: If the winter wolf takes damage from an enemy’s attack it may polymorph into a swirling snow zephyr. The winter wolf becomes insubstantial, triggers no opportunity attacks for movement, can only attack with cold breath, and turns back into a wolf when it uses cold breath. It can also turn back to a winter wolf as a swift action.

The Deathless Watch

Guarding Gloomwrought is a corrupt army called the Deathless Watch. Greed and sloth have infiltrated its ranks, and most citizens avoid calling on the Watch unless they can pay a hefty bribe. PCs entering the city for the first time will be stopped by the Deathless Watch and their business recorded (possibly avoided with a proper "fee" paid).

Any mid-level NPC can be used as a member of the Deathless Watch. Depending on rank, a Deathless watch gains the ability to cast up to three spells once a day: save the living, false life, and vampiric touch.

Vampiric Touch
3rd-level necromancy
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 5 feet
Duration: Instantaneous

A black spark leaps from your head to damage an opponent in range. The attack deals 3d6 points of necrotic damage. You gain temporary hit points equal to the damage you deal. However, you can't gain more than the subject's current hit points plus his hit point maximum, which is enough to kill the subject. The temporary hit points disappear 1 hour later.

At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the damage increases by 1d6 for each level above 3rd.

The Despair Deck

The Despair deck represents the negative emotions and neuroses that can overcome those who travel the Plane of Shadow. Positive emotions turn negative and mood becomes oppressive and melancholy.

At the end of a long rest, all despair cards and boons are discarded.

A PC must draw new despair card after all cards are discarded if still adventuring in the Shadowfell.

Once new cards are drawn, the entire remaining deck, including any discarded cards, is reshuffled.

A particularly horrifying event may also require a draw. Most cards inflict apathy, fear, or madness (for roleplaying and with a minor game effect).

After a short rest, a PC can make a despair roll which works just like a death roll. A 10 or higher overcomes the despair effect and the card is flipped to its boon side. A natural 1 removes one boon if any are in play. A natural 20 overcomes a second despair card (the PC's or a companion's card).

The cards use 4E rules but some work as written. Here are the changes I am making for D&D Next:

Drowsy boon: You can make an opportunity attack against an opponent that disengages.

Indifferent: You cannot gain advantage until you overcome this despair effect.
Indifferent key skill: deception.
Indifferent boon: You cannot suffer disadvantage until the end of your next long rest.

Lethargic: You take a -2 penalty to Constitution saves until you overcome this despair effect.
Lethargic key skill: athletics.
Lethargic boon: You gain a +2 bonus to Constitution saves until the end of your next long rest.

Sluggish: an adjustment to speed of 1 equal 5 feet.

Unconcerned; You take a -2 penalty to Dexterity saves until you overcome this despair effect.
Unconcerned key skill: sleight of hand.
Unconcerned boon: You gain a +2 bonus to Dexterity saves until the end of your next long rest.

Craven key skill: survival.

Frail: Vulnerability/resistance to piercing and slashing attacks.
Frail key skill: athletics.

Insomnia: You can only spend up to half your maximum number of hit dice during a short rest. You only regain a quarter of your hit dice after a long rest. This card is not discarded as normal at the end of a long rest.
Insomnia boon: You regain all your hit dice at your next long rest.

Jittery: you are intoxicated during your first turn in combat until you overcome this despair effect.
Jittery key skill: search.

Paranoid: replace Will with Wisdom saves.

Phobic: instead of a change of 1 to defenses, AC changes by 2.

Scared Stiff: you provoke an opportunity attack if you disengage from a Large or larger enemy until you overcome this effect. Scarred Stiff boon: replace immobilized with restrained.

Covetous: you suffer disadvantage if you attack a target with another enemy of that target within 5 feet of it and that enemy is able to take actions.
Covetous key skill: sleight of hand
Covetous boon: After you overcome this despair effect, you gain advantage if you attack a target with another enemy of that target within 5 feet of it and that enemy is able to take actions.

Haunted (boon): You suffer disadvantage (or gain advantage) when rolling to prevent being inflicted with the conditions of Charmed or Frightened. Until the next long rest.

Jealous: Until you overcome this despair effect, you cannot use the help action.
Jealous boon: After you overcome this despair effect, if you use the help action you gain advantage (if applicable) on your action in the next round. Until the next long rest.

Quarrelsome: Until you overcome this despair effect, an enemy gains advantage against you if you have an ally within 5 feet of you.
Quarrelsome key skill: deception.
Quarrelsome boon: Until your next long rest, you can use the help action as a swift action.

Reckless: You cannot roll hit dice during a short rest or dodge.
Reckless boon: You can use second wind as a fighter. If you are a fighter, you gain a second use of second wind. Until your next long rest.

Squeamish (boon): -1 (or +1) to hit creatures that are not at maximum hit points.

Wrathful (boon): one enemy within 5 feet of you and able to take actions gains advantage (or suffers disadvantage) against you.

Upcoming Columns

Next month is my 100th column. I plan to take up building the setting of the Driven campaign again in anticipation of the PCs' return to their home world.

The western ruined seaboard of the Driven world is littered with ruined cities, strange technology, and a silt-choked ocean. Decaying cities and broken roads will present a mystery of what civilization existed here before man. Unraveling what force cursed the lands of Driven may allow the PCs to restore the land from

I may also be able to use the apparatus of Kwalish!

Drive on,
Charlie