Exorcists by Chance | Free Adventure for D&D 5e and Pathfinder 2e

Designed by Zac Chaney

When your players stumble upon a grisly scene of horror in a rundown shack, they uncover more than just evidence of a brutal killer. This mini-adventure brings them face-to-face with a sinister force: the Necromantic Nexus, a hub of dark magic that offers power at a terrible price.

Exorcists by Chance - 5e

Below are the details you need to run this adventure. However, the game master is encouraged to customize it slightly for their group and ongoing campaign. Consider questions such as the following:

• Where will this adventure take place in your world?
• Should you change any of the location names to make them better fit your campaign setting?
• Should you increase or decrease the loot, including adding or removing magic items?
• Should you adjust any of the encounters to better fit the power level of your players and their characters?

Game Master Notes

Level. This adventure is designed for a group of four to six level-six characters.

Creatures. This adventure features the following creatures: ghost, specter, wraith.

Resting. It’s expected that the party will not need to take any long rests in this adventure, though they may need a short rest if the characters encounter bad luck.

This mini-adventure is multipurpose. First and foremost, it is meant as an interesting diversion that characters can discover while traveling. However, it also introduces the characters to an inherently evil point of interest: the Necromantic Nexus. Of course, what the characters do with this discovery is up to them.

The nature of the killer that created this scene of horrors is intentionally left ambiguous, allowing you to use this in any manner you need. If you want the killer to still be alive and active, simply have a nearby NPC affiliated with some of the clues the characters can discover and have the occasional person go missing unexpectedly. Otherwise, the killer’s identity can remain unanswered, with the Necromantic Nexus being the more important takeaway.

S1. Butcher’s Shack

Old rot permeates the air, emanating from the molding leg on the butcher’s table in the rear of the building. Bloodstains litter the floor, punctuated by a mass of bloody clothes carelessly thrown in the rear corner. The rest of the room looks mundane but run down like its best days are long in the past.

Creatures. Two ghosts and two specters materialize soon after the characters enter the building. These are four of the killer’s victims; however, they have been undead for so long that they no longer recognize the difference between living people and are hostile to all life.

Unless an exorcism is performed over the mass grave in S3, these four undead rematerialize at full hit points exactly 1 hour after being reduced to 0 hit points.

Encounter Notes.

• These creatures have no memory of their past life. They are purely creatures of aggression and malice now.
• Their primary objective is to destroy the characters. They aren’t consciously aware of it but act as though they know they will return after defeat.

Bloody Clothes. These clothes, covered in old bloodstains, have long dried and turned a murky orange-brown hue. If a character succeeds on a DC 14 Intelligence (Investigation) check, they’ll find they belonged to both men and women and come in various styles, indicating a wide age range.

Rotting Leg. This mold-covered leg is obviously rotting. If a character succeeds on a DC 14 Wisdom (Medicine) check, they’ll identify that it belongs to a deer, not a human. It is, however, no less than a month old and likely older than that.

Knives. The knives throughout the shack have several bloody fingerprints on them. If a character succeeds on a DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check, they will identify that at least one fingerprint on each knife is identical. However, the state of the blood and the rest of the objects in the room indicate that these fingerprints are quite old.

S2. Run Down Shack

This building has seen better days. About a third of the walls have collapsed, and much of the roof is missing. The contents, or what remains of them, have fared no better against the unstoppable passage of time.

Creatures. One ghost, one wraith, and three specters materialize soon after the characters enter the area. All five were the killer’s victims, and nothing remains of their original personality other than malice for the living that killed them.

Unless an exorcism is performed over the mass grave in S3, these five undead rematerialize at full hit points exactly 1 hour after being reduced to 0 hit points.

Encounter Notes.

• The wraith has some limited memory of its past life, but it’s fuzzy. It is aware that it was evil and committed some vile acts, and it relishes in those memories, but it doesn’t know what it actually did.
• If the wraith can, it will raise one of the characters as a specter. Other than this, these creatures do not display any notable tactics.

Buried Note. Buried under some of the rubble is a small note that can be discovered with a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check. The note has mostly faded away, but it holds two useful pieces of information.

The first is an arcane design and notes, which characters can decipher with a DC 14 Intelligence (Arcana) check. Doing so reveals a ritual about how to murder an innocent person in exchange for greater necromantic powers from the nexus located here. The information about the Necromantic Nexus at the end of this adventure describes what happens if the characters attempt this ritual.

The second useful piece is a small bit of personal writing that reads:

. . . power, more power, always more power. Just needs blood, blood, blood. I can feel it coursing through me. It’s made me. . .

. . . haunt. They keep coming. WHY WON’T THEY JUST LEAVE ME ALONE?

S3. Mass Grave

It’s a grisly sight: dozens of skulls and bones lie tossed with no real care into a small hole. Many are half-buried, and those that aren’t lie covered in dirt. The skulls emit the faintest green glow, almost like they’re humming with foul vitriol.

Mass Grave. This is the unfortunate burial site for those murdered in exchange for the power the nexus can grant. If a character succeeds on a DC 13 Intelligence (Arcana or Religion) check, they will notice signs that the green glow is a form of necromancy, keeping the spirits of those murdered in this area. However, an exorcism can free those poor souls, allowing them to finally pass on to the afterlife.

Performing the Exorcism

There are two ways to perform the exorcism and release the souls:

• Casting magic that allows for the dismissal or banishment of undead creatures will exorcise the remains. Possible spells include dispel evil and good or banishment (if the characters can cast it), though any spell that accomplishes this effect is sufficient.
• The characters can make a group DC 15 Intelligence (Religion) check (clerics, druids, and paladins may use Wisdom instead of Intelligence). On a success, the souls are exorcised. On a failure, one of the groups of creatures in either S1 or S2 rematerializes and attacks.

Conclusion

Once the characters have exorcised the spirits, they will have a choice about what to do next. They could, in theory, keep the nexus a secret and use it themselves, or they could wait to see if anyone comes by to use it and potentially capture the killer. They could even report it to the authorities and let someone else sort it out. In short, the nexus is now in their hands, and they can do what they wish with it.

Point of Interest: The Necromantic Nexus

The Necromantic Nexus

Magical Region

Creatures. If the nexus has been exorcised, there are no creatures present. When the nexus is used in its foul ritual, the victim’s soul becomes a random ghost, specter, or wraith. There is one present for every murder committed since the last exorcism.

Description. This is a foul place suffused with evil magic. For one reason or another, necromancy becomes empowered here, as though the world itself desires to empower magic’s most vile aspects. The entire area reeks of death and decay, a testament to the evil that occurs here.

Over the years, at least one individual has taken to committing murders, though there may have been others. The mass grave is brimming with the remains of those murdered in the name of power, and their spirits now haunt the area. Unfortunately, these spirits have lost their memories and faded into pure, unadulterated hatred for the living, now acting as though anyone alive is their killer.

Discoveries. The characters can discover that this place is a nexus for evil magic, but that is obvious from looking over the area and requires no special checks. If the characters attempt the ritual described in the note in area S2, they gain a temporary +1 bonus to attack rolls and saving throws for necromancy spells, as well as limited control over the spirits in the Nexus (as determined by the game master). This bonus can stack up to five times for subsequent murders but disappears after one month. Doing so permanently shifts the character’s alignment to chaotic evil, all good and neutral aligned deities forsake them, and a red star appears somewhere on their body, marking them. Further, any good-aligned creature becomes wary of the character, as though they are instinctively repulsed by what they did for power.

Exorcists by Chance - PF2e

Below are the details you need to run this adventure. However, the game master is encouraged to customize it slightly for their group and ongoing campaign. Consider questions such as the following:

• Where will this adventure take place in your world?
• Should you change any of the location names to make them better fit your campaign setting?
• Should you increase or decrease the loot, including adding or removing magic items?
• Should you adjust any of the encounters to better fit the power level of your players and their characters?

Game Master Notes

Level. This adventure is designed for a group of four level-six characters.

Creatures. This adventure features the following creatures: ghost commoner, wraith.

Adventure Difficulty. The party can expect to encounter two moderate encounters in this adventure.

This mini-adventure is multipurpose. First and foremost, it is meant as an interesting diversion that characters can discover while traveling. However, it also introduces the characters to an inherently evil point of interest: the Necromantic Nexus. Of course, what the characters do with this discovery is up to them.

The nature of the killer that created this scene of horrors is intentionally left ambiguous, allowing you to use this in any manner you need. If you want the killer to still be alive and active, simply have a nearby NPC affiliated with some of the clues the characters can discover and have the occasional person go missing unexpectedly. Otherwise, the killer’s identity can remain unanswered, with the Necromantic Nexus being the more important takeaway.

S1. Butcher’s Shack  Moderate 6

Old rot permeates the air, emanating from the molding leg on the butcher’s table in the rear of the building. Bloodstains litter the floor, punctuated by a mass of bloody clothes carelessly thrown in the rear corner. The rest of the room looks mundane but run down like its best days are long in the past.

Creatures. Four ghost commoners materialize soon after the characters enter the building. These are four of the killer’s victims; however, they have been undead for so long that they no longer recognize the difference between living people and are hostile to all life.

Unless an exorcism is performed over the mass grave in S3, these four undead rematerialize at full hit points exactly 1 hour after being reduced to 0 hit points.

Encounter Notes.

• These creatures have no memory of their past life. They are purely creatures of aggression and malice now.
• Their primary objective is to destroy the characters. They aren’t consciously aware of it but act as though they know they will return after defeat.

Bloody Clothes. These clothes, covered in old bloodstains, have long dried and turned a murky orange-brown hue. If a character succeeds on a DC 20 Society check, they’ll find they belonged to both men and women and come in various styles, indicating a wide age range.

Rotting Leg. This mold-covered leg is obviously rotting. If a character succeeds on a DC 21 Medicine check, they’ll identify that it belongs to a deer, not a human. It is, however, no less than a month old and likely older than that.

Knives. The knives throughout the shack have several bloody fingerprints on them. If a character succeeds on a DC 21 Perception check, they will identify that at least one fingerprint on each knife is identical. However, the state of the blood and the rest of the objects in the room indicate that these fingerprints are quite old.

S2. Run Down Shack             Moderate 6

This building has seen better days. About a third of the walls have collapsed, and much of the roof is missing. The contents, or what remains of them, have fared no better against the unstoppable passage of time.

Creatures. Two ghost commoners and one wraith materialize soon after the characters enter the area. All four were the killer’s victims, and nothing remains of their original personality other than malice for the living that killed them.

Unless an exorcism is performed over the mass grave in S3, these four undead rematerialize at full hit points exactly 1 hour after being reduced to 0 hit points.

Encounter Notes.

• The wraith has some limited memory of its past life, but it’s fuzzy. It is aware that it was evil and committed some vile acts, and it relishes in those memories, but it doesn’t know what it actually did.
• If the wraith can, it will raise one of the characters as a wraith spawn. Other than this, these creatures do not display any notable tactics.

Buried Note. Buried under some of the rubble is a small note that can be discovered with a DC 20 Perception check. The note has mostly faded away, but it holds two useful pieces of information.

The first is an arcane design and notes, which characters can decipher with a DC 22 Arcana check. Doing so reveals a ritual about how to murder an innocent person in exchange for greater necromantic powers from the nexus located here. The information about the Necromantic Nexus at the end of this adventure describes what happens if the characters attempt this ritual.

The second useful piece is a small bit of personal writing that reads:

. . . power, more power, always more power. Just needs blood, blood, blood. I can feel it coursing through me. It’s made me. . .

. . . haunt. They keep coming. WHY WON’T THEY JUST LEAVE ME ALONE?

S3. Mass Grave

It’s a grisly sight: dozens of skulls and bones lie tossed with no real care into a small hole. Many are half-buried, and those that aren’t lie covered in dirt. The skulls emit the faintest green glow, almost like they’re humming with foul vitriol.

Mass Grave. This is the unfortunate burial site for those murdered in exchange for the power the nexus can grant. If a character succeeds on a DC 20 Arcana or Religion check, they will notice signs that the green glow is a form of necromancy, keeping the spirits of those murdered in this area. However, an exorcism can free those poor souls, allowing them to finally pass on to the afterlife.

Performing the Exorcism

There are two ways to perform the exorcism and release the souls:

• Casting magic that allows for the dismissal or banishment of undead creatures will exorcise the remains.
• The characters can make a group DC 20 Religion check (religious characters have a +2 circumstance bonus on this check). On a success, the souls are exorcised. On a failure, one of the groups of creatures in either S1 or S2 rematerializes and attacks.

Conclusion

Once the characters have exorcised the spirits, they will have a choice about what to do next. They could, in theory, keep the nexus a secret and use it themselves, or they could wait to see if anyone comes by to use it and potentially capture the killer. They could even report it to the authorities and let someone else sort it out. In short, the nexus is now in their hands, and they can do what they wish with it.

Point of Interest: The Necromantic Nexus

The Necromantic Nexus

Magical Region

Creatures. If the nexus has been exorcised, there are no creatures present. When the nexus is used in its foul ritual, the victim’s soul becomes a random ghost or wraith. There is one present for every murder committed since the last exorcism.

Description. This is a foul place suffused with evil magic. For one reason or another, necromancy becomes empowered here, as though the world itself desires to empower magic’s most vile aspects. The entire area reeks of death and decay, a testament to the evil that occurs here.

Over the years, at least one individual has taken to committing murders, though there may have been others. The mass grave is brimming with the remains of those murdered in the name of power, and their spirits now haunt the area. Unfortunately, these spirits have lost their memories and faded into pure, unadulterated hatred for the living, now acting as though anyone alive is their killer.

Discoveries. The characters can discover that this place is a nexus for evil magic, but that is obvious from looking over the area and requires no special checks. If the characters attempt the ritual described in the note in area S2, they gain a temporary +1 bonus to attack rolls and saving throws for necromancy spells, as well as limited control over the spirits in the Nexus (as determined by the game master). This bonus can stack up to five times for subsequent murders but disappears after one month. Doing so permanently shifts the character’s alignment to chaotic evil, all good and neutral aligned deities forsake them, and a red star appears somewhere on their body, marking them. Further, any good-aligned creature becomes wary of the character, as though they are instinctively repulsed by what they did for power.

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