MINIMODULE SERIES: MM01: SECRET OF THE MENHIRS

An EZd6 Literal Conversion of the Adventure by Chris Walton

https://friendorfoe.com/d/One%20Page%20Dungeon/1PDC%202018/E39_ChrisWalton_SecretsoftheMenhirs.pdf

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1. INTRODUCTION & CAMPAIGN SETUP

⏱️ The Shifting Tombs Time-Tracking Mechanic

The monolithic stones of the Menhirs sit atop four completely separate, self-contained mini-tombs. Access is controlled by a central revolving stone puzzle that aligns according to the heavens.

• The Rotation: The structural entrance stairs to each specific tomb only open during their corresponding time of day: Dawn, Noon, Dusk, and Midnight.
• The Window: Once a tomb opens, it remains accessible for exactly 2 hours before sealing shut automatically. Players must track their time meticulously or risk getting locked inside the pitch black.

🎲 The Menhirs Tavern Rumor Table

Before descending, heroes can spend a Treasure Die at the local tavern to gather intelligence. Roll a 1D6 on the table below:

1. The Ghostly Lights (True): "Don't go near the monoliths unless the corpse lights have flared for three solid nights during the Festival of Gruftnachte. Any other time, the stairs lead straight into solid, suffocating rock."
2. The Guardian's Blind Spot (True): "Deep in the dark midnight vault, there's a floating eye that fires beams of pure death. But a well-thrown cloak or flash of dust over its massive central eye will blind it long enough to let a warrior close the distance."
3. The Fool's Gold (True): "The King of Midnight was a paranoid bastard. He filled an entire chamber with illusions of gems. If you carry them past the doorway threshold, they turn right back into heavy river rocks."
4. The Wight's Weakness (False/Dangerous): "The Princess of Dusk is a terrifying undead creature, but she cannot harm anyone who carries a silver coin in their left cheek while talking to her."
5. The Idiot God's Hunger (Partially True): "There is a bloated, one-eyed statue deep below that grants massive combat powers if you offer it a drop of your own fresh blood." (Reality: It requires kneeling and supplication, not blood, and automatically curses Friars or Paladins).
6. The Sun-Shatter Blade (True): "A legendary sword that glows with the light of day is trapped inside a massive, transparent jelly monster in the deepest corridors. The blade can slice right through the thickest iron armor."

🎒 Downtime & Economy: Abstract Wealth

EZd6 completely abstracts coins and arithmetic through the use of Treasure Dice.

• Carrying the Loot: Treasure Dice represent physical heft (heavy sacks of gold, urns of gems, ornate silver relics). Each individual Treasure Die claimed takes up exactly one inventory slot on a character sheet.
• Making Purchases (Normal Gear): To restock standard supplies (provisions, ropes, torches), roll your available pool of Treasure Dice. Any die that rolls a 1 is permanently spent and removed from your sheet. The rest remain in your inventory.
• Major Purchases (Rare/Expensive Gear): Buying high-end assets (fine warhorses, custom steel armor, expert hirelings) follows the same roll structure, but you automatically lose at least one additional Treasure Die from your pool due to the baseline luxury cost.
• The Carousing Rule: Players can pool extra Treasure Dice into a shared tavern bowl to fund massive revelry or bribe officials. High rolls yield powerful noble contacts or rare map leads; rolling multiple 1s results in waking up in a local jail cell, broke and missing items.

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2. THE COMPLETE MONSTER BESTIARY

🌅 The Tomb of the Dawn Prince

Stirges (Room 1)

• Threat Level: Fodder (Group of 4+).
• Strikes: 1 each.
• To-Hit: 4+
• Special (Blood Drain): If an attack lands, they latch on. They deal 1 automatic Strike at the start of their next turn until torn off with a successful Strength check.

Carrion Crawler (Room 2)

• Threat Level: Monster.
• Strikes: 3.
• Armor: 6+
• Special (Wall-Walker): Can crawl on ceilings and walls without penalty.
• Special (Paralytic Tentacles): When its attack hits, the target takes no physical damage but must make a Saving Roll (4-6). Failure means they are paralyzed for 1D6 rounds.

☀️ The Tomb of the Meridian Lord

Armored Skeletons (Room 4)

• Threat Level: Group Threat (4 Skeletons total).
• Strikes: 2 each.
• Armor (Heavy): Hard to damage. Requires a To-Hit roll of 5 or 6 to land a strike.
• Equipment: Cold iron two-handed swords.
• Special (Relentless): Immune to mind magic and paralysis.

🌆 The Tomb of the Princess of Dusk

Giant Bats & Rats (Room 6)

• Threat Level: Fodder Swarm.
• Strikes: 1 each.
• To-Hit: 4+ (Attack with a swarm bonus if multiple target a single hero).
• Special: The bats cause distraction penalties to spellcasting; rats inflict a minor disease hazard if a character takes more than 2 hits from them.

Grave Wight (Room 7)

• Threat Level: Elite.
• Strikes: 4.
• Armor: 5+
• Special (Energy Drain): If her physical attack lands, the target takes 1 Strike and permanently loses 1 Karma point from their pool.

🌌 The Tomb of the King of Midnight

Ancient Skeletal Guardians (Room 9)

• Threat Level: Group Threat (4 Skeletons total).
• Strikes: 2 each.
• To-Hit: 4+
• Special: They attack simultaneously from all four corners when the room is entered.

Mimic (Room 10)

• Threat Level: Monster.
• Strikes: 3.
• To-Hit: 4+
• Special (Sticky Hide): Disguised as a treasure chest. Anyone striking it with a melee weapon must roll a D6; on a 1–3, their weapon becomes stuck to its adhesive body.

The Guardian Eye (Room 12)

• Threat Level: Boss.
• Strikes: 5.
• Armor: 5+
• Special (Eye Rays): Shoots two random magical rays per turn. Roll 1D6 twice:
  • 1–2 (Force Push): Dexterity Save (TN 4) or get flung against the wall for 1 Strike.
  • 3–4 (Paralysis): Spirit Save (TN 5) or frozen for 1D3 rounds.
  • 5–6 (Disintegration): Dexterity Save (TN 5) or take 2 Strikes instantly.

Gelatinous Cube (Room 15)

• Threat Level: Monster.
• Strikes: 4.
• Special (Transparent): Difficult to spot in the dark corridor. Requires a Scrutiny check to notice before walking into it.
• Special (Engulf): Characters who fail a Dexterity check are swallowed. They take 1 Strike per round from acid until pulled out by an ally. Contains the magical sword.

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3. HAZARD PROFILES & TRAP MECHANICS

🌅 The Tomb of the Dawn Prince

• 🪨 The Debris Cave-In (Room 1): Moving through the collapsed tunnel debris without explicitly declaring slow, cautious movement requires a Dexterity Task Roll (TN 3). Failure inflicts 1 Strike from falling stones, and the character is pinned under the debris until an ally spends an action to lift the rocks.

☀️ The Tomb of the Meridian Lord

• 🌀 The Well of Destiny (Room 3): Peering into the well's water forces a Resist Magic / Spirit Save (TN 5) against the viewer's greatest fear. Failure causes the character to panic, stumble backward, and fall straight into the deep well, taking 1 Strike. Success means the hero conquers their fear and receives a single Hero Die (re-roll) that can only be spent while inside Room 3.
• 🕸️ The Sarcophagus Dead-Fall (Room 5): A Delver or any character spending an action to search can find the trigger mechanism with a successful Scrutiny Check (TN 5). Opening the lid of the Meridian Lord's sarcophagus without first disarming the mechanical trip wire causes the entire stone corridor connecting Room 5 to Room 3 to completely collapse, permanently trapping the party inside Room 5 until they spend hours digging out.

🌆 The Tomb of the Princess of Dusk

• 🧚 The Fey Glamour (Room 6): Interacting with the food or attempting to join the dancing "fairies" triggers a Level 2 Illusion. Characters must make a Resist Magic / Spirit Save (TN 5) to see through it. Failure means eating the food deals 1 Strike from ingestion poison and stuns the character for 1 round as they realize they are stuffing their face with ash and rot. The illusion drops instantly, revealing the giant bat and rat swarm.

🌌 The Tomb of the King of Midnight

• 💎 The River-Rock Transmutation (Room 11): Carrying any amount of gold or gems outside the threshold of Room 11 triggers a permanent magical curse woven into the chamber. No saving throw is permitted; the glittering treasure instantly transforms into completely worthless river rocks the exact second it crosses the doorway.
• 👑 The Weight-Sensitive Pedestal (Room 13): Lifting the magical crown off the pedestal without perfectly matching its weight down to the ounce triggers a hidden ring of mechanical needles. A Delver can use their Find Traps asset to bypass this with a Trick Roll (TN 3). Any other character must make a raw Dexterity Task Roll (TN 6) to pull off a swap. Failure forces everyone standing in Room 13 to make a Saving Roll (TN 5) or suffer 1 Strike and become poisoned (cannot use or gain Karma for 1D6 turns).
• 📉 The Horde Fail-Safe (Room 14): Pocketing more than half of the King of Midnight’s total coin pile triggers a mechanical structural collapse sequence. The GM puts a D4 Countdown Die on the table. At the end of every round, turn the countdown die down by 1. On round 4 (Die hits 0), the entire vault roof caves in completely, killing any characters still inside. Characters carrying heavy bags of loot suffer Disadvantage on all running tasks during the escape.

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4. RELICS, BOONS, AND CURSES

⚔️ The Sun-Shatter Blade (Room 15)

• The Boon (Glowing): Emits constant, soft daylight. It entirely negates darkness penalties and prevents underground or nocturnal creatures from launching ambush attacks against the party.
• The Feature (Armor-Piercing): Magically sharp. When attacking heavily armored targets (like the Armored Skeletons in Room 4), it ignores their heavy armor modifiers, keeping the To-Hit target number at a standard 4.
• The Attunement: A warrior type wielding this blade can spend 1 Karma point after a successful hit to strike an adjacent enemy with a flash of searing light, dealing 1 Strike to the second target automatically.

👑 Crown of the Twilight Sovereign (Room 13)

• The Boon (Commanding Presence): The wearer radiates ancient authority, rolling with an Asset (roll two dice, keep the highest) on all social, intimidation, or leadership tasks involving intelligent undead, monsters, or fey.
• The Feature (Deny the Grave): Once per session, if the wearer or an adjacent ally takes a hit that would cause their final fatal Strike, the wearer can spend 1 Karma point to instantly convert that lethal strike into a narrow, grazing miss.
• The Curse (Weight of Royalty): The wearer's movement becomes slow and methodical. They automatically fail any Dexterity tasks requiring sudden sprints, tumbling, or dodging.

👁️ The Lens of the Disintegrated (Harvested from Room 12 Boss)

• The Activation: Crack the calcified iris of the Guardian Eye's central lens like a glass vial.
• The Effect: Releases a single, single-use burst of concentrated green energy targeting any object or enemy within sight.
• The Power: Automatically inflicts 2 Strikes on an enemy or instantly vaporizes a non-magical barrier or door. It fails completely if exposed to bright, natural sunlight.

🗿 Altar of the Idiot God (Room 8)

• The Blessing: If a character kneels and supplicates before the corpulent, one-eyed statue, roll 1D6:
  • 1–2: No effect. The god ignores you.
  • 3–4 (Armor Boon): The hero's skin hardens. Their native Armor Save permanently improves by 1 (e.g., a standard 6+ save becomes a 5+).
  • 5–6 (Combat Boon): A permanent blessing of accuracy. The hero gains a static +1 modifier to all physical To-Hit rolls.
• The Curse: Any hero who refuses to kneel, or any Friar/Paladin character type, is automatically Cursed. All enemies gain an Asset (+1 to-hit) when attacking the cursed hero until a Friar performs a purification ritual back at a safe camp.

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5. RUNNING THE SESSION

🗺️ Map Layout Description & Architectural Tactics

The dungeon is split into four distinct configurations reached via separate monolithic stairs:

• The Dawn Prince (Linear): Room 1 forms a narrow checkpoint leading directly into Room 2.
• The Meridian Lord (Hub-and-Spoke): Room 3 is a wide circular plaza. Room 4 consists of four small flanking alcoves, and Room 5 sits down a single southern hall.
• The Princess of Dusk (Stepped Terraces): Room 6 sits directly on a wide landing. Room 7 branches right, and Room 8 drops down deep steps past Room 6.
• The King of Midnight (Multi-Tiered Vault): Room 9 is a secure choke point leading to symmetric pockets (Rooms 10 & 11). Wide stairs lead down to Room 12 (Throne Room), which acts as a hub for Rooms 13, 14, and 15.

Room 12 Tactical Architecture:

• Pillars (Soft Cover): Heroes taking cover behind a stone pillar force the Guardian Eye to roll its rays with Disadvantage. However, a 5 or 6 rolled on a Disintegration Ray disintegrates that specific pillar completely.
• Raised Dais (High Ground): The throne platform sits elevated. Melee fighters who fight their way onto the platform gain an Asset on physical attacks against the floating eye.
• Shadowed Alcoves (Stealth): The doorways to Rooms 13–15 create dark recesses. Hidden characters cannot be targeted by rays and can spring out for an Ambush Attack, bypassing the Guardian Eye's Armor save.

🤝 Tavern Hirelings Log

Recruited at the tavern using Treasure Dice; they have few Strikes and act as utility support.

• 🪓 The Mercenary Shield-Bearer: Strikes: 2. Armor Save: 5+. To-Hit: 4+. Utility (Interpose): Once per encounter, when an adjacent hero is about to take a fatal Strike, the Shield-Bearer steps into the path of the blow and takes the strike instead. Cost: 1 Treasure Die per delve.
• 🕯️ The Torchbearer / Porter: Strikes: 1. Armor Save: None (6). To-Hit: 5+. Utility (Extra Slots): Provides the party with 4 extra inventory slots on their profile to carry items or loot. Hides during combat. Cost: 1 Treasure Die per delve.
• 🛠️ The Disgraced Scholar: Strikes: 1. Armor Save: None. To-Hit: 5+. Utility (Ancient Lore): Grants the party an Asset once per session on any puzzle-solving or investigative checks (such as decoding murals or trap mechanics). Cost: 2 Treasure Dice upfront.

⚔️ The Bloodstone Syndicate (Rival Party)

A rival group chasing the same rumors to use as dynamic obstacles or combat foils.

• 🛡️ Kaelen the Scarred (Warrior/Leader): Strikes: 3. Armor Save: 4+. To-Hit: 3+. Special (Brutal Strike): Natural 6 on his attack roll bypasses armor saves to inflict 1 Strike automatically.
• 🏹 Vesper the Sly (Rascal/Scout): Strikes: 2. Armor Save: 6+. To-Hit: 4+. Special (Distracting Shot): Instead of damage, pins a hero's cloak to the ground, forcing Disadvantage on their next movement task.
• 🔮 Master Malakor (Corrupted Conjurer): Strikes: 2. Armor Save: None (6). To-Hit: 5+. Special (Wither Ray): Target makes a Spirit Save (TN 4) or takes 1 Strike and gains Disadvantage on Strength checks for 1D3 rounds.

🎲 Wandering Threats Table

Roll a 1D6 if the party lingers too long in the central rooms or shifts between vaults:

1. Stray Stirges: D3 Fodder pests descend from ceiling crevices.
2. Shifting Stones: The central stones rotate early, cutting off the current exit door.
3. Corpse Lights: Floating wisps force a Spirit Save (TN 4) or cause immediate panic.
4. Wandering Skeleton: A lone armored skeleton patrol steps out from the shadows.
5. Echoes of the Idiot God: A booming laugh shakes the dust, distracting everyone on their next task.
6. Escaped Gelatinous Slime: A trail of acidic ooze blocks a hallway door completely.

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6. HIGH-DENSITY GM SUMMARY SCREEN

Room	Threat / Hazard Type	Core Mechanic & Target Numbers (TN)	Loot / Rewards
1. Cave-In	Environmental & Fodder	Dex Check (TN 3) or take 1 Strike and get pinned. 4x Stirges attack (1 Strike each, attach on hit).	None
2. Main Crypt	Monster Threat	Carrion Crawler: 3 Strikes, wall-walker. Tentacle hit forces Saving Roll (4–6) or paralyzed 1D6 rounds.	1 Treasure Die & Fresco Lore (reveals tomb schedule).
3. Well of Destiny	Mental Trap	Spirit Save (TN 5) against greatest fear. Failure = fall in, 1 Strike. Success = +1 Hero Die (usable only in Room 3).	Special Boon
4. Sentinel Crypts	Group Threat	4x Armored Skeletons: 2 Strikes each. Heavy Armor (requires 5 or 6 to hit). Awaken if robbed or if players enter Room 5.	None
5. Meridian Tomb	Elite Trap & Hoard	Scrutiny Check (TN 5) to spot. Opening without disarming causes entrance corridor to collapse permanently.	2 Treasure Dice
6. Fey Feast	Level 2 Illusion	Spirit Save (TN 5) to pierce glamour. Eating food = 1 Strike poison damage. Drops into a swarm of Giant Bats/Rats.	None
7. Princess Tomb	Elite Threat	Grave Wight: 4 Strikes, Armor 5+. Hit deals 1 Strike and permanently drains 1 Karma point. Aggroes if treasure is touched.	1 Treasure Die
8. Idiot God Altar	Divine Event	Kneeling players roll 1D6: 1–2: No effect; 3–4: +1 Armor Boon (Save improves by 1); 5–6: +1 To-Hit Boon.	Paladins/Friars/Refusers are Cursed (Enemies get +1 to hit them).
9. Guardpost	Group Threat	4x Ancient Skeletal Guardians: 2 Strikes each. Ambush heroes simultaneously from all four corners upon entry.	None
10. Left Vault	Monster Trap	Mimic: 3 Strikes. Sticky Hide: Striking it in melee requires a D6 roll; on a 1–3, the weapon gets stuck to its body.	None
11. Right Vault	Magical Illusion	Permanent transmutation curse. No saving throw.	Gold turns into worthless river rocks the second it leaves the room.
12. Throne Room	Boss Encounter	The Guardian Eye: 5 Strikes, Armor 5+. Fires 2 random rays per turn: 1–2: Push (Dex Save TN 4); 3–4: Paralyze (Spirit Save TN 5); 5–6: Disintegrate (Dex Save TN 5, 2 Strikes).	Central eye can be harvested.
13. Crown Pedestal	Precision Trap	Delver Trick (TN 3 with Asset) or raw Dex Check (TN 6) to swap crown weight. Failure = Needle ring shoots out (Save TN 5 or 1 Strike + Poisoned).	Crown of the Twilight Sovereign (Asset on Undead/Fey social checks; spend 1 Karma to negate a fatal blow; cannot sprint).
14. Great Hoard	Structural Fail-Safe	Taking > half the gold triggers a D4 Countdown Die. Ceiling collapses at 0. Carrying heavy loot gives Disadvantage on running tasks.	3 Treasure Dice (if safely split).
15. Blade Corridor	Monster & Relic	Gelatinous Cube: 4 Strikes, transparent. Engulfs heroes (Dex Save or swallowed, taking 1 Strike/round from acid).	The Sun-Shatter Blade (Glows day-bright; ignores heavy armor modifiers; spend 1 Karma to strike an adjacent foe).