Spelljammer Adventure: Egg of Argnot
The players receive a distress signal from a powerful spacefaring civilization, the Orlaxians, who have been attacked and are on the brink of destruction. The Orlaxians have lost the war to the powerful army of the Xaryxian Empire and are seeking help to find and retrieve an ancient artifact that can help them turn the tide of the war. The artifact is said to be located in the heart of a treacherous, uncharted asteroid belt that is filled with deadly traps and strange, unpredictable phenomena.
As the players journey deeper into the asteroid belt, they discover that the artifact is not only guarded by a powerful force, but that it has also attracted the attention of various factions and enemies who are seeking to claim it for themselves. The players must navigate the treacherous terrain, fight off dangerous foes, and solve complex puzzles to retrieve the artifact and save the civilization from destruction.
But as they get closer to the artifact, they discover that it may hold secrets that could change the course of the universe forever. The players must decide whether to use the artifact for their own gain, or to give it to the civilization and risk the consequences of unleashing its power on the galaxy.
Act 1: Journey into the Asteroid
Belt As the players journey deeper into the asteroid belt, they come across an abandoned ship that seems to have been attacked by some unknown force. Upon further investigation, they find out that the ship belonged to a group of pirates who were also seeking the artifact. The pirates have set up traps and other hazards to prevent anyone from getting close to the artifact.
Here are four deadly traps that could be located in the asteroid belt. These are primarily the skill challenges. See below for sample skill checks.
Gravity Vortex: The players come across an area where the gravity is much stronger than normal, causing their ship to be pulled inexorably towards a nearby asteroid. The asteroid is covered in jagged spires and crags, and crashing into it would be catastrophic. The players must navigate carefully, using their ship’s helm to maintain a safe distance, while avoiding the dangerous debris that swirls around the gravity well.
Magical Anomaly: The players detect a strange magnetic anomaly that interferes with their ship’s instruments, their magic items and spells causing them all to malfunction. They soon discover that the anomaly is emanating from a nearby asteroid, which is covered in a dense layer of metallic ore that creates a powerful magical field. The players must navigate around the asteroid while avoiding the dangerous wild magic events that could prove to be catastrophic.
Plasma Storm: The players encounter a massive plasma storm that engulfs their ship, sending arcs of electricity crackling across its hull. The storm is so intense that it threatens to kill anyone wearing, holding or standing too close to metal objects. The players must navigate through the storm while avoiding dangerous lightning strikes and trying to keep their ship intact.
Rogue Black Hole: The players come across a small black hole that pulls in everything around it like their ship, asteroids and even light itself. The black hole’s gravity is so strong that it threatens to tear their ship apart if they get too close. All the while thousands of asteroids and other pieces of space debris swirl rapidly around the accretion disk. The players must use their wits and their ship’s engines to navigate around the black hole, its deadly event horizon and escaping its grasp before it’s too late.
Act 2: The Guardians of the Artifact
After defeating the pirates, the players come across the guardians of the artifact, a group of powerful constructs that have been tasked with protecting the artifact for centuries. The constructs are extremely powerful and are not easily defeated. The players will need to use all their skills and abilities to defeat them. The guardians are there to block all “unworthy” from entering. They will challenge the party to prove their worth in order to enter the wizards keep.
Depending on the level of the party, we recommend one of the following monster stat-blocks.
Earth Elemental (CR5), Shield Guardian (CR 7), Fire Giant (CR 9), Stone Golem (CR 10), Guardian Naga (CR 10),
Act 3: The Race for the Artifact
As the players get closer to the artifact, they discover that it has also attracted the attention of various factions and enemies who are seeking to claim it for themselves. The players must race against time and other factions to retrieve the artifact before it falls into the wrong hands. They will need to use their wits and cunning to outsmart their opponents and come out on top.
For this section of the adventure you should create a party that is identical to the play character party. Feel free to switch up the character’s races/species to make it less obvious that they are racing themselves.
The other factions may offer to team up to get through the dungeon and even split the reward that they have been promised by their patrons, if the part will help them recover and return the artifact.
Act 4: Hard Choices & Consequences of the Artifact
Upon retrieving the artifact, the players discover that it holds a piece of the elemental plane of fire. The artifact has the power to restart the Orlaxian star, the black hole from the previous encounter. It will also reform the Orlaxian home world from the asteroid belt.
The Orlaxians will honor their offered reward, but the players must decide whether to keep the artifact for their own gain, or to give it to the Orlaxians.
If they keep the artifact, they will have immense power but will also be hunted by various factions and enemies. The Xaryxian Empire would pay double or more to get their hands on the egg to restore their home system after the events of the Light of Xaryxis campaign.
If they give it to the Orlaxians, they will save a civilization and be hailed as heroes, but the Xaryxians will double their efforts to find and kill the party.
Faction Notes
Xaryxians want the egg to restore their home system and will pay the party’s weight in gold as well as a royal title, castle, and land on any world within their empire.
Naxorians want the egg for its destructive power as a weapon. They will use it to blackmail entire star systems into paying tribute and bowing to their emperor.
Orlaxians want the egg to restore their home system.
Smugglers want the egg so they can sell it to the highest bidder. Once they have it they will start a bidding war between all of the other factions.
NPCs
Captain Gravik – A grizzled space pirate who leads a crew of ruthless bandits that prowl the asteroid belt on the infamous Satisfaction. Gravik and his crew have set up traps and ambushes to prevent anyone from getting close to the artifact, and will not hesitate to attack the players if they feel threatened.
Aria Zenith – A beautiful but cunning space smuggler and captain of the Nightmoth who is also seeking the artifact for her own gain. Aria is willing to work with the players, but only if they can offer her something of value in return. She is highly skilled in negotiation and persuasion, and may try to manipulate the players into doing her bidding.
Hargoth the Defiler – A half-orc mercenary who has been hired by the Naxorians to retrieve the artifact. Hargoth is a brutal fighter who takes pleasure in crushing his enemies. He will stop at nothing to get the artifact, even if it means killing the player characters.
Professor Eldritch – A brilliant but eccentric Orlaxian inventor who has set up a laboratory on a asteroid in the system. Eldritch has been studying the strange phenomena of the asteroid belt and may offer the players assistance if they can help him collect some rare samples or data. Eldritch is also rumored to have a powerful artifact of his own, but he may not be willing to part with it easily.
Ships
The Satisfaction
(Bombard Class)
Armor Class: 15 (wood)
Hit Points: 300
Damage Threshold: 20
Speed: fly 35 ft. (4 mph)
Cargo: 150 tons
Crew: 12
Keel/Beam: 140 ft./30 ft.
Cost: 50,000 gp
Weapons: Ballistae (2), Crew 3, AC 15, HP 50, Cost 50 gp (ballista), 5 gp (bolt). Bolt – Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 120/480 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (3d10) piercing damage.
Giant Cannon (1), Crew 4, AC 19, HP 250, Cost: (cannon), 1,000 gp (giant cannonball). Cannon Ball – Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 600/2,400 ft., one target. Hit: 88 (16d10) bludgeoning damage.
The Nightmoth
(Flying Fish Class)
Armor Class: 15 (wood)
Hit Points: 250
Damage Threshold: 15
Speed: fly 40 ft. (4 1/2 mph)
Cargo: 13 tons
Crew: 10
Keel/Beam: 120 ft./30 ft.
Cost: 20,000 gp
Weapons: Ballista (1), Crew 3, AC 15, HP 50, Cost 50 gp (ballista), 5 gp (bolt). Bolt – Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 120/480 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (3d10) piercing damage.
Mangonel (1), Crew 4, AC 15, HP 100, Cost: (cannon), 100 gp (mangonel), 0 gp (stone). Mangonel Stone – Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 200/800 ft. (can’t hit targets within 60 feet of it), one target. Hit: 27 (5d10) bludgeoning damage.
Skill Checks
Here are some example descriptions for various skill check successes and failures. A character can only use each skill once for the skill challenge.
Success (0 fails): The faits have smiled on your today. You sail past unscathed.
Success (2 fails): Despite the damage you took, your ship sails past the threat. You and the crew have some work to do to repair the ship, but it will keep flying while you do.
Fail (3 fails): You suffered heavy damage and are floating through space with no control over the ship. It will take (1d4) days to finish repairs and get under way.
Fail (0 success): Your ship is dead in space. you have major hull damage and lack the supplies to fix it here. Over the next (2d4) days you manage to get the ship back in running condition (50% HP).
Before the Roll: The ship veers off course pulled toward the anomaly.
Success: Giving in to the pull you turn the ship toward the anomaly and gain speed. Then you tack hard and push forward putting more distance between you and the anomaly.
Fail: Giving in to the pull you turn the ship toward the anomaly and gain speed. Then you tack hard trying to use your speed only to find that the ship slides sideways. The anomaly is closer than ever. The ship creeks under the stress.
Before the Roll: Space itself ripples and the ship lurches and rolls.
Success: You remember a passage from a sea fairing tale about a ship weathering a storm. You rush to lash yourself to the ship with your belt just seconds before the ship heaves and anything not tied down goes flying over the deck railing.
Fail: Mesmerized by the site of spacing warping and stretching, you fail to see the danger in time. You and everything not lashed down are thrown in the air. You fall back, catching the deck rail as cargo, rope and a barrel fly past into open space.
Before the Roll: Ball lightening rolls down the deck. Arcs of powerful lightening strike out in random directions.
Success: Racing ahead of the ball, you manage to dive behind one of the ship’s masts just as an arc lightening hits it instead of you.
Fail: Racing ahead of the ball, you dive behind one of the ship’s masts just as an arc of lightening hit it and you take (1d8) damage.
Before the Roll: For the briefest moment you see a pattern emerge. You point and yell to the pilot.
Success: The pilot corrects course and you sail through the narrow opening just in time.
Fail: The pilot corrects course. Too late do you both realize the opening is closing too fast. The ship lurches and you hear the sound of wood snapping somewhere below deck.
Before the Roll:
Success:
Fail:
Before the Roll: Sometimes you can’t help but think the universe seems to have a personal grudge against you.
Success: Today is one of those days. You nervously watch as the space around your ship seems to warp and roll. You roll with it, for a moment becoming one with the maelstrom around you.
Fail: Today is one of those days. You watch as the space around you warps and rolls. The ship creaks and the hull cracks.
Before the Roll: Out of the corner of your eye, you see that one of the mast lines has come loose.
Success: Your eyes trace the line back to it’s source. High above you, one of the ships gaffs is swinging widely. You pull the line tight and secure it before it can do any ham.
Fail: Too late your eyes trace the line back to it’s source. One of the ship’s gaffs comes swinging down smashing into the helm. The pilot struggles back onto the helm as the ship lurches back and forth.
Before the Roll: A head you see another ship. Your not sure if they have seen you yet.
Success: You signal the pilot and he adjusts course. You lose site of the ship, but you are pretty sure they didn’t see you.
Fail: You signal to the pilot. He adjusts course to close on the ship. Too late you realize the saw you coming. They open fire on your ship. Your ship takes (27 or 5d10) damage. A second cannon blast sends out a huge smoke screen. As the smoke clears, the ship has disappeared.
Before the Roll: A swarm of meteors the size of golfballs flying across the deck, drawn to the anomaly.
Success: Pure instinct drives you as you dive for the deck. Your only though is on survival as the iron and stone meteors smash into the side of the ship and whiz over your head.
Fail: As the first few go wizzing past, you are distracted. You loose precious seconds and turn around just in time to be hit in the chest by one, sending you to your knees gasping for breath. (1d8) bludgeoning damange.
