Around this time last year, I published a free turkey-themed one-shot adventure for 5e on the DM’s Guild. I’ve been digging into Shadowdark lately, getting prepped for a new campaign, so I thought it would be fun to do a conversion, and maybe someone can use the adventure and the holiday free time to introduce some new players to Shadowdark.
The adventure includes a free printable battle map and the “Gelatinous Tube,” a cranberry sauce-themed ooze. Shadowdark conversion below.
Download Gobbler's Grotto on the DM's Guild
Gobbler’s Grotto
Shadowdark Conversions
Luckily, conversion is pretty simple, and is mostly related to some creature swaps and one key change. In addition to tracking torchlight, I suggest checking random events every 10 turns, instead of what is listed in the adventure. It’s more in the spirit of the system and should feel more random/organic.
Wherever passive perception is mentioned, perform a check.
Items & Treasure Swaps
30’ Hempen Rope → Rope (60’ hempen, pg. 34)
Potion of Fire Breathing → Scroll of Burning Hands (Scrolls pg. 288, Burning Hands pg. 56)
Treasure Horde CR 0-4 → Treasure Table 0-3 or 4-6 based on average party level (pg. 270 or 272)
Yellow Pearl → Pearl (worth 40 gp, pg. 278)
Monster Swaps
Cave Fisher → Cave Brute (pg. 200)
Ettercap → Ettercap (pg. 216)
Giant Centipede → Centipede, Giant (pg. 201)
Giant Spider → Spider, Giant (pg. 254)
Giant Wolf Spider → Spider, Swarm (pg. 254)
Custom Monsters
Gelatinous Tube
A blood-red and sweet-smelling tubular jelly.
AC 11, HP 14, ATK 1 touch +4 (1d8 + toxin + engulf), MV near
S +3, D +1, C +2, I -4, W +1, Ch -4, AL N, LV 3
Engulf. DC 12 STR or trapped inside cube. Touch attack autohits engulfed targets each round. DC 12 STR on turn to escape. Fail checks if paralyzed.
Rubbery. Half damage from stabbing weapons.
Toxin. DC 15 CON or paralyzed 1d4 rounds.
Split. If cut or chopped, split into two smaller oozes (divide remaining HP between both). Can split up to four times.
However, if a Gelatinous Tube is split, any engulfed creature may make a DC 12 Strength check to be freed. It cannot engulf creatures when split to its smallest size, and any engulfed creature is immediately freed.
Giant Fire Beetle
A nocturnal creature that takes its name from a pair of glowing glands that give off light.
AC 13, HP 2, ATK 1 bite +2 (1d6), MV near
S -1, D +0, C +1, I -5, W -2, Ch -4, AL N, LV 1
Illumination. The beetle sheds light to a close distance.
Shrieker
A human-sized mushroom with many large blowholes that emit an audible shriek.
AC 5, HP 8, ATK none, MV none
S -5, D -5, C 0, I -5, W -4, Ch -5, AL N, LV 1
False Appearance. The shrieker is indistinguishable from an ordinary fungus when not shrieking.
Shriek. When light or a creature is near the shrieker, it emits a shriek audible far from it. The shrieker continues to shriek until the disturbance moves far from it, and for an additional 1d4 turns.
