Sea

of Blood

The sea is
running red
with blood and
only you can
5th Edition bring an end to
the terror that
awaits
 Sea of blood
A 5-7 hour adventure for levels 3-5
by William Turner

Acknowledgments and Credits

Dungeons and Dragons, D&D, Wizards of
the Coast, Forgotten Realms are all
Trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in
USA and other countries.
This work contains material that
copywright Wizards of the Coast and
other authors. Such material is used
with permission under the Creative
Community Agreement for the Dungeon
Master's Guild.
All other original material in this work
is Copyright 2019 by William Turner and is
published under the Community Content
Agreement for the Dungeon Master's
Guild.
All images are sourced through the
Dungeon Master's guild, except for
original illustrations and maps by
William Turner, and some images were
pulled from free sourced content with
"license for reuse with modification"
tags.

Venture into the vast seas of

the Sword Coast to battle an
enemy that is both deadly and
eternal!
Introduction
Sail the seas and experience the cold terrible wrath
of vampire pirates! Welcome to Sea of blood a 5-7 hour
adventure designed for players from levels 3-5. Fend
of bloody warriors, take hold of your own sea vessel,
learn the secrets of an ancient hunter, all of this
Running the Adventure
To play Dungeons & Dragons, follow the rules laid
out in the Player's Handbook and the Dungeon
Master's Guide. Conversely, new players can access
the basic rules for Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition
for free by downloading them at:
hhtp://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/basicrules
Text that appears in these boxes is meant to be
read aloud. you may read it out exactly as written
or use it as a template to build your own
descriptions.
Nothing in this document is set in stone. Use your
incredible mind and have a lot of fun!
My hope is that this adventure is a building block for
the DM's imagination to run wild with possibilities. I
provide enough structure to progress the game and
provide some intriguing content, but I also envision
many DM's like myself, love to innovate and create
something new!
Adventure Background
Dante Coldharbour, undead scourge of the sword
coast, has taken to the sea in his ship "The Maiden's
Neck" once again. Awakened from his long slumber by
an accidental run in with Zhentarim slave traders
who most graciously offered their blood, Captain
Coldharbour has mercilessly slaughtered any foe who
has come against him. Every crew he murders adds to
his undead fleet and brings him one step closer to his
ultimate goal, an army of vampires strong enough to
Fly in from the sea and take the mighty city of
Waterdeep once and for all.
-3-
glory is yours as you venture out into the oceans of
Faerun!
This adventure was created playing with dear friends
who love the game and wanted something they've
never experienced before.
This adventure is essentially a sea faring dungeon
crawl mixed with a bit of intrigue and discovery. Sea
travel is a crucial part of this adventure and can be
augmented with DM's discretion. What I have given
you is helpful suggestions that I discovered when
playing the adventure with my friends.
The locations of the islands/sea events are
completely up to the DM. I personally mixed them into
an adventure in the Moonshae Isles which turned out
to be a blast, but it's completely up to you where the
events take place. Please feel free to scale the
difficulty for any level of party.
The Adventure was made keeping the DM in mind with
helpful guidance provided, to make sure your
adventure runs smoothly and is very fun! All of the
monsters and other creatures can be found in the
Monsters Manuel and can be modified to scale
difficulty.
Many vessels have been noticed missing and so the
Lord's alliance sent a crew of paladins and priests on a
warship known as the "Piercing Light" to look into
these disappearances and eliminate the culprit behind
them.
The crew inevitably discovered the vampire menace at
large and expanded their search for the legendary
vampire hunter Trejonn De Laperre to help neutralize
the impending threat.
Hook
The party begins their story awakening in a cage. The cage door requires a strength DC of 21 or a
They have no recollection of where they are, nor sleight of hand DC of 18 to unlock it. The barrels
how they ended up in their current predicament. upon inspection are filled with rum, while the
The last thing any of them remember is spending crates are filled with grain and corn.
the night at a small inn on the way into the city of
Waterdeep. Other Potential Triggers
The DM can be creative here. They can have a crew
You awaken groggy and out of sorts, you mate come and check on them, or a wave hits the
notice the large iron cage that holds you side of the boat causing the cage to crash open. One
is sitting in an oblong wooden room, most way or another the players will need to escape the
cage. Feel free to innovate to make the escape more
likely the hold of a traveling frigate. The
interesting.
air is damp and rats scurry about making
squeaking sounds as they go. The only
other items in the room are some barrels
and creates stacked neatly at the opposite
end of the room.

Cage

Stairs to upper
deck Slaver Frigate
Lower Deck

-4-
Zhentarim Slave Ship
As players approach the steps climbing up to the
upper deck, they will begin to hear screams and
notice the ship is beginning to sway as if in a storm. darkness and rain. The occasional lightning flash
Upon placing your hand on the hatch to
ascend to the upper deck, the boat
lurches and a mixture of sea water and
blood flow down the hatch, washing over
you and you are immediately overcome
with the stench of death.
The deck is covered with the bodies of the ship's
crew, and standing amongst the carnage, eyes
blazing red is a vampire thrall staring directly at
the party grinning.
Slaver Frigate
Upper Deck
Helm
-5-
A storm is raging around the ship and the party can
barely make out their surroundings through the
will reveal that there is a march larger vessell just
twenty feet away on their ships starboard side.
The party can escape the ship in multiple ways and
be creative. If they choose to fight the thrall, they
will be a bit over their heads, but nonetheless it
attacks them when they take any action. With an
investigation check DC 13, they can discover a life
boat to escape in. Regardless of how the party
decides to escape the doomed vessel, have the
storm overwhelm them to where they end up
floating on driftwood the following morning.
Hatch to Lower Deck
Vampire Thrall
Piercing Light
The players will be awakened floating of
driftwood. The DM can determine if they are
together or separated. I've also included a table
for sea encounters if the DM decides to throw
some enemies at the exhausted party.
You awaken as the suns rays beat down
upon your sea soaked faces. You grasp for
life onto one of the several shabby pieces
of wood floating about, most likely from
the vessel that had once held you captive.
A successful perception DC of 15 will be able to
figure out that they must have drifted south from
where they were initially attacked.
After the players float for awhile or after a sea
encounter, a large ship will appear in the distance.
The Piercing Light sails up to the floating
wreckage and pulls the party onboard.
Cresting the waves, a few hundred feet
away from you, you see a golden ship. The
ship has elvish carvings running down
the port and starboard sides and has a
figure of an angel mounted on its bow.
the ship's sails look almost to be made of
golden canvas as they reflect the sun
beautifully. Aboard the ship you see men,
dwarves, and elves scurrying about as
they notice you floating in the open
water.
-6-
A successful perception DC of 15 will be able to
figure out that they must have drifted south from
where they were initially attacked.
Sea Creature Encounter Table
D100 Creature
1-25 Reef Shark (x2)
25-50 Giant Octopus
50-75 Killer Whale
75-100 Giant Shark
Aboard the ship they will meet Celeste Dualoin, a
dwarven paladin who is leading the Piercing Light
on their expedition. Celeste explains that they are
searching for a ship crewed by vampire pirates and
wants to know if the party has seen anything. She
also offers for them to join her crew and aid them
in their hunt. If the players accept her offer to join
up with them, she will want to test their mettle by
having them fight a Vampire Thrall who only has
half its HP.
If the party survives the encounter, Celeste will
commission them with a small ship (the players can
name the ship whatever they please) and ask that
they seek out Trejonn De Laperre, the famous
vampire hunter. Once they find him and learn his
secrets, they are to rendevous back with the
Piercing Light as Celeste will be continuing the
search for the vampire pirates.
Open Seas
This is the point in the adventure where everything Feel free at this point to throw in another sea
opens up. The party now has access to a small vessel encounter using the table given on page 6 or
and the whole sea is before them! The DM can another encounter crafted by the DM.
decide on how the players will find Trejonn. One
quick option is to have Celeste give the players a
map that will guide them south in the general After a long day of sailing you see in the
direction. Another option would be docking at an distance a small island. The island has
island village and asking around the tavern for little vegetation and is surrounded by a
information on the hunter. The discovery of the
rocky beach. Jetting out from one side of
island through skill checks will require a DC of 18
or above.
the island is a long wooden dock, looking
to be hundreds of years old. There is
The players may also want to explore other islands currently no boat anchored to the dock.
along the way, but all of this is up to the DM's Just a bit further on the island is a small
preference. hut looking to be made from wood taken
from a ship. There is a warm glow from
Once the party has located the island where
within the windows and smoke is
Trejonn resides (through whatever means
necessary) they can embark on the journey which
bellowing out from the chimney.
should take them around a full day of sailing. This
is a prime oppertunity to build the party closer
together and let them role play a bit.

-7-
The Hunter's Secret
As the players embark on the island, the
door of the cottage opens and an ancient
looking elf appears. His hair is gnarled
and white and his beard hangs low to his
mid section. He greets you and welcomes
you into his home. His small hut is long
with a small fireplace at the end. The
walls are lined with shelves, and in the
center of the room is a circular, stone pad
embedded flush into the floor. The elf
sits in a small wooden chair in the corner
and ushers you to sit with him around the
fire.
After the party and Trejonn exchange
introductions and the old hunter is updated on the
vampire menace, he reluctantly explains that he is
in no state to hunt the creatures anymore and has
lost hope.
He claims to have lost everything while hunting
the creatures and no longer believes there is any
point to stopping them. "When one falls, two more
rise up", he claims somberly.
The party will have little success in convincing him
to fight with them, but there are some secrets to
his home that are waiting to be discovered.
-8-
Investigation
DC Detail
You find a journal that describes
the many ventures of Trejonn
1-25 and how he slayed many vampires
with his special weapons.
You find a small circular,
concave section in the middle of
25-50 the stone pad. At the bottom of
the indention there is a small
gap.
You find a ceremonial dagger
hidden beneath a loose floor
50-75 board. On the dagger is the
elvish word for key.
You find a hidden compartment
behind one of the bookshelves
75-100 that contains a crossbow, a vial
of holy water, and a cloak of the
bat.
After a successful discovery of any of the above
items, Trejonn will be more willing to talk
depending on what you have discovered. If you just
found the journal, a DC of 18 is required, the stone
indention is a DC of 16, the dagger is a DC of 14, and
the hidden closet is a DC of 12. If the party finds
two or more items they get advantage on
persuasion/intimidation checks.
Trejonn's Cellar
4
Once the party convinces the old hunter to help
them, he leads them over to the stone circle where
he brandishes the ceremonial dagger and cuts open
his palm. He holds his dripping palm over the small
drain in the floor.
As the blood from Trejonn's wrist falls
into the small opening, the floor opens
before the party as a spiral staircase
descends leading down into a dark cellar.
The old hunter points to the bottom and
says, "only a true hunter can retrieve the
weapon from down there. Good luck to
you all." He then hands you a small piece
of paper with a quickly drawn map, and
returns to his chair by the fire, tears
welling in his eyes.
-9-
1
3
1. Cellar Entryway
The steep spiral staircase leads down twenty feet
underground. Once the party reaches the bottom a
small dimly lit hallway stands before them.
The hall before you is lit only by small
magical orbs attached to the walls. The
walls seem to be made of solid stone while
the floor is covered in a lush, red cloth
material. The pathway takes a slight
curve before jeering off to the right, and
a wooden door lies straight ahead at the
end of the curved walkway.
2. Hallway of Blood
This hallway is enchanted with a hidden mist. A
character of a passive perception of 15 will pick up
that something magical is amiss. This mist will make
the characters see hallucinations of some of their
greatest fears. This is an area where the DM can
get creative. If he/she knows the characters
backstory, then have the mist take the form of
something they know will terrify the said
character. Each party member will experience the
mist differently and a successful Dispel Magic
spell (DC of 15) will clear the mist. If the party
doesn't clear the mist, it is also fun to have them
fight each other. Have each member believe that
their party has become something they fear and
have them attack. Drinking holy water will also
dispel the mist and clear the head of anyone who
drinks it.
As you enter the hallway, your heads
begin to pound painfully, and what was
once real to you begins to shift right
before your eyes.
3. Trejonn's Store Room
This room is a small store room filled with baskets
of food stores, rum, some basic weapons (short
swords, daggers, rapiers, battleaxes), and a bag of
wooden stakes.
The room before you is a cluttered mess of
bags of food, alcohol, and a scattered pile
of weapons. There is also a large sack in
the far corner.
-10-
4. Relic Room
This square room is plain except for a rectangular
altar on the end of the room. The altar has a small
chest sitting on top of it. The chest will not open
for anything, but a blood offering. Any amount of
blood placed on the altar will open the lock and
reveal the treasure within.
As you enter this small room, you notice a
rectangular altar on the far side of the
room with a small chest on it. As you
approach the chest you read the
inscription across the altar, "as life flows
from you, onto this sacred space, hope
will be revealed, the darkness begins to
fade".
When chest opens it reveals five golden stakes.
each stake when wielded by someone will
transform into the weapon of their choice and do
3x damage to vampires or other undead.
As the stakes are removed, the cavern starts to
crumble and try to bury the players. They will need
to make three successful dexterity saves to escape
unharmed, otherwise they will suffer 1d10
bludgeoning damage for every fail on their way
out.
As you ascend into the room above, you see
a vampire standing over the corpse of
Trejonn, the creatures lips glisten with
the blood of the fallen hunter, and
without warning, he lunges at you with
fangs bared.
The Beginning of Death's End
The creature before the party is a vampire spawn,
and with their new weapons, should be disposed of
quite easily. Once defeated, the players will be
contacted by a spectral bird outside the house with
a message describing the exact coordinates of the
Piercing Light and the vampire pirates. The message
notes that the Paladins have engaged the dark
creatures and need assistance from the heroes.
Warring Ships
It should take the party a full day of sailing to
rendevous with the Piercing Light. Feel free to
throw in a sea encounter on the way to shake
things up. When they reach the scene there is
wreckage everywhere.
The piercing light sits before you on its
last legs. there seems to be the splintered
remains of other ships as well floating in
the surf. The deck of the ship is stained
with blood, and the remainder of the
crew looks tired and battle worn.
When the players enter the cove there will be no
turning back. This may be a good time to remind the
players to prepare for battle and rest up if they
need to. They can restock some supplies on the
Piercing Light, but as the ship and its crew just
went through an intense battle, there will be
little more than a few health potions to help them.
As the players enter the cove they will see nothing.
The Maiden's Neck is enchanted and floating safely
under the water at the entrance to the cove. As
soon as the player's ship crosses the threshold of
the cove, the maiden's neck will rise up and block
any exit from the cove. They will giant javelins into
the hull of the players' vessel and stop it from
moving. Around twenty vampires will immediately
board the players' vessel and escort them aboard
the Maiden's Neck.
If the players choose not to be escorted and to
fight, let the fight play out. The party will likely be
killed. If the players oblige the creatures' request
then move on to the final encounter.

Celeste will greet the party and inform them that

they engaged the vampires and had some success
against a majority of the fleet. Losses were
suffered on both sides, but the vampire's lead ship,
The Maiden's Neck, escaped into a cove nearby. They
are trapped and the times to attack is now. Celeste
asks you to pursue the ship into the cove and finish
off the vile creatures once and for all. She ensures
you that they will join you once they get the ship
back in battle shape, and the crew has recuperated
a bit.

-11-
The Maiden's Neck
You are led aboard the ship of the
wretched vampire scourge. Lounging
carelessly on his throne in the center of
the deck sits the vampire Captain. A dead
paladin corpse sits across his lap,
completely drained of blood. As he sits
stroking the dead woman's hair, he
introduces himself as Dante Coldharbour
and claims to have an offer than few
could refuse.
At this point Dante will give the players a choice.
They can choose to join his crew, be turned into
vampires, and aid him in overthrowing the great
city of Waterdeep, or they can be killed and
thrown overboard, never to be heard of again.
Give the players a chance to choose. Dante will not
let them leave the cove alive, one way or another.
He wants his army and will have it no matter stands
in his way. If the players choose to be turned, they
can become vampire spawn in a day's time and will be
recruited into Dante's forces. If they choose to
fight, build some tension up to the moment of
combat right before...
As the undead crew approaches to
destroy you, you notice in the distance a
massive wave accelerating at incredible
speed toward the Maiden's Neck. Atop
the wave is the Piercing Light with
several priests praying over the water,
making it glow with holy light. As the
wave crashes over the ship the vampires
are burned to a crisp save for Dante
Coldharbour who is able to turn into a
cloud of mist at the last second and
land safely back on the deck as the
giant wave coasts further into the
cove.
Congratulations you have completed Sea of Blood!
-12-
The vampire captain stares at you with all
of the hatred of Hell welling inside, as
his comrades perish around him. He
curses you one last time before beginning
his attack.
Dante is a very strong vampire and will not be
swayed from destroying the party. This battle will
take place on a 50x50 square representing the deck
of the ship. Outside the square are pools of the
holy water that washed over the ship earlier.
When the party defeats Dante:
The Vampire Lord screams as he
disintegrates into a smouldering pile of
ash.
The Piercing Light and its crew sail over to find you
standing over the ashes of the vampire captain.
Celeste thanks you for your service and rewards
you with the ship you've been traveling on in
addition to anything you find on the Maiden's Neck.
The contents of the Maiden's Neck include:
360 Gold
24 Platinum
1 book of religious scriptures and prayers (25 gp)
1 set of thieves' tools (25 gp)
1 book of religious scriptures and prayers (25 gp)
1 disguise kit (25 gp)
7 lbs. of gold trade bars (350 gp)
11 bottle(s) of common wine (2.2 gp)
satin robe worth 250gp
feather robe worth 250gp
Horseshoes of speed
Potion of gaseous form
Potion of superior healing
Dancing Sword
 Thanks for Playing!
I hope you thoroughly enjoyed this
adventure and let it be an
inspiration for all DM's and
players out there to create,
imagine, and most importantly
have a lot of fun playing the best
game on Earth!