Trouble in Waterlily

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Introduction

Trouble in Waterlily is a beginner-friendly adventure designed to introduce new players to fantasy role-playing in a single one-shot session lasting 3-4 hours. It has a mix of NPC interaction, puzzles, combat, and dungeon crawling to encourage role play and learning fifth edition mechanics.

It's also written to be simple to understand and run as a beginner GM or toquickly pick up and play for an experienced GM with minimal prep.

Structure

Each Part contains some of the following:

1. A short Introduction
2. Straightforward descriptions of Locations
3. NPCs for your players to interact with
4. A Scene triggers thats stirs conflict and offer players a challenge to overcome
5. Secrets to uncover
6. Treasure to earn or find

Inspired by Eight Steps of the Lazy DM, this structure is a loose map of information that your players can discover naturally. Reward players with the Secrets scattered throughout this adventure for clever thinking, role playing, and good rolls. Any NPC can know information although some suggestions are included.

Pacing

First half. The first 2 parts — Waterlily and Everlong Wood — should be roughly half of the session. Second half. The finale should be spent inside The Tomb of Galanodel dungeon. A map of the tomb is available as a download at https://sidequesters.club/adventures/trouble-in-waterlily.

The first half is meant to be flexible in content and length so you can tune them to your players interests. If your party wants to spend all session in town talking to NPCs you can fast forward to the Tomb once they head into the woods. If they rush into the woods right away you can give them more to do in the forest.

Overview

The town of Waterlily is quiet due to scared townsfolk hiding — the exception being Milo Thorngage — when a zombified Pip Bucklin attacks. The woods show signs of necrotic magic creeping into the fey magic where players meet a trickster and a fairy. In the tomb they face skeletons and cultists led by the novice necromancer Evandor Greycastle.

Background

Hundreds of years ago Everlong Wood was a lively forest filled with magic and fey creatures. Led by siblings Aramil and Caelynn Galanodel the Elven community of the forest prospered. Today a young necromancer named Evandor Greycastle upends the Galanodel's resting place in search of Aramil's spellbook and the powerful magic secrets held within. He raises the dead to do his bidding and the nearby village of Waterlily suffers the consequences.

Adventure hooks

The player characters are fresh faced adventurers after a successful first job. They may not know each other well but they have worked together before before. They can be any alignment but should work together towards at least one common goal: They are looking to test themselves, prove their worth, and hopefully earn some gold.

Important NPCs

Cora Tealeaf (she/her)

A halfling commoner woman and the townmaster of Waterlily, wearing her red hair in a ponytail. She’s worried but lacks the funds to hire well-trained guards from nearby Roccan City.

Wellby Thorngage (he/him)

A halfling commoner man and a retired scout that uses a cane to help him walk. Trained Pip and feels guilty that he’s missing.

Milo Thorngage (he/him)

A halfling commoner boy and Wellby’s curious and brave son who carries a wooden sword.

Eryn (she/her)

A fairy and a guardian of the forest, she is a helpful presence to the party and wants Evandor to leave.

Evandor Greycastle (he/him)

A human novice necromancer hoping to make a name for himself. He is tall and thin with black hair wearing black robes, a red leather vest, and a silver skull necklace.

Part I: Waterlily

Time of day: Noon ☀️ Our heroes stop in the village of Waterlily for some rest before heading out on another day of travel on the road to Roccan City. A light fog looms over the town and the stench of death is in the air. A town which is normally lively and jovial has been quiet, doors closed, and people scared.

💬 GM Tip: Any of the NPCs or Locations are a good place to start! Let your players explore what interests them.

Locations

Waterlily

A halfling village on the outskirts of Everlong Wood. Small homes and gardens lie scattered about.

Town Hall

A small building with a sign out front that reads "Waterlily Town Hall". Cora Tealeaf resides inside.

The Thirsty Root

A two-story tavern and inn run by Finn & Bree Reed.

Thorngage Home

In the distance by one of the houses a boy (Milo Thorngage) plays outside with a wooden sword.

NPCs

Finn Reed (he/him)

Halfling man, owner/bartender of The Thirsty Root

Bree Reed (she/her)

Halfling woman, owner/waitress of The Thirsty Root

Cora Tealeaf (she/her)

A halfling woman and the townmaster of Waterlily, wearing her red hair in a ponytail. She lacks the funds to hire trained guards from nearby Roccan City but can offer 10gp per player to stop the undead thread.

Wellby Thorngage (he/him)

A halfling man and a retired scout that uses a cane to help him walk. He trained Pip and feels guilty that he’s missing.

Milo Thorngage (he/him)

A halfling boy and Wellby’s curious and brave son who darries a wooden sword.

Pip Bucklin (he/him)

Missing halfling zombie that has a simple bow and quiver of arrows strapped to his back

Scene: Pip Attacks!

A zombified Pip Bucklin will shamble into town attacking townsfolk and the players.

Try one of these triggers:

• As the players approach Milo, Pip attacks
• If the players rush into the woods, have Pip attack at the edge of the town
• Leave it to fate! Roll 1d6 each round of actions or conversations. On a 1, Pip appears.

Secrets

• Zombies and skeletons have wandered into the town for the past two days scaring townsfolk and destroying crops
• A man named Evandor dressed in a black hooded robe came through the town a few nights ago
  • 2-3 players: He came alone
  • 4+ players: He came with two cultist companions in black hooded robes hiding their faces
• Pip Bucklin went missing yesterday while investigating the undead
• Pip was killed and zombified
• A lost tomb of the great wizard Aramil Galanodel lies a few miles north of Waterlily

Monsters

• Commoner. Unless otherwise specified, residents of Waterlily are commoners
• Scout. Skilled hunter and tracker
• Zombie. Reanimated corpse

Treasure

10gp per player. The reward of Cora Tealeaf can offer if the players can stop the undead threat.

Part II: Everlong Wood

Time of day: Late afternoon ☀️ A few awakened shrub rabbits cross the party's path, a sign of the fey magic in this place... but a dark energy grows as they go deeper into the forest. Our heroes walk north and follow the path but after some time realize they have been passing by the same trees and landmarks multiple times when they encounter Boggle.

💬 GM Tip: Hint at the players that it feels like the forest is being manipulated or they are in an illusion before Boggle appears! Have them roll some Survival or Perception checks to make it clear they are lost.

Locations

Everlong Wood

An old forest filled with magic and fey creatures.

Tomb Entrance.

The entrance of the tomb overgrown with vines and brush being guarded by two skeletons with shortswords and shields bearing a half moon crest. A fairy, Eryn, hides behind the tomb entrance in the brush silently motioning to the players to help!

💬 GM Tip: After saving Eryn, have her suggest they take a short rest before continuing!

NPCs

Boggle (he/him)

A fey trickster that loves riddles and playing magical pranks.

Eryn (she/her)

A fairy and a guardian of the forest, she is a helpful presence to the party and wants Evandor to leave.

Scene: Boggle's Riddles

Boggle is casting an illusion to make the path loop, causing the players to walk endlessly. Boggle offers to show them the way to The Tomb of Galanodel if they answer his riddles. Boggle always lets the players pass if they play along and answer his riddles — whether or not they answer correctly — but he will honestly answer one of the players' questions for each correct riddle answer.

Boggle will not fight back if attacked. He will run away and send the players towards the violet fungus as revenge.

Riddles

• It has a golden head. It has a golden tail. It has no body. Answer: A gold coin
• Two bodies in one, the longer I stand, the faster I run. Answer: An hourglass
• You keep it, but it never ages. Once shared it is gone forever. Answer: A secret

Other ways to get past Boggle

• Dispel his illusion
• Convince him to drop the illusion
• Knock him unconscious before he can run away or have the fungus attack
• Anything your players can imagine! Reward creativity and good rolls!

Secrets & Rumors

• A dark, deadly magic is coming from The Tomb of Galanodel
• Boggle also had Evandor Greycastle answer the riddles and he got 2 right asking 2 questions
• Where is Aramil Galanodel's tomb? Answer: Just north in a clearing
• Is his spellbook in the tomb? Answer: Yes, but Boggle does not know exactly where
• The skeletons were raised from the dead by Evandor Greycastle from the tomb
• The crescent moon on the skeletons' shields is the Galanodel family sigil
• Aramil's spellbook and Caelynn's sword lie sealed away hidden within the tomb

Monsters

• Awakened Shrub. A shrub in the form of a rabbit that cross the players' path
• Violet fungus. A rotting fungus that remains motionless until it can strike
• Skeleton. Undead guards of the Tomb, wielding shortswords and shields bearing a crescent moon sigil

Treasure

• For saving Eryn and defeating the skeletons, she will give +5 temp HP to each character and a single Potion of Necrotic Resistance
• Potion of Necrotic Resistance. When you drink this potion, you gain resistance to Necrotic damage for 1 hour.

Part III: The Tomb of Galanodel

Time of day: Evening under the waxing crescent moon 🌒 Tomb of Galanodel. The family tomb of the Galanodel wood elves, a powerful family of wood elves the last of whom died nearly 300 years ago. They ruled over Everlong Wood and maintained a peaceful balance of nature and magic.

🗺️ Map downloads: A map of the tomb can be found in the Downloads section at the end of the adventure.

The Galanodel Siblings

Aramil Galanodel was a genius wizard author who filled his writings and spellbooks with strange and powerful magics from his travels. The more famous of the two siblings, most today know of the Galanodel family know of Aramil.

Caelynn was a fierce warrior known for her strength, battle tactics, and longsword Moonwhisper. She became somewhat lost to history.

The two of them together led their people to prosper in the Everlong Wood until they died nearly 300 years ago.

Rooms

Overview

• Interior is slab stone walls and flooring
• Fresh torches have been lit in each room by Evandor
• Aramil hid many secrets throughout that are revealed by moonlight

💬 GM Tip: If your players do something interesting — like use a series of mirrors to shine moonlight through the entire tomb — reward that creativity by revealing other hidden secrets even if they're not explicitly outlined here!

1. Moon Hall

A set of stairs from the entrance leads down to the main hall. A crescent moon is carved into the floor of the tomb surrounded by the phases of the moon. Moonlight shining through a small skylight in the ceiling highlights the large crescent moon sigil on the center floor of the first room revealing words in Elvish, glowing under the moonlight.

• Moonlight script. The script reads "Touched by the light of the moon" in Elvish.
• Waxing crescent moon. If moonlight touches the smaller 🌒 waxing crescent moon on the top-right, it reveals a secret compartment with treasure inside.
  • Roll on the Tomb Treasure table.

2. Main Hall

Two statues stand tall flanking the door on the north side of the room. On the left, Aramil Galanodel holding an open book. On the right, Caelynn Galanodel standing with a sword drawn. Two more doors are on either side of the room.

• Statue spellbook. If moonlight shines on the spellbook on the Aramil statue a secret compartment is revealed. Roll on the Tomb Treasure table.
• Statue sword. If moonlight shines the blade of the sword on the statue it reveals "Moonwhisper" in Elvish.

3. Aramil's Library

Filled with Aramil's book collection: tomes of history, knowledge, magic and nature. Many of the books tossed on the floor like someone was looking for something. No spellbooks to be found. A book Everlong: A History of Magic, Nature, and the Fey written by Aramil Galanodel sits in a glass enclosure in the center of the room; the glass is shattered and book knocked off it's display stand.

• Book display. If moonlight shines on the book display it reveals a hidden compartment. Roll on the Tomb Treasure table.

4. Family Library

Filled with family heirlooms, journals, and lineage documents. Also partially trashed and searched through. A small crescent moon statue sits in the center of the room in a glass display reading "Galanodel".

• Moon statue. If moonlight shines on the moon statue it reveals a small compartment at the base of the statue. Roll on the Tomb Treasure table.

5. Family Crypt

5 stone coffins of various family members. Two coffins are open and empty (the skeletons are outside). The other three coffins contain similar skeletons with shortswords and crescent moon shields. The left door to Aramil's Crypt (Room 6) is ajar and indecipherable muttered speaking can be heard.

• Rats! Shifting the unopened coffins will cause two rats to scurry out from behind the coffins attacking the character who disturbed them
• Be quiet! Loud fighting or other noises in the Family Crypt (Room 6) will draw the attention of Aramil in the next room
  • Players can roll a DC 12 Stealth (WIS) check to avoid being heard by Aramil

6. Aramil's Crypt

Aramil and his wife's crypt with two stone coffins. A book is carved on the wall behind the left coffin marking Aramil's resting place. Bones lie scattered on the floor as Evandor Greycastle stands with a torch rooting through the open coffin.

• Book carving. If moonlight shines on the book carved on the wall behind Aramil's coffin it will reveal a hidden compartment containing Aramil's Spellbook

💬 GM Tip: At the start of combat, have Evandor cast Mage Armor on himself and Summon Skeletons as a bonus action.

7. Caelynn's Crypt

Caeylnn and her wife's crypt with two stone coffins. A sword is carved on the wall behind the right coffin marking Caelynns's resting place.

• Trap. Caelynn's coffin is rigged with poison spray, triggered upon opening
  • DC 15 Perception (WIS) to notice the trap
  • DC 12 Sleight of Hand (DEX) to disarm
• Poison spray. 15ft radius. DC 15 CON saving throw. 1d8 poison damage on a failed save
• Caelynn's longsword Moonwhisper is inside her coffin buried with her
• Torch goes out! When Caelynn's coffin is open have a gust of wind blow out the torch so the room is filled with darkness which makes Moonwhisper shine brightly
• Sword carving. If moonlight shines on the sword carved on the wall behind Caelynn's coffin it will reveal a hidden compartment. Roll on the Tomb Treasure table.

NPCs

Evandor Greycastle (he/him)

A human novice necromancer hoping to make a name for himself. He is tall and thin with black hair wearing black robes, a red leather vest, and a silver skull necklace.

Secrets

• Aramil hid secret messages and compartments that are revealed under moonlight or Caelynn's sword, Moonwhisper
• Evandor didn't see the moonlight scripts because it was a new moon the night he entered, which shown no light

Monsters

• Novice Necromancer. Young and reckless necromancer wizard (Appendix A)
• Skeleton. Clawing their way from the earth raised by Evandor
• Cultist. Human minions of Evandor, any species or gender (4+ players only)
• Rat. Tiny rodent beast

Treasure

• Moonwhisper: Caelynn Galanodel's longsword. +1 to attack rolls. In darkness (including magical darkness) or when in direct contact with the light of the moon this sword glows true moonlight. Shines bright moonlight for 30ft, dim moonlight for 30ft.
• Aramil's Spellbook: A tome of wizard spells and magic secrets
• For other treasure, roll on the Tomb Treasure table

Conclusion

Balance in the Forest

• After the defeat of Evandor, the necrotic presence in the forest dissipates and balance is restored
• Eryn offers to take Aramil’s Spellbook and keep it hidden and safe in the forest

Returning to Waterlily

• Upon returning to Waterlily, Cora Tealeaf will pay them 10gp each if they have defeated Evandor
• The village holds a funeral for Pip and invites the party
• Finn & Bree Reed offer a few nights of free lodging to the party for helping the town

The Road to Roccan City

• The residents of Waterlily cannot afford to buy treasures off the party, but Cora mentions they may be able to sell some of their treasures at the nearby Roccan City
• Wellby gives the players a message for his old scout contacts in Roccan City who may be able to provide them work, strengthening their reputation
• If Evandor or his cultist underlings escaped alive, they may cause trouble for the party on the road

Appendix A: Monsters

Appendix B: Magic Items

Aramil’s Spellbook

Spellbook, rare Aramil’s spellbook. Contains the spells ice storm, lightning bolt, scrying, sunbeam, and water breathing.

Moonwhisper

Weapon (longsword), uncommon Caelynn Galanodel's longsword. “Moonwhisper” is inscribed into the blade in Elvish.

• Gives a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this weapon
• In darkness (including magical darkness) and when in direct contact with the light of the moon this sword glows true moonlight
  • Shines bright moonlight for 30ft, dim moonlight for 30ft

Appendix C: Maps

Downloads

• Tomb of Galanodel map (GM Key)
• Tomb of Galanodel map (Player-safe View)
• Trouble in Waterlily in PDF format
• Trouble in Waterlily in Markdown format

Walkthrough Video

Credits

Writing, Layout, and Cartography by Kenny Goff

Cover art by Sverker Castillo

Illustrations by Gabe Fua

Thank you to the playtesters: Edie, Gio, Jack, Julz, Kathryn, Merrill, Skye, Toni, and Travis. v1.2 published November 18, 2025

License

Trouble in Waterlily © 2025 by Kenny Goff and Inwave Labs LLC

The text and map of this work is licensed under CC BY 4.0. Please include attribution to Kenny Goff.

Attribution

This work includes material taken from the System Reference Document 5.1 ("SRD 5.1") by Wizards of the Coast LLC and available at https://dnd.wizards.com/resources/systems-reference-document. The SRD 5.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.