The Boar of Calydon
A level 8 wilderness boss-hunt for six Theronauts.
📜 Session Summary
| Style Mythic wilderness hunt with rival patrons, broken oaths, and a brutal quarry. |
| Win Condition Stop the boar, expose the curse feeding the hunt, and leave the Calydonian claimants alive enough to accept a shared trophy. |
| Loss Condition The hunters turn on each other, the boar scatters the villages, and Artemis marks the party as oath-breakers. |
| Players 6 × Level 10 · 3–3.5 hrs · 3 encounters |
| Setting Calydonian mead lodge → forest chase lanes → moonlit sacred mire |
| Atmosphere Greek myth · Hunt pride · Artemis's curse made flesh |
| Materials Iron-black bristle, red wool, mead-hall trophies, marsh reeds, moonlight on mud |
| Tone Pride turned predator — the quarry hunts the hunters who boast loudest |
| Key Ally Atalanta, Unwanted First Spear (recruit Enc. Encounter 1 or 2) · Maguffin: Moon-Black Bristle |
Description
King Oeneus of Calydon summons heroes to a feast that is already sour with fear. Artemis never received her harvest offering, and the curse she sent is not a random beast — it is a boar that feeds on pride, tracks false oaths, and kills in an order that feels like judgment. Oeneus will pay well and speak loudly of glory, but he will not admit what he hid in his wine cellar until someone finds the unburned altar record.
The lodge fills with rival claimants: Meleager's kin, trophy-hungry uncles, priests who want credit before blood, and hunters who treat first-spear rights as inheritance. Mediate their claims or the hunt begins with knives behind backs. The maguffin Moon-Black Bristle — iron-dark, wrapped in red wool — is pinned inside Oeneus's sealed writ. In Enc. 1 it sniffs social lies and false trails; in Enc. 2 it marks whichever hunter the boar has chosen next; in Enc. 3 it must be driven into the old wound to suppress the curse aura for one crucial round.
Atalanta, Unwanted First Spear, reads the true trail before the court agrees she may speak. Recruit her by defending her right to first blood or by asking for her read of the tracks — she becomes the party's truth-teller and steady bow in the chase. Without her, rival hunters turn hostile faster and the final mire fight loses its best opening for mercy.
The finale at the moonlit mire pits the party against the Calydonian Boar itself: a curse engine that charges through reed walls, splits proud targets from their allies, and regenerates unless the bristle payoff lands. Victory is not merely a kill — the trophy must become a peace bond, or Calydon bleeds after the horn sounds.
Major Beats
- Oeneus asks for heroes while hiding the divine insult that caused the hunt.
- Atalanta sees the true trail before the court agrees she is allowed to speak.
- The boar kills selectively, proving the quarry understands pride and politics.
- The final trophy must become a peace bond or Calydon bleeds after victory.
Session Rewards
Keepable prizes earned by completing (or excelling at) this session. One character claims each reward unless noted. Full cards are under Reward Cards.
| Reward | Description | Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| Moon-Black Bristle | Iron bristle that sniffs false trails and silences a curse-aura briefly. | End the prideful hunt and drive the bristle into the boar's old wound. |
Creature / Enemy List
| Creature | Easy | Med | Hard | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Razorback Sounder | — | med | hard | CR 3 · Skirmishing beasts and living alarms |
| Pride-Drunk Hunter | — | med | hard | CR 5 · Rival elite with a fragile oath |
| Calydonian Boar | — | med | hard | CR 11 · Boss quarry, curse engine, and terrain breaker |
| Atalanta, Unwanted First Spear | — | 1 | 1 | Recruit Enc. Encounter 1 or 2 |
Encounter 1 — The Feast Before the Blood
Overview
The party enters a loud lodge where Meleager, Atalanta, uncles, priests, and trophy-seekers argue over who deserves command before the first horn sounds.
🗺 Terrain
Long mead hall, trophy wall, moonlit altar court, and cellar stair.
Mechanics
- Non-combat path: mediate three rival claims with DC 15 Persuasion, History, or Insight.
- Discover Oeneus's omitted altar with DC 15 Investigation or Religion.
- Recruit Atalanta by defending her right to first blood or asking for her read of the tracks.
- Failure starts the hunt with one rival hunter secretly hostile in Encounter 2.
Creature Cards
King Oeneus of Calydon
Medium Humanoid (human), lawful worried quest giver
Motivation. Save his fields and heirs without admitting that his neglected sacrifice invited divine anger.
Secret. He omitted Artemis from the harvest rites and has hidden the last unburned altar record in his wine cellar.
Hard rule. He will not order the death of any named hunter; if pressed, he demands a public trial after the boar is stopped.
Moon-Black Bristle
Wondrous Item (maguffin), Unique
Appearance: A hand-length iron bristle wrapped in red wool and smelling of wet leaves.
Handout. "Hold me to moonlight and pride will cast the longer shadow. Hold me to blood and the forest will remember the wound."
Enc. 1–2. Reveals false trails and social lies: advantage on one Survival, Insight, or Persuasion check tied to the hunt.
Enc. 3. Driven into the boar's old wound as an action, it suppresses the boar's curse aura for 1 round and prevents a regeneration surge.
Atalanta, Unwanted First Spear
Medium Humanoid, Neutral · Recruitable Ally · Hunter ally and truth-teller
AC 17 | HP 76 | Speed 30 ft.
Role: Hunter ally and truth-teller
RECRUITMENT (Enc. Encounter 1 or 2). Back her claim to the first blood or help her save a rival who insulted her.
Aid. Acts on party initiative when recruited; prefers nonlethal when asked.
Strike. Longbow +8 to hit, 150/600 ft., 2d8+4 piercing; marks one trail sign.
Pride-Drunk Hunter
Medium Creature · CR 5 · Rival elite with a fragile oath
AC 16 | HP 78 | Speed 30 ft.
Note. Can be talked down by naming their oath and offering public credit.
Attack. Spear +7 to hit, 2d6+4 piercing plus 1d6 if an ally threatens the target.
Encounter 2 — The Quarry Chooses
Overview
A false trail leads the hunting line through farms, sacred groves, and ravines while the boar begins isolating the loudest hunters.
🗺 Terrain
Three-lane forest chase: ravine bridge, trampled vineyard, and shrine pool.
Mechanics
- Non-combat path: run a 5-success skill challenge before 3 failures to rescue stragglers.
- Use the bristle to identify one false trail or one hunter marked by the boar.
- Rival hunters attack only if shamed, exposed without mercy, or abandoned to danger.
- Each failure costs a hunter, burns supplies, or gives the boss a lair advantage.
Creature Cards
Moon-Black Bristle
Wondrous Item (maguffin), Unique
Appearance: A hand-length iron bristle wrapped in red wool and smelling of wet leaves.
Handout. "Hold me to moonlight and pride will cast the longer shadow. Hold me to blood and the forest will remember the wound."
Enc. 1–2. Reveals false trails and social lies: advantage on one Survival, Insight, or Persuasion check tied to the hunt.
Enc. 3. Driven into the boar's old wound as an action, it suppresses the boar's curse aura for 1 round and prevents a regeneration surge.
Atalanta, Unwanted First Spear
Medium Humanoid, Neutral · Recruitable Ally · Hunter ally and truth-teller
AC 17 | HP 76 | Speed 30 ft.
Role: Hunter ally and truth-teller
RECRUITMENT (Enc. Encounter 1 or 2). Back her claim to the first blood or help her save a rival who insulted her.
Aid. Acts on party initiative when recruited; prefers nonlethal when asked.
Strike. Longbow +8 to hit, 150/600 ft., 2d8+4 piercing; marks one trail sign.
Razorback Sounder
Medium Creature · CR 3 · Skirmishing beasts and living alarms
AC 14 | HP 45 | Speed 30 ft.
Note. Use as pressure, not slaughter; they flee if bloodied and uncornered.
Attack. Tusks +6 to hit, 2d8+4 slashing; DC 14 Str save or knocked prone.
Pride-Drunk Hunter
Medium Creature · CR 5 · Rival elite with a fragile oath
AC 16 | HP 78 | Speed 30 ft.
Note. Can be talked down by naming their oath and offering public credit.
Attack. Spear +7 to hit, 2d6+4 piercing plus 1d6 if an ally threatens the target.
Encounter 3 — Tusks in the Sacred Mire
Overview
At the moonlit mire, the Calydonian Boar bursts from reeds, using fallen hunters, sucking mud, and pride-curses to split the party.
🗺 Terrain
Sacred marsh with three dry hummocks, thorn channels, and a half-sunk altar.
Mechanics
- Hard fight: the boar charges through reed walls and creates difficult terrain lines.
- Pride curse: a PC who refuses aid or glory-sharing has disadvantage on the next save.
- Maguffin payoff: plant the Moon-Black Bristle in the old wound to suppress curse aura.
- Mercy option: saving rivals mid-fight removes one legendary charge or grants Atalanta an opening.
Creature Cards
Moon-Black Bristle
Wondrous Item (maguffin), Unique
Appearance: A hand-length iron bristle wrapped in red wool and smelling of wet leaves.
Handout. "Hold me to moonlight and pride will cast the longer shadow. Hold me to blood and the forest will remember the wound."
Enc. 1–2. Reveals false trails and social lies: advantage on one Survival, Insight, or Persuasion check tied to the hunt.
Enc. 3. Driven into the boar's old wound as an action, it suppresses the boar's curse aura for 1 round and prevents a regeneration surge.
Atalanta, Unwanted First Spear
Medium Humanoid, Neutral · Recruitable Ally · Hunter ally and truth-teller
AC 17 | HP 76 | Speed 30 ft.
Role: Hunter ally and truth-teller
RECRUITMENT (Enc. Encounter 1 or 2). Back her claim to the first blood or help her save a rival who insulted her.
Aid. Acts on party initiative when recruited; prefers nonlethal when asked.
Strike. Longbow +8 to hit, 150/600 ft., 2d8+4 piercing; marks one trail sign.
Razorback Sounder
Medium Creature · CR 3 · Skirmishing beasts and living alarms
AC 14 | HP 45 | Speed 30 ft.
Note. Use as pressure, not slaughter; they flee if bloodied and uncornered.
Attack. Tusks +6 to hit, 2d8+4 slashing; DC 14 Str save or knocked prone.
Calydonian Boar
Large Creature · CR 11 · Boss quarry, curse engine, and terrain breaker · Boss
AC 18 | HP 218 | Speed 40 ft.
Role: Boss quarry, curse engine, and terrain breaker
Note. Boss last. It chooses proud targets first and cannot be appeased by flattery.
Hard encounter focus. Win condition may be steal, escape, disable, or drive-off — not always kill.
Multiattack / Assault. Gore +10 to hit, 3d10+6 piercing; charge adds 4d8 and pushes 20 ft.
Advance (1). Move up to half Speed.
Strike (1). One attack from Assault.
⚖️ Difficulty Scaling
As Written ★ — 6 Players, Average Level 10
- Baseline for this guide. Encounter 1–2 are Hard; the final encounter is Deadly for six PCs at average level 10.
- XP budgets (6×L10 thresholds): Hard ≈ 10,800 · Deadly ≈ 16,800. Prefer adding elite pressure, legendary actions, or terrain danger over bloating minion counts past the choke.
Library Standard — 6 Players, Average Level 8
- Dial back: reduce boss HP ~20–25%; cut one legendary action option or recharge breath to 6 only; Favor/track thresholds −1 where present; skill DCs −1; drop one minion wave or −2 CR1–2 creatures from Hard openers.
Easier
- APL 8–9: use the Library Standard (6×L8) box, then shave one more minion wave or remove one recharge ability.
Harder
- APL 11–12: boss HP +20%; +1 legendary; final encounter gains one extra elite or lair pulse; skill DCs +1.
📋 Appendix — Cards
King Oeneus of Calydon
Medium Humanoid (human), lawful worried quest giver
Motivation. Save his fields and heirs without admitting that his neglected sacrifice invited divine anger.
Secret. He omitted Artemis from the harvest rites and has hidden the last unburned altar record in his wine cellar.
Hard rule. He will not order the death of any named hunter; if pressed, he demands a public trial after the boar is stopped.
Moon-Black Bristle
Wondrous Item (maguffin), Unique
Appearance: A hand-length iron bristle wrapped in red wool and smelling of wet leaves.
Handout. "Hold me to moonlight and pride will cast the longer shadow. Hold me to blood and the forest will remember the wound."
Enc. 1–2. Reveals false trails and social lies: advantage on one Survival, Insight, or Persuasion check tied to the hunt.
Enc. 3. Driven into the boar's old wound as an action, it suppresses the boar's curse aura for 1 round and prevents a regeneration surge.
Atalanta, Unwanted First Spear
Medium Humanoid, Neutral · Recruitable Ally · Hunter ally and truth-teller
AC 17 | HP 76 | Speed 30 ft.
Role: Hunter ally and truth-teller
RECRUITMENT (Enc. Encounter 1 or 2). Back her claim to the first blood or help her save a rival who insulted her.
Aid. Acts on party initiative when recruited; prefers nonlethal when asked.
Strike. Longbow +8 to hit, 150/600 ft., 2d8+4 piercing; marks one trail sign.
Razorback Sounder
Medium Creature · CR 3 · Skirmishing beasts and living alarms
AC 14 | HP 45 | Speed 30 ft.
Note. Use as pressure, not slaughter; they flee if bloodied and uncornered.
Attack. Tusks +6 to hit, 2d8+4 slashing; DC 14 Str save or knocked prone.
Pride-Drunk Hunter
Medium Creature · CR 5 · Rival elite with a fragile oath
AC 16 | HP 78 | Speed 30 ft.
Note. Can be talked down by naming their oath and offering public credit.
Attack. Spear +7 to hit, 2d6+4 piercing plus 1d6 if an ally threatens the target.
Calydonian Boar
Large Creature · CR 11 · Boss quarry, curse engine, and terrain breaker · Boss
AC 18 | HP 218 | Speed 40 ft.
Role: Boss quarry, curse engine, and terrain breaker
Note. Boss last. It chooses proud targets first and cannot be appeased by flattery.
Hard encounter focus. Win condition may be steal, escape, disable, or drive-off — not always kill.
Multiattack / Assault. Gore +10 to hit, 3d10+6 piercing; charge adds 4d8 and pushes 20 ft.
Advance (1). Move up to half Speed.
Strike (1). One attack from Assault.
Reward Cards
Post-session keepables. Reward is the first tag. Mechanics below are for ongoing use after this oneshot.
Moon-Black Bristle
Reward · Wondrous · 1/Long Rest
Mechanics. While carried, once per short rest you have advantage on one Wisdom (Survival), Wisdom (Insight), or Charisma (Persuasion) check tied to a hunt or rivalry. Once per long rest, as an action, touch the bristle to a beast or monstrosity within 5 feet: until the start of your next turn, it can't regain hit points and any aura it emits (frightening, cursing, or damaging) is suppressed.
Appearance. A hand-length iron bristle wrapped in red wool, smelling of wet leaves and moonless soil.
Lore. A trophy-thorn of Calydon that remembers which pride cast the longer shadow.
Quote. "Hold me to moonlight and pride will cast the longer shadow." — Moon-Black Bristle
Earn when: End the prideful hunt and drive the bristle into the boar's old wound.