The Fleece of Colchis
One-Shot · 6 Players · Level 12 · ~3–3.5 Hours · Colchis Heist · Steal the Golden Fleece
📜 Session Summary
| Style Colchis Heist — Harbor Infiltration → Palace / Seals → Steal the Golden Fleece |
| Win Condition Claim the Golden Fleece and reach the Phasis extraction skiff with it |
| Loss Condition Fleece unrecovered when the party is captured/killed, or Alarm forces Aeëtes’s full muster (DM call at Alarm 7+) |
| Players 6 × Level 12 · 3–3.5 hrs · 3 encounters |
| Setting Misthaven mist → harbor of Aea → palace pharmacy → Grove of Ares on the Phasis |
| Atmosphere Paranoid and specific — everyone in Colchis knows why people come here, and everyone has a policy about it |
| Materials Ram's Bell of Phrixus, Alarm Track card, Medea's herbalist pass, Three Seals of Ares |
| Tone Political heist — the court is the obstacle, the dragon is the finale, and the most useful ally is also the most dangerous one |
| Key Ally Medea (recruit Enc. 2) · Maguffin: Ram’s Bell of Phrixus |
Description
Hera, disguised as the shipping agent Lady Argive, meets the party in Misthaven and opens a path to Colchis with a warning: Aeëtes would sow war from the sacred oak if the Golden Fleece ever left his grove. She gives them the Ram's Bell of Phrixus — a bronze instrument that rings whenever the Fleece's magic stirs nearby, measuring time through an Alarm Track that escalates from harbor whispers to full household muster.
The heist runs in three acts: slip the harbor watch at night, court Medea in the palace pharmacy for seals and the herbalist pass, then breach the Grove of Ares where the sleepless dragon coils around the oak roots. Medea's cooperation can buy two stages on the Alarm Track — the mechanical difference between a hard escape and a deadly one. The Bell cannot be muffled; it is Hera's way of making sure the party knows how much time remains.
The sleepless dragon cannot be killed — only bypassed, exhausted, or briefly stilled if someone knows its true name. Lift the Fleece, open the Three Seals, and run for the Phasis extraction skiff before Spartoi claw up from the teeth Aeëtes sowed in the grove floor. Prefer sleeping the guardian over sacking the city; this mission is theft and extraction, not conquest.
Colchis Setting
- Locale: Misthaven mist → harbor of Aea → palace pharmacy → Grove of Ares on the Phasis.
- Maps: Enc. 1 docks 60×40; Enc. 2 palace wing 50×40 + seal lintel; Enc. 3 grove 80×60 (oak center, brush, skiff south).
- Persistence: Prefer sleeping/evading the dragon; do not sack Colchis or execute Aeëtes.
Major Beats
- Hera + Ram’s Bell; mission is theft and extraction.
- Enc. 1: Harbor watch + bronze calf — stealth/bribe preferred; Alarm carries forward.
- Enc. 2: Recruit Medea; solve Blood / Fire / Night seals.
- Enc. 3 (Final): Drowsy → Cut Fleece → skiff; manage Alarm / Spartoi.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Ram's Bell of Phrixus | Thumb-bell that distracts beasts and droops a sleepless lid once. | Lift the Golden Fleece and escape Aea with the bell still ringing true. |
Creature / Enemy List
| Creature | Easy | Med | Hard | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harbor Guard | 3 | 4 | 5 | Enc. 1 |
| Bronze Bull Calf | 0 | 1 | 1 | Enc. 1 |
| Palace Sentinel | 2 | 3 | 4 | Enc. 2 |
| Medea | — | 1 | 1 | Recruit |
| Sleepless Dragon | adj | 1 | 1 | Enc. 3 |
| Spartoi | 0–2 | 2–4 | 4–6 | Alarm spawns |
Act 1 — Harbor Shadows
Night on the Phasis. The river smells of silt and fish-oil, and the docks are lit by bronze torch brackets on every pier post. Four Colchian harbor guards pace the main pier in overlapping routes; the Bronze Bull Calf stands at the customs gate, its hide radiating heat visible as a shimmer. Tribute wagons are being unloaded at the far end. Fishing smoke drifts through everything. The palace is visible upriver, its lights still on.
Encounter 1 — Harbor Shadows
Overview
Night on the Phasis docks. 4× Colchian Harbor Guards pace the pier; 1× Bronze Bull Calf heats the customs gate. Tribute wagons and fishing smoke offer cover.
🗺 Terrain
Docks 60×40 · crates (½ cover) · 10-ft water edge · calf at the inland gate · horn-post center pier.
Encounter Roster (Hard)
- 4× Colchian Harbor Guard (CR 4 · 1,100 XP each)
- 1× Bronze Bull Calf (CR 5 · 1,800 XP)
XP Budget (Hard)
- 4× 1,100 + 1,800 = 6,200 XP if alarm raised
- Stealth/disguise success: skill challenge — no XP
- Alarm +1 spawns 2× Spartoi later in Enc. 3
Mechanics
- Non-combat: Disguise as tribute-bearers — group Deception/Stealth 3 before 3 (DC 13) while one PC distracts the calf (Animal Handling or Ram’s Bell). Success: enter city at Alarm 0.
- Alarm Track starts here: Horn or open melee +1 each. Carry 0–2 into Enc. 2/3.
- Quiet entry: If Alarm stays 0, Medea’s Enc. 2 recruit DC is 12 and she gifts one Salve use early.
- Bribe: 50 gp + Persuasion DC 14 silences one guard pair for 10 minutes.
Creature Cards
Colchian Harbor Guard
Medium Humanoid, Lawful Neutral · CR 4
AC 16 | HP 68 | Speed 30 ft.
Skills: Perception +2 · Spears and horns for alarm
Alarm Horn. If a guard uses an action to blow the horn, Alarm +1 (Enc. 1 track).
Multiattack. Two spear attacks.
Spear. +6 to hit, reach 5 ft. or thrown 20/60. Hit: 8 (1d8+3) piercing.
Bronze Bull Calf
Large Construct, Unaligned · CR 5 · Harbor sentry
AC 17 | HP 85 | Speed 40 ft.
Immune poison, psychic · Filter: reacts to open steel and running
Heated Hide. Melee hits against it deal 3 (1d6) fire to the attacker.
Ram’s Bell. If rung softly (Enc. 1 use), calf Wis DC 13 or stands idle 1 round.
Gore. +8 to hit. Hit: 14 (2d6+5) piercing + 4 (1d8) fire.
Stomp (Recharge 5–6). 10-ft radius Dex DC 15; 14 (4d6) bludgeoning and prone on fail.
Ram’s Bell of Phrixus
Wondrous Item (maguffin), Unique
Appearance: a thumb-sized golden bell on a scrap of fleece-wool cord
Handout (22 words). "Ring once at the root of the golden oak — not thrice — and even sleepless lids grow heavy for a breath."
Enc. 1–2. Optional: 1/encounter, ring softly — one beast or construct within 30 ft. Wis DC 13 or distracted 1 round (no alarm if already hidden).
Enc. 3 (primary). Action within 10 ft. of the sleepless dragon: ring once. Dragon Con DC 16 or becomes Drowsy for 1 minute (Speed halved; disadv on Perception; Fleece Cut DC −2). Ringing twice or thrice in the grove raises Alarm +2 immediately.
Act 2 — Pharmacy, Seals, and a Princess
The palace wing smells of resins and bronze. Corridors are lit by oil lamps in stone brackets; the pharmacy alcove at the far end shows amber light through a cracked door. Beyond it, the corridor ends at a bronze lintel with three recessed seals that block the causeway to the grove. A figure moves in the pharmacy — unhurried, professional, aware of the corridor. Medea does not look up when the party enters. She says: "You are an hour late. Close the door."
Encounter 2 — Pharmacy, Seals, and a Princess
Overview
Aeëtes’s palace wing smells of resins and bronze. Medea works late among vials. Beyond her door, the Three Seals of Ares bar the grove causeway. 4× Palace Sentinels rotate.
🗺 Terrain
Wing 50×40 · pharmacy alcove · pantry · brazier niche · seal lintel corridor · balcony drop 20 ft. to gardens.
Encounter Roster (Hard)
- 4× Palace Sentinel of Aea (CR 5 · 1,800 XP each)
XP Budget (Hard)
- 4× 1,800 = 7,200 XP combat path
- Seal puzzle + Medea recruit: no sentinel XP if undetected round 1
- Each combat round in wing: Alarm +1 (Spartoi in Enc. 3)
Mechanics
- RECRUIT MEDEA: Persuasion DC 14 (DC 12 if Enc. 1 Alarm 0). Vow: no massacre, Fleece leaves Colchis. Success → she joins Enc. 3.
- Seals puzzle: Blood / Fire / Night (see seal card). Night auto-opens with one careful Ram’s Bell ring against the recess.
- Combat path: fight sentinels; each round of open battle in the wing Alarm +1. Medea may still recruit if spared and persuaded after.
- Aeëtes is holding court elsewhere — do not stage his death. If the party seeks him, a glimpse and a shouted order raise Alarm +2 and force a retreat to the seals.
Creature Cards
Medea
Medium Humanoid (sorceress of Colchis), Chaotic Neutral · Recruitable Ally
AC 14 | HP 78 (12d8+24) | Speed 30 ft.
Saves: Wis +5, Cha +7 · Skills: Arcana +6, Deception +7, Medicine +5 · Spell DC 15, +7
RECRUITMENT (Enc. 2). Found in the palace pharmacy. Persuasion DC 14 (DC 12 if Enc. 1 raised no Alarm) and a vow not to butcher Colchians needlessly. She joins Enc. 3 with Salve and Countersong.
If not recruited. A sealed vial of Salve can still be stolen (Sleight DC 15) — no Countersong, Fleece Cut without her aid.
Colchian Blood. Guards who recognize her hesitate 1 round the first time she speaks (once per encounter).
Dagger. +5 to hit. Hit: 4 (1d4+2) piercing + 7 (2d6) poison (Con DC 14 or poisoned 1 minute).
Soporific Salve (Enc. 3). Action: anoint a blade, the Ram’s Bell, or the Fleece pins. Next Fleece Cut or Bell ring this round gains +2; OR one attack vs. dragon deals no damage but forces Con DC 15 or Drowsy (see dragon). 3 uses.
Countersong (1/encounter). Reaction when Alarm would rise from a failed stealth check within 30 ft.: cancel that +1 Alarm.
Mist Step (2/rest). Teleport 30 ft. to a seen space (mist of the Phasis).
Palace Sentinel of Aea
Medium Humanoid, Lawful Evil · CR 5
AC 17 | HP 84 | Speed 30 ft.
Skills: Insight +3, Perception +3
Loyalty. Will not abandon the pharmacy corridor if Medea is present and hostile to the party — she can order one sentinel to stand down (Persuasion contested).
Multiattack. Two kopis attacks.
Kopis. +7 to hit. Hit: 10 (1d8+4) slashing.
Net (1/day). +7 to hit, range 15/30, Large or smaller. Hit: restrained (escape Ath/Acr DC 15).
Three Seals of Ares (Grove Gate)
Skill Puzzle · Enc. 2 · Blocks the grove causeway
Bronze lintel with three recessed seals: Blood / Fire / Night
Blood. Willing cut for 1d4 damage OR Medicine DC 13 with sacrificial wine from the pantry.
Fire. Touch with a lit brand from Hephaestan braziers (Athletics/Acrobatics DC 13 to snatch without burns) OR a cantrip’s fire.
Night. Cover the seal in true shadow / Darkness / or ring the Ram’s Bell once against the recess (auto-success).
Force. Str DC 18 breaks the lintel — Alarm +2 and Enc. 3 starts with dragon undrowsy and 2 Spartoi spawned.
Act 3 — The Golden Oak
The grove breathes gold. Literally — the boughs overhead catch the torchlight and redirect it warm, so the air itself seems amber-tinted. The sacred oak stands at the center, forty feet tall, and the Fleece hangs from its highest fork in adamant pins, luminescent even in the grove's warmth. Coiled at the base of the oak, looped through three sets of roots: the dragon. Eyes cycling through open and half-open states. It is not asleep. It never has been. But one of those eyes is watching the southern brush-line, and the extraction skiff is eighty feet down the river path.
Encounter 3 — The Golden Oak (Final Heist)
Overview
The grove breathes gold. The sleepless dragon coils the oak where the Fleece hangs. River mist waits south — the extraction skiff rocks against black reeds.
🗺 Terrain
Grove 80×60 · oak center (difficult roots 10 ft) · brush patches · shrine with false fleece · skiff 80 ft south along a 10-ft path.
Encounter Roster (Deadly)
- 1× Sleepless Dragon of the Grove (CR 11 · 7,200 XP)
- 2–4× Spartoi (CR 4 · 1,100 XP each) per Alarm track
- Root Snare lair action (init 20)
XP Budget (Deadly)
- Dragon 7,200 + 4 Spartoi 4,400 + lair ≈ ~22,800 XP at Alarm 5+
- Drowsy dragon + heist tools reduce damage pressure — do not cut HP further
- Medea Salve/Bell: primary win lever, not XP substitute
Alarm & Extraction
| Alarm | Effect |
|---|---|
| Carry-in | Start at Enc. 1–2 total (usually 0–3) |
| 3 | 2× Spartoi claw up from the soil |
| 5 | +2 Spartoi (4 total active); dragon’s breath recharges on a 4–6; Grove Pulse legendary unlocked |
| 7+ | Muster — palace horns; 1 round to board or capture (soft loss) |
- Suggested order: Bell (Drowsy) → Salve/Cut → False Fleece feint → dash for skiff.
- Win: Fleece on the skiff + ≥1 PC aboard and free of the coils. Mist closes; Hera’s bargain is kept.
- Dragon at 0 HP dies — allowed, but note Hera’s silence. Prefer Drowsy escape.
Full tool card in appendix.
Creature Cards
Sleepless Dragon of the Grove
Huge Dragon, Lawful Neutral · CR 11 staged · Ward of the Fleece
AC 18 | HP 255 (22d12+132) | Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft.
Saves: Dex +6, Con +10, Wis +7 · Senses: blindsight 30 ft., darkvision 120 ft. · LR 3/day
Sleepless. Immune to magical sleep unless Drowsy from Ram’s Bell or Medea’s Salve. While Drowsy: Speed halved; disadv on Perception; no Legendary Bite.
Coil the Oak. Occupies the oak’s 15-ft space. Creatures ending their turn in the coils Str DC 16 or restrained (escape Ath DC 16).
Preferred win. Party steals the Fleece and flees — dragon need not die. Slaying it is allowed but Hera’s favor cools (note only).
Multiattack. One Bite and one Tail (skip Bite if Drowsy and it chooses to Conserve).
Bite. +10 to hit, reach 10 ft. Hit: 18 (2d10+5) piercing + 10 (3d6) poison.
Tail. +10 to hit, reach 15 ft. Hit: 14 (2d6+5) bludgeoning and shove 10 ft.
Goldfire Breath (Recharge 5–6). 30-ft cone Dex DC 17; 35 (10d6) fire; half on success. Ignites dry brush (difficult terrain).
Detect (1). Wisdom (Perception) check.
Tail (1). One Tail attack.
Drag (2). Move a restrained creature 15 ft. toward the oak.
Grove Pulse (3). Each creature in the coils Con DC 16 or 14 (4d6) poison (lair pressure; counts as alarm +1 if failed by 5+).
Root Snare. One creature in the grove Str DC 16 or restrained by golden roots until end of next turn.
Grove Heist Tools
Encounter Toolkit · Enc. 3 · Not a creature
Stack sleep and silence — extraction over DPS
1. Ram’s Bell. Drowsy the dragon (see maguffin). Once preferred.
2. Medea’s Salve. Ease Cut / force Drowsy on hit.
3. Fleece Cut. Ath/Sleight DC 15 (13 with Salve / Drowsy).
4. False Fleece. Tapestry scrap in the grove shrine — Action Deception DC 14 vs. dragon Insight (+3) to buy 1 round of misdirection after Cut.
5. Extraction Skiff. River edge, 80 ft. south. Boarding with Fleece ends the fight after 1 chase round unless Alarm ≥ 5.
Alarm Track. Starts at Enc. 1 carryover (0–2). Loud combat +1/round; horn +1; failed stealth +1. At 3: 2 Spartoi. At 5: 2 more + dragon breath recharges.
The Golden Fleece
Wondrous Relic · Heist Objective
Nailed to the sacred oak by adamant pins; radiates warm gold light in a 10-ft radius
Cut Free. Action adjacent while dragon is Drowsy, Distracted, or Blinded to the cutter: Athletics or Sleight of Hand DC 15 (DC 13 with Medea’s Salve). Success claims the Fleece.
Carrying. While held, bearer sheds dim gold light (cannot hide in darkness). One creature can carry it; dropping it is an object interaction.
Win. Fleece aboard the extraction skiff (or mist-trireme) with at least one PC conscious → session win.
Medea
Medium Humanoid (sorceress of Colchis), Chaotic Neutral · Recruitable Ally
AC 14 | HP 78 (12d8+24) | Speed 30 ft.
Saves: Wis +5, Cha +7 · Skills: Arcana +6, Deception +7, Medicine +5 · Spell DC 15, +7
RECRUITMENT (Enc. 2). Found in the palace pharmacy. Persuasion DC 14 (DC 12 if Enc. 1 raised no Alarm) and a vow not to butcher Colchians needlessly. She joins Enc. 3 with Salve and Countersong.
If not recruited. A sealed vial of Salve can still be stolen (Sleight DC 15) — no Countersong, Fleece Cut without her aid.
Colchian Blood. Guards who recognize her hesitate 1 round the first time she speaks (once per encounter).
Dagger. +5 to hit. Hit: 4 (1d4+2) piercing + 7 (2d6) poison (Con DC 14 or poisoned 1 minute).
Soporific Salve (Enc. 3). Action: anoint a blade, the Ram’s Bell, or the Fleece pins. Next Fleece Cut or Bell ring this round gains +2; OR one attack vs. dragon deals no damage but forces Con DC 15 or Drowsy (see dragon). 3 uses.
Countersong (1/encounter). Reaction when Alarm would rise from a failed stealth check within 30 ft.: cancel that +1 Alarm.
Mist Step (2/rest). Teleport 30 ft. to a seen space (mist of the Phasis).
Spartoi (Sown Warrior)
Medium Construct Undead, Neutral · CR 4 · Alarm spawn
AC 15 | HP 52 | Speed 30 ft.
Rise from sown dragon-teeth when Alarm thresholds hit
Brittle Bone. Vulnerable to bludgeoning. Immune poison.
Shortsword. +4 to hit. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) piercing.
Shield Bash. +4 to hit. Hit: 4 (1d4+2) bludgeoning; target Dex DC 12 or prone.
Ram’s Bell of Phrixus
Wondrous Item (maguffin), Unique
Appearance: a thumb-sized golden bell on a scrap of fleece-wool cord
Handout (22 words). "Ring once at the root of the golden oak — not thrice — and even sleepless lids grow heavy for a breath."
Enc. 1–2. Optional: 1/encounter, ring softly — one beast or construct within 30 ft. Wis DC 13 or distracted 1 round (no alarm if already hidden).
Enc. 3 (primary). Action within 10 ft. of the sleepless dragon: ring once. Dragon Con DC 16 or becomes Drowsy for 1 minute (Speed halved; disadv on Perception; Fleece Cut DC −2). Ringing twice or thrice in the grove raises Alarm +2 immediately.
⚖️ Difficulty Scaling
As Written ★ — 6 Players, Average Level 12
- Baseline for this guide. Encounter 1–2 are Hard; the final encounter is Deadly for six PCs at average level 12.
- XP budgets (6×L12 thresholds): Hard ≈ 14,400 · Deadly ≈ 22,800. Prefer mythic pressure, lair actions, and elite packs over endless CR1 swarms.
Library Standard — 6 Players, Average Level 8
- Major dial-back: reduce boss HP ~35–40%; strip one legendary action and one recharge; Favor/track thresholds −2 where present; skill DCs −2; cut one full minion wave from each fight.
Easier (table still high-tier)
- APL 10–11: boss HP −15%; remove one legendary; final Deadly → Hard by cutting one elite.
Harder
- APL 13–14 or seven PCs: boss HP +15%; +1 legendary; add one lair pulse or elite reinforcement mid-finale.
📋 Appendix — Cards
Quest / Tools / Ally
Lady Argive (Hera, Quest Giver)
Medium Celestial (Olympian in merchant’s guise), Lawful Neutral
See the full profile: Hera, Gods & Immortals
Appears at Misthaven as a gray-eyed wool-merchant; peacock-pin barely hidden
Motivation. King Aeëtes of Colchis means to sow the Fleece’s war-magic into a living army. The Fleece must leave his oak — quietly — before dawn.
Hard rule. Steal the Fleece. Do not sack Aea. Do not slay the sleepless dragon if mercy or sleep will serve — it is the grove’s ancient ward.
Promise. Safe mist-exit once the Fleece is aboard a boat on the Phasis. Medea’s fate is the party’s bargain to keep.
Ram’s Bell of Phrixus
Wondrous Item (maguffin), Unique
Appearance: a thumb-sized golden bell on a scrap of fleece-wool cord
Handout (22 words). "Ring once at the root of the golden oak — not thrice — and even sleepless lids grow heavy for a breath."
Enc. 1–2. Optional: 1/encounter, ring softly — one beast or construct within 30 ft. Wis DC 13 or distracted 1 round (no alarm if already hidden).
Enc. 3 (primary). Action within 10 ft. of the sleepless dragon: ring once. Dragon Con DC 16 or becomes Drowsy for 1 minute (Speed halved; disadv on Perception; Fleece Cut DC −2). Ringing twice or thrice in the grove raises Alarm +2 immediately.
The Golden Fleece
Wondrous Relic · Heist Objective
Nailed to the sacred oak by adamant pins; radiates warm gold light in a 10-ft radius
Cut Free. Action adjacent while dragon is Drowsy, Distracted, or Blinded to the cutter: Athletics or Sleight of Hand DC 15 (DC 13 with Medea’s Salve). Success claims the Fleece.
Carrying. While held, bearer sheds dim gold light (cannot hide in darkness). One creature can carry it; dropping it is an object interaction.
Win. Fleece aboard the extraction skiff (or mist-trireme) with at least one PC conscious → session win.
Three Seals of Ares (Grove Gate)
Skill Puzzle · Enc. 2 · Blocks the grove causeway
Bronze lintel with three recessed seals: Blood / Fire / Night
Blood. Willing cut for 1d4 damage OR Medicine DC 13 with sacrificial wine from the pantry.
Fire. Touch with a lit brand from Hephaestan braziers (Athletics/Acrobatics DC 13 to snatch without burns) OR a cantrip’s fire.
Night. Cover the seal in true shadow / Darkness / or ring the Ram’s Bell once against the recess (auto-success).
Force. Str DC 18 breaks the lintel — Alarm +2 and Enc. 3 starts with dragon undrowsy and 2 Spartoi spawned.
Grove Heist Tools
Encounter Toolkit · Enc. 3 · Not a creature
Stack sleep and silence — extraction over DPS
1. Ram’s Bell. Drowsy the dragon (see maguffin). Once preferred.
2. Medea’s Salve. Ease Cut / force Drowsy on hit.
3. Fleece Cut. Ath/Sleight DC 15 (13 with Salve / Drowsy).
4. False Fleece. Tapestry scrap in the grove shrine — Action Deception DC 14 vs. dragon Insight (+3) to buy 1 round of misdirection after Cut.
5. Extraction Skiff. River edge, 80 ft. south. Boarding with Fleece ends the fight after 1 chase round unless Alarm ≥ 5.
Alarm Track. Starts at Enc. 1 carryover (0–2). Loud combat +1/round; horn +1; failed stealth +1. At 3: 2 Spartoi. At 5: 2 more + dragon breath recharges.
Medea
Medium Humanoid (sorceress of Colchis), Chaotic Neutral · Recruitable Ally
AC 14 | HP 78 (12d8+24) | Speed 30 ft.
Saves: Wis +5, Cha +7 · Skills: Arcana +6, Deception +7, Medicine +5 · Spell DC 15, +7
RECRUITMENT (Enc. 2). Found in the palace pharmacy. Persuasion DC 14 (DC 12 if Enc. 1 raised no Alarm) and a vow not to butcher Colchians needlessly. She joins Enc. 3 with Salve and Countersong.
If not recruited. A sealed vial of Salve can still be stolen (Sleight DC 15) — no Countersong, Fleece Cut without her aid.
Colchian Blood. Guards who recognize her hesitate 1 round the first time she speaks (once per encounter).
Dagger. +5 to hit. Hit: 4 (1d4+2) piercing + 7 (2d6) poison (Con DC 14 or poisoned 1 minute).
Soporific Salve (Enc. 3). Action: anoint a blade, the Ram’s Bell, or the Fleece pins. Next Fleece Cut or Bell ring this round gains +2; OR one attack vs. dragon deals no damage but forces Con DC 15 or Drowsy (see dragon). 3 uses.
Countersong (1/encounter). Reaction when Alarm would rise from a failed stealth check within 30 ft.: cancel that +1 Alarm.
Mist Step (2/rest). Teleport 30 ft. to a seen space (mist of the Phasis).
Creatures
Colchian Harbor Guard
Medium Humanoid, Lawful Neutral · CR 4
AC 16 | HP 68 | Speed 30 ft.
Skills: Perception +2 · Spears and horns for alarm
Alarm Horn. If a guard uses an action to blow the horn, Alarm +1 (Enc. 1 track).
Multiattack. Two spear attacks.
Spear. +6 to hit, reach 5 ft. or thrown 20/60. Hit: 8 (1d8+3) piercing.
Bronze Bull Calf
Large Construct, Unaligned · CR 5 · Harbor sentry
AC 17 | HP 85 | Speed 40 ft.
Immune poison, psychic · Filter: reacts to open steel and running
Heated Hide. Melee hits against it deal 3 (1d6) fire to the attacker.
Ram’s Bell. If rung softly (Enc. 1 use), calf Wis DC 13 or stands idle 1 round.
Gore. +8 to hit. Hit: 14 (2d6+5) piercing + 4 (1d8) fire.
Stomp (Recharge 5–6). 10-ft radius Dex DC 15; 14 (4d6) bludgeoning and prone on fail.
Palace Sentinel of Aea
Medium Humanoid, Lawful Evil · CR 5
AC 17 | HP 84 | Speed 30 ft.
Skills: Insight +3, Perception +3
Loyalty. Will not abandon the pharmacy corridor if Medea is present and hostile to the party — she can order one sentinel to stand down (Persuasion contested).
Multiattack. Two kopis attacks.
Kopis. +7 to hit. Hit: 10 (1d8+4) slashing.
Net (1/day). +7 to hit, range 15/30, Large or smaller. Hit: restrained (escape Ath/Acr DC 15).
Spartoi (Sown Warrior)
Medium Construct Undead, Neutral · CR 4 · Alarm spawn
AC 15 | HP 52 | Speed 30 ft.
Rise from sown dragon-teeth when Alarm thresholds hit
Brittle Bone. Vulnerable to bludgeoning. Immune poison.
Shortsword. +4 to hit. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) piercing.
Shield Bash. +4 to hit. Hit: 4 (1d4+2) bludgeoning; target Dex DC 12 or prone.
Sleepless Dragon of the Grove
Huge Dragon, Lawful Neutral · CR 11 staged · Ward of the Fleece
AC 18 | HP 255 (22d12+132) | Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft.
Saves: Dex +6, Con +10, Wis +7 · Senses: blindsight 30 ft., darkvision 120 ft. · LR 3/day
Sleepless. Immune to magical sleep unless Drowsy from Ram’s Bell or Medea’s Salve. While Drowsy: Speed halved; disadv on Perception; no Legendary Bite.
Coil the Oak. Occupies the oak’s 15-ft space. Creatures ending their turn in the coils Str DC 16 or restrained (escape Ath DC 16).
Preferred win. Party steals the Fleece and flees — dragon need not die. Slaying it is allowed but Hera’s favor cools (note only).
Multiattack. One Bite and one Tail (skip Bite if Drowsy and it chooses to Conserve).
Bite. +10 to hit, reach 10 ft. Hit: 18 (2d10+5) piercing + 10 (3d6) poison.
Tail. +10 to hit, reach 15 ft. Hit: 14 (2d6+5) bludgeoning and shove 10 ft.
Goldfire Breath (Recharge 5–6). 30-ft cone Dex DC 17; 35 (10d6) fire; half on success. Ignites dry brush (difficult terrain).
Detect (1). Wisdom (Perception) check.
Tail (1). One Tail attack.
Drag (2). Move a restrained creature 15 ft. toward the oak.
Grove Pulse (3). Each creature in the coils Con DC 16 or 14 (4d6) poison (lair pressure; counts as alarm +1 if failed by 5+).
Root Snare. One creature in the grove Str DC 16 or restrained by golden roots until end of next turn.
Reward Cards
Post-session keepables. Reward is the first tag. Mechanics below are for ongoing use after this oneshot.
Ram's Bell of Phrixus
Reward · Wondrous · 1/Long Rest
Mechanics. Once per short rest, as a bonus action, ring softly: one beast or construct within 30 feet must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or be distracted until the end of its next turn (disadvantage on Perception and opportunity attacks). Once per long rest, as an action, ring at one dragon or Huge beast within 30 feet: on a failed DC 16 Constitution save, its speed is halved and it has disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks for 1 minute.
Appearance. A thumb-sized golden bell on a scrap of fleece-wool cord, tone soft as sleep.
Lore. Phrixus's hush-bell, retained after Colchis learned even sleepless lids can grow heavy for a breath.
Quote. "Ring once at the root of the golden oak — not thrice." — Ram's Bell handout
Earn when: Lift the Golden Fleece and escape Aea with the bell still ringing true.