Wings Over the Wine-Dark Sea
One-Shot · 6 Players · Level 8 · ~3–3.5 hrs · Trireme Naval · Harpies / Sirens / Jelly-witches
Style: Aerial → Charm → Aberrant Boss |
Win: Defeat Fog-Mother Lampetia (0 HP or sink fog-skiff + Conch pulse while she is aboard)
Ship: Main 40×50 + bow 15 + stern 25 = 90 ft · center mast · 15 ft ram · optional 2nd ship fog-skiff (30×15). Entirely shipboard.
"When wings blot the sail and the sea begins to sing, breathe this shell — deafness is mercy, and mercy is a blade." — Conch of Relative Silence
Major Beats
- Mist-trireme: Thetis-touched envoy + Conch maguffin.
- Enc. 1: Harpies dive the sail (3 sections AC 11 / HP 15).
- Enc. 2: Sirens (Mermaids) + merman consorts — song vs. steel / skill path.
- Enc. 3: Fog-skiff; Lampetia + jelly-witches + harpies.
Creature / Enemy List
| Creature | Easy | Med | Hard | Mini |
|---|
| Harpy | 4 | 6 | 8 | ×10 |
| Siren (Mermaid) | 2 | 3 | 4 | ×4 |
| Consort (Merman) | 1 | 2 | 3 | ×3 |
| Jelly-Witch | 2 | 3 | 4 | Jelly caster ×5 |
| Lampetia (Boss) | 1 adj | 1 | 1 | Boss jelly staging |
| Sea Spirit (optional) | 0–2 | 0–3 | 0–5 | ×5 |
Difficulty Scaling
| Tier | Adjust |
|---|
| Easy | Enc1: 4 harpies · Enc2: 2 sirens · Enc3: Lampetia HP 120, no LA, 2 witches |
| Medium ★ | As written |
| Hard | Enc1: 8 harpies · Enc3: +1 witch; Lampetia LR 3; Dirge recharge 4–6 |
Through Misthaven’s mist the party is already aboard their trireme when a Thetis-touched envoy warns that a siren chorus — amplified by jellyfish fog-witches — is hunting sails. Optional sea spirits may aid or clutter the fog. All three encounters play on the wine-dark deck under wings and song. Main deck 40×50 ft · raised bow +15 ft · raised stern +25 ft · 90 ft total length (tapered ends) · center mast/sail · 15 ft ram at bow. Board supports up to 2 additional ships . Optional 2nd ship: a low fog-skiff (30×15 ft) carrying jelly-witches in Enc. 3.
Creature / Enemy List
| Creature | Counts / Notes |
|---|
| Harpy | 4 · 6 · 8 · Enc. 1 / 3 |
| Siren | 2 · 3 · 4 · Enc. 2 |
| Siren Consort | 1 · 2 · 3 · Enc. 2 |
| Jelly-Witch | 2 · 3 · 4 · Enc. 3 |
| Lampetia | 1 adj · 1 · 1 · Boss |
DM Tips
- As Written ★ — 6 Players, Average Level 8: Baseline for this guide. Numbers, DCs, and win tracks assume six PCs at average level 8.
- Easier: APL 4–6: reduce minion counts ~30%; DCs −2; boss loses one recharge or legendary option.
- Harder: APL 10–12: boss HP +25–35%; +1 legendary action; add a lieutenant or extra wave.
Encounter 1 — Talons on the Sail
6× Harpies dive from fog. Win: drive them off; keep ≥1 sail section intact for a long rest before Enc. 2.
- Luring Song DC 11 targets crew first.
- Athletics DC 12 to climb rigging (½ cover).
- Non-combat: Performance DC 14 contest vs. song to confuse 2 harpies into leaving (1/encounter).
- ≥1 sail survives → Long Rest. All destroyed → Short Rest only (row).
Encounter 2 — The Sea Begins to Sing
Overview 3× Sirens + 2× Consorts approach the ram and stern. Fog banks roll in (light obscurement). 🗺 Terrain Trireme + water within 20 ft. Overboard: Athletics DC 13 to climb the ram or oar-ports. · 3× Sirens + 2× Consorts approach the ram and stern. Fog banks roll in (light obscurement).
- Non-combat path: Group challenge — stop ears / outsing them (Performance/Religion/Conch) 4 successes before 3 failures (DC 14). Success: sirens withdraw; gain clue about Fog-Mother.
- Combat path: song + boarding. Conch pulses auto-succeed song saves in 10 ft for 1 round.
- RECRUITMENT: Spare a siren → Enc. 3 warning (adv Insight vs Lampetia’s illusion fog).
- Tip: RECRUITMENT. If spared after Enc. 2 and Persuasion/Performance DC 14, one siren may warn of the Fog-Mother (adv on Enc. 3 Insight).
- Tip: Wondrous Item (maguffin), Unique
Encounter 3 — Fog-Mother Lampetia (Boss)
Chorus Nexus. While ≥1 Siren is within 60 ft., her Siren Dirge DC is 16 instead of 15. · A fog-skiff (2nd ship, 30×15) grapples the starboard rail. Lampetia + 3× Jelly-Witches + 2× Harpies .
- Win: Lampetia 0 HP or skiff sunk (HP 50) while she is aboard and Conch pulse used → she flees into the deep.
- Conch finale pulse: once, as item card.
- Persistence: no gods slain; Fog-Mother is aberrant, killable.
DM Callouts
- RECRUITMENT. If spared after Enc. 2 and Persuasion/Performance DC 14, one siren may warn of the Fog-Mother (adv on Enc. 3 Insight).
- Wondrous Item (maguffin), Unique
Extra Encounter Detail (from session guide)
- Tip: Keep page-3 creature AC/HP lines visible while resolving Enc. 3.
- Tip: Favor non-combat paths in Enc. 1–2; Enc. 3 should still feel Hard.
Quick combat reference
- Harpy — AC 11 | HP 38 (7d8+7) | Speed 20 ft., fly 40 ft. · Medium Monstrosity, Chaotic Evil · CR 1 (200 XP) · Mini ×10
- Siren (Mermaid reskin) — AC 13 | HP 45 (7d8+14) | Speed 10 ft., swim 40 ft. · Medium Fey, Chaotic Neutral · CR 2 (450 XP) · Mini: Mermaid
- Siren Consort (Merman) — AC 14 (sharkskin) | HP 32 (5d8+10) | Speed 10 ft., swim 40 ft. · Medium Humanoid, Neutral · CR 1 (200 XP) · Mini ×3
- Lampetia, Fog-Mother of Sirens — AC 16 | HP 161 (14d10+84) | Speed 20 ft., swim 40 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover) · Large Aberration (Jelly-Queen), Chaotic Evil · CR 9 (5,000 X
- Thalassic Jelly-Witch — AC 13 | HP 58 (9d8+18) | Speed 20 ft., swim 30 ft., fly 20 ft. (hover, fog only) · Medium Aberration, Neutral Evil · CR 3 (700 XP) · Mini: Jell
- Sea Spirit (Lesser Nereid) — AC 12 | HP 22 (5d8) | Speed 30 ft., swim 30 ft. · Medium Fey, Chaotic Neutral · CR 1/2 · Mini ×5
Additional DM notes
- **Non-combat:** Performance DC 14 contest vs. song to confuse 2 harpies into leaving (1/encounter).
- 12 (+1)**STR**13 (+1)**DEX**12 (+1)**CON**7 (−2)**INT**10 (+0)**WIS**13 (+1)**CHA
- Skills:** Performance +5
- Luring Song.** 30 ft.; DC 11 Wisdom. Charmed + incapacitated, move toward harpy. Repeat end of turn. Ends if damage taken / deafened.
- Sail Priority.** On the trireme, harpies attack the sail unless a PC is in melee reach.
- **Non-combat path:** Group challenge — stop ears / outsing them (Performance/Religion/Conch) 4 successes before 3 failures (DC 14). Success: sirens withdraw; gain clue about Fog-Mother.
- **Combat path:** song + boarding. Conch pulses auto-succeed song saves in 10 ft for 1 round.
- **RECRUITMENT:** Spare a siren → Enc. 3 warning (adv Insight vs Lampetia’s illusion fog).
- 10 (+0)**STR**16 (+3)**DEX**14 (+2)**CON**12 (+1)**INT**13 (+1)**WIS**18 (+4)**CHA
- Skills:** Performance +8, Persuasion +6 | **Magic Resistance:** adv on saves vs spells
Pacing helpers
- Enc 1: End by ~45–50 min; if stuck, telegraph the non-combat path once.
- Enc 2: Spend recruitment / maguffin early so Enc 3 is not a blank check.
- Enc 3: Keep Hard, not Deadly — drop a minion wave before a TPK spiral.
- Table tip: Restate win condition when HP dips; players often forget the maguffin.
KEY ITEM / NPC
Conch of Relative Silence
Wondrous Item (maguffin)
- 1/SR: you + allies ≤10 ft auto-succeed song saves until end of your next turn.
- Finale once: witches/sirens Con DC 15 lose song/concentration 1 rd; 20 thunder to Lampetia ≤30 ft.
Thetis-Touched Envoy
- Motivation: Stop siren-queen song before next convoy dies.
- Secret: Song amplified by jellyfish-fog witches bound to the queen.
Ship Reminder
- 40×50 +15 +25 = 90 ft · ram 15 ft · ≤2 extra ships · fog-skiff optional Enc. 3.
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