The Fleece of Colchis
One-Shot · 6 Players · Level 10 · ~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 10 · 3–3.5 hrs · 3 encounters |
| Key Ally Medea (recruit Enc. 2) · Maguffin: Ram’s Bell of Phrixus |
Description
Hera (as Lady Argive) warns that Aeëtes would sow war from the sacred oak. Mist opens on the harbor of Aea. Slip the watch, court Medea in the pharmacy, open the Three Seals of Ares, and lift the Fleece from under the sleepless dragon — then run for the river before Spartoi claw up from the teeth.
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.
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 |
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.
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 2
AC 15 | HP 39 | 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. +4 to hit, reach 5 ft. or thrown 20/60. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) piercing.
Bronze Bull Calf
Large Construct, Unaligned · CR 3 · Harbor sentry
AC 16 | HP 52 | 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. +6 to hit. Hit: 11 (2d6+4) piercing + 3 (1d6) fire.
Stomp (Recharge 5–6). 10-ft radius Dex DC 13; 10 (3d6) 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.
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. 3× Palace Sentinels rotate.
🗺 Terrain
Wing 50×40 · pharmacy alcove · pantry · brazier niche · seal lintel corridor · balcony drop 20 ft. to gardens.
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 3
AC 16 | HP 58 | 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. +5 to hit. Hit: 8 (1d8+3) slashing.
Net (1/day). +5 to hit, range 15/30, Large or smaller. Hit: restrained (escape Ath/Acr DC 14).
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.
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.
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; dragon’s breath recharges on a 4–6 |
| 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 9 staged · Ward of the Fleece
AC 17 | HP 168 (16d12+64) | Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft.
Saves: Dex +5, Con +8, Wis +6 · Senses: blindsight 30 ft., darkvision 120 ft. · LR 2/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. +9 to hit, reach 10 ft. Hit: 16 (2d10+5) piercing + 7 (2d6) poison.
Tail. +9 to hit, reach 15 ft. Hit: 12 (2d6+5) bludgeoning and shove 10 ft.
Goldfire Breath (Recharge 5–6). 30-ft cone Dex DC 16; 28 (8d6) 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 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 2 · Alarm spawn
AC 14 | HP 32 | 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 10
- Baseline for this guide. Numbers, DCs, and win tracks assume six PCs at average level 10.
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.
Easier
- APL 8–9: use the Library Standard (6×L8) box, then shave one more minion wave.
Harder
- APL 11–12: boss HP +20%; +1 legendary; Favor/track +1 to win.
📋 Appendix — Cards
Quest / Tools / Ally
Lady Argive (Hera, Quest Giver)
Medium Celestial (Olympian in merchant’s guise), Lawful Neutral
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 2
AC 15 | HP 39 | 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. +4 to hit, reach 5 ft. or thrown 20/60. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) piercing.
Bronze Bull Calf
Large Construct, Unaligned · CR 3 · Harbor sentry
AC 16 | HP 52 | 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. +6 to hit. Hit: 11 (2d6+4) piercing + 3 (1d6) fire.
Stomp (Recharge 5–6). 10-ft radius Dex DC 13; 10 (3d6) bludgeoning and prone on fail.
Palace Sentinel of Aea
Medium Humanoid, Lawful Evil · CR 3
AC 16 | HP 58 | 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. +5 to hit. Hit: 8 (1d8+3) slashing.
Net (1/day). +5 to hit, range 15/30, Large or smaller. Hit: restrained (escape Ath/Acr DC 14).
Spartoi (Sown Warrior)
Medium Construct Undead, Neutral · CR 2 · Alarm spawn
AC 14 | HP 32 | 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 9 staged · Ward of the Fleece
AC 17 | HP 168 (16d12+64) | Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft.
Saves: Dex +5, Con +8, Wis +6 · Senses: blindsight 30 ft., darkvision 120 ft. · LR 2/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. +9 to hit, reach 10 ft. Hit: 16 (2d10+5) piercing + 7 (2d6) poison.
Tail. +9 to hit, reach 15 ft. Hit: 12 (2d6+5) bludgeoning and shove 10 ft.
Goldfire Breath (Recharge 5–6). 30-ft cone Dex DC 16; 28 (8d6) 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.