W.

Wereboar Menhir
Wereboar Menhir is a Fifth Edition plug-in dance of the cosmos and its connection to
adventure for four characters with an the natural world, erected the Galactic Menhir.
average party level (APL) of 3, 5, 8, or 11. This grand henge of intricately carved
This document offers a general guideline on standing stones, each stone shimmering with
scaling the adventure for each level. A pack a hint of the night sky and etched with
of wereboars have taken up residence in the Celestial patterns, served as a natural
subterranean chambers beneath the observatory and a conduit for celestial energy.
mysterious stone monuments erected by an However, the power the Order wielded
ancient circle of druids long ago. The came at a cost. Their deep immersion into the
characters are tasked with entering the heavenly realm began to fracture their ties to
chambers, believed to be defended by angry the physical world. Their bodies, once strong
spirits, to destroy the wereboars and their and vital, began to wane with each ritual,
leader. mirroring the ephemeral nature of the
celestial bodies they studied. Over time, they
Background transformed into beings of pure energy, their
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spirits merging with the cosmos, leaving

Eons ago, the sprawling grasslands bore behind the Galactic Mehir and its imbued
witness to a distinguished circle of druids magic as their legacy on the Material Plane.
renowned for their celestial wisdom and Throughout the centuries that have
mastery of ancestral magics. This Luminaric followed, various tribes and peoples have
Order, in its quest to understand the intricate
Wereboar Menhir 1
revered the standing stones. They admire weathering have resulted in uneven
their spectral beauty and respect their spiritual surfaces, providing plenty of nooks and
significance, attributing natural phenomena to crannies where the wereboars stash their
the spirits of the celestial druids many believe spoils. Though uneven, the floors are not
still reside within the monument. The considered difficult terrain.
Galactic Menhir became an enduring symbol Light. The lair’s caverns are dimly lit by
of the region, seen as a sanctuary where the crude torches mounted on stakes by the were-
spiritual and physical realms intertwined. boars. There are no torches in the connecting
tunnels, which are illuminated only by
Menhir Caverns whatever meager light manages to spill
through from the caverns that adjoin them.
The sacred tranquility of the Menhir was Dampening Moss. A type of moss local
recently disrupted. A ferocious bandit group to the region grows over much of the walls,
of wereboars, led by a fearsome wereboar ceiling, and portions of the caverns’ floors.
named Gornok, discovered a hidden network This moss is thick, spongy, and happens to
of caverns beneath the Mehir, which the absorb much of the sound that would other-
druids once held sacred. Viewing the henge as wise travel throughout the lair. Wereboars
nothing more than a sturdy and defensible preoccupied in one cavern are unlikely to hear
shelter, they claimed the caverns as their lair, combat or commotion occurring in another
apathetic to its significance and ignorant of cavern unless it is particularly loud.
the potential spiritual repercussions. Their
Monster Statistics. This adventure
occupation of this revered space has
references reduced-threat wereboars and
unsettled the balance of the region,
wereboar alphas. Reduced-threat wereboars
prompting those who hold the standing
use wereboar statistics, though they have 30
stones dear to seek aid in ousting the savage
hit points and no Multiattack. Wereboar
and brutal intruders.
alphas use wereboar statistics, though they
have 100 hit points, AC 14, and can make
General Features three attacks as part of their Multiattack.
Originally constructed by the Luminaric In addition to the lair’s primary entrance
Order, the lair beneath the Galactic Menhir (area W1), there is a second, secret entrance
consists of a series of seminatural caverns partially concealed at the base of a large tree
connected by tunnels carved out of the earth. some short distance from the monument that
The original purposes of these chambers has not been discovered by the wereboars. A
have been perverted by the wereboars, who character who searches the area for at least 30
have filled them with their filth and spoils. minutes and makes a successful DC 15
The lair’s general features are as described Wisdom (Perception) check finds the
below, unless otherwise stated: entrance, heavily concealed between gnarled
Ceilings, Walls, and Floors. The roots and old vegetation. A character who
ceilings in the caverns range from 15 to 20 searches the immediate vicinity of the tree
feet high, naturally formed and supported makes this check with advantage. The
by thick columns of stone. The walls and entrance leads to a short, 30-foot-long
floors of the caverns are of rough, cold subterranean tunnel, which connects to the
earth, often damp to the touch. Decades of northeast wall of area W9.
2 Dungeons & Lairs #85
 Menhir Caverns
1 square = 5 feet

The Menhir’s primary entrance is nestled W1 – Entrance Hall

at the foot of one of its stone monuments, a
somewhat inconspicuous aperture in the What looks to have been an entrance hall
earth that leads to an abruptly descending extends before you, its worn stone walls
staircase toward the entrance hall below. The etched with intricate carvings of celestial
grass surrounding the entrance has been bodies, now overgrown with moss and
flattened and stained dark brown, a result of creeping vines. Skulls of various creatures,
the wereboars deliberately spilling blood to grim trophies mounted on stakes, stand in
mark their new territory. stark contrast to the ceremonial
construction of the room. A few crude
Keyed Locations wooden barricades rest against the walls,
indicative of the room's new, martial utility.
The following locations are keyed to the map
of the Menhir Caverns above.
Wereboar Menhir 3
 Originally a place of preparation where
Area W1 Encounter
the druids of the Order would cleanse
themselves physically and spiritually before Adventure Encounter
continuing deeper into the Menhir to conduct Level
their rituals, this area is now a sort of guard
chamber for the wereboars, littered with the 3rd 2 reduced-threat wereboars
cranial remains of their victims. Passageways 1 wereboar and 2 reduced-
5th
extend to the east and west. threat wereboars
Encounter: Wereboar Guards. Gornok 8th 3 wereboars
has guards posted in this chamber at all times
1 wereboar alpha and 3
to fend off any intruders. The guards spend 11th wereboars
much of their time distracted in argument,
though promptly attack any trespassers that W2 – Pool
they notice, fighting until reduced to half
their number rounded down, at which point A large pool dominates the center of this
they attempt to flee deeper into the caverns expansive chamber. Bits of bone and other
to gather reinforcements. The nature of the unidentifiable debris float lazily atop its
guards depends on the level of the adventure, surface, and pails and other containers lie
as shown in the Area W1 Encounter table. haphazardly around its edge. Encircling the
pool are faintly etched grooves in the stone
floor, forming intricate patterns that hint at
ritualistic or arcane purpose.

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4 Dungeons & Lairs #85

 Once a pool for scrying and other forms
of divinatory magic by the druids, the pool is
now used by the wereboars as a communal
site for drinking and bathing, its once sacred
purpose reduced to the demands of daily
sustenance. A character who inspects the
etchings surrounding the water and makes a
successful DC 13 Intelligence (Arcana or
Religion) check can infer the original purpose
of the pool. A casting of detect magic reveals a
weak, flickering aura of divination magic room to storage. They keep nothing of
emanating from its waters. With a successful significant value in this area. The most useful
DC 13 Intelligence (Arcana or Religion) things the party might be able to find if they
check, the pool can be used to cast the augury take their time to search include lengths of
spell, requiring no spell slots, components, or rope and half-melted candles.
spellcasting ability. The magic of the pool has Hazard: Ancestral Spirit. Shortly after
been desecrated by the wereboars’ presence, the party enters this chamber, a spectral
however, and so any answer provided by the visage appears before them, its face twisted in
pool has a 50 percent chance of being an expression of rage. The apparition is the
inaccurate. spirit of an ancient ranger and ally of the
Order who earned the honor of being
W3 – Crypt interred within this crypt. The spirit loudly
accuses the party of being trespassers who
The air in this long, narrow chamber smells seek to further defile the sacred space. Unless
faintly of ale. Crypts punctuate the length the party can assuage the confused and
of the chamber walls, their recesses enraged ranger’s concerns with a successful
shrouded in a pall of age-old dust. The Charisma (Persuasion) check, the spirit lets
crypts appear austere, and several have been forth a violent surge of force energy and then
breached to reveal nothing but scattered disappears, requiring any in the chamber to
bones within. This resting place has been make a Wisdom saving throw. The difficulty
subjected to a more mundane use by its new of these checks and the damage dealt by the
occupants—as a makeshift storage area. surge depends on the level of the adventure,
Heaps of grain sacks, barrels of ale, and a as shown in the Area W3 Hazard table.
scattering of damaged weapons and other Area W3 Hazard
mundane supplies invade the once-sacred
alcoves. Adventure Persuasion Save Psychic
Level DC DC Damage
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One of the barrels of ale has been 3rd 10 12 5 (1d10)

punctured, further dampening the floor in
this room and contributing to its sour 5th 12 14 11 (2d10)
fragrance. After making sure to raid the 8th 13 15 15 (3d10)
crypts in search of valuables, of which they
found little, the wereboars converted this 11th 15 17 22 (4d10)
Wereboar Menhir 5
W4 – Meditation Chamber W5 – Den
A large, rough-hewn stone slab serves as a
The floor of this spacious cavern curves makeshift door to this room. Any
gently, forming a shallow bowl shape. combination of creatures with a combined
Smooth stone slabs, arranged in a careful Strength score of 15 can push the slab aside
circle, are quiet reminders of the chamber’s easily.
original purpose. Faint, celestial-themed
petroglyphs can still be glimpsed upon the Carved into the stone walls of this chamber
walls. But tranquility has been replaced with are countless recesses, each holding a stone
discord: the room bristles with the detritus tablet. Careful symbols carved into the
of wereboar occupation. A central fire pit walls, barely perceptible in the dim light,
sends up an occasional spark, illuminating hint at lessons of celestial movement and
gnawed bones and crude eating utensils nature's rhythms. Now, this ancient
littered about. Ragged furs and bedrolls are knowledge serves as the backdrop for a
heaped carelessly to one side, hinting at a raucous den. Straw and scraps of food litter
less-than-restful slumber amidst the scent the floor, and the air is ripe with the musky
of woodsmoke and unwashed fur. scent of animals.

The wereboars have repurposed this This room used to serve as a library for
former meditation chamber into their eating, the Luminaric Order, who transcribed much
sleeping, and common area. of their knowledge onto the stone tablets that
Encounter: Wereboar Gang Members. fill the room. The tablets, inscribed with the
If they have not already been alerted to Sylvan language, document ritual proceedings,
intruders, there are several wereboars in this important myths, and other accumulated
chamber participating in some combination knowledge of the Order. The wereboars,
of eating, drinking, fighting, or sleeping. The having no ability to read the tablets, use this
wereboars are quick to attack any trespassers, room as a den for their pets.
though are reluctant to fight to the death. The Encounter: Wereboar Pets. Gornok and
nature of the wereboars depends on the level the gang keep a number of pets in this room.
of the adventure, as shown in the Area W4 The pets are hostile toward any non-
Encounter table. wereboars that enter the chamber, but do not
Area W4 Encounter attack immediately. They can be pacified with
a successful Wisdom (Animal Handling)
Adventure Encounter check. The difficulty of this check and the
Level nature of the pets depends on the level of
3rd 3 reduced-threat wereboars the adventure, as shown in the Area W5
Encounter table on the following page.
5th 2 wereboars and 2 reduced-
threat wereboars
8th 4 wereboars
1 wereboar alpha and 5
11th wereboars

6 Dungeons & Lairs #85

 This room was used by the Luminaric
Order for ritualistic sacrifices of animals, the
remains of which were left in the pit to feed
the blessed fungi below. The wereboars were
happy to repurpose the pit into a garbage
disposal. There is nothing of value to be
found here.

W7 – Shrine
The gnarled roots of a long-dead tree twist
into the ceiling of this chamber, casting
Area W5 Encounter eerie shadows in the dim light. Centered
Animal within the space, a crude shrine has been
Adventure Handling Encounter erected. Bits of mud, stone, and splintered
Level DC wood have been fashioned together in a
3rd 12 4 wargs rudimentary display, teetering precariously
under the weight of its morbid adornments.
5th 14 3 dire wolves An array of tusks, in all shapes and sizes,
8th 15 3 owlbears has been haphazardly fixed to the shrine.
3 wyverns that have
11th 17 had their wings This space is used by the wereboars as a
clipped and can’t fly place of remembrance and honor, with
particular religious associations to a dark god
Treasure: Stone Tablets. Much of the to which the gang has declared themselves
stone tablets are of limited value, but a loyal. The tusks adorning the shrine belong
character who can read Sylvan and who takes not only to fallen comrades but also to
some time to investigate the room finds an formidable foes and significant quarry, each
alcove of tablets that function as spell scrolls, one a testament to the strength and ferocity
including a spell scroll of awaken, a spell scroll of of the wereboar pack. A character who
greater restoration, and a spell scroll of scrying. inspects the shrine and makes a successful
DC 17 Intelligence (Religion) check can
W6 – Pit identify that the shrine is dedicated to Urok
the Blackened Boar, a minor deity associated
Within this chamber, a great pit descends with the hunt, beasts, and carnage.
into the darkness. Even from the entrance,
the sharp, putrid stench of rotting waste W8 – Fungal Chamber
assaults the senses. Glimpses of discarded
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bones, spoiled food, and other refuse can be In this damp chamber, an ethereal glow
made out in the pit. Charred, ancient emanates from clusters of luminescent
bloodstains and ceremonial markings fungi, casting long shadows across the walls.
carved into the stone around the pit's edge The mushrooms stretch up from the floor
hint at its past purpose. and down from the ceiling, creating a
Wereboar Menhir 7
 Area W8 Treasure
Adventure Nature Treasure
Level DC
3rd 12 3 potions of healing
2 potions of greater
5th 14 healing and 1 potion of
hill giant strength
2 potions of supreme
8th 15 healing and 2 potions of
speed
3 potions of supreme
11th 17 healing and 2 potions of
flying

W9 – Inner Sanctum
localized, otherworldly forest within the
rocky confines of the lair. The air is heavy This expansive chamber is dominated by a
with a musty, earthy scent that seems almost large, roughly hewn throne of stone and
soothing compared to the stench prevalent bone, adorned with an assortment of furs
in other areas. and hides. Various pieces of weaponry,
crude art, and more refined loot are
This chamber was used by the Luminaric scattered about the room, along with bits of
Order for cultivating various types of sacred leftover meals. A plush sleeping area lies
fungi. Many of the fungi hold properties of nearby, strewn with furs for bedding.
purification and healing, and were used in the Against one wall stands a collection of large
druids' various ceremonies and rituals. The tusks and skulls, each one a trophy from a
wereboars, having neither knowledge nor significant kill. The ceiling is carved with
interest in the fungi, avoid the chamber due depictions of celestial bodies, mostly
to its eerie light and strange ambience. The obscured with dirt and grime.
spores in the air are harmless to most
creatures, but anyone spending prolonged This chamber was once the inner sanctum
periods of time in the chamber may start of the Luminaric Order, a place where the
experiencing mild hallucinations. Order’s high druid would commune directly
Treasure: Helpful Fungi. A character with the celestial bodies above. When the
who makes a successful Intelligence (Nature) wereboars discovered this chamber, Gornuk
check can identify various species of fungi in immediately claimed it as his personal
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this chamber that can be consumed for quarters.

immediate benefit (equivalent to various Encounter: Gornuk. Unless he has been
potions). The difficulty of this check and the alerted to danger elsewhere, Gornuk is likely
nature of the fungi depends on the level of to be found atop his throne in this chamber,
the adventure, as shown in the Area W8 holding court with lesser members of the
Treasure table. pack. The nature of Gornuk and the other
8 Dungeons & Lairs #85
 pack members depends on the level of the
adventure, as shown in the Area W9
Encounter table.
Area W9 Encounter
Adventure Encounter
Level
Gornuk is a wereboar
3rd accompanied by 2 reduced-
threat wereboars
Gornuk is a wereboar alpha
5th accompanied 3 reduced-threat
wereboars
Gornuk is a wereboar alpha
8th accompanied by 2 wereboars
Gornuk is a wereboar alpha
11th (with 150 hit points and AC 18)
accompanied by 3 wereboars Secret Door. A slab, flush with the
surrounding stone of the northeast wall of
Treasure: Gornuk’s Holdings. Various
this chamber, conceals a tunnel that exits at
treasure acquired by Gornuk and the rest of
the base of a large tree some short distance
the pack is scattered throughout this
from the Menhir above. Built originally by the
chamber, stuffed into leather pouches and the
druids as a safety measure, the secret door
pockets of various hides. The amount of
has not been discovered by Gornuk or the
treasure depends on the level of the
other wereboars. It can be discovered with a
adventure, as shown in the Area W9 Treasure
successful DC 16 Wisdom (Perception)
table.
check.
Area W9 Treasure
Adventure Treasure Aftermath
Level With Gornuk's demise, the wereboar threat is
150 gp worth of coins and quelled. As news of their victory spreads, the
3rd small gems party may be celebrated as regional heroes.
300 gp worth of coins and The Galactic Menhir, once defiled, can now
5th resonate once more with its ancient celestial
small gems
500 gp worth of coins, small purpose. At the GM’s discretion, a local druid
8th gems, and art pieces circle or other factions may show interest in
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restoring and studying the site, potentially

1,000 gp worth of coins, small
11th offering the party new allies and avenues of
gems, and art pieces
adventure. The Luminaric Order's legacy,
although it remains shrouded in mystery, lives
on.

Wereboar Menhir 9