Beneath the Floorboards

an Adventure for 5th Edition Dungeons and Dragons

by Brian Reeves
Beneath the Floorboards is a simple introductory adventure for a party of 4 - 6 characters of 1st level, though it could serve
for higher levels with modification. This scenario can take place in any moderately-sized town or city. The only requirement
is that there is a river close to the home of Yannock Tippleton. In the Forgotten Realms, Saltmarsh is an ideal candidate.
The contents of this adventure are a fan creation and not associated with Wizards of the Coast, or Hasbro, Inc.
Copyright 2014 by Brian Reeves.

Background
For city dwellers, rats are a source of constant trouble. They
get into food stores, spread disease, and some of the larger
species have been known to be quite dangerous. But some
rumors tell of rats that are more than just rats they are
more intelligent than their common brethren, capable of
executing clever plans, and can even talk in common with
tiny, hushed voices. Most consider these rumors too
ridiculous to entertain, but the truth is even more strange.
These rats are intelligent, yes, but their wits and reasoning
powers wax and wane with the moon itself. During the new
moon, they are no more canny than common rats. But as the
moon grows full their intellect returns, until during the
nights of the full moon they are smarter than many humans.
In one city, a group of these special rodents moon
rats has found a way to potentially halt the cycle and
remain eternally at their peak: an enchanted amulet crafted
from a small piece of the moon. It radiates a magic that
affects the moon rats in the same manner as the full moon,
but the magic is unending. With this amulet in their
possession, they will be free from the curse that hinders
them. Led by Campion, the largest and most clever of them
all, they have isolated the amulet in a hidden vault beneath a
bookseller's home.
The bookseller's name is Yannock Tippleton. He is the
curator of a self-made library that has spilled over from a
simple private collection to take over much of his home. A
few years ago he moved his collection to a new home and
supplements his income by concocting herbal remedies for
people in the neighborhood. What few know is that
Yannock once tried his hand at adventuring, only to find

the danger and hardship of that lifestyle didn't suit him. His
most valuable treasure was a sacred moon mote he
discovered on the body of a slain Selunite elf. Tradition and
honor demanded that he return it, but he stole away with it
and since then has kept it in a secret vault, along with a few
meager trophies from his adventuring days.
Under Campions direction, the rats have slowly
weakened the foundation under the house by digging a shaft
from the river, then flooding the network of tunnels theyve
built under Yannocks house. Evidence of this can be heard
by the creaks and pops of the house, and by the cracks in
the basement floor and walls. Since they cannot gnaw their
way through the door or walls to reach the moon mote, they
hope to reach it by collapsing the floor. However, the stream
theyve created under the house threatens to drown the
moon rats out of their own lair if left to flow all the time, so
over the last few full moons theyve devised an ingenious
dam mechanism at the river inflow site that uses a system of
counterweights to raise a metal plate, which will release
water into the tunnel. They attempt this only at night, when
their full intellect is available to them and Yannock is
asleep. They need only a couple more days before their plan
will come to fruition.
NOTE: During the events of this adventure, the moon
can be either waxing or waning, but should be a crescent.
This affects the abilities of the moon rats and will motivate
them to stay close to the site of the adventure.

Getting Started
There are any number of reasons the characters might be in
the city selling their haul from their latest adventure,
repairing equipment, passing through on their way
elsewhere, etc. The way they hear of Yannock's plight
depends on their circumstances. One of them could be
related to Yannock or know of him already. A wizard might
have purchased a book from him. They might hear of him
second-hand, or be hired by him directly on the street.
The introduction below assumes the characters have
already agreed to meet him and investigate.
Under the Floorboards 1

Read the following:

Before you is a looming, second-story house which must at
one time have been quite grand. The years have not been
kind, though, and the woodwork is sagging, some windows
are broken, and weeds grow around the base of the house. A
sign swinging over the front door reads, Saltmarsh Book
Sales and Repository, Yannock Tippleton, proprietor. The
door opens to reveal an unattractive, bent man in his
middle ages. Its clear he doesnt waste much time on
maintaining his appearance, because his hair is oily and in
disarray and his clothes are rumpled.
When he realizes you aren't bookbuyers, but have
come to investigate his haunting, he invites you in, leading
you to a parlor crowded with books.
It all started about five months ago. I awoke in the
middle of the night to hear what sounded like little childs
footsteps running quietly through the house. I went to
investigate and saw nothing, though from deeper in the
house I swear I heard someone whisper something. After a
few nights of this it faded away. Then about a month later
the sounds came back, though this time I swear I heard two
voices speaking in the dark. One of them said something
about the walls, and the other said he didnt care. It was all
very puzzling. I hired a cleric who came and blessed the
house, and I thought that would be the end of things, but
then about a month later I began to hear it again. Its all
very strange: it seems like I hear the voices for a few days,
then they go away, and then come back again a few weeks
later. Lately, things have gotten worse. I keep finding books
have been disturbed around the house, pulled off shelves or
left open on tables. The house is creaking on its own,
especially late at night. And I hear the whispering, always
quiet and hushed, somewhere else in the dark house. I can
hardly stand to live here any more. If you will determine the
source, Ill gladly reward you. I cant afford to move my
whole business elsewhere, and I have too many valuable
books to leave them unprotected.
Yannock is prepared to offer 30 gold pieces per person as a
reward, though a successful Charisma (Persuasion) check
can double that. For the cash-strapped Yannock, thats
scraping the barrel. He can tell them the following specific
information:
The voices seem to most often come from the book
repository in the basement.
The footsteps skitter and sound very small, like
those of a child or fairy moving fast.
Occasionally all these things are accompanied by a
strange gushing sound coming faintly from below.
The characters are free to go anywhere in the house in
search of the source. Yannock can usually be found
puttering around his study if they need him.

Exploring the House

Probably the first thing the characters will want to do is
perform a full survey of the house. This should lead them
into the repository where they will hear the voices
themselves. If for some reason they dont discover the
tunnel, later that night they will actually hear someone
running through the house. Tracking the sound will take
them to the dead end, where they should find the tunnel.
They may learn a little more about Yannock and the
situation if they discover the secret door. If Yannock catches
them entering his vault, he will cancel the contract and
expel them from the house.

Locations
The upper floors of Yannock's house are not detailed here,
but if the characters wish to explore the rest of the house,
Yannock will permit it. Nearly every room has been put to
use as book storage. Stacks of books are propped against
walls and chair legs and just about any other available
walking space. The house is, in fact, a major fire hazard,
and books and papers so abundant that passage through
many halls and rooms is considered rough terrain (see the
following entry).

Yannock's Book Repository Basement

1. Main Repository
Down in this musty basement lies the main repository by
which the shop gets its name. Every kind of book
imaginable is jammed down here in a literal maze of
homemade shelves that take up every available space.
Sagging shelves are crammed to capacity, and books spill
out onto the floor or are piled haphazardly against corners.
Some attempt to label things was made long ago: yellowing
paper nailed to the shelves list categories like, The Crown
Wars, Netheril, and The Shining South. Others
purport to sort books by type, separating biographies from
epistolaries, tomes on mathematics from essays on travel.
One section says, Deities and Demigods. Another says,
Cryptozoology. Still another says, The Planes. Spiderwebs cling to every corner and crack. The ceiling is lower
here than the rest of the house, propped up by stout beams,
and the floor is swept dirt crisscrossed with tiny rat tracks.
After the characters have made it nearly halfway
through this room, have them make DC 10 Wisdom
(Perception) checks. If they succeed, read the following:
From somewhere farther back in the dusty repository, you
hear soft, whispered voices. The cracks are too much
showing, one says. Too long time! Another says, No,
no, not long. Soon we will- Shh listen! I thought I heard
someone. I didnt hear. . . Wait, I smell them. Hide!

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The voices came from two moon rats near the entrance
to the tunnel (area 4). Trying to pin down the location of the
voices is almost impossible, requiring a DC 20 Wisdom
(Perception) check. Even if the characters are successful, by
the time they arrive the two moon rats will have entered the
tunnel.
Examining the rat tracks will give the characters their
first real lead: they seem to originate from a dusty corner in
the northwest side of the basement. On the bottom shelf
between propped up books is a hole leading back into the
earth. See area 4 for further information.
The closeness of the halls and the occasional book
piles presents a hazard. Rolling a 1 during combat may
result in toppling one of the bookshelves and starting a
chain reaction. While this may seem appealing at first
glance, for the mayhem and possible damage to enemies it
may cause, it will also result in turning this room into a
nearly uncrossable mound of books and broken bookcases,
not to mention earning the ire of their employer.
The books and wooden shelves also present a fire
hazard. Any time a flame is exposed in here, there is a 30%
chance it will start a small fire. These old books ignite
easily, and if someone doesnt put out the fire in three
rounds, the fire will engulf one 5x5 area. Every round
thereafter, it has a 30% chance of spreading to all four
neighboring squares until the entire basement is aflame.
Anyone caught in a burning square takes 1d6 fire damage,
and it and all adjacent squares are so smoky that vision
becomes heavily obscured. When the whole basement is
engulfed, the house itself can be considered to be on fire
and the characters have about 10 rounds to get out before it
collapses on them, which is surely instant death.
Putting a value on all these books is tough, not only
because the books are so numerous and rare, but because
the damage theyve taken over the years has, in many cases,
significantly lowered their value. If the books were to be
sold they would probably command around 30,000 gp;
however, selling them all would probably take months, if
not years, and would require countless hours of negotiations
and travel. Its all academic, though, because the characters
cannot legally come into possession of this collection. If
anything ever happens to Yannock, the bulk of it is deeded,
along with the house, to his sister Misha Larakti, and any
attempt to arrange otherwise is illegal and will be met with
action. If a character steals a book or two they will certainly
get away with it, though. The DM can determine the exact
nature and value of the book, but for low-level characters it
should not exceed more than 50 gp.
2. Alchemy Laboratory
At the back of the repository, a brick archway opens into a
smallish chamber littered with glass vials and flashpots and
herbs dangling from ceiling hooks. A lantern burns with a
ghostly light over everything, illuminating rickety tables
heaped with odd-looking mixtures and putties.

This is the room where Yannock makes some extra money

by brewing simple alchemical items for patrons. It doesn't
look like it has been used in a couple of weeks. The lantern
is actually a light cantrip.
A Wisdom (Perception) check on the entire room will
reveal a couple different items of interest:
DC 5: Numerous rat tracks and droppings can be seen
everywhere, but seem to be strongest near the east wall.
DC 15: The bricks on the eastern wall appear miscolored.
The secret door is a false front of thin bricks cemented
to a heavy, solid wooden frame. It has 15 AC and 25 hit
points. Anyone bashing at the door will surely attract the
attention of Yannock Tippleton. Near the floor is a keyhole
leading to a well-crafted lock, requiring a DC 20 Dexterity
check to pick. The key is hidden elsewhere in the house.
Although this area radiates very low-level alchemical
magic, no one object is of significant value. If everything in
here is sold, it can command roughly 100 gp.
3. Hidden Vault
This small chamber is dusty and damp. Shelves on either
side hold strange trinkets: a humanoid's skull, a sheathed
dagger, a necklace of teeth, a horn carved in the likeness of
a wolf, a pair of torn boots, a satchel, a leather half-helm,
and an ivory statuette of an unknown king. But what
catches your eye the most is a stone pedestal, about four
feet high, topped by a glass dome. Inside is a pendant on a
silver chain. Even though the chain is quite plain, the
pendant itself looks to be very valuable, an exquisite white
teardrop-shaped pearl. Perhaps strangest of all, many tiny
cracks seem to converge under the pedestal, which is
beginning to lean on the sagging floor.
If it is nighttime, the characters can make a DC 10
Wisdom (Perception) to hear what sounds like flowing
water coming from underground.
The pearl is actually a moon mote, a magic item
considered sacred by worshippers of Selne, the
Moonmaiden. Though it is only a curiosity to most (it can
be sold for about 150 gold pieces), Campion wants it
because the moon rats will never again have to worry about
losing their wits during the phases of the moon.
The other objects mainly have sentimental value to
Yannock, though the statuette and horn can be sold for 20
gold pieces each.
4. Rat Passage
This cramped tunnel extends back into the darkness. It
appears to have been carved out of the very earth through
months of exertion by little claws.
The rats use this tunnel to check on their progress. If
the characters go in the tunnel, read the following:
Far down the passage, you hear two squeaky voices
speaking in hushed tones: Should we kill them? asks one.
Too curious they are getting for their own good, responds
another. Shh! Here them come!
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While not a tiny passage, only characters of medium

size or smaller may fit in it, but must proceed on their hands
and knees. Medium-sized characters are at disadvantage
while in the tunnels (small characters are not affected by the
tight quarters).
5. Downward Slope
Veering around the tangled roots of a tree, the passageway
begins to slope steeply downward. Ahead you hear in the
blackness you hear the hollow, echoing splash of water.
The slope presents a challenge of its own. Moving on
the gravelly slope, whether up or down, requires a DC 12
Strength (Athletics) check. Failing it will send the character
down the 15 slope to plunge into the shallow water below
(though no damage is taken). Fighting on the slope puts all
combatants at disadvantage.
6. Dark Water
The earth has been hollowed out here into a complex series
of soggy chambers under about a foot of water. Oddly, a
series of seemingly random wooden panels, rigged with
pulleys to act as small dams, form an intricate labyrinth of
holding areas for the water.
This chamber is a little taller than the tunnel. Small
creatures can stand upright, and medium creatures can
crouch or bend at the waist. Large creatures must still be on
hands and knees.
The moon rats have built the dams to contain the flow
of water when needed. By deactivating the pump at the mill
house, the water will stop flowing and any leftovers can be
funneled off into unused areas. If the characters are here
during the daylight hours, all the dams are down and water
is pooled in the various catchment chambers. Dams are only
about a foot higher than the water and are considered rough
terrain. If the characters are here at night, most of the dams
are up and water is flowing freely through. The exertion of
fighting the stream puts anyone attempting a Strength,
Dexterity, or combat check at disadvantage. The moon rats
must swim in here, though they can cling to the walls with a
successful DC 5 Strength (Athletics) check.
As soon as the characters enter this chamber, a small
swarm of moon rats will attack them. There are 10 rats
waiting in ambush behind various dams. They will fight to
the death, though the last one will attempt to escape,
preferably upstream toward the mill.
Exploring downstream will reveal the ultimate cause
of all this tunnel dredging. Right at the spot underneath the
pedestal holding up the moon mote, the moon rats have
used the waters natural carving capacity to weaken the
ground supporting the foundation. A DC 10 Intelligence
(Investigation) will allow the characters to realize this,
though any dwarf will be able to tell without having to roll.
Several sticks have been wedged in place to serve as
bracing until enough ground has been dissolved to collapse
the floor. Because the braces are so precarious and so
numerous, passing this point is something only a tiny

creature, like the moon rats, can do. But the flow of the
water carries on past here to finally dump into the river a
couple blocks away. A small or larger creature being swept
downstream stands a significant chance of seriously injuring
themselves if they knock the props out. Roll a 1d4 for a
small creature or 1d6 for a large creature to see how many
supports they knock out before stopping themselves. If four
or more supports are knocked out, a ton of earth collapses
on them, doing 2d6 damage. The floor under the pedestal
will sink several inches and be instantly noticeable to
anyone in area 11.

The Abandoned Mill

Not far from Yannock's house (approximately 100 feet) is
an abandoned saw mill. Built out over a swift-flowing river,
the mill used a large wheel and mechanism to cut logs into
planks. Upon the death of the miller, the mill fell into disuse
as the miller's children squabbled over what to do with it.
The moon rats devised a clever method of using the mill
wheel to power a pump, with which they draw water up out
of the river and force it down the pipes to flood the tunnel.
When the characters finally clear out the tunnels below the
house, they will find themselves at that old mill. The tunnel
ends at a hole in the floor beneath an old office, and from
there the characters can follow the pipe into the main room
of the mill. Here, Campion and his remaining rats will
attempt to defend their territory and their plan until the
bitter end. However, while this far away from the moon
mote, its effect on the moon rats dwindles. Treat them as if
under the effect of a Half Moon.
7. The End of the Tunnel
Up ahead the tunnel seems to come to an end at the mouth
of a pipe which sticks through a hole in the floor. Through
the ragged hole you see a dim light filtering. Skittering
sounds come from beyond the hole, and someone up there
hisses, Here come them! Positions!
Climbing out of the hole takes 2 movement. If the
characters arrive at this point at night, the pipe will be
spewing forth cold river water. Otherwise it drips solemnly.
8. Office
This small room is totally bare, though it once perhaps
served as an office or other type of chamber. In one corner
is a dark hole in the floorboards. Snaking into the room is a
crude pipe, which feeds into the hole.
The hole in the floor leads to area 7.
9. Mill Room
This tall chamber was obviously once used as a mill,
though now it seems to be deserted. Piles of scrap wood
and shavings lay abandoned here and there against the
walls. Old rusty lanterns hang from their hooks in the
overhead rafters. Between each floor plank you can see the
rushing river. In the center of the room a huge mill wheel
protrudes up out of the foundation, only see the top quarter
Under the Floorboards 4

visible. It is still doing its duty, rotating with a grating,

knocking sound, its blades dripping with river water. A
crude pump has been jury rigged and attached to the wheel,
a pipe extending from it into the hole in the front office.
The pump is powered by the constantly-rotating mill
wheel. It can be disabled by jamming the wheel with
something very stout or by damaging the pump. The pump
mechanism has a 10 AC and 10 hit points. Once disabled,
the moon rats wont be able to repair it until the next moon
phase and their plan will be temporarily foiled.
There are many places in here for the moon rats to
hide. They can scuttle along piles of wood, drop through
cracks between the floorboards and the brick foundation,
scamper across beams holding up the ceiling, or slip
through holes in the baseboards to reappear outside or in
another room. They've also scattered rubbish everywhere
pieces of wood, sharp stakes, bricks, etc. which impedes
normal movement for larger creatures. Almost every surface
is considered rough terrain (the moon rats are exempt).
This room is where the moon rats will attempt to make
their last stand. Ten of them were waiting in ambush in area
6, so now only twenty remain, including Campion. They
will strike swiftly then retreat, taking advantage of their
small size and the numerous objects in the room. They will
swarm anyone who falls prone, attacking with advantage.
When their numbers dwindle to two or three, they will
abandon Campion and their entire plot and flee into the
river to swim to safety. Campion is determined to win,
though, and will do whatever it takes or die trying.
Traps: Campion and his rats have filled this area with
traps which they turn on the characters.
A: There are pungee stakes under the weakened floor
boards. DC 10 Dexterity save or take 1d6 damage.
B: Crude caltrops made of bent nails litter the floor.
DC 10 Dexterity save or take 1d4 damage and fall prone.
C: A spiked board at the end of a rope swings down
from a rafter. DC 10 Dexterity save or take 1d6+1 damage.
D: Failing a DC 10 Dexterity save causes a small or
larger victim to fall through the weak floor up to the waist.
Moon rats beneath the floorboards then attack the legs with
advantage. Climbing out is an action.
E: Rats drop four large, heavy stones from the rafters
onto characters heads. This is a ranged attack with
advantage that does 1d8 bludgeoning damage.
F: Two rats run out from here with the ends of a rope
in their mouths, binding the ankles of an unsuspecting
character. They make a special grapple attack using their
Dexterity (Acrobatics). Failure means the target is grappled
and falls prone, then swarmed by rats.
G: Failing a DC 10 Dexterity save causes a small or
larger victim to break through the weak floor and fall into
the river below, where they will be swept downstream.
H: A rat gnaws the cord holding up a pile of empty
barrels, which roll in a straight line for 15. Anyone caught
in their path must make a DC 10 Dexterity save or be
knocked prone.

Concluding the Adventure

If the characters succeed in defeating Campion, the moon
rats will scatter, never to return. As long as the characters
have upheld their end of the bargain, Yannock Tippleton
will pay them in full. He makes a good contact, as he knows
many members of the community and can point the
characters in the direction of future adventures.

Monsters
Moon Rat
Tiny magical beast, chaotic neutral
Armor Class 13
Hit Points 1 (1d4)
Speed 15 ft.
STR
4 (-3)

DEX CON INT

WIS
CHA
16 (+3) 11 (+0) 2* (-4) 13 (+1) 2 (-4)

Skills Acrobatics +2, Stealth +6

Senses darkvision 30 ft., passive Perception 11
Languages None*
Challenge 1/8 (25 XP)
Keen Hearing and Smell. Moon rats have advantage on
Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.
Mob Tactics: Moon rats gain a cumulative +1 bonus to
attack rolls for each friendly creature that also has this trait
and is within 5 feet of its target, to a maximum of +5.
Lunar Mind. Moon rats experience a monthly shift in their
Intelligence. With each phase of the waxing and waning
moon, their Intelligence score is increased or decreased as
following: New Moon: 2, Crescent: 4, Quarter: 6, Half: 8,
Gibbous: 10, Almost Full: 12, Full: 14. During any phase
but New, moon rats can speak a broken, guttural Common.
During a full moon they speak eloquently.

Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 1 (1d4-2) piercing damage.
Campion is a stronger, smarter version of the typical moon
rat. He has 2 HD (8 hit points), 18 DEX, 6 STR, and 14
WIS. Treat him as one moon phase ahead of his brethren.
Moon rats are magical relatives of regular rats, and do not
differ in outward appearance to their common cousins.

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Under the Floorboards 6