Wizard Lizard
The wizard Zanthomyr had a rough night. And now he needs the PCs to help him figure out what happened, because his familiar - which he claims used to be a fairly ordinary gecko - is showing signs of... something else. Unfortunately, due to the somewhat outrageous amount of drinking and other substances that he had gotten into, Zanthomyr is largely unable to remember what happened - and definitely can't fix it on his own. The PCs will need to look around his laboratory to determine what happened, so he has a chance at undoing the damage.
The current state of Zanthomyr's gecko, Gemma, is bizarre; she's currently bright purple, reeks strongly of onion, and is shooting very destructive laser beams out of her eyes. She is also not listening to reason; it seems as though she's gotten into some of Zanthomyr's stash, and isn't the most sensible herself.
The most helpful piece of information that the PCs have available is the list that the wizard keeps, detailing his inventory; wizards, even ones prone to rowdy bouts of intoxication, are by nature meticulous folk, so he is confident that his records are up to date as of the previous day. Anything missing from the inventory must have been either used or otherwise lost during the activities in question. This list is located in the top drawer of his desk, and can be located either with a DC 12 perception check or by simply asking Zanthomyr if he keeps any records; he is fully willing to share them with the party, though in his hungover state he can’t be relied on for any knowledge or lore checks, nor can he remember any specifics of the previous evening.
Using this list, the PCs can find that the following herbs, reagents, and other miscellaneous wizardly goods are missing from the wizard’s stores:
- 3 units of duskcap. DC13 underworld or alchemy, or DC17 society reveals that they are popular, powerful hallucinogens; one unit was likely used recreationally, but certainly not all three.
- 3 units of powdered horn. The area that contains the powdered horn are covered in small black specks that a DC11 nature check reveals to be mouse droppings; a DC15 nature confirms that mice are very fond of powdered horn, and DC15 arcana or alchemy shows that mouse droppings are generally non-reactive and not used in any common preparations.
- 2 vials of salamander blood. DC13 medicine check reveals it to be highly toxic; there is no way this was consumed without having killed the wizard. However, there is a noticeable burn on the rug; a DC14 alchemy check confirms it was caused by one of the vials of blood being spilled.
- 10 pages worth of spell paper and ink. It seems that Zanthomyr was trying to work out some sort of problem, and it took him a few tries. DC18 perception will reveal that five pages are crumpled up behind his desk; DC15 arcana shows that they are all connected as part of the same spell. The other 5 pages must have been used in the successful ritual, and were destroyed.
>If the PCs put together that it was a level 5 spell/ritual that Zanthomyr was attempting to cast, he is able to immediately correct the onion smell. If they tell him that one vial of salamander blood were used, she returns from bright purple to her natural green; if they tell him it was two, she turns red instead, and Zanthomyr is angry. If they tell him that he used powdered horn, he will cause her to snort fire; the horn was not used, and does not need to be counteracted. Finally, if the PCs tell him that he used two units of duskcap, he can correct the laser eyes. If they tell him it was three, her eyes will shrink to a tiny size and he will be irate.
If the PCs successfully help Zanthomyr return Gemma to her normal state, he will reward them with 15 gp and a lesser frost vial.
Additional Notes
This is designed for a low-level party with accordingly low skill DCs; however, it does require a bit of actual work on the part of the players to reason their way through some of the clues. The reward can obviously be altered; PCs often need something specific from a wizard - information, research, spellcasting, etc. - and this is a nice intro quest to meet a local character who could be helpful in the future and get on his good side.