FLAVOR: ### Abandoned Garden This was once an expansive estate of some noble, but it has long since been abandoned. Roll or determine the reason that the estate was abandoned: | d4 | Reason | | --- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | 1 | The head of the estate died without any heirs to claim the estate. | | 2 | Many people died there under mysterious and uncanny circumstances, leading to the rumor of a curse. | | 3 | The cost to maintain the estate became too much for a family much diminished in wealth. | | 4 | The estate is not in fact abandoned, but its current inhabitant is unable or uninterested in maintaining the estate. | Whatever the reason, the abandoned gardens have become a labyrinth of overgrown plants and collapsing structures. A gazebo sags sadly down one overgrown path; a gardener's shed has collapsed entirely under the weight of a wisteria vine. The scene is not without its wistful beauty; however, it is difficult to navigate and harder to see through. #### Might be inhabited by: Hound of Tindalos --- # Winding Labyrinth *3rd tier (constructed)* **Challenge:** 13 (10,000 XP) **DC:** 19/16 **Area:** Local (1 hour) This labyrinth shifts with magic, making the exit almost impossible to find. #### Changeable If you need to determine the exact nature of the maze, roll on the table below each time the party chooses a direction - including if they turn around. | d6 | Direction | | --- | -------------- | | 1 | Bends left | | 2 | Bends right | | 3 | T-junction | | 4 | Y-junction | | 5 | 4-way junction | | 6 | Dead end | #### Quiet A [[03-Mechanics/6-Ability Scores/Perception|Perception]] check notices the sound of the maze shifting behind the adventurers. #### Supernatural An [[03-Mechanics/6-Ability Scores/Arcana|Arcana]] check reveals that the walls of the maze are magical. A *[detect magic](https://a5e.tabletopbytheik.nl/compendium/spells/detect_magic)* spell reveals an aura of transmutation magic. #### Covered? If the maze is uncovered, such as in a hedge maze, adventurers may be able to  award half XP. Alternatively, magic or aerial threats can discourage doing so. #### Poor Sight Lines At any given time, adventurers can only see between ten and  fifteen feet in any direction; the walls block the rest. ## **Possible** **Solutions** The party will likely figure out quickly that the maze is unsolvable. A *[dispel magic](https://a5e.tabletopbytheik.nl/compendium/spells/dispel_magic)* spell with a sufficient ability check will return it to a stable state, as does an *[antimagic field](https://a5e.tabletopbytheik.nl/compendium/spells/antimagic_field)*. Otherwise, a group [[03-Mechanics/6-Ability Scores/Investigation|Investigation]] check, made with advantage if the party uses a tool such as a ball of string, allows them to catch the maze in the middle of shifting and navigate their way out. Alternatively, a group [[03-Mechanics/6-Ability Scores/Athletics|Athletics]] check may, at the Narrator's discretion, allow the party to smash their way out. **Critical Failure.** The party is trapped in the maze for a full day and each adventurer takes a level of fatigue and a level of strife from the constantly changing circumstances. **Failure.** The party makes it out after eight hours and each adventurer takes a level of fatigue. **Success.** The party escapes the maze in three hours. **Critical Success.** The party becomes so good at navigating the maze that they discover something within it. Roll twice on the Boons and Discoveries table. ___ **Source:** Stranger Sites