The Masquerade Ball

A promise of the easiest coin your party has ever made turns into what could be their final contract. Escort a dusty mule, a creaky wagon, and a single straw-packed crate to a secluded estate outside the city walls. Delivery complete, hands dusted, and back to the bustling market square for a cold drink.

Then an arrogant twelve-year-old courier struts up and thrusts an ornate scroll into your hands, the flowing script shimmering in crimson ink. You have been invited to the Benefactor’s masquerade ball—or rather, required to attend.

Behind the estate's glistening marble steps and manicured grounds lies a horrific private gallery: previous adventuring parties sealed beneath arcane glass, posed and frozen like macabre trophies. Four vaults line the corridor, but only three are occupied. The fourth pedestal stands empty beneath levitating glass, and the brass plaque at its base is already engraved with your party’s names.

If your players want to survive the night, they will need sharp wits, thorough preparation, and a lot more than just high initiative rolls.

What’s Inside:

• Three Days of Market Prep: A vibrant pre-gala investigation phase. Players can align with a connected perfumer, case an exotic import house running a smuggling ring, or commission custom formal wear to blend in with polite society.
• Choices with Immediate Consequences: Player decisions matter early. How they treat the courier, whether they arrive exhausted on foot or refreshed by carriage, and whether they smuggle contraband past gate security all alter Charisma checks and social encounters inside the manor.
• A Ticking Gala Countdown: Drugged champagne steadily erodes player resolve as four enchanted golden instruments dance in the center of the room, compelling your adventurers toward the empty pedestal.
• A Dynamic, 3-Phase Boss Encounter: Face the Benefactor, an aristocratic dark elf Blade Bard whose gear, attacks, and form shift as his hit points drop—backed by dual initiative turns, mask-targeting mechanics, and spell support from his wife on the balcony.
• Printable Player Handout: Includes a clean, standalone 1-page gala invitation (Prop 1) to physically hand across the table the moment the courier arrives.

• System: Compatible with 5E / Fifth Edition Fantasy Roleplaying
• Format: 13-page adventure PDF + separate 1-page printable prop
• Target Balance: Overall Challenge Rating 8 (ideal for 4–5 characters around levels 7–8)