WV1.3 — Footbridge of Bones

North of Hallowford the road dips to a placid stream. A broad plank footbridge spans the water beside a trampled watering shelf where cattle drink. The boards are black-wet. From the alder roots under the far bank comes a dry rattle, like dice in a wooden bowl—followed by the faint scrape of bone on timber.

Quest giver: Harben the Smith (LN human, practical, respected)

• Why he cares: Ore carts stop here so beasts can drink; the crossing’s spookiness is choking traffic.
• Additional comments from Harben
  • “Drovers won’t cross. A goat went for water—all we found was a rack of bones.”
  • “Started after the raid. Bones in the stream. Maybe they learned to hold on under that bridge.”
  • “Only thing worse than a nervous herd are nervous drivers; deal with this without getting everyone jittery and I’ll see your steel right. Besides a keg, you can take the silver dagger off my wall.”

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Approaching

The footbridge is about a 1/4 mile north of the town

• Footbridge: 25–30 ft span, 8 ft wide; stout posts; rope rails; gaps between planks (1–2″).
• Watering shelf: Muddy, churned by hooves; ladder-steps cut into bank.
• Alder tangle: Root mass under far bank catches bone shards (Investigation DC 13: old gnaw marks).
• Charms: Twined horsehair & iron nails tied to posts (Religion/Nature DC 12: folk wards vs. “unquiet water”).

DM NOTES: Bones from the raid snagged on the roots and posts; Something coming down-valley have stirred them. They grab ankles, panic stock, and try to drag prey under the bridge.

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Approaches

1. Fight through the undead mass beneath the bridge.
2. Consecrate the crossing (skill challenge; no cleric required).
3. Confound with craft: re-hang wards, weight bones with cairns, shore the planks, and bait-burn the tangle.

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Hazards (choose 1-2 and scale DC with APL)

• Slick Boards: First time a PC Dashes/fights on the bridge, DEX save DC 12/13/14 or prone (slide 5 ft; if at edge, STR/DEX save to grab rope rail).
• Grabbing Bones: Skeletal arms thrust from gaps: +4 to hit; on hit, grapple (escape DC 12/13) and pull 5 ft toward the edge at the start of target’s turn.
• Livestock Surge (optional): Spooked cattle try to bolt across. Any creature on the bridge makes DEX save DC 12/13 or is shoved 5–10 ft and must save vs. prone (once per combat).
• Bone-Rattle Fear: When the root mass is disturbed, WIS save DC 11/12/13 or frightened until end of next turn (one-time per creature).

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Encounters (pick tier; add hazards)

Lv 1–2:

• Skeletal Rat Swarm writhing in the alder roots + 2–4 Skeletons clambering up over 2 rounds.
  • Twist: at 0 HP the swarm scatters into the roots; without consecration it reforms in 1d4 hours.

Lv 3–4 (choose one):

• Bone Naga Fragment (half-spine coiled around a bridge post) + 2 Skeletons (round 2), or
• Shadow hugging the waterline + Skeletal Rat Swarm (the shadow targets anyone who slips/prone on wet boards).

Condensed Stat Blocks:

• Skeleton (CR 1/4) – AC 13, HP 13, Shortsword +4 (1d6+2)
• Skeletal Rat Swarm (CR 1/2) – AC 12, HP 24, Bite +4 (2d6)
• Shadow (CR 1/2) – AC 12, HP 16, STR Drain on hit
• Bone Naga Fragment (CR 3) – AC 15, HP 45, Bite +5 (2d6+3), Command, Hold Person

Consecration challenge (no spells required)

Goal: 3 successes before 2 failures; 1 round per action while threats press. APL = Average Party Level:
DCs: APL 1–2 → DC 12; APL 3–4 → DC 14 (use different skills per success).

Tasks:

• Religion: Chalk a circle on both bridgeheads; sprinkle salt; speak a blessing.
• Nature/Survival: Build low cairns on each bank to pin exposed bones; place bread & salt atop.
• Athletics: Drive iron nails/stakes into posts (“iron binds ill”).
• Persuasion/Performance: Name the unknown dead and invite rest.
• Tools (Carpenter/Smith): Shore loose planks and lash the rope rails—“tend the way.”

Complications (1d4 each round):

1. Cold gust; checks relying on hearing are at disadvantage.
2. Rat bones surge (swarm acts now).
3. Bone hand grabs a ritualist (escape DC as hazard).
4. Whisper: “Under the boards… warm…” (repeat fear save).

Success:

Undead collapse; the stream runs quiet.
Each PC gains 3 temp HP or advantage vs. fear once today.

Failure:

A chill clings; next long rest within 24h restores no HP from Hit Dice; the haunt persists.

Magical shortcuts:

Turn Undead destroying most = 2 successes;
protection from evil & good on posts = 1 success;
ceremony (funeral/dedication) completes the rite after 3 rounds of defense.

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Outcomes & rewards

• Cleared or consecrated: Free weapon repairs (mundane) for a month, food & ale (3 days rations + a morale keg), silver dagger (25 gp), and +2 to the next info-gather check in Wolfsward (“they set the watering bridge right”).
• Only driven off: Safe for 1d4 days; haunt returns at night (add +1 skeleton or +5 HP to shadow). Harben pays half.

Optional clues/loot:

• Snagged satchel under a post (DC 14): damp leather scrap with a rune on it (an inverted triangle) and the words “bones to the water.”
  
• Finger-bone charm: 1/day add +1d4 to a save vs. fear or charm.