Now for the next Zine of the year I present, in single page zine format, Helm of the Shadow. I still believe that these provide DMs a lot more freedom to tinker with it how they want and open up the adventures to be more free formed and flowing than the larger booklet zines.
There is references to the blog nights which are D&D centric (regarding Friday night’s Stat-blocks) but this adventure can be used system agnostic more so than my regular Zines. As always Kobold fight club can be used to quickly balance an encounter for Dungeons and Dragons and Tetra-cube provides the stat-blocks for many of my D&D creatures.
So I hope you enjoy this weeks adventure, Helm of the Shadow, and that all your rolls are made with advantage.
Helm of the Shadow
523SuHeSh

The party set sail aboard The Stardrinker, eager for a job that promised wealth and security. The ship, known for its reliability, carried them smoothly over open waters, its seasoned crew ensuring a steady voyage. The first day passed uneventfully, with the party helping the sailors and enjoying the ease of travel. By the second day, the ship practically sailed itself, leaving Captain Cali to keep a watchful eye on the horizon. That afternoon, a cry rang out – a second ship had appeared, closing in fast, its flag marking it as pirates. The Stardrinker fired first, sending bolts and arrows into the approaching vessel, forcing the attackers into battle. Spells crackled through the air, arrows rained from both ships, and after a tense skirmish, the pirates retreated, seeking weaker prey. Though victorious, unease lingered—if danger had come so soon, what else awaited them?
The party settled into the voyage, the Stardrinker cutting smoothly through sunlit waters. But as the winds shifted and gulls fled toward land, Cali grew tense. A cold breath swept the deck, and an ink-black smear spread across the eastern sky, swallowing the golden light of the setting sun. The crew murmured about an approaching storm, but Cali said nothing. Soon, a ghostly ship emerged from the darkness, its tattered sails barely clinging to the mast. The Stardrinker adjusted its course to avoid it, yet no matter how they moved, the phantom vessel followed. Lanterns flickered as though their light was being stolen, and a deep, groaning sound echoed from the ship’s hull. The crew hesitated—tales of ghost ships and doomed sailors whispered among them. Then, the ropes on the shadowed vessel coiled and stretched. Something was waiting.
Cali gave the order to turn aside, but they were too late. A deafening, metallic screech split the air as boarding harpoons launched from the dark vessel, tethered by thick, frayed ropes. They struck The Stardrinker’s hull, jerking the ship as the ropes tightened. For a moment, silence hung heavy, then the ropes came alive, writhing like serpents, hunting victims. A deckhand was the first to be taken, dragged onto the cursed vessel, his cries cut short. Roth fought against the ropes, slashing at them while sailors desperately held onto him. Cali roared for the crew to cut themselves free, but as she spoke, a rope lashed toward her, barely missing. The party had mere moments before the ropes came for them, dragging them into the horrors lurking within The Shadow.
With a final effort, the last harpoon was severed, the ropes sinking into the sea. The Stardrinker groaned from the strain, its exhausted crew stumbling back, relieved but shaken. A moment of silence passed before The Shadow screamed. It was no human cry but the sound of cursed wood and rigging, a vessel bound to suffering. The sea churned as if trying to swallow the monstrous ship whole – but instead, the vessel rose, tearing itself apart. A gaping wound formed in its hull, revealing a dark, pulsing core—a heart of decay, twisted rope, splintered wood, and rusted metal, brimming with unholy hunger. And then, from within the abyss, something clawed its way free.
A figure emerged, once a captain but no longer human. Its flesh was replaced by knotted rigging, its bones by rotting planks. Rusted blades clung to its twisted form, its hollow eyes burning with an eerie blue glow – the remnants of souls devoured. It dragged a shattered leg, burned from past damage, but its body was still bound in cursed rigging. The ship stilled, its monstrous heart revealed, the air thick with unnatural dread. Whatever this thing was, it was not a mere ghost—it was the soul of the cursed ship itself. The true battle was about to begin.
PDF adventure – Helm of the Shadow
Thanks for joining me today for another adventure. Please feel free to leave comments if you like what you see when you grab a copy of the PDF. Next time you get a party together consider running this adventure and I hope that you enjoy it. Don’t forget to come back daily so you don’t miss a thing in the coming weeks adventures. And as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe












