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Dollar Dangers are Pay What You Want quests & encounters you find yourself doing in between adventures. They can be obtained from bounty boards, tavern patrons, local law, etc.

Whispers haunt the village of Greystone, emanating from an ancient temple hidden deep within the Whispering Wilds. As fear grips the townsfolk, a party of brave adventurers must delve into the forgotten sanctuary of a god long forsaken. Will they survive the traps, solve the puzzles, and uncover the temple’s sacred treasures, or will the shadows consume them?

The adventure is posted freely here. The Pay What You Want adventure includes a handsome PDF, complete with the following:

• The Adventure
• Reference Maps
• Three New Creatures
• Two New Magic Items

For just a few bucks more, you can get the Premium Adventure Package, which contains:

• A Graphical PDF of the Adventure
• A Print-Friendly PDF Version (for GMs who prefer low-ink printing)
• Two VTT-Compatible Maps, Scaled for Use (GM version & PC)
• A Token Pack for Virtual Tabletop Play (including three options for each creature in the adventure)
• A Printable PDF for Both Maps, Scaled at 24" x 48" (each should cost less than $10 to print in black & white as "blueprints" at your local print shop)

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Temple of Forgotten Whispers

An ancient temple dedicated to a now-forgotten god of secrets and silence has recently been disturbed, causing strange whispers to emanate from the ruins. Local villagers are desperate for help, fearing curses or worse.

A 2 Hour Adventure for 3rd–4th Level Characters

1. The Whispering Threshold

General Description (GM):
The entrance to the temple lies in a forgotten clearing, where a weathered stone door leads to a small, damp chamber. The room is dominated by a glowing archway inscribed with magical runes. A spectral watcher floats in the center, barring entry further into the temple. The faint sound of whispers fills the air, and a draft carries the scent of moss and decay.

Room Description (GM):

• Shape & Dimensions: Rectangular, 20 feet wide (east to west) and 20 feet long (north to south).

• Floor & Walls:

• Floor: Cracked stone tiles with patches of moss and dirt from outside.

• Walls: Rough stone blocks, damp to the touch, with moss growing in the cracks.

• Lighting: Dim natural light filters in from the south entrance. The runes on the arch emit a faint blue glow.

• Furniture/Items: None.

• Doors/Exits:

• South Wall: A weathered stone door, 5 feet wide and 8 feet tall, stands ajar. Rusted hinges groan if moved.

• North Wall: A glowing stone archway, 5 feet wide and 10 feet tall. It acts as a magical barrier; it will not allow anyone to pass while the Spectral Watcher is present.

• Hidden Features:

• Scratch marks near the north arch hint at past intruders (Perception DC 15).

• Creatures: A Spectral Watcher floats in the room’s center.

2. The Silent Chapel

General Description (GM):
This room is a large hall, designed to hold gatherings or rituals in the temple’s prime. The floor is lined with rows of toppled stone pews, and an ornate altar rests on a dais at the far end. Behind the altar stands a towering statue of the temple’s forgotten god, its face obscured by a hood, and its hands raised in a gesture of silence. The room challenges the party to interpret the statue’s gesture and the faded runes on the altar, which hint that silence or a specific phrase is required to proceed safely.

Room Description (GM):

• Shape & Dimensions: Rectangular, 30 feet wide (east to west) and 40 feet long (north to south). The ceiling arches to a height of 15 feet.

• Floor & Walls:

• Floor: Smooth stone, worn down in the center aisle from years of use. Dust and rubble collect along the edges, where several pews have collapsed.

• Walls: Solid stone walls, carved with faded bas-reliefs depicting figures whispering secrets and bowing before the statue of the god.

• Lighting: The room is naturally dark, with no active light sources. Torches or magical light will be necessary to see clearly.

• Furniture/Items:

• Stone Pews: Two rows of stone pews line the room. Each pew is 10 feet long, spaced 5 feet apart, with many toppled or broken.

• Altar: A black stone altar sits on a dais at the northern end of the room, measuring 10 feet wide, 5 feet tall, and 5 feet deep. Faded golden runes in Celestial are inscribed on its surface, reading:

• “In the shadow of silence, we kneel.
  To the keeper of secrets, we vow.
  Words unspoken, truths untold,
  By your will, we remain bound.
  Grant us passage, O Silent Watcher,
  And we shall disturb your rest no more.”

If the adventurers recite this prayer in the presence of the Shade in Room 4 it will be pacified.

• Statue: Behind the altar stands a 10-foot-tall stone statue of a robed figure. Its face is obscured, and its hands are raised to its lips. The base of the statue contains a small compartment (Perception DC 15) with a Prayer Scroll (a Spell Scroll of Bless) that helps solve the puzzle. (See Appendix C).

• Doors/Exits:

• North Wall: A single wooden door, 5 feet wide and 10 feet tall leads deeper into the temple. The door is slightly ajar and creaks loudly when moved.

• Secret Door: Behind the statue, a concealed door (Investigation DC 15) leads to a storage room. Inside are 15 gp, 35 sp, and a broken holy symbol of the temple’s god.

• Trap: If excessive noise is made (e.g., shouting or combat), magical whispers intensify, extinguishing light sources and dealing 1d4 psychic damage to each character that fails a Wisdom save (DC 14).

3. The Chamber of Greed

General Description (GM):
This room appears to be a treasure chamber, with a gilded chest resting on a raised plinth in the center. The walls are lined with faded murals depicting figures offering treasures to a towering robed figure. The room is a trap designed to test the unwary. The chest is warded with a magical glyph that summons a swarm of spectral hands if opened without disarming the trap. Clues about the trap are hidden in the murals.

Room Description (GM):

• Shape & Dimensions: Square, 25 feet wide and 25 feet long, with a 15-foot-high ceiling.

• Floor & Walls:

• Floor: Smooth stone, unnervingly clean except for a faint circular outline surrounding the plinth (Investigation DC 12 reveals it’s a magical glyph).

• Walls: Stone murals, faded but still showing robed figures collecting offerings. One mural on the north wall depicts a hand gesture identical to the statue in Room 2, hinting at the solution to bypass the trap.

• Lighting: Dim magical light emanates faintly from the chest, enough to illuminate the immediate area but leaving the edges of the room in shadow.

• Furniture/Items:

• Plinth: A stone plinth, 5 feet square and 3 feet tall, stands in the center of the room, topped by a gilded chest (non-magical).

• Chest: The chest is 5 feet long, 3 feet wide, and 2 feet tall. Opening the chest without disarming the glyph triggers the trap (Arcana or Investigation DC 14 to disarm).

• Doors/Exits:

• North Wall: A sturdy wooden door, 5 feet wide and 10 feet tall, is centered on the wall and leads to Room 4. It is locked (Thieves’ Tools DC 10 or Strength DC 15 to force open).

• Hidden Features:

• Trap Glyph: Faintly visible on the floor around the plinth (Investigation DC 12 to spot, Arcana DC 14 to identify).

• Mural Clue: The north wall mural shows a robed figure silencing another with a hand gesture; this hints at the trap’s connection to silence.

• Traps:

• Glyph Trap: If the chest is opened without disarming the glyph, a Swarm of Spectral Hands emerges, attacking all creatures within 10 feet of the plinth. The glyph resets after one hour.

4. The Sanctum of Whispers

General Description (GM):
This is the heart of the temple, where the party confronts the Whispering Shade—the spectral remnant of the temple’s high priest, tasked with guarding the temple’s secrets. The room is dominated by a central brazier, which burns with a flickering, unnatural blue flame. Surrounding it are four stone pillars etched with glowing runes. The Shade attacks the party immediately unless pacified through a prayer found in Room 2. If pacified, the Shade reveals information about the temple’s purpose and allows the party to pass unscathed.

Room Description (GM):

• Shape & Dimensions: Rectangular, 30 feet wide (east to west) and 40 feet long (north to south), with a 15-foot-high ceiling.

• Floor & Walls:

• Floor: Black stone tiles, warm to the touch, with cracks glowing faintly blue.

• Walls: Smooth stone, etched with faint symbols of eyes and whispering mouths.

• Lighting: The room is dimly lit by the central brazier, casting flickering blue light across the space.

• Furniture/Items:

• Central Brazier: A massive stone brazier, 10 feet across and 5 feet tall, burns with an unnatural blue flame. If extinguished, the Shade is weakened.

• Pillars: Four stone pillars (5 feet in diameter, 10 feet tall) surround the brazier, inscribed with glowing runes in Celestial. The runes hum with power, linked to the Shade. Destroying a pillar weakens the Shade (AC 10, 15 HP each).

• Altar: A small altar, 5 feet wide and 3 feet tall, rests against the east wall. It holds a fragment of an ancient holy symbol and a hint about the final reward (Perception DC 12).

• Doors/Exits:

• North Wall: A heavy stone door, 5 feet wide and 10 feet tall, is locked (Thieves’ Tools DC 15 or Strength DC 20 to force open).

• Creatures:

• Whispering Shade: The spectral guardian (use stats for a Shadow, with additional resistance to radiant damage).

• Combat Features:

• The Shade can use the brazier to regenerate (10 HP per round) unless extinguished.

• If pacified, the Shade becomes non-hostile and imparts cryptic wisdom instead.

• Runic Trap: If a party member touches a pillar, the runes flare and deal 1d6 radiant damage (Dexterity save DC 12 to avoid).

5. The Keeper’s Reliquary

General Description (GM):
The final chamber is a sanctum where the treasures and mysteries of the temple are held. A raised dais dominates the center, bearing the temple’s relic—a Fragment of the Forgotten Relic. The air is thick with power, and the room feels heavier than any previous chamber. Murals on the walls show a celestial figure standing above a kneeling crowd, one hand raised in silence and the other holding an ornate staff. The party’s reward and final clues about the forgotten god are here.

Room Description (GM):

• Shape & Dimensions: Square, 25 feet wide and 25 feet long, with a 15-foot-high ceiling.

• Floor & Walls:

• Floor: Smooth black stone, inlaid with faintly glowing silver veins that form abstract patterns.

• Walls: Polished stone carved with detailed murals of celestial figures and the god’s followers.

• Lighting: The room is dimly lit by the silver veins in the floor and faint golden light emanating from the relic.

• Furniture/Items:

• Central Dais: A circular platform, 10 feet in diameter and 3 feet tall, in the center of the room. It holds the temple’s relic.

• Relic: The Fragment of the Forgotten Relic is a shard of an ornate holy symbol, made of gold and silver interwoven with faint blue energy. It radiates faint abjuration magic (Detect Magic or Arcana DC 12 to identify). 

• Doors/Exits:

• South Wall: The corridor from Room 4 enters through the massive stone door, centered on the wall.

• Hidden Features:

• Secret Cache: Beneath the dais is a concealed compartment (Investigation DC 15 to find) containing 50 gp, 3 gems worth 25 gp each, and a Scroll of Silence.

Appendix A: Magic Items

Fragment of the Forgotten Relic 

Wondrous item, uncommon

This shard of an ornate holy symbol is crafted from interwoven gold and silver, laced with faint blue energy that pulses with quiet power, resonating with the will of the Forgotten God.

Silent Sanctuary. You can use an action to cast the Silence spell (save DC 13) centered on yourself, without expending a spell slot or requiring material components. Once you use this property, you can't use it again until the next dawn.

Scroll of Bless

Wondrous item, common

This scroll contains the Bless spell, inscribed with elegant Celestial script.

Spell Information:

• Level: 1st

• Casting Time: 1 action

• Range: 30 feet

• Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

• Effect: You bless up to three creatures of your choice within range. Whenever a target makes an attack roll or a saving throw before the spell ends, the target can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to the attack roll or saving throw. 

Scroll of Silence

Wondrous item, uncommon

This scroll bears the Silence spell, inscribed with angular Celestial runes.

Spell Information:

• Level: 2nd

• Casting Time: 1 action

• Range: 120 feet

• Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes

• Effect: For the duration, no sound can be created within or pass through a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on a point you choose within range. Any creature or object entirely inside the sphere is immune to thunder damage, and creatures are deafened while entirely inside it. Casting a spell that includes a verbal component is impossible there. 

Whisperer's Amulet

Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement)

This delicate chain holds a small, dark gemstone that seems to swallow light. When worn, it radiates faint divination magic and amplifies subtle sounds around the wearer.

Heightened Perception. While attuned to this amulet, you gain a +1 bonus to Wisdom (Perception) checks.

Echo of Silence. Once per day, you can use an action to speak the amulet's command word, creating an aura of silence around you for 1 minute. During this time, creatures within 10 feet of you have disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing. This property can't be used again until the next dawn.

Appendix B: Creatures

Spectral Watcher

Small undead, neutral evil

Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
Hit Points 27 (6d6 + 6)
Speed 0 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover)

Saving Throws Dex +5, Wis +4
Resistances Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning, Thunder; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks
Immunities Necrotic, Poison; Exhaustion, Grappled, Paralyzed, Petrified, Poisoned, Prone, Restrained
Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 12
Languages understands all languages it knew in life but can't speak
Challenge 2 (450 XP)

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Ethereal Sight. The watcher can see 60 feet into the Ethereal Plane when it is on the Material Plane and vice versa.

Incorporeal Movement. The watcher can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object.

Actions
Aura of Stillness. (Recharge 5–6) Each creature within 10 feet of the watcher must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or be silenced (as if affected by the Silence spell) for 1 minute.

Shock Touch. Melee Spell Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (3d6) necrotic damage.

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Swarm of Spectral Hands

Medium swarm of Tiny undead, neutral evil

Armor Class 12
Hit Points 22 (5d8)
Speed 0 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover)

Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lightning, necrotic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, prone, restrained, stunned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages understands Common but can't speak
Challenge 1 (200 XP)

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Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature's space and vice versa, and the swarm can move through any opening large enough for a Tiny undead. The swarm can't regain hit points or gain temporary hit points.

Actions
Spectral Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 0 ft., one creature in the swarm's space. Hit: 12 (3d6 + 2) psychic damage.

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Whispering Shade

Medium undead, neutral evil

Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 45 (7d8 + 14)
Speed 0 ft., fly 50 ft. (hover)

Saving Throws Wis +5, Cha +6
Skills Stealth +5, Perception +5
Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lightning, necrotic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained
Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 15
Languages Common, Celestial
Challenge 3 (700 XP)

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Regeneration. The Shade regains 10 hit points at the start of its turn as long as the central brazier in Room 4 remains lit. If it takes radiant damage, this regeneration doesn’t function at the start of its next turn.

Whispering Aura. Any creature that starts its turn within 10 feet of the shade must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or take 5 (1d10) Psychic damage.

Incorporeal Movement. The shade can move through other creatures and objects as if they were Difficult Terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) Force damage if it ends its turn inside an object.

Actions
Necrotic Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d10 + 3) necrotic damage.

Whispering Doom (Recharge 5–6). The shade whispers maddening secrets. Each creature within 20 feet must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or take 11 (2d10) Psychic damage and gain the Frightened condition for 1 minute. A frightened creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Appendix C: Player Handouts

Prayer Scroll of the Forgotten God

Inscribed in elegant Celestial script, the scroll is worn and delicate, its edges frayed by time. The text radiates a faint warmth as it is read, and a whisper seems to echo the words in the reader’s mind.

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To those who seek the wisdom of silence, tread lightly and speak not, for secrets guard the way. Bow in reverence to the stillness, and the path shall be revealed. Disturb not the sanctity of the faithful, for shadows do not forgive the careless.

Where the hands of the divine are raised in quietude, a hidden way lies beneath. Follow the whispers, but beware the hands of judgment, for greed has no place in these hallowed halls.