Lost but not Forgotten

An exciting survival one shot for 5e D&D using a novel amnesia mechanic to keep your players on their toes.

Written by LokiTampetore

Introduction

Lost but not Forgotten is a stand alone one shot aimed at a party of 4 player characters with an average party level of 5. It can be played as high fantasy adventure or a gritty survival horror depending on the DM and player preferences. Regardless of theme however, this one shot is about survival with limited equipment and most importantly, no memories. This is achieved via the amnesia mechanic which is detailed in the sidebar.
As the DM feel free to apply as many of the survival rules from the dungeon masters guide as you feel would be enjoyable for the players, remembering some groups will prefer differing levels of challenge and complexity. The side bar provides some optional dangers you can include in the session, detailed in the Dangers of the wild section.
Having decided on the complexity/challenge of the one shot the DM will need to follow the setup instructions in the amnesia mechanic section in the sidebar before beginning the one shot.

Escaping the Island

There are any number of ways to escape from the island and the DM is more than invited to be creative, here are just some examples:

• The Strange Room in the cave is in fact a teleportation circle. It is however incomplete, and requires the arcane stone to reactivate it, unfortunately that has a new home now having animated a great carnivorous plant that roams the jungle.
• Creating an SOS, whether it be a fire, giant letters or any other mechanism the players can think up will certainly attract the attention of a passing sea elf vessel if it's on the beach or another airship if it's in the clearing. Lets just hope the PCs can survive long enough to see their rescuers.
• There is land on the horizon, if a PC looks out across the sea from the beach. Its too far to swim, but a raft could work... that's if the players can survive the shark infested waters.

It is not necessary to run all the locations in this one shot, after all, this is about escaping the island alive. Allow the players to guide you as the DM, as well as keeping an eye on the time, so that you can fit the whole one shot into a single session.

The Crash Site

The sun gently rises over a jungle of exotic trees. The gentle sound of far off waves and the chorus of a thousands species of creatures is suddenly interrupted by a strange flash of light in the sky. It ripples and writhes about like lightning caught in slow motion. It drifts eerily into focus as flames join the strange site, dancing with the eldritch lightning. The slow drift becomes a sudden rush as a mass of wood, metal, fabric and fire smashes into the side of mountain sending a shower of debris and smoke in all directions. The peace of this tropical island is shattered by a cacophonous boom which rips out from the side of the mountain and out across the sea. As suddenly as this interruption appears, it becomes an almost silent speck upon the mountain. Quietly flickering its smoke into the air.
SMOKE! Its the smell of smoke and the sound of fire that rouses you from your slumber. You open your eyes gazing up into a blue sky marred by acrid smoke. Your ears are ringing, there is pain in your body. "Where am I?" you think to yourself but no answer comes - a small amount of panic rises as you realise you don't know the answer. Nor do you know who you are...

Setting the Scene

The player characters will find themselves regaining consciousness by the burning wreck of an airship they know nothing about. The crash has caused them all to be suffering from amnesia so apart from what they can see in the moment, they will remember nothing.
This is the perfect opportunity for the DM to introduce the characters to their players, by providing them a description of what one another can see. The players will likely try to identify any equipment they have and anything they can salvage from the crash (see Map Locations for more information).
The only logical way off the mountain side is in through the cave (unless the players have a safe way to survive the fall). If the players decide on another route, apply an appropriately challenging DC to an appropriate skill check, this may even escalate in difficulty the longer they attempt their plan.
If the players enter the cave, progress to The Cave below. If they fly/fall to the jungle below and survive, progress to The Jungle or The Clearing, whichever best fits the narrative.

Map Locations

1. The starting point - The players will wake up here, amidst the wreckage of their crashed airship. The players can carefully search the wreckage, avoiding the fire, and will find 3x 50ft of hempen rope, a mess kit, a tinderbox, 10 torches, a waterskin, navigators tools and woodcutter's axe. A DC12 investigation check will also discover a health potion for each of the PCs.
2. The cliff - Any player that searches their surroundings will see they have crashed on the side of a mountain. They are on a precipice of land that over hangs the jungle below. The fall is fatal unless the players have access to flight or magic that allows them to fall safely.
3. The cave - The mountain rises up behind them but leaves a narrow opening that leads into a cave.
4. The cliff faces - The mountain rises up behind the players. They are by no means near the top and visually inspecting the mountain side suggests it would be an exceptionally challenging climb, especially without climbing equipment.

The Cave

Locations and Encounters

1 - Entrance

This is the entrance to the cave and leads to the crash site.

2 - Empty Cave

This empty cave is filled with stalactites and stalagmites and is filled with the constant sound of dripping water.

There is nothing to be found here.

3 - Crystal Cavern

A faint red glow emanates from this cave and draws your attention as you enter. One whole wall of the cave is encrusted in beautiful fire red gemstones that emit a warmth and light into the cave. They reach from the floor and pour across the ceiling in a breathtaking display.

These are fire gems and although beautiful to look at are quite dangerous if damaged. If a PC gets close or touches them, they can feel the warmth of the gemstones. If they break a gemstone however all PCs within 10ft. must make a DC14 dexterity saving throw or take 1d10 fire damage as the crystal explodes. If you roll a 9 or a 10 then you add another d10 fire damage as the heat causes the surrounding crystals to also explode (maximum of 2d10 damage).

4 - Spider Nest

An underground stream carves this cave in two. Stalactites and stalagmites rise up around the room, creating an almost cathedral like feeling. Strange gossamer webs cover everything that isn't water in this cave which is faintly lit by bioluminescent mushrooms.

This cave is the lair of 2 Phase Spiders who will gladly feast on any living thing that enters their lair. (See Basic Rules for stat block)

5 - Miners camp

This smaller cave seems to hold the remains of a mining camp. Damp and rotten equipment is scattered around, along with the signs of excavation. There are wooden beams and planks that seem dry and stable but everything else is lost to time.

This cave has some abandoned mining equipment left in it. This was used to carve out the strange room and has subsequently been left behind. It is all wet or rotten and of no use to anyone anymore. There are however some wooden planks and frames that might make a bridge over the hole in area 6.

6 - The Hole

There is a seemingly bottomless hole that spans the corridor. It is approx 10ft across. Any player that falls into the hole will not survive. (See PHB pg182 for long jump rules)

7 - The Strange Room

Beyond the stone door lies a curious chamber which makes the hairs on your body stand on end. The center of the floor is taken up by a great sigil which faintly glows with arcane power. A strange metal stand twists up from the center of the sigil atop which there is a noticeable space, as if something once sat within the metal creation, but is now lost.

The sigil is a teleportation circle to any location the DM chooses. It however is non-functional. The arcane stone which powers it is missing. Until the stone is returned to the metal stand, the circle will not work. Once returned the players can escape. See the escape section in the sidebar.

8 - Exit

This is the exit to the cave and leads to the jungle.

The Jungle

The jungle area of the island does not have an encounter map as it covers the whole island, save for the mountain, the clearing and the beach. DM details for the jungle are provided in the sidebar.
The jungle can be used as an excellent narrative and roleplay opportunity, as well as a thematic tool for the DM to give a sense of survival to the one shot. Feel free to utilise this environment as much or as little as time permits you for this one shot.
If your players are intent on using the teleportation circle then you will need to run the clearing in order for them to encounter the plant which houses the arcane stone. If the players are not interested in, or do not find the teleportation circle, then running the clearing or the beach is up to the DM, perhaps being led by the players.

The Clearing

Suddenly the canopy over head parts, revealing a blue sky and brilliant sunshine which spills into the clearing ahead. Vine draped ruins jut out of the ground, a mysterious ancient time now long gone. Nestled within the ancient ruins however is a not so ancient camp. Ripped and ruined tents gather around a central area in the clearing, which clearly held host to a camp fire. Clearly you are not the first to step foot on this island, although what happened to the owners of the camp is a mystery...

Setting the Scene

The clearing is a respite from the heat and noise of the jungle but it is also a trap for a corpseflower that resides just outside the clearing in the jungle. This corpseflower is the result of the arcane stone from the strange room becoming entangled in a plant, corrupting it with arcane power.
If the players wish to use the teleporation circle in the strange room they will need to defeat the corpseflower and remove the stone from its core. The clearing also represents a potential escape route, as it is clearly visible from the air and any kind of message or signal would be clearly visible to a passing airship. Depending on the plan of the players, it may be valuable to describe the sight or sound of an airship, allowing the players to realise this potential escape route. See the escape section in the sidebar.
The remains of the camp offer very little in the way of any resources and so are of little use to the players. A DC12 survival check will allow the players to reclaim the ruined tents and to build a suitable shelter for them.

Map Locations

1. These ancient ruins are covered in vines and weather worn. There is no discernible writing or artistry upon them only adding to their mystery. They do however provide cover and some shelter, probably why the camp was made here.
2. The camp is comprised of three completely ruined tents and 1 in disrepair. The damage to the tents is not the work of the elements though but rather a fearsome, unnatural predator lurking nearby. A DC12 investigation check will reveal that the camp site was damaged by a fierce combat that took place here. A DC15 survival check of the camp will reveal that several bodies were dragged away into the trees by something big.
3. The tree line is thick and tangled. It represents difficult terrain and also conceals a great threat to the players. Hidden within the jungles edge is a corpseflower just waiting to devour the players. (See Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse pg.82 for stat block)

The Beach

The trees gradually begin to thin as the jungle gives way to a beautiful sandy beach. The ocean stretches on for what looks like eternity, its waves lapping at the sand. Gulls wheel overhead, their cries joining with the rhythmic sea. A gentle sea breeze carries salty spray inland, cooling you as it drives away the humidity of the jungle.

Running the Beach

The beach runs the entire circumference of the island and looks out to an almost endless ocean. There is however land nearby and it can be seen from the beach sitting on the horizon. It looks to be a three day raft ride to reach it. The players will need a raft however in order to attempt the voyage. They can make one by collecting drift wood and cutting down trees from the jungle. They will need at least 50ft of rope to lash the raft together. If you wish to run this with checks then Nature and Survival checks can be used to collect resources and build the raft.
The beach also represents a potential escape route, as it is clearly visible from the sea and any kind of message or signal would be clearly visible to a passing ship. Depending on the plan of the players, it may be valuable to describe the sight of a ship sailing past in the distance, allowing the players to realise this potential escape route. See the escape section in the sidebar.

Out at sea

If the players decide to sail to the land they can see on the horizon then they will require sufficient resources to survive the trip. They will require at least 3 days of rations and fresh water each in order to survive. If they do not have sufficient resources then they will perish aboard the raft.
Starvation and dehydration are not the only risks out at sea. When the players are far enough out to class as being out at sea then they will encounter 1 or 2 giant sharks. It is the DMs decision, based on how the characters are fairing as to how many sharks are encountered (note that 2 giant sharks classes as a deadly encounter to the party). The shark(s) will try to knock a player into the water to eat, requiring DC10 dexterity saving throws from all aboard the raft to remain out of the water. The sharks will continue to harass the raft until:

1. They devour a player character and their hunger is satisfied.
2. They take enough damage to persuade them to give up (the damage threshold is at the DMs discretion)

If the players survive the raft then they have successfully escaped the island. See the escape section in the sidebar.

---

Accessing the Maps

All the maps were made by the author using DungeonFog. To get access to the maps for use in VTT or print, please follow this link: Lost but not Forgotten on DungeonFog

Amnesia Mechanic

Setup

Before the oneshot the DM needs to create character sheets for each of the players. These will be kept secret from the players throughout the course of the one shot. The DM will provide blank sheets to the players at the start of the game. This creates a sense of amnesia, where the characters cannot remember anything about themselves.

During the game

Throughout the game players will need to interact with their character sheet to complete checks, saves and to use their equipmet. As the DM you will need to provide the relevant information to the player from their secret sheet when they need it. This includes their ability scores, proficiency bonuses, feats, talents and skills. They in turn will need to record that information in their character sheet as they discover it.
This will replicate the feeling that the players are slowly remembering who their characters are as they interact with the world around them and fill out their character sheet as they discover things about themselves.

---

Example:
Sarah:I want to see if I can tell whether these berries are poisonous...
DM: Of course, give me a survival check
Sarah: Hmmm, ok I know my wisdom modifier is +2, am I proficient in survival?
DM: Yes you are, so your survival modifier will be +5

---

Amnesia and Combat

During combat players will be able to use any equipment provided to them, but they will be unaware of any traits or skills that their character has. As the DM it is important to enjoy the narrative of the amnesia and provide the character with flashes of insight - i.e. if they have a skill/feat relevant to the task at hand then let them know.
For example, the players roll for a dexterity check and the rogue succeeds meaning they take no damage, let them know they have evasion through a storytelling moment or descriptive scene. Perhaps the fighter is low on hitpoints during combat, describe to them the effects of second wind and allow them to regain some hitpoints and discover something about their character.

Amnesia and Magic

Magic is trickier to manage in the amnesia mechanic and needs to be broken down into spell and caster type.

• Cantrips can be treated like talents and feats - the DM can use storytelling to narrate a player casting a cantrip and the effects. This can be used to create effect in the moment.
• Spells requiring spell slots need to be managed differently, depending on the class of spellcaster. A spell caster such as a cleric, warlock or druid might feel the presence of a deity, patron or nature guiding them to cast a spell, thus allowing the DM to 'tip-off' a player that they possess certain spells that will help them in the situation. As they are being guided by an outside force, they can then cast the spell. A wizard may wake up from the crash in possession of a spell book with instructions on the spells etc. This can be provided to the player in a handout. A wizard trying to remember how their spellbook works may need to do an arcana check to see if they can cast the spell correctly. A sorcerer is innately able to cast spells and so the DM can use this to narrate spells just happening, surprising the player as if their magic had a life of its own.
• Spell slots will need to be tracked by the DM, who will feedback to the player how tired they are becoming or how challenging a spell is becoming to cast, thus allowing the player to work out roughly how many slots they have remaining.

These are all just suggested ways of managing spells with the different classes. DMs should feel free to interpret these and come up with their own ways of handling spell casters with amnesia.

Dangers of the Wild

It is up to the DM as to which of the survival mechanics they utilise from the DMG. It is suggested that food and water is a must for this survival one shot, along with the following provided rules:

Dirty Water

The water on the island is not safe to drink as it harbours miniscule parasites. Any player that consumes water without first boiling it, must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution Saving throw or become infected. After 1d6 hours the player gains a level of exhaustion which cannot be removed until the disease is cured. After each long rest or initiative, the player must repeat the check, gaining 1 exhaustion on a fail or reducing 1 exhaustion on a save.

Poisonous plants

Many plants on the island produce fruits, many of which are poisonous. Roll 1d6 when encountering a fruit, on an odd number it is poisonous, on an even number it is edible. If a player consumes a poisonous fruit they must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, they take 1d12 poison damage and are poisoned for 24 hours. On a successful save, the player takes half damage and isn’t poisoned.

Fire and Moisture

It is extremely humid in the jungle and therefore everything is damp. This means making a fire can be extra challenging. Without magic or a tinderbox the task is all but impossible. A tinderbox requires a DC10 Survival check to start a fire whereas magic is successful if it meets the requirements/rules of the spell.

---

The Jungle

The jungle of the island is vibrant, alive and dangerous. Provide vivid descriptions to your players about the colours and the sounds all the while giving them a tiny hint of the risks posed by the jungle. The following useful bullets and rollable table are provided to help the DM.

• This jungle is fed by many streams that wind through the trees down from the mountain. They are places where life gathers to drink and offer a good route to follow to the sea. The water is not suitable for drinking without intervention. See the dirty water rules above.
• The jungle is thick, the canopy covering the sky completely, casting the ground in shadow making the jungle difficult terrain. Additionally it is easy to lose sense of direction in the jungle so the DM can use a Survival check mechanic to see if the players are going in the right direction.
• There is a grand clearing in the jungle which the players should find if they explore the jungle. The DM should feel free to jump to the clearing section whenever they see fit.

Rollable foraging table:

Number on a d6	Foraging and discoveries
1	The players stumble upon a stream
2	The players find a grove of fruit trees
3	The players discover the beach
4	The players find hundreds of flowers
5	The players encounter jungle animals
6	The players discover the clearing

The Escape

When the players have achieved one of the escape criteria then they have successfully escaped from the island.  Take a moment to give a good narration to their escape, using the opportunity for some roleplay opportunities and celebrating the players success. Enjoy sharing their secret character sheets so they can see who they played.

Succumb to the Island

Should the players fail to survive the island, whether dying by accident, combat or exposure ensure to give them a epic narration to close out the one shot. Perhaps even foreshadowing the arrival of another crashed crew. Celebrate the highlights of the one shot with the players and enjoy sharing their secret character sheets so they can see who they played.