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Trodon
2011-06-13, 10:20 PM
So I wrote my own adventure and was wondering how I did, I'm not the best writer and I'm sure I messed up on a few things (I wrote it in two days, I was in a hurry) I'm hoping to run this for a couple of my friends (if we can ever to get together again) so here you go.



THORNBACK'S CHALLENGE


A short adventure for four 1st or 2nd level characters.


ADVENTURE HOOKS
As the Dm, you could use any intro you would like, here are a few samples.

-The characters happen to be in the town of Blumberg when the goblins aproach.

-The characters hear about strange goblins in the nearby town of Blumberg.


BEGINNING THE ADVENTURE
Blumberg is s a village of about 700 people and could be anywhere on any map you choose, there needs to be some woods with at least one cave nearby, for the stories sake. Once in Blumberg the PC's need to meet the mayor, an elf named Enilast Amakiir

THE MAYOR
Anyone the players ask for information about the goblins is directed to the mayor, a very handsome elf by the name of Enilast Amakiir (Gemflower in the common tongue). When they go to meet him they are rushed into his office without an explanation, read or paraphrase the next paragraph.

The mayor's office has a very fancy elven-made desk with a matching high-top chair behind it, sitting in the chair in a handsome elf wearing a formal blue robe with deep green trimming he has long waivy dark brown hair and a couple of rings on his hands, including one particurly nice emerald ring on his left ring finger. He gives you a warm smile as his guards close the doors behind you. “Welcome, I'm afraid I don't have enough chairs at the moment but feel free to sit down. I am Enilast Amakiir, you have questions regarding the goblins I presume?”

His Emerald ring is his weadding ring and acts as a cloak of charisma +2 exept it takes one ring slot. He lets the players know that none of the goblins have caused any trouble, in fact they have helpt out a great deal taking jobs and volantearing for guard duty, “The econimy has never been better!” Enilast says. If the players want even more information, Enilast says there is a goblin names Mosb working at the tavern, 'The Foamy Mug'.


THE MEETING
Once the players enter The Foamy Mug read or paraphrase the following paragraph.

The Foamy Mug is crouded and noisy tipical of any tavern of a village, the air is thick with the smell of sweat, ale, and smoke. In the back-left corner of the room you see her, barly three feet in hight, no one is at her table or any table ajacent to it.

If the players wish to go to the bar or sit at a table instead of going over to Mosb a goblin waitress comes and takes their order.

When they go over to Mosb read or paraphrase the following paragraph.

She glances up as you approach, her skin is a dark orange and brown blended, she wears simple clothing of a waitress, on break it seems, and caries no weapon or shield, her eyes are a dull yellow and look glazed as the eyes you, with a hint of hatred in her eye.”Are you here to poke fun at me to? 'Oh, a goblin! Run!' stupid big-folk.”

She will not fight, if the players throw an insult back she will reply by saying that they must be inbred, due to their lack of intelligence (it doesn't matter what the intelligence of the character is, nor class or race). Should they be kind she invites them to sit then asks why they are at her table (asked in a nice way of course). When the players ask why the goblins have moved into town she tells them about a shaman in-training that killed the shaman and most of the other males in of their tribe, she says he goes by the name of Kenmot. She goes on about how he gaind an incredible amount of power seemingly over-night and ran everyone off she tells them that their tribe's village was only a couple of days travel south of Blumberg, and she heard him say something about raiding.


THE ROAD SOUTH

After the party collects the gear they need and rest up if needed and start to travel down the road they encounter a broken merchant wagon about half a days walk from Blumberg read or paraphrase the following paragraph.

You see an over-turned wagon just off the left side of the road, merchendice is scatteres everywhere. You hear the mad ravings of what sounds like a gnome coming from the other side of the cart, you can make out the bodies of four guards scattered about as well.

When the players make themselves known (by walking nearer to the cart, or calling out) read or paraphrase the following.

”Wha? Who's there? HELP ME!!!” As you make your way around the cart you see at least a dozen more bodies, all very bloddy. The voice came from inside the cart, and you see a gnome at the bared window. “Hurry up, get me outa' here!”

There are twenty dead guards, eight gnomes, four humans, six dwarves and two elves, their weapons and armor are worthless, as is what remains of the merchendice. If a player succeads on a DC:15 heal or knowledge (Nature) check that payer knows the wounds came from a big canine, possibly a large wolf. When the player ask the gnome what happened read or paraphrase the following.

“We were attacked of course! I never saw them, but it sounded like a wolf only, bigger and a small humaniod goblin, or a kobold maybe.”

Once he gets freed the gnome introduces himself as “Gimble Murnig, crafter extrordinair at your service” with a low bow and a sweep of his hat. He then offers one-hundred gold pieces to the pc's if they would escort him to blumberg if the choose to, use the random encounter table on page 79 of the Dungeon Master's Guid 1d3 times. If the players refuse to escort Gimble, he dies on his way to Blumberg, never to be seen or heard from again. Ether way, roll one random encounter on the players way to the village.


THE VILLAGE

When the players get about one-hundred feet from the village read or paraphrase the following paragraph.

You can see some sharpened logs jutting up from the ground about one-hundred feet in front of you, behind them you can make out a mass of animal-skin tents some thirty feet behind that.

Those who succead on a spot check DC: 14 (rolled by you, the DM) can make see that some of the teants have been damaged in some way, but they can't be sure how until they get closer. When the players between the sharpened log barricades the trip a camouflaged pit trap reflex save DC:20 avoids 10ft deep (1d6 damage from the fall) search DC:24 disable device DC:20.

Once they get past the trap they are unhindered as they move into the village. Once in the village Five goblins (four standard, one level 1 rogue) suprise attack the players by throwing javelins at them, then initiate initiative and combat as normal, the rogue surrenders if three of the other goblins die and/or he is reduced to 3hp or less.

Kazza (Male Goblin Rogue 1)
HP:8
AC:17 (+1 size, +2 Dex, +3 masterwork studded leather armor, +1 Natural)
Initiative: +6
Speed: 20ft (Masterwork Studded Leather Armor)
Attack: Masterwork Shortsword +3 melee or Javelin +3 ranged
Damage: Masterwork Shortsword melee (1d4+1) or Javelin ranged (1d4+1)
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +0
Abilities: Str 13, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 11, Wis 10, Cha 8
Treasure: Standard plus Masterwork Studded Leather Armor, Masterwork Shortsword, Onix if Natural Armor +1
Alignment: Lawful Netural

If Kazza surrenders read the following.

“Ah, no! We surenders!” One of the goblins says, throwing down his shortsword. “We gives you shiny gem if you hurts us no more?” He pulls a black gem off of his armor and holds it up in offering.

Players who succead on a DC:12 Spot check notices that Kazza's skin seemes to soften when he removes the gem. Kazza easily tells the players that Kenmot isn't hear anymore, and they leave at the first opportunity, they say that there may be a clue as to where he went in the shaman's tent. The other four tents hold fifty gold, twenty arrows, a jade amulet, and a buckler.


THE SHAMAN'S TENT

When they enter the tent read or paraphrase the following.

This tent has many wolf, boar, and bear furs hung about and layed out as carpets, there is what looks like an animal skin bed with a pillow in the middle, a cubbered on the left had wall, a painting on the right wall, and a table in the back.

Under the bed it a trap door which can me located by a DC:14 search check, the chest under the door has an Inflict Light Wounds Trap places upon it, whoever opens it is effected. 1D8+1 damage, DC:11 Will save for half, search DC:24 disable device DC:22, the chest holds a +1 greataxe. The cubbered has some hawthorn berries and a couple of oak leaves in it, but nothing else, the painting is one of a former shaman (no name or date is given) she stands triumphently on the body of an orc, aperrintly they just won the battle. On the table are the very beginnings of plans to attack blumberg, there is also a dagger stabbed in the table and a map of the surounding forrest, and this map shows a cave just to the west of the goblin camp. On there way to the caves roll 1d2-1 minimum 0 for random encounters.


THE CAVE

Once the players can see the cave read or paraphrase the following.

The cave that sits before you is a 10ft by 10ft hole in the sie of a hill, you can here nor see anything past 15ft into the cave.

The cave travels in about 40ft before coming to a stone door, no one can hear anything from the other side, as Kenmot is going over his battle-plans with Sharlana, his worg companion. Roll move silently checks for all of the party members, if any of them fail a DC: 13 then Kenmot hears them and is ready for combat (no surprise round). If they didn't alert Kenmot when the players open the door read or paraphrase the following paragraph.

You see a goblin at a table in the center of the room, he is hunched over and looking at something. Just then you hear a growl come from the side and he jumps up, turns, and draws his scimitar.

If the party did alert him read this instead.

You see a goblin staring at you next to a table in the center of the room, he holds a scimitar and is gestering with his other hand, you feel vines growing around you, and start to constrict you.

Kenmot readied and action to cast entangle at the door, everyone must make a DC:14 reflex save to resist being entangled. Ether way when Sharlana comes into view read the following.

A large black wolf comes into view biting at you, there is intelligence in it's glowing red eyes.

Use the standard worg stats for Sharlana, page 256 of the Monster Manual. Kenmot will not give up, the players will have to either kill or restrain him and/or Sharlana to stop the fight without them running.

Kenmot Thornback (Male Goblin Druid 3)
HP:20
AC:17 (+3 Dex, +3 Masterwork Hide Armor, +1 Size)
Initiative: +7
Speed: 20ft (Masterwork Studded Leather Armor)
Attack: +1 Scimitar +6 Melee or Sling +6 Ranged
Damage: +1 Scimitar Melee (1d6+4) or Sling Ranged (1d3+2)
Saves: Fort:+5 Ref:+6, Will:+6
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 16, Con 15, Int 11, Wis 16, Cha 11
Treasure: 300gp, Ioun Stone (clear Spindle), +1 Scimitar (medium size), Masterwork Hide Armor, Sling, and 20 Bullets
Alignment: Netural Evil

There is a human-made bed to the right of the entrance (where Sharlana comes from) and no other ferniture other than the table, on the table there is a note written in goblin, along with more complete plans to attack Blumberg (not that it matters now though).

Congradulations Kenmot Thornback, you are well on your way to joining out noble organization. Once you have destroid the human city of Blumberg I will personally transport you to our stronghold.

-X


The note is from a beholder known as Xanathar (Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting, page 281). The players may or may not want to investigate it, but the choice it up to them.


Return to Blumberg

Once they have returned to Blumberg, the mayor invites them into his office.

“Your back! Good news I take it?”

After the players tell him about the letter, and the plans read this.

Enilast frowns. “This is terrible news indeed, and this mystierous “X” character, I wonder who he is.” He thinks long and hard, the realises your still there. “Yes well, here is a reward for eliminating this threat, and informing us of another.” He smiles and a guard comes in with a sack of gold. “Five hundred gold, that will do I take it?”

That was a retorical question, and will not give anything more to the players.

Mayhem
2011-06-13, 11:28 PM
Looks good, aside from a few grammar errors. Should run just fine.

Trodon
2011-06-14, 08:34 AM
Looks good, aside from a few grammar errors. Should run just fine.

Yeah grammar is not my strong suit, but I try. I think It may be a bit powerful to a non-optimized group, but when I run it for my friends (Druid 1, Barbarian 1, two npc characters, rogue 1 and cleric 1) I might tweak it a bit. Is there anything that might be a bit to strong for level 1/2 characters to have in here, or it is pretty balanced (Something I'm not good at)?

Savannah
2011-06-14, 02:32 PM
It seems very....linear. Everyone the PCs talk to in town directs them to the mayor without adding anything of their own? What happens if the PCs don't care about the goblins after the mayor tells them that they're being helpful? What happens if the PCs visit the tavern before meeting the mayor and see Mosb first? What happens if the PCs kill Mosb?

Trodon
2011-06-14, 02:48 PM
It seems very....linear. Everyone the PCs talk to in town directs them to the mayor without adding anything of their own? What happens if the PCs don't care about the goblins after the mayor tells them that they're being helpful? What happens if the PCs visit the tavern before meeting the mayor and see Mosb first? What happens if the PCs kill Mosb?

This is why I posted it on here. Um... Give me some time and i might think of something.

Vladislav
2011-06-14, 02:50 PM
Druids can't wear Studded Leather armor. That's all I have for now.

Trodon
2011-06-14, 04:23 PM
Druids can't wear Studded Leather armor. That's all I have for now.

True, but there is hide armor at the end there.

Epsilon Rose
2011-06-14, 09:33 PM
There a more than a few stumbling blocks in that adventure. If you don't mind I'll try going threw it by section.

Of hooks, beginnings and mayors:
The first problem is the hook isn't particularly strong (strange goblins/non-hostile goblins isn't that weird [they're not demons]), but that's not the worst thing. Since this is probably the first adventure in the campaign you don't need that great a hook. It does how ever lead to a problem when trying to direct the PCs to the mayor; the goblins are a curiosity, but not enough of one to necessarily warrant heading to the Mayer. The fact that literally every one directs them to him is also a problem and quite frankly weird.
Things continue to get weirder when the party gets rushed into see the Mayer (keeping in mind that they're level 1s, i.e. nobodies, asking about something relatively routine). Calling out one of his rings is also a bit odd (You don't really need to call out that kind of enchanted gear and honestly including it is asking for trouble [it looks like potential loot to the PCs] without any real benefit [it doesn't seem like you intend to have him cast at the PCs and you should probably refrain from using social checks against them]). That's quite a few flags raised (every one in town directing them to a single person over a basic question, obviously magic/important gear and priority treatment for a non-issue) and I'm afraid that most PCs are going to come to one of 2 conclusions: nothings going on and he's directing them to the chamber of commerce or the entire town is in on some conspiracy (in which case they're liable to think they're both out of there depth and not likely to make a profit). In either scenario it's not likely that the PCs are going to continue down that quest line.

Mosb...:
She's a bit problematic.
First her reaction doesn't seem to be in-keeping with the situation. It might make sense for her to expect that kind of response if she was the only goblin (particularly if she was out on the street) but since she's working in a bar, where other goblins work, in a town where goblins are relatively common it doesn't make sense (though expecting some level of general prejudice does).
The second problem is that she doesn't tell you very much and there doesn't seem to be any reason for the Mayer to send you to her. The first part (that the goblins are refugees) should be common knowledge and either easily obtainable with a gather info check or readily supplied by anyone off the street. The second part makes more sense coming from the Mayer since then he knows the party's going to be dealing with things and the party knows they're be paid for their time.
She can still have a place, but that would require her to supply more detailed information (and consequently for the enemies to have a more detailed set up where that info would be useful [and for the info to not be common knowledge among the refugees]).

A Gnome!:
There are again two problems here:
The first is scale. At level one or two the PCs aren't that different from the NPCs and anything that can easily kill 24 NPC guards can easily kill 4 PCs. If I were a member of that party I don't think I would continue unless I could ensure an incredibly unfair fight (it/they is/are asleep and my blades coated in/their water supply is now laced with poison) and I could be sure of a generous reward.

The second is conservation of detail. You introduce this new character and make him seem vaguely important by having him as the sole survivor of a massacre and then do nothing with him. It's inelegant and leads to needless backtracking.

The Village:
Where there are more than 1 and less than three problems.
I'm not entirely sure how the logs are arranged (are they in a tight formation like a stockade or a looser formation that just serves as a border). In either scenario a pit seems out of place. In the first they've dug a giant hole in the middle of their main entrance and in the second they've basically dug it in the middle of an open field (unless it's a moat, in which case you have the first problem plus a hard to believe expenditure of resources and ungodly hide check).

Second, Kazza's not offering very much with his surrender (i.e. he's liable to die). His information basically amounts to "your princess is in another castle" and he's offering the party something that's already theirs (they are more than capable of taking the gem off his corpse). I would recommend having him offer them something they couldn't get by killing him (e.g. the location of a hidden cache of weapon they wouldn't otherwise find, the key to the trapped chest, his services as a rogue, ext).

THE CAVE:
Soooo, I have some questions. You said no one could hear anything on the other side of the stone door, which makes a certain amount of sense, except, Thornback is actively talking with someone while the party is presumably trying to sneak around, but he is some how the one granted a listen check.
Also, you seem to have him acting on the surprise round, which is a bit of a problem.

And we're back:
Not much happens here so I don't have much to say, but the fact that the party is given no chance to negotiate and the Mayer is more than happy to give them the brush off after saving the town and delivering news of a new threat (yet had them rushed in when they were asking about the surplus goblins) is more than a little annoying.

Also, because I had nowhere else to put it, I find it a bit strange that Thornback drove off most of his followers right before a big attack, especially considering how most of them went to his target, both strengthening them and raising the alarm.
===============================================

Well, that's my review...
On the bright side most of those things are easily fixed and/or opportunities.