Any 0-level adventure ideas?

[JesterPoet]

I have a game I'm starting up with 2 characters (a druid and a warlord). They're going to be Halfling teenage brother and sister, starting at level 0. The gist of the campaign is that they'll be starting in their Halfling village, which, shortly after they reach 1st level, will get destroyed by "The Walker." They'll be taken in by their mentor, which will start them on the road to fame, fortune, and revenge.

That said, I'm trying to come up with some 0-level adventure ideas that their "trainers" in their Halfling village would give them. I'd like them to have a number of adventures that will bring them to 1st level, and I'd like it if the adventures help them really feel attached to the town and its inhabitants (just before I destroy it! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!)

Anyway, I'm just looking for ideas. If anyone has any suggestions that would be appropriate, I'd really appreciate it!

Thanks!
-JP

 

[EP]

Ever played Fable? Anything like the training phase of that game would work. And having the trainees find some evidence of the oncoming assault would foreshadow events and lead to their quest once they pick up a level.

 

[JesterPoet]

Fantastic idea! Thanks!

 

[Rechan]

I also think this is a great opportunity for exploration. Put something mystical or mysterious near the town, but which has nothing threatening in it, and let the PCs go check it out. Maybe the local kids treat it like a clubhouse.

Then later, put something nasty in it and require the PCs to go back. Their familiarity with it (knowing the terrain and the ways in/out) will be a boon, it gives them a sense of "The world is real", AND "This was my CLUBHOUSE, you bastard!"

The place might even have a story reason for its purpose, a purpose that doesn't come apparent until later down the road. Rife for foreshadowing, that.

 

[EP]

Then later, put something nasty in it and require the PCs to go back. Their familiarity with it (knowing the terrain and the ways in/out) will be a boon, it gives them a sense of "The world is real", AND "This was my CLUBHOUSE, you bastard!"

That would be brilliant. I'm hoping to send my players back to a city they spent a lot of time in years ago and show them how much its changed since their actions. For these guys, it would mean even more to savour and reflect.

 

[FireLance]

Generic fetch quests (go [place], get [thing]) and send quests (take [thing] to [person]) are quite good for 0-level characters since you can tune the amount of danger way down.

Did you intend for the PCs to fight any monsters? If so, what abilities would they have at 0-level?

 

[SiderisAnon]

Create a supernatural sort of problem that the two PCs try to solve because they get dragged into, but then it turns out not to be a supernatural problem after all.

For instance:

Scenerio: A ghost is haunting to road and destroying wagons.
Truth: It's a group of bandits with a glowing solution made from cave moss. They rob the abandoned wagons after scaring off people.

Scenerio: Something horrible happened up at the local mine after a recent ground quake. People are dying. Now, there's a horrible monster living in there.
Truth: A small earthquake opened up a fisure. The gases released caused halucinations in the miners, so all of their stories are different. The only thing real at the mine is a glowing crystal revealed by the opening of the fissure. (There could still be remannts of the halucination material in moss or something to make things interesting.)

Scenario: Some sort of fire breathing creature has moved into a local woods. People are terrified.
Truth: It's two kobolds or goblins with some lamp oil and a wooden frame covered in animal hides. The footprints are made with wooden "feet" on poles. The critters are actually after something they thing is in the woods, or perhaps are just enjoying terroizing the locals.

(In my game, I combined the above two at slightly higher level. A group of goblins were after an item found at the back of a mine. They scared the miners off, then used a fake creature mounted on a mine cart. The party bought into this so well that they never actually entered the cave before the goblins were done; they just kept trying to draw the beast out.)

Scenario: Chickens keep disappearing. Something is leaving horrible tracks. It's a monster.
Truth: Just a modification of the scenerio with a couple of goblins, some fake track makers, and scaring people into not following them into the woods.


Good luck.

 

[JesterPoet]

These are all fantastic ideas! I really appreciate the suggestions! I'm probably going to use most of them.

Sideris - would you suggest that the scenarios be run mostly with skill checks? I'm guessing they could handle a few goblins (they have a couple of powers at level 0), so maybe that would be best for the ones like the mischevious goblins and kobolds? Just curious what you were thinking.

Again, thanks for the suggestions, folks. They're going to be really helpful!

 

[Rechan]

These are all fantastic ideas! I really appreciate the suggestions! I'm probably going to use most of them.

Sideris - would you suggest that the scenarios be run mostly with skill checks?

I would, personally. Goblins or kobolds usually believe in "strength in numbers". I have the feeling they'd rather run than fight, halflings or no. (Eat a halfling kid, bring the whole town on your head!)

Other options would be not goblins or kobolds, but mischief-making fey. I once ran an encounter where a trio of pixies were pretending to be an angry river God, telling a "Prophet" to not let people pass over a bridge without making silly tributes.

 

[EP]

I would, personally. Goblins or kobolds usually believe in "strength in numbers". I have the feeling they'd rather run than fight, halflings or no. (Eat a halfling kid, bring the whole town on your head!)

If Scooby-Doo has taught us nothing, it's that you fight fire with fire. Have the PCs dress up a ghost themselves (for that scenario) and scare the goblins away. A nice skill challenge to pull this off, fight a few stragglers, and everyone has a good laugh at the end.