Any 0-level adventure ideas?

[MortalPlague]

As a less-than-serious adventure, I once ran the "Wild Goose Chase"... an annual goose hunt in the local woods, with a purse of gold going to the hunting group who brings in the most geese. There is, of course, a grand feast following the hunt, and a celebration. This sort of fare would easily work as a climactic 'festival' for the 0th level game, bringing things to a natural close where you can gloss over a few years to get to 1st level.

The other benefit of the festival is that it would draw all sorts of strangers to town, giving your PCs an excuse to have picked up skills and abilities they may not otherwise have access too. You can also create enduring NPCs who would have a good reason not to be in town when it was razed.

 

[roguerouge]

As a less-than-serious adventure, I once ran the "Wild Goose Chase"... an annual goose hunt in the local woods, with a purse of gold going to the hunting group who brings in the most geese. There is, of course, a grand feast following the hunt, and a celebration. This sort of fare would easily work as a climactic 'festival' for the 0th level game, bringing things to a natural close where you can gloss over a few years to get to 1st level.

The other benefit of the festival is that it would draw all sorts of strangers to town, giving your PCs an excuse to have picked up skills and abilities they may not otherwise have access too. You can also create enduring NPCs who would have a good reason not to be in town when it was razed.

I'm going to second this idea. It allows you to breathe life into the town as the PCs interact with them. Maybe one PC is trying to impress a girl at a pie-eating contest. (It is a halfling town, after all!) Maybe there's a prize for best float in the parade. Maybe one of their friends is in the band. Perhaps there's a rock-skipping pond or a cook-off like one of the challenges in Hell's Kitchen.

Build up halfling culture then threaten it.

 

[JesterPoet]

Just a quick update; the ideas were a hit! Thanks to everyone. This really started the adventure off in a memorable way!

 

[Rechan]

Could you tell us what you did?

 

[JesterPoet]

Sure. I basically started them out sparring with each other, and gave them both some experience for that combat. It went better than I thought. Then they had to find a hidden grove in the forest and bring back two glamour stones from the grove. That made for a good introduction to skill challenges, which we don't normally use. When they brought back the glamour stones, their mentor made them into necklaces which give them a +2 charisma bonus while in this particular town.

Next I had them uncover the mystery of the ghost who was robbing wagons coming into town at night. It was a local halflling troublemaker and his friend. They managed to uncover the troublemaker, but couldn't "bring him to justice" (they failed the skill check at the end), but in the middle of that skill check I ended up embedding another where they had to chase him down, and they were successful at that, so they got the xp for that one).

Lastly, they participated in "The Great Race" which decides what Halfling (over 15 years old) will be the "King" of the High Festival. My warlord won that, so he'll be the year's king at the festival in 6 months.

Altogether, they racked up about 250 xp, so they're well on their way to 1st level.

I think they're really getting attached to this little Halfling town, which will make it all that much more fun to burn to the ground.

 

[EP]

I think they're really getting attached to this little Halfling town, which will make it all that much more fun to burn to the ground.

Insert evil laugh here.