D&D 5E Dwarven Barbarian solo quest?

[Slit518]

In a game I am running, which originally started with Hoard of the Dragon Queen, evolved into it's own story (the player's got bored of HotDQ). I didn't dismiss anything the party did during HotDQ, I instead changed how it effects the new story.

Anyways, the players are on a Dwarven run island (country sized), that also has populations of elves, goblins, and things like that. Orcs are invading from the north. The cultists have a secret island off base, they operate like a corporate office and all have plain names, such as Bob, Dave, Kevin, Jerry, etc...

Anyway, the Dwarf of the group is debating on climbing a high mountain (the climb takes a few days) to reach a Dwarven kingdom. He wants to inform them of the plight below, orcs invading, cultists, etc... What he doesn't know, is that he will find the 3rd piece of the broken tablet, written in ancient dwarven, which gives him the remainder of the recipe to Throgren's (a god from Dwarven pantheon) Hammer.

Anyway, he is a level 7 Mountain Dwarf Totem of the Bear Barbarian. He has over 100 HP, his Str is 18, Dex is 13, and Con is 20.
He wields a giant maul one-handed that deals 2d10 damage. He also has a gauntlet called Throgren's Right Hand, which grants him a +2 to Armor Class, and a +2 Enchantment Bonus to any weapons wielded in that hand. He also has a shield in his off-hand (total Armor Class 20).

I don't mind him being this powerful, as I have allowed this. What I want to do is run a gauntlet of foes he must face so he can recover an object (book, spy glass, magnifying glass, magic dust, etc...) that will translate the ancient dwarven text for him.

I am debating on 5 levels, with each getting harder than the next. What are some good obstacles, foes, etc... he should face on his way to the item? What is the highest CR you think he should fight? He takes half damage while in rage from all sources other than Psychic and those that override resistance.

 

[TarionzCousin]

I don't mind him being this powerful, as I have allowed this. What I want to do is run a gauntlet of foes he must face so he can recover an object (book, spy glass, magnifying glass, magic dust, etc...) that will translate the ancient dwarven text for him.

I'm not a "crunch" guy, but I would suggest that the object should be rare ancient dwarven "black beer." Drinking a small keg of it enables the dwarf barbarian to get in the exact right frame of mind/beer goggles to translate the text.

 

[Slit518]

I'm not a "crunch" guy, but I would suggest that the object should be rare ancient dwarven "black beer." Drinking a small keg of it enables the dwarf barbarian to get in the exact right frame of mind/beer goggles to translate the text.

This is a novel idea. As the real life friend who plays him enjoys many different types of brews. He has tried somewhere around 900 various flavors (or so he says). He wants to start writing a blog about them.

 

[Godlycomplex]

Let's not forget, barbarians are illiterate.....so maybe also a means to learn to read to translate said artifact tablet...
Being a dwarf enthusiast myself I would love playing an adventure like this.

Remember all the dwarves traditionals... Goblinoids,giants, dungioneering,treasure hunting,TREASURE , DRINKING ,FIGHTING. If you really want too know a dwarf better read race of stone to start.

 

[GreenTengu]

Barbarian is an awfully strange class for a Mountain Dwarf to be. It would be perfectly normal and natural for a Hill Dwarf, it could well be considered their "favored class" for lack of a better term. But a Mountain Dwarf Barbarian is kind of like a High Elf Druid.... it almost suggests that we are talking about some sort of individual who kind of failed in their own society and got more or less exiled or something...

Anyway, I don't know that a magical artifact to translate another magical artifacts ancient language is such a good idea. Getting something translated is something that would feel more right if it involved seeking out a proper expert-- even an expert in an unlikely place.

You could perhaps make this individual who could translate it either need tasks they need completed in exchange for translating it... or, perhaps far better, save the whole "quest to collect macguffins" be about collecting the necessary items to create the hammer. One could quite easily imagine that the challenges would be thematically tied together.

For instance, one of the items could be the favorite trophy of a powerful Orc or Hobgoblin tribe that is part of the chieftain's weapon or throne or something.

Another could be incorporated as part of a trophy of a giant once in a decade tournament when many clans gather for a series of events to choose a champion with events including drinking, brawling, storytelling, etc.

Another part could have been buried with the body of an ancient Dwarven king and getting it will mean braving the crypt which, of course, is guarded by the animated dead of the king's crushed foes.

Maybe another part is relatively easy to obtain, but it is broken and to repair is requires seeking out the services of a mad smith who ran off deep into the underdark and now lives down there as a hermit guarded by powerful golems.. though just getting to him means braving through various dangers before one can even see if they can get past the golems without being attacked and convince the broken psyched smith to be of help.

 

[Slit518]

Let's not forget, barbarians are illiterate.....so maybe also a means to learn to read to translate said artifact tablet...
Being a dwarf enthusiast myself I would love playing an adventure like this.

Remember all the dwarves traditionals... Goblinoids,giants, dungioneering,treasure hunting,TREASURE , DRINKING ,FIGHTING. If you really want too know a dwarf better read race of stone to start.

Illiteracy isn't a thing Barbarians have to worry about anymore in 5th edition.

 

[Unwise]

I would define 5 virtues of the god in question, make them appropriately dwarfy. Then put him to the challenge. I would not tell him what the virtues are, but if he makes a religion roll he could work them out eventually.

For instance, off the top of my head:

Resolve (Iron Within, Iron Without) - A challenge in which he has to hold onto a warbanner and hold it high with pride, while being attacked relentlessly. If he leaves the area, drops the banner or something else he fails. The test might go on until he actually drops unconcious, at which stage he has a near death experience of seeing the ghosts of his anscestors take pride in him and help him hold the banner aloft one last time. The enemies flee realizing he is hopping up again and seems unkillable.
I would make the banner full of runes, he can use History or Religion to read them and remind himself of the great battles of the past and call on ancestors and the gods to aid him. Giving him healing and buffs against the impossible odds.

Honesty - One level of the complex has had a cave in and a wall has ripped open, as such, he can simply skip the trial that he is meant to undertake. This means he skips the big bad thing he is meant to face, but actually fails the test. You might put in a doppleganger or mirror image evil version or something for kicks if you want a fight here.

Wisdom - He comes across a room that looks like the gates to valhalla, outside of it are lots of spectres, mostly dwarves. He has to determine who is good and who is bad, upon opening the symbolic gates, all of them will run through, he has to take the time to work out who he is going to stop and who he will let through. Using knowledge of his culture, religion and history he should recognize a lot of them. Failing that, he can use his Insight to talk to them and get a feeling for them. If he is wise, he will realize he sucks at this, find an ancestor he can trust and ask their advice about the other ghosts.

Anyway, that is my take on it. I think a 5 encounter long combat will be a bit dull, but also play too much to the PCs strengths. I think you need to make him think and use skills he may not be great at. Its not like he is attempting to recover a Gruumsh item, he should not be able to just whack everything and win.

 

[Slit518]

I am getting a lot of good suggestions and insight here.

 

[Godlycomplex]

Ugh, am I the only one here who thinks they should have stopped at 3.5...

 

[Slit518]

Ugh, am I the only one here who thinks they should have stopped at 3.5...

3.5 was alright while I was playing it. But in retrospect, 5th is pretty good for what it is. It's simple, yet complex. It offers a lot without bogging one down, and returns a feeling of old. I also started playing when it was 2nd edition, so I miss a bit of the nostalgic, (semi) classic feeling.