Short solo encounter ideas for 1st level wanted

[Mark CMG]

Have the PCs decide where they all are in a city or town then have the first witness a crime, something stolen, and the victim shouts, "Fifty gold to the hero who catchs that thief and the same to anyone who helps him!" Then wind a way through the city making sure the thief runs past each location so that the party can meet in transit. Maybe have a couple of ther NPCs running along for some of the time losing their breath or legs at just the time when it would be convenient for them, before collapsing, to quickly explain the chase to a new PC. Make sure anyone who has a definite stopper, like a spell or net, is last on the trail you weave. It's a bit of a twist on The Three Muskateers rallying scene which might also be used under other circumstances.

 

[The_Gneech]

Try These On For Size...

* A merchant has acquired a peculiar trinket and asks the bard/cleric/wizard to identify it. Upon touching the object, the bard/cleric/wizard is pulled into a psychic duel by the ghost of a former owner.

* Barroom brawl! Good for barbarians, monks, and fighters; also feasible for rogues.

* The cleric or paladin is asked to exorcise a ghost or demonic influence from a small girl.

* The druid is tasked with finding and helping a poison-maddened wolf that is attacking villagers.

* The monk is invited to give an exhibition of martial prowess at a festival, only to be accosted by rowdies who think he's all flash and no fight.

* The paladin must rescue a pair of young boys who wandered into the haunted graveyard on a dare.

* The proprietor of a magic shop will pay an amulet of natural armor +1 in exchange for a rogue "acquiring" something from a rival's shop.

* The sorcerer is attacked by drunken villagers who accuse him of having "tainted blood".

* The wizard will be given access to a library's spellbook collection in exchange for solving the mystery of why the books seem to fling themselves off of the shelves at night.

-The Gneech

 

[NewJeffCT]

* A merchant has acquired a peculiar trinket and asks the bard/cleric/wizard to identify it. Upon touching the object, the bard/cleric/wizard is pulled into a psychic duel by the ghost of a former owner.

* Barroom brawl! Good for barbarians, monks, and fighters; also feasible for rogues.

* The cleric or paladin is asked to exorcise a ghost or demonic influence from a small girl.

* The druid is tasked with finding and helping a poison-maddened wolf that is attacking villagers.

* The monk is invited to give an exhibition of martial prowess at a festival, only to be accosted by rowdies who think he's all flash and no fight.

* The paladin must rescue a pair of young boys who wandered into the haunted graveyard on a dare.

* The proprietor of a magic shop will pay an amulet of natural armor +1 in exchange for a rogue "acquiring" something from a rival's shop.

* The sorcerer is attacked by drunken villagers who accuse him of having "tainted blood".

* The wizard will be given access to a library's spellbook collection in exchange for solving the mystery of why the books seem to fling themselves off of the shelves at night.

-The Gneech

Thanks - some pretty good ideas.

 

[Jesus_marley]

I remember one adventure involving an orc and a pie....... but that's it...

 

[NewJeffCT]

Have the PCs decide where they all are in a city or town then have the first witness a crime, something stolen, and the victim shouts, "Fifty gold to the hero who catchs that thief and the same to anyone who helps him!" Then wind a way through the city making sure the thief runs past each location so that the party can meet in transit. Maybe have a couple of ther NPCs running along for some of the time losing their breath or legs at just the time when it would be convenient for them, before collapsing, to quickly explain the chase to a new PC. Make sure anyone who has a definite stopper, like a spell or net, is last on the trail you weave. It's a bit of a twist on The Three Muskateers rallying scene which might also be used under other circumstances.

Interesting idea. Thanks. I would have responded yesterday, but I was looking at this thread around 5:30AM EST and was not at my most alert (ENWorld is blocked at my work, so it's either early AM or evenings)

Sounds a bit like what my old DM did as the idea I'm pirating from an old DM is that at the end of each encounter, the various PCs see a large red dragon flying overhead. Naturally, the PCs follow the dragon to see where it is going. The last encounter is the party wizard, who actually meets the dragon. After a brief chat, the dragon notices something about this wizard and flies off in a hurry - just as the rest of the PCs arrive.

 

[Wraith Form]

the dragon notices something about this wizard and flies off in a hurry

"....Was it something I ate? I coulda swore I bathed this morning..."

 

[cwhs01]

Maybe do it the other way round?
Give a brief campaign and world background description, then tell the pc's where they are now (after a gruelling combat at an inn, volcano, mountaintop, roadcrossing etc. or something else). Then let each pc give a short 2-5 minute explanation of how they came to be there. Give the players a week or so to come up with an explanation if they aren't comfortable with improvising or want to synchronize stories. This probably means no rolling of dice until after introductions.

I think it would work if you make it clear that they can't make to many changes to the setup that you gave them as a starting point. I also suspect that it'll generate a lot of cool possible plot twists and opportunities for sidequests.

 

[Mark CMG]

ENWorld is blocked at my work

Bastards!


(Unless it is a family business, of course. In which case, I take it back. )

 

[NewJeffCT]

Bastards!


(Unless it is a family business, of course. In which case, I take it back. )

No, it's not a family business - it's a Fortune 100 company. I think all the gaming sites I've tried are blocked... this one, wizards.com, kenzerco.com, etc.