The Mining Office
The old mining office layout appears in Dragon Magazine's Wormfood in #333. There are also rules in there for your party to pay and fix up and improve the minig office to use as their base of operations if they are so inclined.
The Hook
I used the mining office below as a setting and started the characters in media res battling the stirges in the tree in front of the office. Much of the adventutre below is not my work but that of another poster on Paizo forums (named Chris I believe).
Obviously, in media res deals with any issues about how the PCs know one another or what they are doing. *Boom*, the module is underway.
The idea of the backstory behind the in media res start is that Garrison Commander Tolliver Trask has offered the PCs basic equipment (extra armor and weapons the garrison had lying about) if they would track and destroy a flock of stirges that had been killing cattle and had drained a poor sheppard boy to death in the Cairn Hills.
This explains why the PCs - who are all (or nearly all) from Diamond Lake and with little mony to speak of have arms and equipment. They have it because they agreed to track down a bunch of stirges for Trask to get it. The lot of the stirges near the mining office is the last of the flock.
There are goblins in the mining office too, having been caught and chased in there by the striges whilst the goblins were on the move in the hills. The goblins are penned in, running out of supplies and are in serious trouble. A peaceful solution presents itself if the PCs are crafty and the DM compliant. If not - swords and spells will do.
Trask has no coin to reward the PCs for the goblins but will provide with a deed to the mining office as a "bonus". The mining office is abandoned and the nearby claim expired. Trask's friend in the Registry Office can do the transfer for nothing.
Note: the sale value on a masterwork scimitar is substantial. You might not want to have this present.
The mining office is about 15 mins away from the Whispering Cairn.
After their news of success agaisnt the goblins is circulated through town (if the PCs sell anything to Ebberly, he'll blab about it to all and sundry; if not, assume the garrison leaks it to the populace), three teenaged boys approach the PCs on the sly. They dared their friend Davin to slep overnight in the Cairn two nights past and he hasn't returned.
Off the PCs go to rescue Davin. Davin is dead - a victim of the wolves in area 5. Take it from there...
The Ruined Mine Office
The Yard (CR 1)
There is a twisted, dead tree that hangs over the yard. Hanging around the tree are 3 Stirges who have caught the scent of the goblins inside the mine office and are waiting for them to come out after consuming one unlucky goblin. They have been roosting for two days now and are now ravenous. They attack anyone who comes into the yard.
Stirge: CR 1/2; Tiny Magical Beast ; HD 1d10 (Magical Beast) ; hp 5; Init +4; Spd 10, Fly, Average 40; AC:16 (Flatfooted:12 Touch:16); Atk -1 base melee, +7 base ranged; -1 (1d3-4, Touch); SA: Attach (Ex) , Blood Drain (Ex) ; SQ: Darkvision (Ex): 60 ft., Low-light Vision (Ex); AL N; SV Fort +2, Ref +6, Will +1; STR 3, DEX 19, CON 10, INT 1, WIS 12, CHA 6.
Skills: Hide +14, Listen +4, Spot +4.
Feats: Alertness.
Description: A stirge resembles a cross between a bat and a giant mosquito. It has membranous bat wings, a short furry body, eight jointed legs that end in sharp pincers, and a needlelike proboscis. Coloration ranges from rust-red to reddish-brown, with a dirty yellow underside. The proboscis is pink at the tip, fading to gray at its base. A stirge's body is about 1 foot long, with a wingspan of about 2 feet.
Combat: A stirge attacks by landing on a victim, finding a vulnerable spot, and plunging its proboscis into the flesh. This is a touch attack and can target only Small or larger creatures.
Special Attacks: Attach (Ex): If a stirge hits with a touch attack, it uses its eight pincers to latch onto the opponent's body. An attached stirge has an AC of 12.
Blood Drain (Ex): A stirge drains blood, dealing 1d4 points of temporary Constitution damage each round it remains attached. Once it has drained 4 points of Constitution, it detaches and flies off to digest the meal.
The Living Room (CR 1)
The Goblins inside should hear the commotion from the Stirges and the Shaman will order his goblins to withdraw out of the main room to surprise and flank the party if at all possible. The Shaman hides in the Library/Study preparing to use his sleep spell in the ambush. If the Goblins hear nothing, they will be spread through the main floor of the house in twos.
Goblin: CR 1/3; Small Humanoid (Goblinoid); HD 1d8+1 (Humanoid) ; hp 5; Init +2; Spd 30; AC:15 (Flatfooted:13 Touch:13); Atk +1 base melee, +3 base ranged; +1 (1d6, Spear); SQ: Darkvision (Ex): 60 ft., Subtype: Goblinoid; AL NE; SV Fort +3, Ref +2, Will -1; STR 10, DEX 14, CON 12, INT 10, WIS 9, CHA 6.
Skills: Climb +0.5, Hide +6, Jump +1, Listen +2, Move Silently +6, Ride +6, Spot +3, Survival +0.
Feats: Alertness, Simple Weapon Proficiency.
Possessions: Spear; Leather Armor.
Description: Goblins have flat faces, broad noses, pointed ears, wide mouths, and small, sharp fangs. Their foreheads slope back, and their eyes are usually dull and glazed, varying in color from red to yellow. They walk upright, but their arms hang down almost to their knees. Goblins' skin color ranges from yellow through any shade of orange to a deep red; usually all members of a single tribe are about the same color. They wear clothing of dark leather, tending toward drab, soiled-looking colors.
Languages: Goblins speak Goblin; those with Intelligence scores of 12 or above also speak Common.
Dining Room (CR 1)
This room contains the “guard dogs” for the small band, 2 starving, tortured Badgers who have taken to digging into the floorboards in frustration. They will attack anything that doesn’t feed them a scrap of food and even then, will only pause long enough to eat it.
Animal, Badger: CR 1/2; Small Animal ; HD 1d8+2 (Animal) ; hp 6; Init +3; Spd 30, Burrow 10; AC:15 (Flatfooted:12 Touch:14); Atk +0 base melee, +4 base ranged; +4/-1 (1d2-1, 2 Claw; 1d3-1, Bite); SA: Rage (Ex) ; SQ: Scent (Ex), Low-light Vision (Ex); AL N; SV Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +1; STR 8, DEX 17, CON 15, INT 2, WIS 12, CHA 6.
Skills: Escape Artist +7, Hide +7, Listen +3, Spot +3.
Feats: Track, Weapon Finesse.
Description: The badger is a furry animal with a squat, powerful body. Its strong forelimbs are armed with long claws for digging. An adult badger is 2 to 3 feet long and weighs 25 to 35 pounds.
Combat: Badgers attack with their sharp claws and teeth.
Rage (Ex): A badger that takes damage in combat flies into a berserk rage on its next turn, clawing and biting madly until either it or its opponent is dead. It gains +4 to Strength, +4 to Constitution, and -2 to Armor Class. The creature cannot end its rage voluntarily.
The Kitchen/Pantry
These areas are the same, except the Pantry contains the treasures of the small goblin band: 8 pints of oil, 5 tindertwigs, 1 Flask of Alchemist’s Fire, 50’ Silk rope, 18 Trail Rations, 625 sp, 60 gp, 1 rose quartz (50gp), 3 blue quartz (10gp each)
The Library Study (CR 2)
The Shaman, Ugloop, and his bodyguards are located here, and they fight to the death. After days and days of wandering and dodging the Garrison and other dangers of the cairn hills, these Goblins have been holed up in the minig office by the striges. They are desperate and will fight to the death. Any taken alive will know nothing of the area, but they will have heard strange moaning and whispering coming from the hills.
Goblin guards: as above
Ugloop, Male Goblin Ftr1/Wiz1: CR 2; Small Humanoid (Goblinoid); HD 1d10+1(Fighter) , 1d4+1(Wizard) ; hp 9; Init +2; Spd 30; AC:17 (Flatfooted:15 Touch:13); Atk +4 base melee, +4 base ranged; +4 (1d4+1, Scimitar); SQ: Darkvision (Ex): 60 ft., Subtype: Goblinoid; AL NE; SV Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +2; STR 12, DEX 14, CON 12, INT 11, WIS 9, CHA 6.
Skills: Appraise +1, Bluff -1, Handle Animal +2, Hide +4, Move Silently +4, Ride +6,Spot +4.
Feats: Armor Proficiency: heavy, Armor Proficiency: light, Armor Proficiency: medium, Dodge, Scribe Scroll, Shield Proficiency, Simple Weapon Proficiency,
Spells Prepared (Wiz 3/1): 0 - Acid Splash, Ghost Sound, Mage Hand; 1st - Sleep.
Possessions: Scimitar; Studded leather; Shield, light wooden. obsidian necklace valued at 200gp
3 potions of cure light wounds, 1 potion of resist energy (acid).
The Second Story
Is the same as the text, with the caved in roof. 5 more Stirges up here, roosting and waiting for the goblins to emerge.
The Basement (CR 2)
A DC 7 Listen check will notice that there are ominous squeaking sounds coming from below, made by a nest of 5 Dire Rats, hp 5 each, Monster Manual pg 64, who have laired in the ruins of the basement. Also a number of non-combatant baby dire rats blindly root about a nest on the south wall, with a couple of badly decomposed bodies. The nest also contains a box, nestled under the debris, requiring a DC 10 Search check. The box contains an Elixir of Swimming, a scroll of Burning Hands a scroll of Animate Rope, 340 sp, 82 gp, a masterwork, and an ivory bound ledger worth 125gp.
Dire Animal, Rat: CR 1/3; Small Animal ; HD 1d8+1 (Animal) ; hp 5; Init +3; Spd 40, Climb 20; AC:15 (Flatfooted:12 Touch:14); Atk +1 base melee, +4 base ranged; +4 (1d4, Bite); SA: Disease (Ex) ; SQ: Scent (Ex), Low-light Vision (Ex), , ; AL N; SV Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +3; STR 10, DEX 17, CON 12, INT 1, WIS 12, CHA 4.
Skills: Climb +8, Hide +8, Jump +4, Listen +4, Move Silently +4, Spot +4.
Feats: Alertness, Weapon Finesse.
Description: Dire animals are larger, tougher, meaner versions of normal animals. They tend to have a feral, prehistoric look. A dire rat can grow up to 3 feet long and weigh over 60 pounds. Combat: Dire rat packs attack fearlessly, biting and chewing with their sharp incisors.
Special Attacks: Disease (Ex): Filth fever - bite, Foritude save (DC 11), incubation period 1d3 days; damage 1d3 temporary Dexterity and 1d3 temporary Constitution. This save is Constitution based.
There is only a section in the backdrop diamond lake article about the origins of PC's and there is something about meeting at an old mine office, but it doesnt say why, or who asks the PCs to meet there. Please tell me I have just overlooked it! Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
? I'm talking of inexperienced players, btw.
