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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Camelot" data-source="post: 4914381" data-attributes="member: 82617">The basement is a necessary place for the Dragon’s Den Inn; jarred food and replacement bedding are stored here, as well as other commodities that are necessary for the inn’s business.  However, the basement also contains some vermin that need to be exterminated. Ren is not willing to admit it at first, but there is a rat infestation in his basement.  You can drop this hook to your players if you don’t mind being extremely stereotypical and predictable.  Ren might approach the PCs if he thinks they look like a tough bunch.  Alternatively, the PCs may have heard a rumor about the rats and inquired to Ren about it, upon which he shushed them, brought them into the broom closet (which has the trapdoor to the basement in it) and ask them how they found out, since he thought he had kept it a secret.  Ren really doesn’t want word of this getting out, because it could be bad business for the inn.  He wants the PCs to get rid of those rats, and will pay a good price in gold for it, in addition to a free meal or room. Here’s a map of the basement and a sample encounter if you choose to drop this hook. Combat Encounter Level 1 (500 XP) Setup3 dire rats (MM 219)8 giant rats (MM 219) The PCs descend into the basement to exterminate the rats.  The walls are shelved with jars of dried fruits and other foodstuffs.  In the center of the room are rows of crates and barrels containing supplies.  They hear scuttling of claws on the wooden floor.  The room is dimly lit from light coming in through cracks in the ceiling from the inn’s tavern above.  Before the PCs have even got all the way down the stairs, they are attacked by giant rats!       X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X      X. . . . . . . . .X      X. . . . . . . . .X      X. . .C. . .C. . .X      X. . .C. . .C. . .X      X. . .C. . .C. . .X      X. . .C. . .C. . .X      X. . .C. . .C. . .X      X. . .C. . .C. . .X      X. . . . . . . .S.X      X. . . . . . . .S.X      X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X Features of the Area          Illumination: Dim light.          Stairs (S): The stairs are difficult terrain, but there is not railing, so characters on the bottom step are subject to attacks from the rats.          Crates (C): The two rows of crates and barrels in the middle are stacked about 5 feet high.  They’re not even high enough to hurt yourself falling off them.  They provide cover, but they can be climbed with a DC 10 Athletics check.          Jars on the Walls: The PCs have to be careful not to break anything on the walls, or Ren won’t be happy with them.  If a PC uses a melee attack while adjacent to a wall and misses by 5 or more, uses a ranged at a target adjacent to a wall and misses by 5 or more, or uses a burst or blast that affects the wall, they break a few of the containers, spilling its contents onto the dirty wooden floor.  When he finds out, Ren will make the PCs pay the silver pieces that those jars and their contents cost, out of necessity to his business.  This detail can be ignored, but include it if you want to make your players more cautious to make the battle seem more precarious and exciting.          Treasure: Rats are scavengers, and enjoy picking up shiny things.  With a DC 15 Perception check (10 if they have a light source), the PCs might find a few coins or gems that the rats have collected on their nightly hunts. TacticsThe dire rats fight until they are bloodied, when they flee.  The giant rats fight until half of their number has been slain.  They are devoid of tactics besides go to the nearest enemy and continue attacking it until it is dead.  To get to the nearest enemy, they will take the path of least resistance, which could include climbing over the crates with their climb speed.  Also, they can easily reach PCs who think they can outsmart the rats by climbing onto the crates and attacking from there. AlterationsFor groups with less than 5 PCs, take out 4 giant rats or 1 dire rat for each PC below 5.  For groups with more than 5 PCs, add in 4 giant rats or 1 dire rat for each PC above 5. When the rats flee, they flee to the loose floorboards in the back corner of the basement.  This could be what gets the PCs to notice the loose boards, and discover the secret tunnels! Tomorrow, we’ll go deeper into the bowels of the earth under the Dragon’s Den.  I’ll describe the secret tunnels under the inn’s basement, including some story hooks, a few sample encounters, and possible monsters and terrain features to include if you want to design your own encounters, including a new monster!</blockquote>

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