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ShortQuests -- individual adventure modules! An all-new collection of digest-sized D&D adventures designed to plug in to your game.

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Golden Bee" data-source="post: 9876882" data-attributes="member: 7041055">Higher and HireThere comes a time in every thrillseeker’s life when they must avail themselves of middle management.After Aloria Midas’s downfall, back in When I say “jump,” you say “I'll die!”, her assets were put on the shopping block. Ava Astor, eager to assert her autonomy, bought the Midas Security franchise in San Francisco, along with a Nob Hill mansion. The group (Xiao Yun, Raphael Lancaster, and reporter Trudy C Truman) braved a fierce thunderstorm to get there, and were greeted by the housekeeper, Mrs. Garza. To Ava’s chagrin, Garza referred to all the women as ‘Miss Velyapur’ and the men as ‘Mr. Astor’. Ava was eager to see the trio; they could help with the moving boxes. After lunch (roast beef, celebrated by a group who is not allowed to eat it in the real Miss Velyapur’s presence), it was time to get to work… Well, after listening to the truly putrid new record by Penny Ante’s musician sister, Gertrude. Fortunately, the power went off!The group split up, with Rafe discovering it was a blown fuse. Despite Ava’s protestations, the trio focused on the real purpose of their visit: hiring a new detective team. They had six prospects and three spots, looking to form a well-rounded group that could solve cases (and make money!) with minimal intervention.The group went around town interviewing potential hires. The talks were relatively sedate, except for the conversation with the office's former maintenance man, Wu Fen. Wu was listening to the Gray Gargoyle show at maximum volume to cover the loud argument in the next apartment over. Xiao, able to understand the Cantonese argument, excused herself, went to that apartment (via the window) and soon threw the yeller, a one-armed pimp, into the dumpster below. (The villain landed there, although his neck was caught on the wrong side of the metal container!)One potential employee rose above the rest: former radio ventriloquist, and current hobo, Mrs. Mustard (and her puppet Itcho). She skipped the line, being hired directly to the East Coast branch.[ATTACH]432105[/ATTACH][One of the players loved the concept so much he wrote up her stats during the break and demanded to play her the next time he could make a session.]The team hired the underappreciated Stanford parapsychologist Dr Kelcy Umbaro, chip-on-her-shoulder union organizer Rosalyn “Rosie” Baum, and exemplar of Ultima Thule, Pag-Mar. Although he was not particularly accustomed to the ways of “outer Earth”, he had a cheery disposition and the physique to kick sand on Charles Atlas!Pragmatic Xiao decided that the group’s team-building exercise would be organizing and helping unpack the new mansion headquarters. Rafe, trusting the ladies’ expertise, headed down the hill to the Mechanics’ Institute. Founded in 1854 (and still running in 2026), the Institute was and is the place to be for Frisco eggheads. Rafe met his pen pal, a young, overeager scientist named Philo T Farnsworth. Philo had taken the extremely new technology of television and created a portable picture radio, with the only problem being that the camera was 50 pounds and the screen was 60. Rafe helped him rebuild the camera to a more manageable 40, as well as creating a backpack form factor.Lancaster saw the use in the invention immediately: it was a way for him to supervise the new team remotely! (Well, from a distance of 170 broadcasting yards, for around two hours.)Trudy used her journalism expertise to find a case. Apparently Sarah Winchester, millionaire coot, had died, and her seance needed security! Rafe made sure to order the team matching jackets, then flew them down to San Jose.Sarah Winchester, haunted by the ghosts of those killed by Winchester rifles, spent the last years of her life building and rebuilding her house. The estate had multiple buildings, with chimneys that didn’t reach the roof, doorways to nowhere, and tiny, switchback staircases.Burly Pag-Mar was put on backpack duty as the medium and the heirs made their way to the seance. Dr. U observed that all the correct steps were met… But Sarah’s soul, instead of being at rest, pointed deeper into the house and howled! The new trio followed her as best they could, with the disadvantage that they couldn’t walk through walls.Xiao, Rafe and Trudy, meanwhile, tried to move too, pushing their receiving monitor on a heavy cart and offering advice.Trudy’s senses proved essential, because when a shadow passed in front of the camera, she realized it was a burglar. And not only that… She detected intruders on her side of the home as well!Xiao and Pag-Mar bested the burglars. It turns out the thieves have been living in the house, undetected, for a week, and took the lack of activity as proof it was being abandoned. Spectral Sarah was about to devour their souls, when Trudy unexpectedly greeted the ghost and calmly explained the situation! With Xiao’s help, they explained that the heirs wanted her spirit to be at rest, and both the professor and medium would be happy to help her on to the next life.It was a ridiculous end to a wild adventure. Back at the Nob Hill mansion, Rafe offered Mrs. Garza $100 to remember everyone’s names correctly. This ended the dullard-act real quick.Expect to see more of ZSS West. And the crime-fighting adventures of a hobo and her puppet.</blockquote>

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