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(Does this look like a fun adventure?) "Leg 1 detailed but..."

FreeTheSlaves

Adventurer
This adventure is pretty ambitious undertaking on my part because of its length & so I'd like some feedback. I’m thinking it will run for 4 to 5 * 4-hour sessions & be fully prepped beforehand, so I can’t waste my time with a “not fun” adventure.

****

The Characters:

All a little over level 3 with generally appropriate magic items. They are lesser landed nobility with some resources of coin & lands to draw upon

1) Teleor, NE, royal warden, rogue2/ranger1, best stats, has the additional duty of ensuring the internal security of the southern keep, will become an assassin.
Teleor plot advancement: He somehow learns that one of the envoys deaths is insured by the outlawed assassins’ guild; if the envoy has been killed & if he wants to connect with their organization then he might be able identify the assassin traveling westward to deliver their death attack upon whatever ambushed the envoy.

2) Lyla, N, courtesan & herald, bard3, lowest stats, lover of the Prince-heir & thus has exceptional influence in the court, like all foreigners she has to work for acceptance.
Lyla plot advancement: She needs to improve her lands > wealth > status, if she hopes to be able to marry Prince Eugene.

3) Valam, CN, perpetual squire (refuses to advance as a knight), ranger1/fighter2, low stats, wields an adamantine holy great flail with reach 10' (a legendary weapon).
Valam plot advancement: The bandits that struck him senseless & kidnapped his beloved aunt & mother figure from in his youth disappeared heading westward (with their answers) towards the elves.

4) Thadeus, NE, apprenticed mage, conjurer3, good stats, like all mages he has the status of a similarly experienced knight and has the patronage of a powerful magus, has a significantly higher income.
Thadeus plot advancement: His original mentor gave him the “tome of pseudonaturalism” before departing Bordovia for the coastal elven kingdom. This may be a good opportunity to quiz him on its properties without revealing to all that he is actually pursuing forbidden lore.

+

5) Followers & hirelings, all but Valam have a squire retainer while Lyla has a well skilled squire, a childhood sorceress friend (& her accompanying archer bodyguard). These are all levels 1 to 2.

Prologue 0) Adventure Back-story:

• The adventure begins 2 years after the previous adventure & the characters lands have settled a bit with the bandits largely being routed & stability reestablishing.
• (Characters age 2 years)
• Based on their land size (& other commerce in the case of Thadeus) they will receive an appropriate income for the passage of this time.
• (6 sp per day * (365*2) = 4380sp)
• The much larger southern kingdom is in the throes of civil war & a large number (2000) are made refugees & seek refuge in the pc’s small kingdom of Bordovia.
• (Peasant village size triples to 150 but no corresponding increase in income.)
• The senior resident lord of southern Bordovia is the Prince-heir & he is fully preoccupied with dealing with the refugees & reemerging banditry (+ rebellion).
• (Reinforcements or help is delayed on average 1 week.)

****

Leg 1) The Rebel Town: 1*session

• Plague breaks out, spreading through refugees to local population
• Delayed incubation then progressively worse
• PCs may catch plague
• (“The Plague” is contact infection DC12, incubation 1d6 days, damage 1d3 Con & 1d3 Wis. A victim must save twice to recover. The plague typically thrives where filth fever is rife. Victims can have an extended period of just feeling fatigued before it hits them properly; blotches, erupting sores, dementia, coma & possibly death.)
• Source as yet undetermined (refugee filth fever?), solving this will not solve the immediate crisis
• Clerics unable to match (re)infection rate
• (Southern clergy number 10 actual clerics & 10 adepts, only 5 can cure disease)
• (Note: house rule of curatives need to match disease & poison DC, 12 in this case)
• Enter the Demagogue, he is a charismatic & racist radical extremist, & he is popular but on the political fringe (not likely the source – too easy).
• Demagogue whips up crowded southern town to hoard the grain, bar the gates, hold the clergy hostage for only the town’s benefit, hold the council hostage to stave off the Prince’s wrath, & let the refugees rot from their own plague.
• (The Demagogue scored a diplomacy check of 42 at his first effort of rabble rousing & the following day he got a 41 to effectively have the desperately scared townsfolk in the palm of his hand. Only his bitterest foes were unmoved.)
• Prince-heir responds by crisis council at Mastiff Keep, & the pc’s are summoned along with every loyal Lord & Knight.
• Prince-heir reveals he has “already taken steps to solve the plague” but he needs to reassert the law over the town & especially liberate the clerics. “Time is of the essence, we must act even before our full strength can be mustered as every day of lawlessness breeds further calamity!”
• (I now present the pc’s with a birds eye view map of the town with main streets & alleys with several locations but primarily featuring the town square where the Demagogue likely will be; & the temple where the clerics “should be”.)
• The Prince-heir also mentions that within the Keep he has a town merchant who has escaped & can provide details.
• The merchant will freely tell anyone that within the merchant-league district there are fellow loyalists who will know of events within the town can offer refuge for the Prince’s spies.
• (A superior gather information check will provide more details that the merchant does not realize the significance of or has not pieced this together: DC15 = the hostage officials are likely in the administration district jail; DC20 = the clerics are likely in the poor district most of the time; DC25 = the Demagogue is shadowed by a fanatical Knight skilled in pole-arm techniques, who also acts as the current jailor.)
• The Prince-heir outlines his basic plan. He along with his senior Lords will lead the available troops, numbering only 40. “A riots charge,” he explains, “can be resisted evenly by 12 steady men while 24 can surely push it back.” (This is statistically true.) He will perform the primary attack with 24 men-at-arms & Knights, while 2 other groups of 6 will launch diversionary attacks under cover of smoke. There is the probability of using the darkness of night-time.
• The last group (the pc’s) can infiltrate independently while this goes on, preferably dispatching the Demagogue &/or freeing the clergy & officials.
• Additionally Lord Dumwick can lend his (7th level) transmutation magic to the Prince’s cause. There is also the magic of at least 1 (6th level) cleric & (6th level) wizard to be drawn upon.
• (I have a toned down version of a human riot “monster” of which I have placed 10 within the town, several “patrol” while one must be confronted at both the square & the temple. This is a Pac-man like “dungeon” where the pc’s can outwit the riots & use the alleys to their advantage.)
• The Demagogue is a CR6 challenge (with his bodyguard cohort) & they provide good magical treasure. He is always accompanied by a CR5 riot making this a very hard EL7.
• Getting the clerics to leave will require good social skills because they can barely keep up with the sick within the town. A skilled diplomacy DC20, a bluff DC22 (versus the Head Priest’s sense motive & taking ‘10’), or intimidate DC21 will convince the clerics to move as directed.

Success is measured by the ease of reestablishing order, defeating the demagogue & ensuring as many clerics & officials are alive & unharmed.



Leg 2) The Journey to the Elven Kingdom: 1 (+1 return?) session(s)

Prince-heir reveals he had authorized a secret mission to the Elven coastline kingdom to trade goods for curative wands & potions; they have helped in the distant past. The envoys have not returned. He wants to legitimately elevate Lyla’s position in the eyes of his court & to do so she needs to be awarded more lands & thus wealth & influence; so he wants her & her companions to undertake an important mission to follow up on this envoy. There are 3 methods of travel to the elven coastland kingdom; the mountain trail, the dragon way, or the jagged coastline. The pc’s can use their knowledge; gather information, bardic lore or other skills to find out more information about each pathway.

A dynamic ranger/rogue/assasin sub-plot. This figure might start his/her journey down the mountain path 1 day before the pcs & encounter the strong lairs; then return to Bordovia, travelling down to the fishermen village; gather information about the Dragon; find out about the magic item payment; identify that Valam's holy flail would pay the Dragon (he wields it openly & it is worth 22K in a small kingdom of 4000!); locate & try to steal the flail; [travel to the river delta; then seek to persuade the Dragon to annihilate the lairs in the northern maountain pass] _or_ [join forces with the pc's].

I present the pc’s with the overland map

Mountain trail is the only pathway through an otherwise impassable mountain range
It has historically been troubled by trolls
I have prepared an overlooking Troll lair that consists of an internal central chamber with 3D multi-levels
It averages CR5 with a couple of tough armoured leaders CR7 & CR6
There is a recent underground breakthrough by Orcs who have formed a temporary alliance with the Trolls & built a nearby lair
If the Orcs or Trolls sound the communal alarm, which they loathe to do, the other will come to their assistance
I have prepared a half subterranean lair with an aboveground palisade & tower
There are cunning secret tunnels to multi-connect areas for surprise attacks & withdrawal
It averages CR3 with a great variable between CR1/2 to CR6
Within the secret treasury there are the curative supplies
Nearby are the slightly damaged & abandoned wagons of the envoys

Dragon way requires persuading a fishing boat captain to take them to the western river delta
They then brave the swamp inland as they travel north
I prepare a random encounter chart for the swamp which will average CR5 if they stray off the northern track
They encounter a CR11 honourable Green Dragon & either attempt to stealth past, negotiate or fight
Stealth is difficult due to its senses & fighting is sheer folly
Negotiation requires presenting ones case & offering an appropriate tribute
The tribute is usually in the form of a magic item (one of the Demagogues?) while the worth of what is acceptable is determined by the skill of the negotiator
Failure results in turning back or braving the swamp without protection while going the long way around the Dragon’s core territory
Success means that the Dragon will lazily escort them northward & reveal a hidden pathway that skirts the mountain range, deathly mist & treacherous bogs

Jagged coastline is the sea traveling method to reach the elven coastland kingdom
A fishing boat captain will be persuaded only with great difficulty to undertake this voyage because their vessels have to hug the coastline due to the treacherous western sea
Traveling beyond the coastline will invoke a profession (sailor) check to survive the frequent storms in such a light rudimentary vessel
Failure will result in swim checks in smashing surf as the vessel sinks
Further west of the western river delta are the jagged rocks which require the captain to succeed at a profession (sailor) check, this check will be usually successful but with a dangerous result if failed
A couple of Harpies lair on the nearby rocks, CR4
Beyond the jagged rocks the coastline turns north until it is obscured by the deathly mist
I haven’t decided on the exact nature of the deathly mist but it originates from nearby inland lagoons & obscures a large swathe of swampland & coastal waters. I want it to be disorientating with north being hard to locate & some spirit-like creatures within; perhaps fiendish mist elementals (CR3?) or the archetypical ruined ghost fleet (CR3?)



Leg 3) The Spectral Citadel: 2*sessions

Pc’s arrive at the Elven coastal kingdom to find it is little more than a fortified town with just the base of a castle overlooking it. There is a well developed harbour with no ships in sight, forests beyond farmland on 3 sides & ice capped mountains overlooking this all.

The citadel can go ethereal by an elf blood’s command; it is a gigantic magic item
Orcs rule the town in roving bands
A small group of Barghests command the Orcs,
The Barghests are searching for a way into the spectral citadel & are aware of an elven scout
An elven scout will come upon the pc’s

If they prove friendly or capture him he will reveal that he knows of a way to get within the spectral citadel where his lord & non-combatant people are. Also many elven warriors are out seafaring so his people will wait for relief but he wonders how the Orcs penetrated the mountain ranges. If friendly towards him he can provide a secure cave with some supplies & help watch over their rest. A simple monument to the long dead bandits, killed by elven wardens nearly 3 years ago. The elven scout can explain that the elves have respect for life which extends even to brigands; & that one fled northward into the mountain ranges that separate them from the Orcs & barbaric humans.

The scout will not travel with the pc’s because he suspects the Orc leaders know his scent as he had difficulty escaping their tracking. If he is forced to show the secret entrance the Barghests will locate it too within 24hrs, otherwise within 3 days.
At this point I have the scout present the pc’s with the secret entrance into the base of the castle which will lead to a secret entrance to the spectral citadel. It is a 2 level dungeon designed to keep non-elves out. There will be some powerful guardian that has escaped & has made the dungeon more dynamic & unpredictable; & there are the Barghests that will enter after the pc’s to further the dynamic feel. It will be non-linear set up with one level an average CR3 & the other CR4. Also I will throw in a special chamber whereby the pc’s can earn a +1 inherent bonus to any one ability score.

Success will be determined by meeting the elven lord. This can be achieved by penetrating the dungeon, or killing a majority of the Orcs + Barghests, or waiting a month for the Elven warriors to return. Sadly the elven lord will reveal that the Bordovian envoys were received & dispatched with an initial curative supply before the Orcs suddenly appeared. He suggests tracking their caravan along the mountain trail which takes us back to the Orc & Troll encampments. He may gift well presented pc’s with some arrows of Troll slaying. Thadeus's mentor is on the elven fleet.



Epilogue:

Curative supplies are recovered or not
Clerics are numerous enough to use such curative supplies or not
The pc’s are able to be rewarded with greater lands or not
We discuss loose threads, logical repercussions, & brainstorm possible adventure plots for the next adventure in the “Rise of Lords” campaign.
 
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it is a quiet day on the boards as many are away at GenCon.
But I like the idea. It seems well thought out. and likely it can be pulled off without having to Railroad the PCs into any set idea.
 

I have been given a lot of freedom to railroad, so long as it furthers the characters expansion of their lands & influence; I myself just like non-linear adventures & so the there is room for roundabout maneauvering.

The elven lord pulling the surprise to in effect make penetration into the spectral citadel redundent can only be planned at a lower level before the introduction of decent divinations. If the party was higher level (7+) I would rework it to even require them to find out what they don't need to do, & the then redundent places can be less accomodating & more lethal. To compensate for this needless part I introduced the inherent bonus & arrows of slaying to make it worthwhile; also ther could be an option to recruit some elven defenders to assist in the Orc/Troll battle but this will require decent social skills.

As I statted up the Barghests I noted that they can enter the ethereal via their blink ability. This does not necessarily change their plot because they need to find a way to get the Orcs in as well; they themselves would likely be detected (guard dogs scent) attempting to infiltrate. The castle base is too thick to be blinked into without being forcefully shunted outside again & the secret entrance is hidden at a distance.
 

FreeTheSlaves said:
The Characters:

These characters look very cool.

FreeTheSlaves said:
Leg 1) The Rebel Town: 1*session

The adventure looks good, but I think that it's missing something. The way to achieve the goal is obvious from the beginning. Would it be possible to put something else near the end? The PCs discover that these townspeople are rioting because of the influence of some other, as yet unknown source. Probably magical. (Maybe using something like the Enthrall spell.) This way the adventure kind of "breaks out" and what the PCs thought they were going to do becomes something different.

Ugh... I'm not describing it too well. Basically, it's: We thought we were going to do A (kill the rioters), but instead we had to do B (kill or unmask the real threat).

FreeTheSlaves said:
Leg 2) The Journey to the Elven Kingdom

Looks good. I'd try to get the PCs motivated into the adventure and tie some kind of thread through it all. You know, recurring NPCs or their organizations. PCs going on some kind of quest to get something they want, not just to get paid by the prince, that kind of thing.


To answer your title question: yeah, they look like good fun.
 

LostSoul said:
These characters look very cool.
Yeah the guys like them, even Phil has gotten over it from when he rolled rotten scores for Lyla with the classic 4d6dl.

LostSoul said:
The adventure looks good, but I think that it's missing something.
Yeah, maybe I'll make the pc's work for their information about the cause of the riots; also the logical location of the clerics & Demagogue can be moved a bit. The Demagogue packs a mighty +22 diplomacy at level 6; given the poor & weak kingdom environment where there is only a solitary level 10 character, this is pretty powerful. I looked at enthrall but it does not do what I want it to, so I opted to make him pack serious diplomatic power in a desperate social environment.

This session will be 1/2 chewed up with roleplaying interactions at the court & it can start a little easy; the CR6 Demagogue, the CR5 riot & his full-plated, reach-weapon-tripper cohort, will smash the pc's if they don't treat them with respect.

LostSoul said:
I'd try to get the PCs motivated into the adventure and tie some kind of thread through it all.
Yeah, I left that out in the draft as a bit of an oversight because there are already existing plots to build on:

Teleor plot advancement: He somehow learns that one of the envoys deaths is insured by the outlawed assassins’ guild; if the envoy has been killed & if he wants to connect with their organization then he might be able identify the assassin traveling westward to deliver their death attack upon whatever ambushed the envoy.

Lyla plot advancement: She needs to improve her lands > wealth > status, if she hopes to be able to marry Prince Eugene.

Valam plot advancement: The bandits that struck him senseless & kidnapped his beloved aunt & mother figure from in his youth disappeared heading westward (with their answers) towards the elves.

Thadeus plot advancement: His original mentor gave him the “tome of pseudonaturalism” before departing Bordovia for the coastal elven kingdom. This may be a good opportunity to quiz him on its properties without revealing to all that he is actually pursuing forbidden lore.

****

Related insertions:

A dynamic ranger/rogue/assasin sub-plot. This figure might start his/her journey down the mountain path 1 day before the pcs & encounter the strong lairs; then return to Bordovia, travelling down to the fishermen village; gather information about the Dragon; find out about the magic item payment; identify that Valam's holy flail would pay the Dragon (he wields it openly & it is worth 22K in a small kingdom of 4000!); locate & try to steal the flail; [travel to the river delta; then seek to persuade the Dragon to annihilate the lairs in the northern maountain pass] _or_ [join forces with the pc's].

A simple monument to the long dead bandits, killed by elven wardens nearly 3 years ago. The elven scout can explain that the elves have respect for life which extends even to brigands; & that one fled northward into the mountain ranges that separate them from the Orcs & barbaric humans.

Thadeus's mentor is on the elven fleet.

****

[Edit: I will edit my original post with these ideas]
 

Me? I likey. In fact, consider large chunks of this as "yoinked" for future material.... :)

I like the backup/alternative if-thens you built into it; makes it easier for a newer DM to run.
 

Heh, there isn't too much originality in much of the componant pieces to be "yoinked" but blaze away. I warn you though, I've got about 8 pages of individual npcs, 3 overland maps, 3 mini (<10 room) 'dungeons', 1 2*level (30 room) dungeon yet to be started, & 1 carefully built encounter table yet to be completed; there is a lot of work beyond this plot thread. But I'm sure you realize that. ;)

The or/ifs is a necessary reminder to myself to keep my willingness for alternate solutions open; I have an annoying habit of piling assumption on assumption during play, so the note to me the dm just diffuses this.

Thanks all for the feedback, I think I'll have it good to go next weekend & I think it'll be a cracker. :D
 

... I want to pre-determine the xp & award it for social encounters too.

Plague is CR1/75xp
Gather info check 20-24 is CR1/75xp, 25+ is CR2/150xp
Plausible plan of action within town is accepted by prince, is CR1/75xp
Demagogue is CR6/675xp
Bypassing/defeating any riot is CR5/450xp (I don't think I want to reward this more than twice, maybe only once)
Freeing the officials is CR3/275xp
Freeing the clergy is CR4/337xp
Freeing the town (really just a story award) is CR5/450xp

Total each = 2487xp (only one riot awarded)

I do not want the PC's to gain near to 3000xp because I want them to still be under level 4. Do those CRs look right do you think?
 

Into the Woods

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