Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Zappo" data-source="post: 528023" data-attributes="member: 633">Zappo vs. QuickbeamIngredients: Angry Halflings, Kazoos, Cavalry, Wishing Well, Hat of Disguise, Hydra--------------------------------------------------------The Ride of the HalflingsAn adventure for characters of level 6-8An orcish warlord has hired a large goblin/hobgoblin mercenary force and is using it to attack the peaceful Meyridia (or any suitable small to medium kingdom in your campaign). The local army, taken by surprise by the combined attacks of orcs and goblinoids, has already suffered a major defeat and the hope for victory is slim. The King of Meyridia has only one hope: the fabled Seven Kazoos of Cumbradol. These mystical artefacts, created millennia ago by a powerful halfling wizard, are reputed to hold the power to call forth, when played together, entire armies for their owner! Six of these Kazoos are already in the King's possession, having been a treasure of Meyridia's crown for centuries, but the seventh and most important has been lost two thousands years ago when the halfling wizard died, and was never recovered. A wandering bard, however, has recently approached the King's court, and he claims to know the location of the last Kazoo...Part OneThe PCs are summoned by the King of Meyridia. The town, the castle, and the court itself are all shrouded in gloom. It will be a matter of days before the humanoid armies knock on the capital's doors, and everyone knows it will be a hard and uncertain battle. At the King's presence, the PCs are introduced to Riker Seltman, wandering bard and expert of antiquities. The bard wears somber clothes and is a fairly serious guy. After the King has explained the land's situation, Riker tells the PCs about the Seven Kazoos. After extensive research, he has located the Seventh Kazoo, the one which controls the magic of the summoning. It is in a cave, in Meyridian border territory, and the PCs are being paid well to go there and recover it. Then, Riker and six other skilled players will use the Kazoos to summon an army to defeat the orcs and goblins.The travel to the border regions is uneventful. As they near the mountains which comprise Meyridia's northern border, however, the PCs are attacked with increasing frequency by advance bands of orcs and goblinoids. Eventually, they reach the place Riker marked on their maps: a dark and ancient cave, far from any known path.Part TwoA large subterranean complex awaits the PCs. It seems that it used to be a big halfling house - a very long time ago. Shards of pottery, some rusted tool, broken glass, and some still recognizable stone work on the walls. This was, in fact, the home of the wizard who created the Kazoos. Now, however, it is mostly an empty cave. The most important rooms are described; the DM can leave the rest empty or add more encounters. Some ideas include exploring orcs, trapped areas, or a few old and still-active golems.- One of the outer rooms is the lair of a pack of dire wolves. There are five of them (for higher level parties, the DM can use wolves with more HD).- As the PCs explore the house, they enter a square room, with a stone well in the middle of it. The well has some writing in Halfling, which simply says "Wishing Well". It is magical, and the wizard used it for his hosts and friends. When someone is going to embark in a task - a travel, a quest, whatever - he could toss a coin into the well, and say "I wish you well on your task". This would grant the target a +1 competence bonus on any skill check made to complete his task, until the task was completed or until the bonus had been used twenty times. The magic is still there and odd enough, now that the wizard is dead, the powers of the well can be activated by anyone, for anyone. The sentence itself need not be precise ("I hope everything goes the right way" would still work as long as the PC is talking about a definite task), and it can be in any language.- The room where the Kazoo itself is stored is occupied by a powerful nine-headed Hydra. The monster is so huge that it can barely slither in and out of the cave, and it is hungry. It will attack the PCs if they come close. If the PCs defeat it or escape its attention somehow (invisibility won't cut it, since the beast has Scent), they will find an old bag in a niche in the wall. It is a bag of holding, and it contains the Kazoo as well as a few potions and scrolls. It is a beautifully crafted instrument, built in wood, gold and silver, and it radiates a powerful magical aura.Part ThreeMeanwhile, something is going wrong at the capital city. An orc rogue has managed to infiltrate the court using a hat of disguise and has heard of the PCs' mission. Being too late to stop them, or even to inform his superiors, he waits for a good opportunity...When the PCs return to the capital city, possibly having to defeat some more humanoid explorers, they meet the King's army halfway. The ruler has decided that he doesn't stand a chance in a prolonged siege, and he is going to try to defeat the orcs on the open field, hoping for the Kazoo to be delivered in time. When he sees the PCs, he is overjoyed. He gives orders to a lieutenant to give the Kazoo to Riker and get him and the six kazoo players ready on a nearby hill.But instead, the orcish spy poses as Riker and obtains the Kazoo. He reaches the hill with the other players and begins a horrible kazoo performance. The puzzled rest of the orchestra try to play along, and the distorted notes fill the air and seem to coalesce in a huge dark mass of goblins riding wolves, which immediately attack the King's encampment! The orcish horde, seeing this, attacks just moments later. In the general chaos, the real Riker meets the PCs, and the trick is revealed. The PC must now climb the hill, while fighting skilled goblin warriors on wolfback, bring Riker with them, wrest the kazoo from the false bard and try to get the situation under control.When the orc is killed, the goblins around the hill vanish. Riker begins to play. Seeing the need for a quick cavalry unit, he chooses Wagner, and the other players (assuming noone killed them - otherwise, the PCs will have to do!) play along...After seconds, the air ripples around the hill and dozens, hundreds, thousands of blonde, armed and angry Halfling women, wearing chainmail bikinis and mounted on war ponies, ride on the battlefield. All of them have Barbarian levels, and they immediately activate Rage and charge the orcs and goblins. As the Ride of the Valkyries for kazoo plays in the background, the horde is taken by surprise by this ferocious attack combined with the King's own forces and is quickly forced to retreat. After the battle, Riker (short on breath by now) stops playing and the halfling Vaklyries vanish, riding away on sunbeams.Later, the King rewards the PCs (and the real Riker), and declares a national fest, effective immediately.</blockquote>

Verification