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ADVENTURE SYNOPSIS When I list a DC I will tell you it is Hard. But Hard for one
party may be easy for another so I leave the actual number
A local Wizard needs some items delivered value up to you. I also play with a “Success but with
as quickly as possible form Stolregard to Consequences” mentality so if they get close they still
Deleran’s Crossing. They cannot be accomplish their goal but there is a “but” to that success. An
magically transported and they are Example? Hard Stealth DC is 20, they roll an 18, I tell them
extremely fragile. They have been loaded “You sneak past the guard you see but the guard you didn’t
into a cart and the players must perform see heard something and is headed your way.” I think it adds
an escort. The items are perishable, and more to the story that way.
the reward will depend on how much of Search Checks When the players want to “search”
what is being transported survives the something or for something I let them use either
journey. They will be harassed on several Investigation or Perception. I know that isn’t RAW but it just
counts by various creatures and events, makes things so much easier. I got real tired of explaining to
including a detour to the Feywild to find players who have been playing with me for years the
a missing rabbit. difference between the two… just let them look for stuff!
Cutscene I like to start my games with an Opening Cutscene
Target Party and Level: 4 level 3 players which is read before anything else happens. These are
Expected Playtime Playtime: 2-3 Hours usually really vague bits of information that give a glimpse
Tone: Light Hearted-Silly into something that will maybe happen later, happened
Easter Flavoring: But they won’t know that till before the adventure, or is story adjacent to it. I have found
the end. And it is easily adjustable if it isn’t these to be great tools to set the mood and create a little
Easter Season mystery.
Monster Stats I also don’t bother to list off stats for
creatures from the Monster Manual or other official sources.
PLAYING AN A.O.G. ADVENTURE I assume you have the book… or the internet.
I thought it wise to give you some notes on how I write my Skill Challenges What is that? It is an event in the game that
adventures. Cuz I do some stuff non traditional like. isn’t quite an encounter and it isn’t a simple skill check. It is a
problem they solve with their whole skill set. Typically they
Setting Almost all my adventures are set in my Homebrew must get three successes before three failures in order to
World of Taalist. That said… Almost all of my Adventures can succeed in a skill check. The thing about a Skill challenge is
be easily ported into your location of choice. If you would like they’re are vague on purpose to allow players to be creative in
to play in Taalist my Campaign Guide (All 150+ Pages of it) solving a problem. An example may help here.
can be accessed on our Discord for Patreon Members.
Background and Hook portion can be used as you see fit.
Each one is a little different, so its hard for me to say when Leaky Boat Skill Challenge
best to use them. Some will play better if you can get them DM says “Your Boat is taking on water. What
would you like to do?”
into the hands of the players before the game. Others may Player 1 responds with “I use my carpentry
have better influence when read just after the Cutscene. But tools to fix the hole” and they make a Tool
as in all things you do what is best for your game! That is Check. But they roll a 2 so they fail. Too much
always the way to go. water.
Acts I divide my adventures into Acts. An Act doesn’t Player 2 says “ want to row harder with the
necessarily reflect an amount of time, but more of an crew to get us toward shore faster” They make
important series of events or locations. Some Acts may take 5 an Athletics Check and roll an 18. So that is a
minutes, some 5 hours. Why? I dunno, ask the players who success.
over complicate simple matters and simplify the overly Player 3 “I use Destroy Water to get water out”
OK, well it only destroys 10 gallons so it isn’t
complex. super helpful, but the momentary reprieve
DCs I don’t spend a lot of time defining DCs as I play with a allows a little drywork to happen and allow
bit wider scale of success and failures. What does that mean? player 1 to reroll.
So for reference the DC scale in 5E looks like this.... Stuff like this.
1
ORGANIZATIONAL INFORMATION You’ve heard a mage is going to arrive in the morning on a
boat and is looking to safely and quickly get a cartload of
This is a pretty straightforward setup. Take the job. Take the “time sensitive components” to Arch Mage Pieter Bonniet in
items to the delivery point. I have separated the adventure Deleran’s Crossing. The job is paying 100gp, with very hefty,
structure into six acts. Other than taking the job the only real hundreds of gold more type hefty, bonuses for speedy
big “must do” point is getting them into the Feywild. Which delivery. Apparently the components begin to decay over time
can easily be accomplished by simply having them woods so the faster the better. The pay seems awful high for a three
shuffle around pushing them toward the village without them day walk down a road, and easy coin is wonderful coin. And
even realizing. This can happen even if they are actively trying with that much coin easily gained… there are going to be a
not to let it happen because… Fey magic. Ta dah! LOT of applicants.
ACT 1: The Job Application IMPORTANT LOCATIONS
ACT 2: Log in the Road
ACT 3: Displacer’ed Goods I will give a little better description and provide maps if there
ACT 4: Feywild Detour are any of these locations in the Appendices.
ACT 5: The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing Durrand: The starting town, a small river port.
ACT 6: Race to the finish Deleran’s Crossing: Ending location, a large Capital Town
BACKGROUND and HOOK The Road: A three day stretch of forest highway
Sitting in a taverne one could overhear a tale. Like so many The Fey Village: They will end up within sight of the village
before it, this one starts with a memory … “It all happened to prevent to much mayhem
just about a year ago in Deleran’s Crossing.” The Blighted Canyon: Where the “Boss” is waiting.
It had been relatively quiet in the Barony. The Adventurer’s IMPORTANT NPCs
Guild has been active enough, I suppose. They had recently
dealt with a few minor convergences. One unleashed a I will give a little better description and provide necessary
swarm of, well meaning but dumber than average kobolds, on Stat Blocks of these NPCs in the Appendices. Local
Grey Oak. The other a wandering Stone Giant down near Ruffians: Ricky, Carl, Dom, Brit, and Jackie are a few of the
The Still Marsh, who just wanted to find someplace in the locals that alos badly want this job.
hills to sit down for a little rest over the next three four Ferlonious the Wizard: The Halfling that wants to hire
Hundred years. Nothing too out of the ordinary. some guards.
And then a Traveling Merchant went missing on the Baron’s Barney Cartman: He owns and drives the cart. He also has a
Highway. And then another. And another … big crossbow named Sugar.
In the past two months someone or something has managed Bob the Camel: An awakened Camel they may meet on the
to snatch up three merchants and leave behind no evidence. road or in the Fey Village. Bob is sort of a “cowardly Lion”
No witnesses, no signs of struggle, no clues at all. Even type of character.
scrying attempts have come up empty handed. There are Randy Imamoose: Randy is an awakened moose and a
dozens of tradesmen, farmers, and merchants that use this powerful Druid who runs the Fey Village.
highway on a weekly basis. No one had any idea what
happened to these three. Rabbit 386: Awakened Bunny. They’ll be tasked to find and
The Baroness increased patrols on the highway. But they free this little feller.
have turned up nothing. The Adventurer’s guild has sent two Arch Algren the Goblin: The Wizard awaiting the delivery of
teams into the woods. They found a goblin nest but no the materials.
evidence of the missing merchants or their goods. They also
found a patch of very angry awakened grass… otherwise
nothing.
The people have begun talking. A dangerous magical
convergence? Unlikely, the Arch mage would know if that
were the case. Bandits? Perhaps… but the Baroness cracks
down on banditry pretty hard, but it happens. What if it is
something worse, something unnatural? There were
whispers of a nameless fear lurking in the woods. Rumors of
shadows and specters haunting the highway. Talk of covens of
Hags and witches curses circulated. But no one really knew
the answer. And in light of the lack of answers, many
merchants took to hiring on guards and mercenaries to
protect them as they travel the roads of the normally quiet
Barony.
And this was where you entered the story. You’ve shown up
for a job interview. You need the cash and you’re willing to
work for it. So far no guarded travelers have gone missing. It
should have been relatively safe. It should have been easy.
2
Where is the Cargo? The boat will arrive the next
OPENING CUT-SCENE morning and then they need to be off as fast as possible
What is known about the disappearances? Mostly what
the pregame info said. They could ask around and find out
It lurks in the bushes waiting for an opportunity. the stuff listed in NPCs. Up to you.
Coming down the road is a wagon. Opportunity.
There is a knot in its stomach as it prepares to
NPC INTRO: Barney Cartman and his Wagon Shiela
throw itself out of the bushes. But if everything As they approach the docks they will see Barney unloading
goes according to plan dinner would be on the his wagon. He will be short with the players but friendly. It
table tonight. will be obvious he wants to get moving
3
ACT 03: Displacer’d Goods Now don’t forget to emphasize the odd normality
Our next stop along the road will bea wrecked cart of onions. and simple wonderment of the Feywild. Its like a
dream, but one drawn with crayons and colored
(Almost anytime my players run into a unimportant merchant pencils with a lot of nakedness and revelry and
on the road it is some guy selling onions) You can decide if talking things that shouldn’t talk. The Feywild and
this happens day one or the morning of day two on the trip. I the people there are all about living their best life.
usually make that call depending on how hurt they were from At least for them… and while a lot of the folk here
the fight with the locals. Their first suspicion will likely be are kind and gentle, there are plenty that celebrate
that this whatever this is, it is the cause of the having no rules that say you can’t hurt others to
“disappearances” but it isn’t. There are displacer beasts live what they see as their best life. The Feywild is
lurking nearby. They have just recently killed Onion Buddy the realm of merry satyrs and whimsical pixies and
and will leave with the body if they players don’t threaten it is also the realm of vile hags and angry fairies. It
them. However, if the players begin to seriously investigate is beautiful, and beauty can be very very misleading
the scene the beasts will attack, going for the horses first. and dangerous.
This is intended to be a hard encounter. If you think it may be
too much for your players, have one of the beasts make off
with the corpse. Remember, having the beasts focus first on
getting the horses gives the players a free round or two on EVENT6: Was that a Camel?
them.
They’ll catch a glimpse of Bob sneaking through the woods.
EVENT 5: The Wrecked Cart. Now, Bob is a coward. He came to the Prime to do this job
because things in the Feywild are headed downhill fast. But
They will spot the cart from some distance away and will this feller is gonna run and hide the moment people come
begin to make plans. They will almost certainly want to near him. Following Bob is the fastest way into the Feywild.
investigate.
SKILL CHECK: Varied Medium Checks POSSIBLE SKILL CHALLENGE: Follow that thing?
Unless they take some well thought out precautions, any The DC level for this challenge should be Very Hard. Why?
actions like these will trigger the attack. because we want them to get lost chasing him. That moves
Survival will tell them that there is a large cat of some them into the Feywild. Now it is entirely possible that they
kind nearby. won't bite on this hook, and that is ok, if they don't just move
Medicine will tell them that the kill is very fresh, less than on. They can meet Bobin the village later.
10 minutes EVENT 7: We’re not in Kansas
Search will allow them to spot the beast. And eliminate
the Displacers getting Surprise. anymore Barney
Whether or not they followed Bob, the world around them is
SKILL CHALLENGE: Runaway Cartman changing. The light is somehow brighter. The smells are
Bad news friends… the horses were spooked and took off. livelier. The birdsong is... songier? (Just go with it.) Whether
And the displacer beasts are giving chase. Good news DM! on the road or in the woods they have slipped into the
This makes for a really fun fast paced runaway wagon and Feywild. If they are on foot and left Barney behind they will
combat event! worry, but oh well, Barney will have to make do for now.
ENCOUNTER: Displacer Beasts Either way they find that their path has changed. Have them
walk down this path for a while, and let them know for sure
by now if you haven’t already that they are in the Fey. If they
ACT 04: Feywild Detour try to leave the path, they simply find it again. Direction here
This will likely be the longest Act in the Adventure. doesn’t work like they are used to.
Sometime in the afternoon on day two they players are going SKILL CHECK: Determine where you are
to discover where the missing merchants really got off to. A There is a good chance they'll want to roll to figure out what
small village of Animal Folk in the Feywild is in trouble. They is happening to them. There are several skills that they could
have been sending out crab grass to try and get people to use to do so, but I think at this point making the DC Hard is
come help, but the grass isn’t very good at getting help… the way to go.
Recently they changed tactics and sent out Bob the Camel.
“I just don’t know where I stand with grass. Plus, its so POSSIBLE RANDOM ENCOUNTER?: This would be
quiet…” (Google "SNL Googly Eyes Gardener" if you didn't a wonderful place for some sort of random
get the reference, it is 100% worth your time) encounter. Remember everyone in the Fey wants
DM NOTE: My guess is most of these adventurers have something in return for something. A few ideas
not ever seen a Camel, so I try and let them figure out would be... a Satyr Bard who wants them to listen
what it is. And in doing so I’ve actually found it quite to his song. A Nymph calling them to her pool. A
difficult to describe a Camel-Folk individual without Hag disguised as an old granny selling candy. Ahhh
blatently saying "It is a Camel". Experiment!* the Fey… my second favorite playground. I think I
love it because it reminds me so much of my first
love… Gothic Horror.
4
EVENT 8: The Village MAPS: Randy's Village and the Blighted Canyon
Eventually they will come into a clearing. A stream winds its
way around a tree that grows in the center of the clearing.
Around the edges are several small houses and one large
pavilion like building. There are animals dressed like people
hovering at the edges of the clearing. Lots of small critters
like squirrels, racoons, foxes and rabbits. A few bigger ones.
A bear. Bob. And coming out of the Pavillion will be a large
and terrifying looking Moose Man! The Moose will beckon
the players to come over to him.
NPC INTRO: Randy Imamoose
“Hey, nice to meet you. My name is Randy... Imamoose. Why
don't you come on in for a chat?”
QUEST: Find Rabbit 386
Inside the Hut are the three missing merchants. Randy will
explain to the players that Rabbit 386 has gone missing and
right about that time some sort of ultimate evil started
creeping through the forest to the south of here in a place
called the Blighted Canyon. Randy needs them to go stop the
evil and find 386. Rabbits are notorious for two things…
rabbits and getting into trouble. He can’t leave the grove
because of an "Obligation" to a Fey Lord who says he can’t.
He will send them home if they succeed, but can’t to that until
they find 386 who has his Prime Material Tuning Fork.
(Actual Component needed to cast plane shift) The
merchants aren’t willing to go look for the evil, so that leaves
them. He will also suggest that they rest up... cuz well...
ultimate evil. Time doesn't work the same here as it does on Now if you’re old like me… you may actually
the Prime, so they probably have some. remember this monster. There are some references
to it online and in Pathfinder but it is really
obscure. Anyway, it was literally called a Wolf In
The Blighted Canyon was once known for its Sheep’s Clothing, which is odd because it is
beautiful flowers and fine outdoor dining neither wolfish nor sheepish, nor does it have to
experiences but a really bad yelp review tanked it do with cultists as a Biblical interpretation could
and the joint has really gone downhill. imply. I suppose if you take the idea of danger
lurking in something that does not look dangerous
well sure… bus sheese. It was one of those super
weird monsters created in the early 1980s.
REWARD: Just a little Help Showed up first in a Gary Gygax Module and then
in AD&D’s MM2. Anyway, in a lot of ways it
Randy will give them each a Healing Potion (@d4+2) and a functions like a Mimic, only this particular creature
stack of Good Berries when they go to set out to fight the evil. looks like a stump, and on that stump is some poor
animal it has captured, usually dead, but it looks
ACT 05: Wolf in Sheep’s alive. The animal lures creatures toward it and then
whammo! The WISC whaps them with its tentacles
Clothing and eats them. This one is sitting in the center of a
We're in the endgame now... rotting bog and has Rabbit 386 hostage. And it
won’t give it up without a fight. There is a 5E
LOCATION: The Blighted Canyon Fanwiki page for this thing, but it is a little weak for
what we need here so I have provided stats.
Finding into the canyon will not be hard, almost like it is just
south of the grove…
POSSIBLE RANDOM ENCOUNTER: Another great spot
for Fey shenanigans ENCOUNTER: The WISC
Anyway the Blighted Canyon will be choked with fog and the This thing is both clever and mean. It will attempt to lure a
air here is mildly toxic. Very Easy Con Save or become character towards it the moment they enter its area.
Poisoned until clean air can be breathed. A wind gust or Tactically it doesn't really recognize different class threats. So
something similar can allow a repeat save once or maybe it has no idea that some creatures cast spells and others
twice. Anything that cures Poison will help. The area rotting don't. It does react to being hurt though. It will bring the
and is a spreading decay from the source of ultimate evil players it grapples to its mouth to get a bite in, but it will also
which is… throw people away if it already has someone already near its
A Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing! DUN DUN DAAAHHhhhh.... mouth.
5
EVENT 9: You saved 386!
Blighted Wolf in After killing the WISC, 386 will be free, and the Area will
begin returning to normal... well normal for the Feywild. She
Sheep’s Clothing will be in a bit of a funk, but will tell the players there is some
Large Abberation loot she saw the creaturetake. (I would award a Magic Item
appropriate to the party here.)
Armor Class 14 As promised when they return to the village Randy will send
Hit Points 125 them home. Now they may be worried about time. Well time
Speed 10ft. here works a little differently than it does on the Prime.
Although I always present this concept to them mysteriously.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
So you can really place them whenever you want. But I
usually give them just enough time to make it if they hurry.
17 (+3) 10 (0) 17 (+3) 8 (-1) 14 (+2) 14 (+2)
6
APPENDICES
LOCATIONS Barney Cartman
Barney is a fairly typical human commoner. He is a former
Durrand Crossbowman from the army so he has a little more beef
Unlike most of the cities in the Stolregard Barony, Durrand than your average commoner. He is also skilled with his
This is growing. When the port city to the west was destroyed Heavy Crossbow “Sugar”. For playing purposes, Barney will
decades ago most of the shipping industry moved up river to not get off the cart unless absolutely necessary. He will
here. What was once a sleepy little farming village that however provide crossbow support when fights break out. He
supplied the local brewers and vintners suddenly had a lot may even shoot first and ask questions later if he feels
more to offer. There is fair sized dock area and a decent threatened.
market.
Branover Shiela The Wagon
This large town is halfway between Durrand and Delerans Barney’s favorite Wagon. Don’t call her a cart. It is targetable
Crossing. It has a agricultural backbone, but had grown into a and will likely be attacked by the Displacer Beasts. So she
proper city some time ago. Unfortunately, it never recovered has stats.
from certain world calamities and about half of the buildings
remain vacant. Still, it offers a lot of things travelers look for. Bob The Camel
Supplies, lodging, and drinks are at the top of the list. Bob is a Camel Folk. He is a little one dimensional in the fact
that he is constantly afraid. But kind of in the Cowardly Lion
Deleran’s Crossing sense. He will make brave choices if he needs to but those
Once the Pride of Civilization Deleran’s Crossing has fallen are usually in response to him not having any other options. I
on harder times. When most routes of travel to and from The often picture him in a Fez and a jean jacket. Kind of in the
Barony were cut off the lavish lifestyle that was field by trade vein of Joe Camel.
and tourism dried up. It is still an interesting city though.
Built upon island plateaus at a fork in the Cold Rock River it Randy Imamoose
is both defensible and unique. Castle Skystone sits on the Randy is one of my favorite character. I’ve used him as an
Northeast and tallest rise in the area and overlooks the city. NPC for years and played him in a Tomb of Anniliation
The Graywood Highway: This is the main thoroughfare campaign after my Bard died. I accent and personality cast
across The Barony and cuts through the middle of the Randy like Rick Moranis from Ghostbusters. You know Vinz
Graywood. It is heavily traveled and problems are rare. Clortho, Keymaster of Gozer? If you don’t I’m now sad… go
The Fey Village: watch Ghostbusters! Randy is level 15 Shepherd Druid and
Some time ago a group of displaced Animal Folk founded a this is his grove. He is super chill and will take the players
village in the Druid Grove of Randy Imamoose. It isn’t large inside his hut. He is often really vague, but not because he
and has little to offer than fun Fey interactions and a safe wants to be, but because well… chill druids aren’t always real
place to rest. swift. He is also really hard to get angry. This one time
The Blighted Canyon Acerak was trying to wake this dead baby God and it actually
This was at one point in time a really wonderful box canyon. made Randy get up and walk around.
It was covered with wildflowers and attracted a lot of the
gentler Fey. One ambitious Satyr opened an outdoor eatery Rabbit 386
here. Unfortunately certain travelers didn’t take well to their Oh the rabbits. There are a lot of these little fellers runnin
host not wearing pants… one bad yelp review later and the around. 386 is named so because she is, not surprisingly, the
canyon was cast in a new light. Recently an evil presence has 386th rabbit born in this village. She has an adventuring
made its home there. streak and is actually a second level rogue. Unfortunately she
got caught by the evil in the Blighted Canyon.
NPCS
Algren The Goblin
The Ruffians Algren is a hyper intelligent Neutral Good Goblin. He has a
Ricky, Carl, Dom, Brit, and Jackie. I use bandit stats. With a long and sad backstory in my world. Born differently, he was
mix of Archers and Melee. Maybe use a few thugs if you got a outcast and hunted by his kind. He was later rescued by
beefy party. These folks are very stereotypical. You got a Deleran Callington and his adventuring crew. He continued
lunkhead, a weasel, an angry mouthy one, the silent staring traveling with them and became something of a legend. He is
individual, and the lunatic. You pick who is who. now the Arch mage of Deleran’s Crossing, only recently
Ferlonious returning to town after disappearing for a century following
Elderly Halfling Illusionist and also completely cracked with the death of his best friend Pieter Bonniet, the former Arch
a big personality. His behavior is odd and erratic, and he mage. He is now 543 years old, and has field the suspicion
often breaks the fourth wall and has a whole lot of metagame that Goblins have the lifespan of elves… only they’re too dumb
information. He will refer to the Mmonster Manual and DMG to not get themselves killed after like three years. ALgren is
and such. As kooky as he is, he is honest and really good at the exception to that rule.
finding and delivering things to people. Particularly long lost
things.Recently lost things… not so much.
7
Barney Cartman Shiela The Wagon
Human Commoner, Lawful Neutral Large Vehicle
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
12 (+1) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 10 (0) 12 (+1) 10 (0) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 10 (+0)