Simple Adventure Ideas
In this chapter we present several ideas for adventures. We give only the basic skeleton of the story; you must work out the details according to your needs and ideas, and also according to where the characters are, their abilities and above all their behavior. If the players want to solve problems their own way (that is, differently than planned), you must improvise and adapt the story …
The Search for the Girl
Place: Village
Difficulty: For slightly advanced adventurers
After your arrival in the village of Lesany, a young man named Verin sought you out:
“Please, have you seen a young fair-haired girl in a green dress anywhere - her name is Tilana? You see, she is my wife and I have been looking for her for four days now.”
It is unlikely that the party has met her. If they claim they have, proceed at your own discretion. Otherwise Verin continues:
“I am afraid something terrible has happened to her. Everyone thinks she just got lost and will come back, but I ...” and he bursts into tears.
The party may offer him help on their own, or he will ask them for it himself:
“Nobody takes it seriously and I do not dare go into the forest alone. If you could help me, I will gladly pay you whatever you ask. Just help me find my Tilana.”
Notes for the GM
If the characters ask around the village, the prevailing opinion will be that she got lost, and someone will suggest that she might have been attacked by a forest monster. Most of the others will laugh at that.
In reality there is no monster in the area and Tilana did not get lost; she left for another man, named Darson. He and his gang hide in the forest from the royal soldiers. At night they ambush lone travelers or minor merchants so that they have something to live on.
Verin sets out into the forest with the party, but at night he gets scared and runs back to the village.
If the characters kill Darson, Tilana humbly returns; otherwise she stays with him and will not even hear of returning. Darson, of course, will not just let the characters leave.
Theft
Place: Village or hunters' settlement
Difficulty: For beginners
“Theft! Help! Robbery! Murder!” the frightened voice of the innkeeper Solek rang out over the whole village.
You hear the innkeeper standing on the village green, eagerly explaining something to the crowd around him and waving his arms. When you come closer, you hear him explaining that he has been robbed of his savings and his best wine. Moreover, he is joined by a fur trapper whose catch has supposedly disappeared from the storeroom at the inn.
There has been no theft here in the last ten years, so all the villagers are confused and indignant.
Notes for the GM
After asking around for a while, the characters can find out that one of the lone hunters visited the village and left early in the morning, but nobody saw him leave. He is tall, has dark hair and a beard, and a knife scar on his right cheek. His tracks (if they find them) lead to the nearest town (three days' journey away) and are five hours old. The hunter has his own horse, onto which he loaded the whole loot, and he rides a mule stolen from the village (nobody has noticed that yet).
The Robbed Merchant
Place: any town
Difficulty: for beginners
You are walking across the square. Suddenly a cry rings out from a nearby street: “Help! Thief! Robbery!”
People start running in that direction and your curiosity will not let you stay behind. About a hundred meters further on, the crowd has formed a circle around a cloth shop. You see two men: a short, rosy-cheeked fat man (apparently the merchant) and a guard who is questioning him:
“So once more, who robbed you, Jinar?”
“As I said, sir, it was a man, about as tall as you, his face covered with a black scarf - you have seen those people from the northerners' caravans - just like them. He came in, pulled out of a sack - he had it over his shoulder before, if I remember right - a small crossbow -”
“An arbalest”, the guard interrupted him.
“I suppose so, if you say so. I don't know much about weapons - I deal in cloth - where was I? Yes, he pointed the crossbow at me and said 'Hand over all your money, fatso, or I'll pin you to the wall with this.' He had a young voice, I reckon he was no more than twenty”.
“And then you gave him the money and he left?”
“What could I do? I ain't no warrior to fight with robbers. I gave him all my savings - fifty- two gold and three silver it was - A-a-and now I'm a beggar!” Then the merchant burst into tears.
The guard just watches indifferently and continues:
“I'm sorry, but for now we can't do anything. Maybe our robber will make a mistake next time and we'll get him. We'll let you know.”
“Next time?” the merchant came to his senses.
“Next time.” the guard concludes. “I know this rabble - they never stop.” Then he leaves, leaving the wretched merchant standing in the street. The crowd slowly loses interest and disperses. You are the only ones who stayed.
Notes for the GM
The robberies will continue; next up is the apothecary Malik, then the jeweler Zarlek.
The robber is the young lord of Tharbin, Alvek, son of Count Tharbin. Because he is bored, he seeks adventure in robberies. He is a good shot (archery 16) and a skilled swordsman (Rfx 10, Dex 6). If the characters catch up with him, he will defend himself fiercely or try to escape to avoid exposure (he will probably die in the clash).
For the killing of his son, Count Tharbin will want revenge on the party. He accuses them of murder in court, bribes some merchants to withdraw their charges against his son, and has others killed.
Since the judge is incompetent and has no interest in catching the party (he does not accept bribes), Tharbin sends his men disguised as vagabonds after the party. This continues until the party flees the town or is slain; alternatively, the adventurers may attack Tharbin himself in his residence (he has a fortified house with a courtyard right in the town).
The Lost Sheep
Place: Village near a forest
Difficulty: For beginners
You have heard that the landowner Oram is offering a reward to whoever finds the thief who is stealing his sheep.
When you reached his farmstead, you were welcomed by an unpleasant fellow named Wagunn, the landowner's steward. He talks to you quite condescendingly:
“In the last two weeks we've lost twenty sheep already. The watchmen didn't see nothin', though I reckon they was drunk. Oh, and we lost one shepherd too. Yeah, them sheep graze over there by the forest.
If you find somethin' out, you get two gold. If you find that thief, I'll give you five. If you don't find nothin', better not come back here.”
Notes for the GM
The livestock is being stolen by a giant (a troll for stronger characters) who has awoken from a long sleep in a nearby cave in the forest (or in the mountains, as needed). He is cunning and steals sheep only from places where the shepherds are not watching, so nobody has seen him yet. His cave is just a hole dug in the ground, blocked by a boulder (great strength is needed to roll it away). The giant sleeps in a chamber where no light reaches even when the stone is rolled away, and he will not easily let himself be lured out into the light.
A giant (or troll) is very dangerous for beginners and a direct clash with him might not end well. That is why the characters should get him by cunning rather than brute force.
The Plundered Shrine
Place: A village with a shrine (e.g. of Lianey), where the characters are strangers
Difficulty: For beginners
For the night you took shelter at an inn in a small village by the road. Pleasant company and good food helped you drive away the hardships of the road and you fell asleep peacefully.
In the morning you had an unpleasant awakening: you hear pounding on the door and the shouting of villagers. The door breaks open and a gang of locals with flails and pitchforks bursts in.
Their leader, with whom you were toasting last night, is named Ragad (he is a farmer and also serves as the judge here), and he hollers:
“It's them, like I said. Search the place, they've surely got it on 'em!”
After a while of searching they found several things that are certainly not yours.
“There, you see - they're temple robbers. They plundered our shrine and then had the nerve to go to sleep,” he keeps shouting. For that they will all hang.
The local priest steps in:
“Wait, not so fast. There will be no hanging ... and besides, not everything is here.”
He turns to you: “Where is the rest?” he asks. “Return the holy symbols and we will let you go.”
Notes for the GM
The shrine was plundered by Ragad himself, who had been planning it for a long time, and a group of foreign adventurers came in handy. He hid part of the stolen items in the party's luggage and the rest at his own home (he is not very clever).
If the party does not expose Ragad, the villagers will demand compensation from them (about 10 gp) and then drive the party out of the village. The priest (priesthood 2) is peaceful and will not resort to violence himself.
The Failed Expedition
Place: Starts in a town or village, continues in a mountain cave
Difficulty: Any
In a tavern the party finds a crying girl. If they calm her down, she can tell them her story. Her name is Caali:
“I was soon to marry my betrothed Rheteg. But a month ago he joined an expedition of some adventurers against a two-headed giant somewhere in the mountains. He was supposed to return in about a week, but I have not seen him since he left.
But yesterday I met one of those strangers - they say he is called Squint-Eye, but before I caught up with him, he vanished into the crowd. I am afraid he did something bad to Rheteg.”
Notes for the GM
Caali loves Rheteg deeply and is willing to give anything for finding him. Among other things, she has saved three gold and a gold ring. She is very beautiful, but too trusting.
The cave is in the mountains, about three days' ride away. The party Rheteg went with was scattered by the two-headed giant, and only the thief Squint-Eye survived, having run away during the fight with the giant. The others were slain and devoured.
The giant lives in the cave with a big wild dog (Rfx like a dire wolf). He ambushes his victims in the mountains, mainly for food, but otherwise he has gathered a small treasure in his lair.
Rheteg and his party were hired by Baron Olmokan, the ruler of the local region. If the characters find this out, they can get information from him and a promise of a reward for disposing of the giant.
The Cult
Place: The Barony of the Salinors
Difficulty: For advanced adventurers with a certain reputation
One day a messenger from Baron Salinor sought you out with an invitation: “It is a discreet matter and my lord will surely reward you well.”
If the party accepts the invitation, the baron himself welcomes the characters and presents his problem to them at dinner:
“Since time immemorial the House of Salinor has tried to avoid conflicts, especially religious ones. We are not particularly zealous in faith, but we try to get along well with the priests.
For the last two hundred years the worshippers of Lianey prevailed in the region. She is not demanding at all and we always had silver to spare. Everything went well until two months ago, when the followers of Urxur sacked the temple of Lianey and took control of the region. They are not interested in silver or gold; they want my subjects for their altars.
One can explain one or two disappearances to people, but a dozen victims a week? Understand, this is not a populous region, and if I do not deal with them, they will most likely want to sacrifice me too.
Bring me the head of their high priest, Urhax, and I will not spare the gold.”
Notes for the GM
The cult is based about a mile from the town, where it has a newly built octagonal shrine. Beneath the shrine the priests keep several spiders - guardians - and one giant one, to which they throw the victims. Urhax is quite capable (he has about level 10 in priesthood).
In the temple there are 16 lesser priests, 8 higher priests and the high priest himself. Underground there are six larger spiders (B), two big ones (C) and a giant spider named Urxan (D).
You will find more information about the cult of Urxur and the abilities of its followers in the Secret Arts, in the chapter Deities.
Werewolf
Place: the village of Narkos
Difficulty: slightly advanced
For the night you took shelter at an inn in the village of Narkos. You went to bed early, because the inhabitants here are unusually silent, even frightened, and even the tavern loafers are not in the mood for talk. All the more they attend to their drinking.
The night passed quietly, but in the morning you were woken by the shouting of a stable hand. People started gathering and everyone stands around the mauled horses - as you noticed, your own among them - and everyone is talking excitedly. Some people make various signs to protect themselves from evil powers.
“Mayor, that's the third time already!” a man with a dark beard called out from the crowd. “We have to do something, or else the whole village will end up like this.”
“What can we do?” objected a pale, portly man. “Our precious lord baron won't send help - you heard his messenger yourselves - he says he doesn't believe in ghosts and that we make things up.”
“But this is the third time already - first Ralve's little daughter, then it devoured Halmir, and now those horses ... it's lucky it wasn't a person this time.
We have to find someone who will drive the demon away.”
“But where will we get the MONEY for it?” the mayor retorted. “Even all of us together can't put up five gold.”
“We'll have to. And we'll all chip in,” the bearded man decided. “For five gold even Bralug the Archer himself would help us.”
An approving murmur came from the surrounding crowd and people began to disperse. The mayor and the bearded man left together and were still discussing something.
Notes for the GM
The village's “demon” is the stable hand Barin, who was recently bitten by a wolf in the forest and became a werewolf. On moonlit nights he turns into his animal form (a huge wolf with blazing eyes) and hunts for food. He has killed more victims than the villagers know - besides two villagers he has killed several forest animals and one traveler. He remembers nothing of his nightly excursions.
The village mayor is named Napetek and his main character trait is greed. He will try with all his might to avoid paying the reward - under no circumstances will the characters get more than five gold out of him.
A werewolf is a dangerous monster and the characters should have a chance to contend with it (command spells, have a silver weapon and the like). The key to success is, of course, uncovering the werewolf's true identity (scholarship - exploration of mysteries, wounds on the corpses).
The Caravan
Place: the state of Celim
Difficulty: for experienced characters with a good reputation
During your stay in the capital of Celim you received an urgent message: “Count Sathaj would be honored if he could meet you at his residence in the city of Arat (about 100 miles north of Celim). Come after midnight.” The message bears the seal of the Sathajs, and after reading, the text vanishes.
On your arrival the count welcomed you politely and quickly came to the point:
“This is a discreet matter of state that must be carried out inconspicuously and professionally. Nobody may learn anything, neither about you nor about your mission. I must ask for your word that you will reveal nothing about your task to anyone.”
If the party agrees, he continues:
“Good. I know your word can be relied on. So, to the point:
Before long a caravan will set out from the capital of Celim and travel across the Great Desert to the forbidden city of Kiim. Its task is to bring an envoy to the forbidden city and establish trade agreements between our countries.
I know from confidential sources that the priest Mileos, who is to negotiate the agreement, is a traitor preparing a conspiracy against our country.
Neither the king nor the priests suspect anything and Mileos has their full trust - they would certainly believe him - as a priest - rather than me, a nobleman and a soldier.
So your task is to kidnap Mileos and bring him to the desert oasis of Hakiri, where I have a secret residence. There I will meet you again. Beware! You must not kill Mileos - we must find out who he is in league with and what he is planning, otherwise the other conspirators will carry on.
If you succeed, I will pay you five hundred gold and our country will be in your debt.”
Notes for the GM
Mileos really is planning a conspiracy. He has priesthood 13, faith 12 and charisma 14. The members of his escort are tough soldiers, and three of them are Mileos's clerics (priesthood 9). The others are not devoted to him, but they protect him on the king's orders and know nothing about the treason.
The whole journey will take about thirty days, during which the party can start to act.
The Roadside Inn
Place: any village
Difficulty: low to medium
After dark you arrived in the small village of Virdoh. At first glance it looks the same as the dozens of previous villages you have already seen. The houses on the green are built in a circle, dominated on one side by a two-story house (apparently the mayor's) and on the other by a tavern with a sign reading 'The Vulture's Claw.'
After a good meal and a pleasantly spent evening, the characters quickly fall asleep.
Morning:
You woke up somewhere in a forest. Your hands are bound, you have gags in your mouths and you clearly hear the howling of wolves all around you ...
Notes for the GM
Behind the whole affair is the merchant Hagaš, who has joined forces with the innkeeper Vulture, and together they earn extra money by robbing travelers. After the victims fall asleep following a good meal with a dose of sleeping draught, the innkeeper and his farmhand Nakam tie them up and take them by wagon to the forest, where the beasts take care of the victims and thus erase all traces. The merchant sells the acquired goods and splits the proceeds with Vulture.
Contrary to Hagaš's instructions, Vulture leaves the victims alive so that they suffer more. He will probably be the first one the characters interrogate, but he will reveal nothing. His farmhand Nakam slips away the moment the characters return from the forest.
At a suitable moment Hagaš kills Vulture (poisoned water, a bow shot) so as not to be exposed, and then turns his attention to Nakam, but the farmhand flees into the forest.
The characters must have a chance to get out of their bonds (grand theft, spells). You can also give them a chance to recognize the sleeping draught (awareness, alchemy).
The Goblin King
Place: 1. the settlement of Eagle Heights
2. the goblin lair
Difficulty: for characters with a reputation
Your journey along the border has brought you to one of the border settlements called Eagle Heights, protected by a nearby fortress. After a cursory inspection the guards let you in. The whole settlement consists of about twenty houses, one tavern and a general store.
In the morning, after a night filled with wine, dice games and storytelling, you had a visitor. It is an old, grey-haired man with a staff.
“My master, Lord Aldrik, sends me. The lord has heard of your deeds and would like to speak with you in person. Would you be so kind as to accept his invitation?”
If the characters accept the invitation, they meet Lord Aldrik.
Lord Aldrik is an elderly, tall man with dark, slightly greying hair. At first glance it is obvious that he is a warrior, not only because of his war gear, consisting of a mail shirt and a broadsword at his belt, but mainly because of his bearing. The lord welcomes you with these words:
“Good day, I am glad to meet you. For several days I have been looking for volunteers for a special task to ensure the security of our land.”
If the party agrees, he continues:
“My scouts have managed to find out that the goblins have united under a new king and are planning attacks on lone settlements and poorly defended villages. I have few men and no capable spies who could help me in this matter. If you are not afraid, I will pay you for disposing of that goblin beast, or at least for information about where and when the goblins intend to attack.
Notes for the GM
The goblins live in the mountains, where they have extensive cave complexes with food stores, armories, smithies and tunnels in which their slaves dig. The goblin king is a very capable warrior and has several shamans at hand (priests or wizards). There are about 500 goblins under his command; Aldrik has about 200 men at his disposal, and they are scattered across the region.
The characters must proceed carefully so as not to warn the goblins, so that the hunters do not become the prey. They must use all their abilities:
— stealth (approaching unnoticed)
— awareness (spotting sentries, ambush parties and traps)
— woodcraft (finding tracks, surviving in the mountains, making a fire without smoke)
— negotiation (if they are discovered, they can lie their way out and pose as renegades who want to join the goblins)
— traps (finding traps in front of and inside the goblin lair; they can also set traps themselves)
In the goblin cave there are several captive slaves (mostly Aldrik's soldiers) who can help the party (if the party frees them).
On the way they may also run into other monsters (giants, dire wolves, renegades), hunters, soldiers (who may take them for renegades) and much more. A lone farmer may ask them to free his son, who was abducted by the goblins (he became a slave of the goblins or ran away from home).