Adventure L1-3 Arnheim: Return to Mogn
Third of a series of three level 1 adventures set in Arnheim on the continent of Aorlan.
Hook A or Hook B below are used depending on how the adventurers resolved things with the kobolds in the mine.
Hook A: The players killed the kobolds in the cave and are returning to Mogn to report their actions and collect their reward.
Scenes for Hook A:
Report to the Mayor and celebration at the Inn: The adventurers report on what took place in the mine. The mayor expresses gratitude but asks whether the adventurers are certain that all the kobolds are dead. A public ceremony will be held at The Tin Man tomorrow to honor the adventurers and to give them their reward of 50 gold pieces. Food and drink and sleeping by the fire are on the house at the Inn tonight. The locals ask for the story many times, but also buy many ales in appreciation.
Drinking at The Folly: It's a more boisterous and drunken place. The miners, already half drunk, get loud and happy and appreciative and buy many ales for the heros. A couple of lumberjacks who were there scowl at the loud, happy miners and leave the pub.
The Ceremony, with an Unforeseen Development: Mayor Raedmund makes a fuss in the Inn's greatroom about your heroism, the dangerous invaders in the mine, and makes a bigger fuss about handing you a big bag of coins. It's silver, making it a bigger bag, but it still adds up to 50 gold.
While everyone is clapping you on the back again in appreciation, the Inn door slams open and a large panting man in lumberjack pants and a ripped, bloody shirt yells, "Kobolds at the lumber camp! Lots of 'em! And they're not hiding and running away this time!" Mayor Raedmund makes an unhappy face at the news, then looks over at the adventurers and approaches. He asks them if they are willing investigate and deal with this new development. If they ask him about additional reward his unhappy face turns sour, but he nods, and agrees to 50 gold again.
The Timber Camp: Angry kobolds have attacked the camp and killed three lumberjacks. The adventurers arrive less than 15 minutes after the end of the attack. The camp cook describes them colorfully and, with his eyes big, says, "There were dozens of 'em!" If the adventurers talk to others in the camp, they'll be told "10" and "12" by others.
Obvious kobold tracks lead up a game trail into an area of thick woods. A good tracker or a good roll estimates there are about a dozen kobolds in the group. Enough that the adventurers have no difficulty following the trail.
Traps along the way: A mile in there is a 10' pit in the game trail. Half a mile further, there is a snare trap on the path. At both places, the kobolds avoided the trap, going left and right around it, so it takes an inattentive group or a bad roll for the adventurers to not see the trail split around each trap. If they do spot the split, it is not hard to see the covered pit and the bent tree of the snare as what the kobolds were avoiding. If someone does get caught in the snare, the tree will stand, they will be hanging by the ankle 15 feet above the trail and they will take a point or two of damage from the trap. And their friends will laugh at them until and after they cut them down.
The kobold village: This forest is the kobolds' home, and the approach of the adventurers has been spotted long ago. After another mile on the trail they reach the village in an open space under big old trees. The kobold chieftain hides in the village with a band of 10 to 12 others to ambush the players from where they hide in the village buildings. The chieftain has max hit points and is +1 to hit and damage. These kobolds are angry and in no mood for negotiating. They attack, ideally from surprise. While they fight, the chieftain insults the adventurers in Common while the others yell and curse in Draconic.
Following combat, the adventurers find more goods stolen by the kobolds from the logging camp, inside the longhouse. They also find a minor magic item on the chieftain.
Resolution: The mayor and town are grateful that the kobold menace is finally dealt with. If the players haven't done it, the Arn decide to burn the kobold viIlage. If the adventurers did not negotiate something better, Mayor Raedmund rewards them as agreed. The adventurers are again celebrated by the village.
End of Adventure L1-3 Arnheim: Return to Mogn (Hook A)
Hook B: The players are returning to Mogn to negotiate a peaceful resolution to get the kobolds out of the mine.
Scenes for Hook B:
Report to the Mayor: The adventurers share their discoveries and tell the tale of the kobolds and how they want to negotiate with the town. The mayor expresses gratitude but worries about long-term implications and about the kobold’s trustworthiness. The adventurers should make some effort to convince him further, but he finally agrees to negotiations and journeys to the Mogn Mine with the players.
Negotiating an Agreement: Neither Mayor nor Chief are inclined to trust each other but if the adventurers mediate a little they are able to help them reach an agreement. There are many caves in the limestone hills north of the village, like the one the kobolds are hiding in now. The mayor offers to double the adventurers' reward if they find a suitable cave for the kobolds to move to. If the adventurers negotiate for more, he is willing to triple or quadruple the original 50 gold coins to get the kobolds to leave. The kobold chief makes a point of thanking the adventurers for their help, and says, "We owe you, too, you find us new home." The mayor convinces the kobolds to vacate the mine while you search, so that he can re-open it, by promising that the lumbering will stop and the townspeople will stay out of the forest until you return. He also promises them supplies and tools now in return for leaving the mine now.
Finding a New Home: The taller limestone hills a day's walk north of Mogen are tree-covered and known to have many natural caves. This is where the players should look. Skills to help such a search and to navigate in the wild will be useful. Bad luck could be ... bad.
The adventurers have two minor encounters along the way: a herd of deer that shows little fear and a bold fox that shadows the group from a distance. If the group shoots at the fox, it will continue to follow them from cover, making its creepy fox scream for a mile before leaving them alone. If the adventurers leave food for the fox it will stop to eat it and they won't see it again.
Searching for a cave: Once the adventurers reach the hills, they can make appropriate rolls twice a day until rolling high enough to locate a likely cave. This is a medium-high difficulty based on rarity of large caves. Random encounter rolls for forested hills can be made during this search. Random encounter rolls for small caves can be made during this search, as they are likely to find caves that are too small before finding one that is just right.
Found one! Whoops, with BUGBEARS! This large cave has several connected rooms, some large. Two bugbears live here in the back of the first large room. The approach is a rocky hill, so there is no warning the bugbears are inside the cave until the players enter the cave. Unless the adventurers make excessive noise, the bugbears in the cave are also unlikely to hear them approach. The bugbears don't want company, are happy to eat the adventurers and will attack immediately. They curse and insult in Goblin and are unlikely to flee if things go badly. If they are defeated, they have random treasure and one minor magical item which the adventurers can find. Along with a lot of gnawed and split bones of various types and sizes.
Resolution and Rewards: The players return to town and collect their agreed reward of coins. The kobolds leave the mine and travel to their new home, with the chief thanking the adventurers and offering a smelly pouch of herbs. "Shaman make dis. It good heal juju. Put on bad cuts, broke bones. It stinky good heal juju." The pouch holds 6 applications which each heal 1-4 hp of damage. The town celebrates - again! - the departure of the kobolds and reopening of the mine.
End of Adventure L1-3 Arnheim: Return to Mogn (Hook B)
Hook A: The players killed the kobolds in the cave and are returning to Mogn to report their actions and collect their reward.
Scenes for Hook A:
Report to the Mayor and celebration at the Inn: The adventurers report on what took place in the mine. The mayor expresses gratitude but asks whether the adventurers are certain that all the kobolds are dead. A public ceremony will be held at The Tin Man tomorrow to honor the adventurers and to give them their reward of 50 gold pieces. Food and drink and sleeping by the fire are on the house at the Inn tonight. The locals ask for the story many times, but also buy many ales in appreciation.
Drinking at The Folly: It's a more boisterous and drunken place. The miners, already half drunk, get loud and happy and appreciative and buy many ales for the heros. A couple of lumberjacks who were there scowl at the loud, happy miners and leave the pub.
The Ceremony, with an Unforeseen Development: Mayor Raedmund makes a fuss in the Inn's greatroom about your heroism, the dangerous invaders in the mine, and makes a bigger fuss about handing you a big bag of coins. It's silver, making it a bigger bag, but it still adds up to 50 gold.
While everyone is clapping you on the back again in appreciation, the Inn door slams open and a large panting man in lumberjack pants and a ripped, bloody shirt yells, "Kobolds at the lumber camp! Lots of 'em! And they're not hiding and running away this time!" Mayor Raedmund makes an unhappy face at the news, then looks over at the adventurers and approaches. He asks them if they are willing investigate and deal with this new development. If they ask him about additional reward his unhappy face turns sour, but he nods, and agrees to 50 gold again.
The Timber Camp: Angry kobolds have attacked the camp and killed three lumberjacks. The adventurers arrive less than 15 minutes after the end of the attack. The camp cook describes them colorfully and, with his eyes big, says, "There were dozens of 'em!" If the adventurers talk to others in the camp, they'll be told "10" and "12" by others.
Obvious kobold tracks lead up a game trail into an area of thick woods. A good tracker or a good roll estimates there are about a dozen kobolds in the group. Enough that the adventurers have no difficulty following the trail.
Traps along the way: A mile in there is a 10' pit in the game trail. Half a mile further, there is a snare trap on the path. At both places, the kobolds avoided the trap, going left and right around it, so it takes an inattentive group or a bad roll for the adventurers to not see the trail split around each trap. If they do spot the split, it is not hard to see the covered pit and the bent tree of the snare as what the kobolds were avoiding. If someone does get caught in the snare, the tree will stand, they will be hanging by the ankle 15 feet above the trail and they will take a point or two of damage from the trap. And their friends will laugh at them until and after they cut them down.
The kobold village: This forest is the kobolds' home, and the approach of the adventurers has been spotted long ago. After another mile on the trail they reach the village in an open space under big old trees. The kobold chieftain hides in the village with a band of 10 to 12 others to ambush the players from where they hide in the village buildings. The chieftain has max hit points and is +1 to hit and damage. These kobolds are angry and in no mood for negotiating. They attack, ideally from surprise. While they fight, the chieftain insults the adventurers in Common while the others yell and curse in Draconic.
Following combat, the adventurers find more goods stolen by the kobolds from the logging camp, inside the longhouse. They also find a minor magic item on the chieftain.
Resolution: The mayor and town are grateful that the kobold menace is finally dealt with. If the players haven't done it, the Arn decide to burn the kobold viIlage. If the adventurers did not negotiate something better, Mayor Raedmund rewards them as agreed. The adventurers are again celebrated by the village.
End of Adventure L1-3 Arnheim: Return to Mogn (Hook A)
Hook B: The players are returning to Mogn to negotiate a peaceful resolution to get the kobolds out of the mine.
Scenes for Hook B:
Report to the Mayor: The adventurers share their discoveries and tell the tale of the kobolds and how they want to negotiate with the town. The mayor expresses gratitude but worries about long-term implications and about the kobold’s trustworthiness. The adventurers should make some effort to convince him further, but he finally agrees to negotiations and journeys to the Mogn Mine with the players.
Negotiating an Agreement: Neither Mayor nor Chief are inclined to trust each other but if the adventurers mediate a little they are able to help them reach an agreement. There are many caves in the limestone hills north of the village, like the one the kobolds are hiding in now. The mayor offers to double the adventurers' reward if they find a suitable cave for the kobolds to move to. If the adventurers negotiate for more, he is willing to triple or quadruple the original 50 gold coins to get the kobolds to leave. The kobold chief makes a point of thanking the adventurers for their help, and says, "We owe you, too, you find us new home." The mayor convinces the kobolds to vacate the mine while you search, so that he can re-open it, by promising that the lumbering will stop and the townspeople will stay out of the forest until you return. He also promises them supplies and tools now in return for leaving the mine now.
Finding a New Home: The taller limestone hills a day's walk north of Mogen are tree-covered and known to have many natural caves. This is where the players should look. Skills to help such a search and to navigate in the wild will be useful. Bad luck could be ... bad.
The adventurers have two minor encounters along the way: a herd of deer that shows little fear and a bold fox that shadows the group from a distance. If the group shoots at the fox, it will continue to follow them from cover, making its creepy fox scream for a mile before leaving them alone. If the adventurers leave food for the fox it will stop to eat it and they won't see it again.
Searching for a cave: Once the adventurers reach the hills, they can make appropriate rolls twice a day until rolling high enough to locate a likely cave. This is a medium-high difficulty based on rarity of large caves. Random encounter rolls for forested hills can be made during this search. Random encounter rolls for small caves can be made during this search, as they are likely to find caves that are too small before finding one that is just right.
Found one! Whoops, with BUGBEARS! This large cave has several connected rooms, some large. Two bugbears live here in the back of the first large room. The approach is a rocky hill, so there is no warning the bugbears are inside the cave until the players enter the cave. Unless the adventurers make excessive noise, the bugbears in the cave are also unlikely to hear them approach. The bugbears don't want company, are happy to eat the adventurers and will attack immediately. They curse and insult in Goblin and are unlikely to flee if things go badly. If they are defeated, they have random treasure and one minor magical item which the adventurers can find. Along with a lot of gnawed and split bones of various types and sizes.
Resolution and Rewards: The players return to town and collect their agreed reward of coins. The kobolds leave the mine and travel to their new home, with the chief thanking the adventurers and offering a smelly pouch of herbs. "Shaman make dis. It good heal juju. Put on bad cuts, broke bones. It stinky good heal juju." The pouch holds 6 applications which each heal 1-4 hp of damage. The town celebrates - again! - the departure of the kobolds and reopening of the mine.
End of Adventure L1-3 Arnheim: Return to Mogn (Hook B)