d20 Expeditious Retreat Press 1 on 1 Adventures 01 - Gambler's Quest.pdf - Expeditious Retreat Press - R5700

1 on 1 Adventures #1

Gambler’s Quest

By William Christensen

1 on 1 Adventures #1: Gambler’s Quest

Something is amiss in the town of Rhiannon. Recently raided by a band of vile creatures,

the citizens of Rhiannon were shocked to i nd their lord at the root of the incident. And now

Lord Kent is holding a competition for “all walks of life with a propensity for the gambling

arts.” Will the PC aid the citizens of Rhiannon and uncover the truth about the mysterious

Lord Kent? Or will the PC take this opportunity to line her own pockets?

An adventure designed for 1 GM and

1 player (Level 2-4 Rogue)

Either way, the answers lie inside the walls of Lord Kent’s keep and the gamblers within.

Requires the use of Dungeons & Dragons, Third Edition Core Books, published by

Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

This module includes 20 adventure-packed pages, complete with detailed maps and descriptions,

forming a ready-made adventure. It has been crafted for one player and one GM so even the

smallest gaming group has adventures suitable to their needs with minimal preparation time. With

some minor scaling, Gambler’s Quest is suitable for use with a traditional four-player party.

WWW.XRPSHOP.CITYMAX.COM

If you enjoy this module, look for future releases in the One on One Adventures line from

Expeditious Retreat Press.

Expeditious Retreat Press

One on one Adventures #1

Gambler’s Quest

by William l. Christensen

An adventure for one rogue levels 2-4

Something is amiss in the town of Rhiannon. Recently raided by a band of vile creatures, the citizens of Rhiannon were shocked to ind their

lord at the root of the incident. And now Lord Kent is holding a competition for “all walks of life with a propensity for the gambling arts.”

Will the PC aid the citizens of Rhiannon and uncover the truth about the mysterious Lord Kent? Or will the PC take this opportunity to line

her own pockets?

Either way, the answers lie inside the walls of Lord Kent’s keep and the gamblers within.

Credits

Table of Contents

Author: William L. Christiansen

Cover Artist: Maciek Zagorski—The Forge Studios

Interior Artists: Joan Guardiet, Jason Walton, Maciek Zagorski

Editors: Joseph Browning and Suzi Yee

Layout: Joseph Browning and Suzi Yee

Introduction.........................................................................page 2

Adventure Background:....................................................page 2

Adventure Synopsis...........................................................page 3

Character Hooks.................................................................page 3

The Competition.................................................................page 3

Arriving at the Keep...........................................................page 4

Keyed Descriptions Room by Room................................page 5

Conclusion...........................................................................page 20

Pre-Generated Characters.................................................page 20

One on One Adventures are for one player and one GM.

However, they are easily modiied for a traditional party of

four players and one GM.

Introduction

His lust for the artifact has led him to hire bands of orcs and gnolls

to scour the countryside for information and items that pertain to the

Moon Staff of Danu de Tuatha.

Recently, Lord Kent’s minions raided the town of Rhiannon.

Mayor Fellstone and his fellow citizens were outraged, and thus

formed a party from the town’s surviving guards to track the creatures

back to their lair so that it might be assaulted. To their surprise and

grief, the tracks led to Lord Kent’s keep. Mayor Fellstone realizes

that Lord Kent cannot be brought to justice by usual means.

Resigned, the town began the slow process of reconstruction. Still,

the villagers wonder why the young lord would do such a thing, and

the mayor wonders why the creatures stole his old journals, books,

and maps. Meanwhile, Lord Kent pours over ancient tomes and

maps, searching for the inal resting place of Danu de Tuatha, the

tomb of Kara-Duir.

Lord Kent believes that soon his efforts shall prove fruitful, and

then the Staff of Danu de Tuatha will be within his reach. However,

his research has led him to believe that the tomb of Kara-Duir is

heavily trapped and guarded, and not being one to readily risk life

and limb, he has devised a plan to ind suitable recruits to delve

the dungeon on his behalf. Thus, being known as something of a

gambler himself, Lord Kent has announced a tournament at his keep,

inviting those of “all walks of life with a propensity for the gambling

arts.” Contestants shall stay at his keep for four days, and regularly

compete, but this contest is merely a front. Secretly, Lord Kent plans

to scrutinize the contestants, hoping for suitable recruits.

Mayor Fellstone, hearing word of the open invitation to the

gambling tournament, has devised a plan of his own. He means to

learn Lord Kent’s motives for sending raiders to Rhiannon and see

some of the town’s treasures returned. Thus, he seeks out the PC

(her being known for her “propensity” for such diversions), and asks

her to iniltrate Lord Kent’s keep under the guise of a legitimate

contestant. Mayor Fellstone agrees to pay the contest entry fee of

100 gp and also offers to outit the character with some suitable gear,

“I don’t have a gambling problem. How can you call it a problem

if you always win?”

—Sir Bredwir to his sister, just days before losing his family

fortune.

“Cheating? Against the rules? No friend, you must be

mistaken. Cheating is only against the rules if you get caught.”

—Sariah “The Black Tulip” Redshift.

Gambler’s Quest is an adventure for one GM and a single

PC of second to fourth levels. The adventure is designed

speciically for a rogue character, and as such, encourages

stealth over strength while demanding the use of the varied

skills in the rogue’s arsenal. Characters should make certain

to have skill points in Bluff, Disable Device, Open Lock, and

Search, while points in Decipher Script, Diplomacy, Hide,

Move Silently, Profession (Gambler), Sleight of Hand, and

Use Magic Device could also prove useful.

Remember that a single PC faces unique and dangerous

challenges. Unlike a party, a single PC has no one to rely upon

in a time of need, unless the PC is wise enough to seek for

sympathetic NPCs. A good frame of reference that both GM

and PC can relate with is a spy adventure; the hero almost

always recruits a willing accomplish that pulls his bacon out

of the ire at least once before he saves the day.

adventure background

Lord Kent, the royally-ordained ruler of the region, has long

been preoccupied with stories of the ancient heroine, Danu de

Tuatha. In particular, Lord Kent covets her legendary Moon Staff,

the powerful item she used to defeat the black dragon Varsullicraxus.

Scaling the Adventure

Gambler’s Quest is designed to challenge a single character of 2 nd -4 th levels. However, you can easily run the adventure for characters of

a higher level, and even for more than one character if you so desire, by making minor changes and preparations before play.

For a Single Character of 5 th -7 th levels: To run Gambler’s Quest with characters of these levels, consider making the following

changes:

• Advance each guest NPC 2-4 levels, save for Sariah Redshift, who should be of equal level (as she should prove to be a primary

antagonist). Kara and Uther should be two levels lower than the PC.

• Change Mediir Blacktooth into a werewolf instead of a wererat.

• Advance each guard and creature in Area 9 and Area 14 (the gnoll and orc barracks, respectively) so that each room’s EL is 1-2

higher than currently listed. Make Grendel (the orc chieftain) and Fangrid (the gnoll sergeant) each two levels lower than the PC.

• Advance Lord Kent to one level higher than the PC. However, maintain his spelllist’s focus on damaging and protective spells.

Avoid spells with a “Save or Incapacitate” effect as for a single PC, they are tremendously dangerous and don’t make for a lot of fun for

a single player.

• In the dungeons, advance the skeletons and zombies 1-2 HD and replace the ghoul with a ghast, and depending on the character’s

level, consider advancing the ghast’s Hit Dice. Consider replacing the medium monstrous spider with a large monstrous spider. Advance

the ghost in Area 26 one level and allow it to materialize in a single round.

For a Multiple characters: To run Gambler’s Quest with more than one character, consider making the following changes:

• Add an appropriate number of guest rooms to the castle for PCs, and one additional guest (a roommate) for each other guest room.

• As a rule of thumb, add an extra guard or appropriate creature to each encounter for each additional PC.

• Create a second servant (a counterpart for Kara) to help keep order at the tournament.

• Make Lord Kent an EL of 3 higher than the average party level. Make Uther an EL of 2 higher than the average party level and

give him an appropriate set of guards. Make Grendel (the orc chieftain) and Fangrid (the gnoll chieftain) each an EL of 1 higher than the

average party level, and give them each an appropriate set of guards.

Items of Importance Stolen from Rhiannon

Several items were stolen from Rhiannon that the citizens wish recovered. The following table details each item, its location in the keep,

the item’s value, and the reward offered for its return.

Treasure

Location

Item Value

Reward Offered

Diana statuette

Area 15

100 gp

40 gp

Gem-studded longsword (masterwork)

Area 21

400 gp

100 gp

Mayor Fellstone’s books, journals, and maps

Area 28

10 gp

50 gp

Rune carved amulet (key to the tomb of Kara-Duir)

Area 28

100 gp

Silver statuette of an elven maiden

Area 10

20 gp

40 gp

Rhiannon (Small Town): Conventional; AL NG; 800 gp limit; Assets 56,000 gp; Population 1,400; Mixed (human 42%, elf 35%, half-

elf 15%, dwarf 3%, halling 3% half-orc 1%, gnome 1%).

Authority Figures: Mayor Fellstone, male human Ari4.

Important Characters: Aerlyn Moon, female elf Clr5; Randal Atwood, male human Exp3 (“The Dragon’s Roost” innkeeper); Mathias

Black, male human Exp3 (blacksmith, weaponsmith, and armorer); Wallace Brookstone, male human Exp2 (merchant); Gwynn Mabon,

male half-elf War4 (constable).

Others: Town Guards, War2 (x15); Exp3 (x10); Rog3 (x3); Rgr2 (x2); Com1 (x1,274).

including the following: a set of masterwork thieves’ tools, an arcane

scroll inscribed with sleep (caster level 1 st ), and a potion of cure light

wounds . In addition, Mayor Fellstone offers the PC a reward of 200

gp for learning Lord Kent’s motives, and an appropriate gp reward

for the return of each item stolen from Rhiannon (as listed in “Items

of Importance Stolen from Rhiannon”).

competitor, you can have her sent as a thief, spy, or assassin (perhaps

from a secret network or guild), with any number of goals. The guild

could provide the PC with reconnaissance information about a secret

entrance into the keep (see Area 27), and from there the character can

work her way through the castle to her ultimate goal.

The Competition

Each of the characters gambles against six others, and since Lord

Kent is competing in the tournament as well, there is one person that

each character does not compete against. Assume that the PC is the

one that does not compete against Lord Kent (until the last day that

is, if she makes it into the inal three; see below). Each day the PC is

scheduled to gamble with two guest NPCs, thus competing against

each of the six other guests over the course of the irst three days, and

with Lord Kent and the other top gambler on the inal day.

A good rule of thumb is to schedule the PC to compete at noon

and at eight, although you can hold the competitions at any time you

wish. At the scheduled times, the PC is expected to meet in Area 12,

the Grand Hall, to compete. Should the PC not be in Area 12 at the

proper time, Kara, Lord Kent’s servant, seeks to fetch her. She irst

checks the PC’s room, then the common areas, and inally the rest of

the keep (those areas that are locked and considered off limits). To

help the PC keep track of time, there is a clock-tower in the courtyard

(Area 11) that chimes at each hour.

The winner of the tournament (the character that wins the most

games of Skulls , see below), takes home 800 gp. To compete on the

inal day of the tournament, the PC must be one of the top three

competitors (a good rule of thumb is to rule the PC as one of the

top three if she beats four or more of the NPCs during the irst three

days). Assume that Lord Kent is one of the inal inishers. The other

top competitor is at your discretion.

To simulate the gambling tournament, you can play the original

dice game Skulls , as described below. Note that you do not need to

actually play out every (or any for that matter) game of Skulls to run

this adventure. You can just as easily run the tournament by having

ADVENTURE SYNOPSIS

The gambling competition spans four days, and thus the PC has

four days and three nights to complete her quest. Each day the PC

must compete with two other guests, but the rest of the day is free

(allowing the character time to iniltrate the castle during the day

and night). During the competition the PC must search the keep

(overcoming obstacles such as locked doors and attentive guards),

discover Lord Kent’s motives for attacking Rhiannon, and recover

several of the citizen’s stolen treasures. Meanwhile, Lord Kent keeps

a watchful eye on the PC (having already recruited a contestant,

Sariah Redshift, to act as a spy), to gauge her worth as a suitable

recruit. At the end of the competition, Lord Kent confronts the PC,

and admits that he has been tracking her progress with interest. He

asks the character to join his ranks, and help him recover the Moon

Staff of Danu de Tuatha. Whether the PC chooses to join Lord Kent

or continue to aid Mayor Fellstone is up to the player. However,

should the character refuse Lord Kent’s offer, he attacks.

character hooks

If you do not wish to use the “default” character hook provided

above (being sent by Mayor Fellstone), you can simply have the

character hear of the tournament and arrive of her own volition, and

discover that the keep is a grand place for exploration and looting (in

between competition, of course).

If you do not wish to have the character participate in the

gambling competition, you can easily change the adventure to

accommodate your needs. Instead of having the character arrive as a

Skulls

Skulls is a popular game in the region and is frequently played

by those of all walks of life. Playing Skulls involves rolling 3d6

and tallying the results. Even numbers are desired, particularly

when more than one of the same number is rolled. When the

same even number is rolled on two or all three of the dice at

once, tally the total rolled and then add half of that number to

the total. For example, if you rolled a four on all three dice, you

would total the amount rolled (twelve in this case), and add half

of that total again to your inal score (half of twelve is six, twelve

plus six is eighteen: your inal score for rolling four on all three

dice is eighteen). Even numbers are the only ones that count in

this manner. The odd numbers three and ive add only their face

value, while ones (called skulls in the game due to the skull

design on the dice) subtract from your inal total. Let’s say you

rolled two sixes, and a three. You would add the two sixes (twelve

points), and then add half of that total again to that amount (half

of twelve is six, twelve plus six is eighteen). Finally, you would

add the three to your total (for a inal score of twenty-one).

You can easily simulate a character’s gambling experience

by adding in his Bluff or Profession (Gambling) skill points

and appropriate ability modiier to the roll’s total. Thus, if a

character’s roll was worth eighteen points, he has four ranks in

Profession (Gambler), and a 14 Wis (a +2 modiier), his inal total

would be twenty-four.

Castle Construction Information

Castle Features: 3 ft. thick hewn stone; Hardness 8; hp 540;

Break (DC 50); Climb (DC 20). The ceiling of each loor within

the castle is 10 ft. high.

Iron Doors: 2 in. thick iron; Hardness 10; hp 60; Break (DC 30).

Strong Wooden Doors: 2 in. thick wood; Hardness 5; hp 20;

Break (DC 23); Note: The majority of the castle’s doors are

wooden. Unless otherwise stated, assume any door in question

is wooden.

the PC and NPC roll opposed Bluff or Profession (Gambler) checks.

Whoever rolls highest wins the game. It all depends on you and your

player’s interests and preferred style of play.

Note also that a synergy bonus has been incorporated into play

in this adventure. Characters that have 5 or more ranks in Bluff get a

+2 synergy bonus to their Profession (Gambler) rolls, and vice versa.

Characters that have 5 or more ranks in Profession (Gambler) get a

+2 synergy bonus to their Sleight of Hand checks when cheating. If

the character successfully cheats using Sleight of Hand, they get an

effective +2 synergy bonus to their Profession (Gambler) checks.

Arriving at the Keep

When you are ready, read or paraphrase the following:

Lord Kent’s keep stands poised atop a jutting island of sheer

stone, towering high above the forested road that seems to be the

only route to this place. The road winds up to an adjacent cliff,

and there a stone bridge crosses the chasm to the keep’s front

entrance: a set of large double-doors. The doors are closed, and

two guards, each wearing chainmail and helmets with lowered

visors, cross their halberds before the doors as you approach.

“Who goes there?” One of the guards asks in a gruff voice.

Interval Betting

A game of Skulls sometimes entails three rolls. Gaming tables

often have three lined pockets on each side, and covers that

keep the player’s roll secretive. Each player rolls his dice, sees

his own total, and then makes a bet. One player bets irst, the

second matches and may raise, and the irst player either matches

or yields (here is where the Bluff skill comes into play). They

then roll a second set of dice (in the table’s second pocket), and

mentally tally that result to the irst. After betting a second time,

the player’s roll their third set of dice in the last pocket. They

bet one last time and then show their results. The player with the

highest total wins the game, and takes the pot. You may wish to

run the oficial tournament without interval betting. That way,

the character’s 100 gp entrance fee allows her to play every

tournament game, whether she wins or loses previous games.

However, interval betting could still be used if the PC wishes to

gamble “unoficially” with other guests.

To pass all the character must do is state her name and purpose

(the gambling competition). The guards ( 2 orcs ) are not particularly

discriminating, and thus open the doors for the character even if she

seems somewhat suspicious. Allow the character a DC 13 Spot check

to notice that the guards are both orcs (seeing through their helmet’s

visor slits).

Creatures: Orcs (2): CR 1/2; Medium Humanoid (Orc); HD 1d8+1;

hp 5; Initiative +0; Speed 20 ft. (30 ft. base); AC: 15, touch 10, lat-

footed 15; Base Attack: +1; Grapple +4; Attack/Full Attack: Halbred

+4 melee (1d10/x3); Space/Reach: 5 ft./5ft.; Special Attacks: —;

Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., light sensitivity; AL CE; Saves:

Fort +3, Ref +0, Will -2; Abilities: Str 17, Dex 11, Con 12, Int 8, Wis

7, Cha 6

Cheating

Since players can cheat or bump the table and move their dice,

third-party moderators often oversee games and tally secret

totals after each roll (as is the case in this tournament). Note that

characters caught cheating at this tournament must forfeit to their

opponent. Should they be caught cheating a second time, they

forfeit their entry fee and are formally exiled from the keep.

To simulate cheating, allow characters a chance to reroll

each dice roll once if they so desire. To do so however, that

character must make a Sleight of Hand check opposed by her

opponent and any onlooker’s (usually only the moderator, who

suffers a –2 penalty due to her attentions being divided by several

games) Spot checks. If the opponent’s Spot roll is higher than the

cheating character’s Sleight of Hand roll, the cheater is caught.

Skills: Listen +1, Spot +1

Feats: Alertness

Language: Common, Orc

Possessions: Chainmail, halberd, 7sp.

Light Sensitivity (Ex): Orcs are dazzled in bright sunlight or within

the radius of a daylight spell.

The doors open to Area 11, the courtyard. Once the character

clears the doors, Kara, Lord Kent’s servant, approaches her. Read or

paraphrase the following:

d20 Expeditious Retreat Press 1 on 1 Adventures 01 - Gambler's Quest.pdf

Plik z chomika:

Inne pliki z tego folderu:

Inne foldery tego chomika: