Month: Mar 2024

Attack on the Princesses camp

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This week we have the adventure revolving around an attack on the Princesses camp and the aftermath of finding the princess gone. So with the adventure progressing from last nights revelation on the hobgoblin threat we need a bigger battlefield for this. As an A2 sheet of paper in size means that it can be printed off (even over several a4 sheets of paper) as well as being large enough for long lasting battles.

So hold onto the reigns once more as we launch into tonight’s adventure.

Attack on the Princesses camp

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Large Camp attacked – created in Inkarnate

Trees, tents, camp fires and a wagon or two line up tonight’s map. This provides ample room to hide, sneak and get cover from the flurries of arrows that fly onto the battlefield and into the party’s ranks.

Its a rather deep map tonight with the objective being the wagon that Sal steers taking off across the map and being hounded by goblins, orcs, hobgoblins and Wargs as they try and flee with the goods within the wagon.

Like with last week a few overlapping textures at work here, different shades of grass, dirt and different sizes of the texture too to try and give it a blended feel. Trees make up the edges to give consistency in the forest as well as the same three main tent styles. The bed rolls set to have 30 degrees random rotation means that there is some variance there and some wineskins and pans make it look like the camp was lived in recently.

But that’s all it is tonight. Two A4s wide and two high makes printing it achievable on smaller home printers or at print-shops.

Thanks for joining me for another map night but don’t forget that the week isn’t over yet. So don’t forget to come back tomorrow and as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

The Hobgoblin Threat

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This week moves on to find out a surprising revelation as the hobgoblin threat approaches. But there is a revelation with the hobgoblins which causes this weeks adventure to escalate further and the mission changes quite rapidly.

So let’s sit down, grab a coffee and meet this threat head on.

The Hobgoblin Threat

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Search parties departed and followed the infrequent and nearly non-existent tracks left by the attackers. After searching the bodies they found a mixture of goblins and orcs had been amongst the bodies. However the injuries on the bodies of the guards were too accurate and efficient for normal goblin and orc swings.

As the party guarded the wagon Sal looked nervously around and several of the Iron Harvest guard leaders spoke to her in hushed whispers. The Wagon was filled with thousands of gold pieces worth in weapons and armour and the shock of the attacks from the night before and the mystery in how no one in the camp had heard what had happened had the camp nervous.

However as the sound of thundering hooves reached them from between the trees nearby as muffled shouts came. A horse burst from the trees only two hundred feet from where they stood and they saw that it was one of the scouts riding back. The man was barely holding onto the reigns of the horse as it powered towards the camp. “We are under attack!” the man called as an arrow whizzed past him and buried itself in the dirt.

Soon the figures of hobgoblins appeared at the edge of the forest as a volley of arrows reached the back of the guard, his face contorted into a silence scream as he fell from the horse who rode past the party – stumbling from both exhausting and a few arrows that had missed the light barding of his coat.

Soon the hobgoblins were rushing forward, goblins and some orcs were amongst their ranks but it was clear that the hobgoblins were in charge and that they had orchestrated the attack last night. As the guards clashed with goblin, orc and hobgoblin the party fended off a few creatures as arrows crashed against them and the wagon. Soon the guards were falling back and a gap emerged between them and the wagon. Sal drew a blade and a small shield from next to where she sat and she joined the party. After a moment several other guards, all experienced captains ran to aid in the defence of the wagon.

“Surrender the princess, enough of this trickery. Give her up and spare your lives!” a lean, well armoured hobgoblin called from the front lines of the battle. As he called, several guards rushed at him, cursing and rejecting his offer. A few swift sword strokes saw those guards lose their heads with deft, deep blows.

“Sal, we need to retreat. Get on the wagon and let’s get out of here.” one of the guards called. Nodding but hesitant Sal climbed into her seat, the party grabbing onto the wagon as they dashed away, some guards throwing themselves at the attackers who gave chase.

“Stop that wagon!” roared the hobgoblin leader as the sounds of horns mixed with the blood chilling sound of guttural howls as the outriders of the hobgoblin army rushed forward to cut them off. The sound of crashing armour, breaking bones and howls of pain from goblins, beast and man heralded that they were not quick enough and soon worgs were circling them, waiting for the signal.

The next step in this adventure, the source of the attacks, the mastermind behind the assaults and the precise brutality of the hobgoblin leader. But don’t forget that we wont stop there and we have a few nights to go. So don’t forget to come back each night this week and, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

The Caravaner

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A long journey can be quite lonely when you are with people you don’t like who those who don’t like you and for the caravaner this is even truer. There is safety in befriending those you travel with even if they are paid in protecting you as accidents are a frequent occurrence in the line of bodyguarding. However these ‘accidents’ are less likely to occur if the person guarding you likes you. So on that note tonight we meet Sal, the friendly caravan driver journeying with the party this adventure.

So let’s grab a coffee, sit back and roll into tonight’s adventure!

The Caravaner

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Sal: Caravan Driver – Created in Artbreeder.

Gathering around one of the many campfires Sal laughed and drank deeply from the Tankard she had poured herself. The Princess had brought with her several vast kegs of ale and had opened them when they stopped. The guards who were not on duty were guarding the princesses wagon, which no one had seen her yet as she remained inside her wagon.

As Sal laughed and joked with the guards several of them attempted and failed to flirt with her as she gently, generally with humour, declined their advances. A few stern looks from the caravan captains made the men move on quickly enough if they didn’t get the message. As the night went on and the feasting died down the party returned to their tents and bedrolls and soon only the occasional noise from the guards could be heard.

Sometime in the early morning the party woke to complete silence. Positioned not far from the princesses wagon – and thus the guards this was an abnormality from the previous few nights. But there was a feeling of wrongness that crept through the camp and across the tent as if the air itself was trying to retreat further away from some unseen miasma.

Leaving their tent and bedrolls the party looked around the camp to find that not only the camp fires had been extinguished – many with guards passed out where they sat the night before but the torches and braziers had been too. Moving swiftly through the camp after drawing and donning their arms and armour they discovered on the other side of the wagon a bloody battlefield. Bodies lay strewn about the grass and chopped up soil. Humanoids in dark leathers and clothes littered the dead guardsmen who had died in a circle in front of the princesses wagon – which stood there with its heavy set doors ripped open.

Soon people who woke in the wake of the party moving through the camp joined them and the cries of alarm drifted through the camp. Guards raced from tents, wagons and where they fell the night before to begin lighting torches and forming a perimeter as they investigated the invaded wagon. Clothing lay strewn about the floor of the wagon where cupboards had been ripped open. A small secret compartment lay chopped into and a chest lay half full of gold and jewels lay cascading down from a padded seat. 

The princess was nowhere to be found.

Thanks for joining me tonight and exploring what, could and should be, a familiar scene for many of us. But maybe not and tomorrow night we will investigate further what this weeks holds in store for us. So don’t forget to come back each day this week and, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

Iron Harvest

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An elaborate rescue mission, a client who isn’t what they appear to be and danger on the road. Must be the yearly iron harvest. This week we dive into a different kind of adventure but not one that we haven’t faced this year already. The escort adventure has to be one of the more popular and frequent jobs that are given to adventurers but it has a whole range of possibilities.

So find a seat, grab a horse or risk walking this week as we sit, ride or walk into tonight’s adventure!

The council of steel is responsible for providing the finest weapons and recruits into the Royal Military guard each year and this year they went big. The princess herself is travelling as part of the Iron Harvest – a caravan crew that has made exclusive rights to ferry the valuable harvest of materials and recruits along the Ferrous highway.

However they carry another precious cargo, the princess of the realm also travels with the caravan and the new guard recruits first order of business is to see she is escorted safely. But when trouble arises something is amiss and where are the party? Where else – at the centre of it all.

Iron Harvest

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Iron Harvest Caravan train – Created in Nightcafe.

“Steady as we go boys.” The wagon driver said as they started to go down the hill into a valley. She had been talkative with the Party since they left Luistira and had been the source of many jokes and comments about the surrounding lands since leaving the city walls. “My father used to take me riding through these lands when I was younger. Said it was important to know the lands around where we live.” she continued as she looked fondly at a lake. “We caught many fish in that lake one year. I remember once he caught a pike so large that he was pulled into the lake. My Uncle called him Carp-head for many months after.”

The party had been hired by the Iron Harvest, a caravanning company that was the exclusive supplier of royal arms and guard recruits in the land. The caravan however had a special guest, which drew unwanted additional attention. The Princess of Luistira rode up ahead in her carriage as a final test to the new recruits. “What do you think of the new Guards?” Sal, the wagon driver asked the party as they watched the dozens of guards walk or ride around the princesses wagon. “They don’t look ready for the real thing yet. Hopefully they won’t have to see that for quite some time.” she added thoughtfully.

As they continued onwards the party thought they heard a distant shout to the east, but there was nothing that way except for a few farmers who stopped and waved at the caravan as it passed. A few of the other mercenaries and guards looked over and waved as they passed by and continued on the road. It would take another two days of travel, three if they stop to rest for the full nights before they reach their destination. Then the party would escort the empty caravan back to Luistira and the majority of the guards would stay with the princess in Kowal.

But there was a strangeness in the air, something that bode poorly and as they moved along the wooded road there were infrequent signs of other travellers, creatures and even beasts that littered the surrounding woods. Something that drew the attention of the party and some scouts but it was infrequent, disjointed and some of it purely bizarre which resulted in the men and women shrugging it off as coincidence.

Week twelve is here and it brings a escort mission with a twist. But that will be revealed later this week as we continue to expand upon this weeks adventure. Don’t forget to come back daily to stay on top of the new content and, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

The Queens Tomb

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Tonight and I have created a zine, the eighth of the new year. As I still continue to play catch-up on these zines you may find one or two of them pumped out in a weekend. But regardless of that I hope you are finding the current format of this Zine useful. So without any further waiting I present, The Queens Tomb, in the same format, as a fun one-shot to assist GMs.

As always this adventure can be used system agnostic but focuses on D&D so please feel free to adjust to what ever system and the creatures you are using in your adventure! However as always Kobold fight club can be used to quickly balance an encounter for Dungeons and Dragons and Tetra-cube provides the stat-blocks for the creatures found in this adventure.

So I hope you enjoy this weeks adventure, The Queens Tomb, and that your rolls are made with advantage.

The Queens Tomb

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The Den of Thieves – Created in nightcafe.

The party had travelled as part of a caravan heading to the desert town of Thone as part of an easy job, escorting the merchant Kollen to the town so he could sell his wares and travel deeper through the trade route. But once arriving there the party were left in the dust as Kollen departed with another group of mercenaries who offered something that they didn’t. Knowledge of the sands and a lower price.

Talking to the merchants in the town, and the residence they found the best place to get work in Thone was the Den of Thieves. Anyone who is looking for mercenaries goes there first and it was the easiest way that they would get paid to leave this town. 

The Den of Thieves was at the edge of town and guarded quite well. The Denizens of the dunes stayed away from the town due to the other fortifications and the ruthless efficiency at which the Den of Thieves dispatched those looking to make trouble.

Norturi of the Dead Sands – in Den of thieves – Created in Nightcafe.

The Party had sat down and enjoyed the remarkable iced beer that the establishment had to offer – something that a gnomish smith had created that produced a beer that was nearly as cold as ice. Sitting amongst the other occupants of the building the vast majority of them were quickly identified as being in here for their own gain. Several gangs called this place home and several nearby were boasting about their poor previous employer who they left in the sands poorer than what they found him. 

The door swung open revealing the darkening of the sky outside, the party had been in here for hours waiting for the chance of a job. The shadow at the door slunk in on nimble and experienced feet. A Tabaxi, one that had seen quite a number of things by the looks of it, stood at the door and watched the room – looking for a mark. Smiling, she slunk forward and turned just before reaching the party sitting next to the rougher group. 

After a few moments of low murmurs the woman stood and walked to the bar, grabbing a drink before turning and, for whatever reason she stalked past the group with a simple “I’ve changed my mind boys, sorry for my interruption” before standing in front of the party.

The rough mercenaries looked disappointed before smiling “Ah Lady luck will see us meet again in the future then Norturi – hopefully next time then.” before leaving with a few coppers on the table as a barmen came and cleaned up the empty tankards. 

“Hi, I’m Norturi – a studier of ancient lore and I find myself in need of an escort to where I think a lost treasure is. What say you? Are you looking for some quick and maybe easy work?”

The Dead sands at night – Created in Nightcafe.

Moving ahead at night with the bright moon illuminating the dunes wasn’t an issue. The party left through one of the many, many side exits of the Den of Thieves as Norturi didn’t want to risk being seen as they left.

The Sand at night was cool and the party found themselves surprisingly cold – the layers of cloth that Norturi wore finally made sense to the party as they shivered in the desert cold. 

However they weren’t the only ones that were walking amongst the dunes in the moonlight.

PDF adventure – The Queens Tomb

the-queens-tombDownload

Thanks for joining me today for another Zine this year. As usual there is a lot more in the Zine than there was in the daily updates on this blog – so make sure to grab a copy of the PDF.

Next time you get a party together consider running this adventure and I hope that you enjoy it.
I hope you don’t miss a thing so come back daily in the coming week and year. This is so you can experience the creation of the next adventure as it evolves and shapes out. And as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

Dangerous Storage

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With this week’s map having a whole room filled with vials of alchemist fire its a good night to look at dangerous storage. Now this isn’t just barrels stacked with explosives, oil or in this case alchemist fire it’s also bandoliers with vials attached, pouches or bags filled with vials of acid and alchemist fire or poison.

So let’s explore this concept and some rules around it – but first let’s sit back, grab a coffee and roll into tonight’s content.

Dangerous Storage

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A thief’s worst nightmare would be to trip and have their poison, oil and alchemist’s fire shatter within their bag. We generally don’t have many rules for this assuming that the contents of ones bag is safe – however a sweep from a stone of frost giants club could cause the vials within a pouch to shatter.

On a similar note falling hard enough, from a roof, rope or something where fall damage is included will have a chance to shatter poorly stored vials and bottles. This is really what we have to think about is that if the vial isn’t secured such in a way – like a padded box or section in the bag that has more padding, then its risk of being shattered.

So the maths behind this one is simple. For each dice for an attack or falling damage a creature with un-protected vials that scores maximum damage on the dice roll then roll a d20 and on a 11+ the vial is shattered. If there are multiple vials then randomly pick one.

This could quickly get very messy for some characters but it will promote players thinking about some of the little things. But the same thing can be applied for this week for those pesky cultists who love their vials of alchemist fire.

A small one tonight as we look forward to wrapping up this weeks adventure tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back for that and, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

Cultists and Fire

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Last week we had things made of wood and who, obviously, were deathly allergic to fire. This week we have cultists and fire, well cultists who use fire more accurately. There is something terrifying about fire, or being engulfed in it. So this week we have cultists who wish for nothing more than to cleanse what they believe to be rotten by fire. Someone obviously didn’t tell them that bronze dragons don’t mind the heat though – odd.

So let’s grab a coffee, sit down and let’s roll into tonight’s adventure!

Cultists and Fire

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Dragonslayer Cultist – Created in Tetra-cube

Now cultists are nothing new and this week we have both varieties. The standard cultist is an easy ‘add on’ approach to the standard stat-block giving the GM one less thing to search for in their books. Each Cultist having three vials of Alchemist fire on them means that they can lob three burning orbs of pain before they need to get a bit stabby and cutty.

Fanatic of the Dragonslayer Cult – Created in Tetra-cube.

Once again adding on the alchemist’s fire item into the stat block is nothing new but its something that makes our life a bit easier. Now the truly devout – the most twisted of these cultists will be trusted with more doses of their burning payload.

A very simple one tonight but there is more than meets the eye with this and we may have a case of quantity over quality this week. So don’t forget to come back this weekend as we explore this tabletop some more. And lastly, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

A Basement in Yole

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Not really a catchy-snappy name but a basement in Yole is just what it is, a basement in Yole. This hideout is a staging ground for some of the attacks from the Cult of the Dragonslayer and as such – the party will get to see it this week.

So instead of me giving you a walkthrough of the establishment as if I was a realtor let’s grab a coffee, sit back and roll into tonight’s adventure.

A Basement in Yole

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Yole Basement: Hidden – created in Inkarnate

Dirty wooden flooring, poor lighting and much more are the hallmarks of most lairs for cults and this week is no exception. With the main room having limited to no lighting and a secret false-wall behind a shelf there is a bit to discover here. Crates and boxes fill one half of the room which are filled with various tools and instruments that are crucial to the plans of the Cult of the Dragonslayer but the small ones are the dangerous ones. Each small box is filled with vials of alchemist fire which, as a volatile liquid goes, will mean that the tinder in this half of the room could be lethal.

Yole Basement: Base – Created in Inkarnate.

The secret door being revealed will show a few chests which are filled with support from members. The cult uses these supplies to fuel their campaign of fear and so they keep them hidden – mostly. The old rugs could hide traps under near – trip wires or bear-like traps would work well in this room however it could just be that they like a bit of luxury near their chests of coin and other wealth.

Not too many overlapping textures this week, about three, but the use of light, shadow and also tints gives the map the desired effect. Having a quick ‘make a clone’ of the map to reveal the secret room is a nice touch something quick and easy that can help describe the scene or show it for the party.

Thanks for joining me tonight for another map night. Nothing too complicated tonight for a nice small map with a bit of complexity. Don’t forget that the remaining nights this week we are expanding this adventure further so make sure to come back for that and, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

The Cult of the Dragonslayer

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This week we take a sneak peek at the job offer, the complication as well as the introduction to this weeks baddie – the Cult of the Dragonslayer. It’s been a hot minute since I have done a one-shot about a cult but I find that there is something truly appealing about them. It has something for all parties, those lawful good types who want to protect the innocents that are targeted or impacted by the cult as well as the… well the murder hobos who want a legitimate excuse for engaging in their side-hobby… yeah.

Any-who let’s not look too deep into this and so let’s grab a coffee sit down and roll into tonight’s adventure.

The Cult of the Dragonslayer

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Something told the party that the red stain on the captain’s clawed gauntlet was not something from the food market outside. As he pushed into the room and undid his helmet the bronze Dragonborn, Garius, looked across the party and at Duplicity. “There is a cult in Yole. We have a location to meet a contact but we don’t have their headquarters. But that is where the complexity comes in, and perhaps this is an opportune meeting that we have here.” he paused as he watched the gears turn over in the lieutenants mind.

“You can’t be serious, Garius. The council will never approve this.” she spat as her complexion grew a deeper purple. The faint smell of sulphur wafting in the room as tension grew.

“Deadly so. I need someone who can get the information I need and Tymora has granted me an adventuring party.” he paused as he cut off a rebuttal from Duplicity. “They know our members, they can suspect that we know but they may not suspect outsiders to the city. They call themselves the Cult of the Dragonslayer and they will be looking for more recruits as they lost a dozen on the attack at the parade. I fear that this is just the beginning.” he said as he scratched at his scales.

As the party sat next to the beggar playing three dragon Ante at a barrel near the Bearded Ent tavern. After a few hands the party produced the card that had been given to them. A Dragonslayer card which had been defaced with a symbol on its face which caused the beggar to add in a single bent copper to the ante. After a few moments the beggar stood up, swayed once and declared loudly that he was done. This was the signal the party had been waiting for and after a moment excusing themselves from the same they followed the beggar about fifty feet behind.

A few twists and turns later they found the beggar sitting on the steps of a building, his face illuminated by the pipe he was chomping on as he inhaled deeply. “You play a mean game of Ante. Do you also seek the truth of this world?” he asked, his face watching theirs with great intensity.

That’s it for tonight with more on the way the last few nights this week. Don’t forget to come back each day this week to follow along the development of this adventure and, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

The Clawed Captain

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From last week we had the Crakenburg Carters to this week having the Clawed Captain and, some more NPCs to come. But the Captain, Garius Goldclaw is a strong and honourable man who is duty bound to serving the cities protector. But how far will he go in this servitude and will that cross a line between good and evil?

So let’s grab a coffee, sit back and roll into tonight’s adventure!

The Clawed Captain

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Captain Garius Goldclaw – Created in Artbreeder.

Garius stormed through the hallway with the witnesses in tow, smoke rising from his helmeted brow. It wasn’t a rare occurrence the guardsmen of Yole saw their captain mad but to see him literally fuming had many of them scarring out of the way. A woman in light armour appeared at his side, “the council have asked for a statement captain, they want to make sure that the streets are safe.” she began.

“Not now Duplicity, I am working on it. First we have to ensure that our one prisoner is safe and that we can collect statements from these bystanders.” Garius growled through his helmet. “I will deal with the council when I know where we stand. If you can show these adventurers to your office lieutenant I will be there shortly. I have a prisoner to have words with.” Garius showed the adventurers down a hallway while he descended the stairs to where the secure cell would be.

Duplicity – created in nightcafe.

Sighing Duplicity tried to smile towards the party as she led them down the hall. Her brighter purple armour brings out the undertones of her skin. “We are a bit busy at the moment with Boraleius not being at the parade and the attack – it’s kind of rattled a few feathers so I hope you can bear with me as I ask you some questions. The Captain isn’t a bad man, there is just a lot of pressure on him to have the answers for something that should never have happened.” she continued, looking back towards the stairs he descended.

As they were shown to an office, a small one at that, Duplicity opened the door and showed them in. “Now I need you to start at the start. What did you see, when did you see it and what happened from your point of view. I need you to be specific about what you heard and saw as well as anything else.”

Thanks for joining me for another night at my table top. Some gorgeous NPC artwork this week that was created using SDXL 1.0 on Nightcafe – I do recommend checking it out!. Don’t forget that we will be expanding the adventure each night this week so don’t forget to come back daily and, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe