So another Saturday has come and instead of following the trend of a Openlegend RPG character from the previous weeks I wanted a change. Tonight I wanted to go back an do a 30 minute challenge focusing on something randomly generated and expanding it to a one shot adventure within 30 minutes. Todays 30 minute challenge, Forgotten Guard is to looking at what a forgotten guard could entail using, mainly, my experience as a avid TTRPGer and DM.
The normal self-imposed restrictions are in place.
Rules of the challenge for me
- Single word or theme
- 30 minute timer
- Must be a playable adventure
- Must have at least one driver (Antagonist/protagonist)
- Must be D&D centric and attempt to be of the fantasy variety.
Time started: 21:04 AEST
Overview: The party stumbles upon an ancient, overgrown temple deep within a mystical forest. Legends speak of a powerful artefact hidden within, guarded by the spirits of an ancient order of warriors known as the Forgotten Guard.
30 Minute Challenge, Forgotten Guard
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The party have heard rumours, tall tales of a temple within a dense, enchanted forest that holds unclaimed riches and an artefact of such power that a legion of knights thought it dangerous enough to seclude themselves away from the world to guard. The tales, mainly from drunken bards, go so far as to claim that the knights are still haunting the temple, forever cursed to guard the treasure that they swore their lives to defend.
It is all thought to be tall tales until the party are approached by one such bard, an older elf, while in the Half-moon tavern. Supposedly he had heard from a group of adventurers that they were chased out of the nearby forest by a host of spectral knights after the had discovered a vine and moss covered temple. Ancient and crumbling but still defended so keenly by these spectral soldiers.
The bard offers them a small sum of gold if they could accompany him to the temple in order to locate it. He wants to be the first to record the temple and tell the tale of the heroic adventurers who discovered what lay behind the phalanx of ghastly guardians. It’s riches would be split twenty – eighty with the bard claiming what they found most valuable but only after the party had the first sweep of what treasures lay within.
The trip to the temple was non-eventful and it was mid-afternoon by time they reached the forest where the bard had heard that the adventurers had ran from. He consulted a hand-drawn map (on the back of a napkin from the tavern) and moved them further along the road before pointing confidently deeper into the forest.
A few hours later and nearing dusk they came across the first evidence that they were nearing a building. Rocky pillars stretched through the trees, vines and other vegetation like ribs of a colossal creature. A discarded new shield with a large cut from a broad blade was discarded near the track they had travelled towards the temple a long with a pouch of what appeared to be spell components.
As they approached the rumours appeared to be true with several armoured spectres drifting from the building to create a barricade to the door. Behind them, resting against the door lay the skeletons of knights a rusty long sword, remains of a rotten shield and tarnished and pox-marked plate lay.
The confrontation was intense and vicious with the bard calling out to them with unhelpful suggestions. However the music that the bard played as she fumbled the lyrics to a song he was crafting on the fly gave pause to the knights who began to hesitate in their reckless attacks against the party. The last of the guards fell and the old temple doors lay closed and rotting.
As they pushed through the doors the skeletons from the fallen knights crumbled inwards causing the metal weapon, armour and bossing on the shield to clang loudly.
“Who disturbs the forgotten, who comes to claim which should not be” A voice rose from the ground at the end of the antechamber.
A voice from the back, the elven bard, strode forward “Sir Tamell…” he said with a shaky voice.
“It can not be. Ymrick?” An imposing figure manifested from the ground and stood in between the pews. “My friend, you have grown old.” the knight called back.
“It is not I who has grown old. Tamell, you must rest. You’re a shade of what you used to be and I can not bear to see you like this.” Ymrick, the elven bard, replied.
“I see you are not alone. Your companions have proven strong by besting my brothers. If their intentions are to take the artefact and use its power then I can not let them live, unless.” he said as he brought forth a spectral great sword. “Best me in fair combat and I will relinquish the artefact to you and consider my oath fulfilled.”
Objective
The party should aim to beat the knight or find another way to grab the wand on the alter behind the large spectral knight. If they beat him fairly in combat (all vs one is fine) then he will dissipate along with several other ghostly knights who came to watch.
If the party engage in non-honourable tactics then the knights on the sides of the room will open fire with spectral bolts from crossbows as they broke the code of honour.
Time finished: 21:32 AEST
Thanks for dropping by tonight for a quick adventure writeup. Let me know if you’d like to see more of these style quick-writeups in the future. Don’t forget that tomorrow is ZINE night so make sure you come back for that and, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe
Brazen Wolfe Tabletop 