One-shot

Shepherds of the Dead

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The Shepherds of the Dead, the priests of Kelemvor go by many names across the lands but the most elite of their clergy go by Doomguides. These elite warrior-priests sought out undead, the perverse corruption of the natural cycle of life and corrected these perversions.

The High Priest Richard Spirtbane was one such warrior, devout as he was strong and he had single handed brought peace to these lands before the clergy sunk roots and offered protection to all those who sought it. But now that he had passed the Shepherds of the dead were without a resolute guide and some of their order suspected foul play.

Assistance was required in order to put their fears aside and the party of adventurers who had arrived at their steps on-time but too late were now tasked with finding the truth so that their late leader could rest in peace.

Shepherds of the Dead

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First of his kind

High Priest Richard Spiritbane – Created in Artbreeder.

The late Richard Spiritbane was born three centuries ago, nearly to the date of his death. As the first priest of Kelemvor in Oakspire he was responsible for rooting out the undead in the Mystwood forest. His name was granted to him from Kelemvor after the source of undead was discovered to be a conclave of Banshees which himself, and a handful of his brethren dispatched and silenced.

The undead have risen a few times over the centuries as the growing city required more materials which they sources locally, as all good cities do. However the more sources of undead that Richard disposed of the more of his brethren he lost and the more unholy relics they uncovered. Soon the Chamber of Remembrance, a crypt beneath the church of Kelemvor, was built to not only store those who had passed but also encase the unholy relics that the priests had died to rid the world of. The sanctified lands and ever watchful gaze of not only Richard but the other Shepherds of the dead kept the unholy energies from corrupting the bodies encased in stone beneath the hallowed halls.

However this now flowing treasure trove of unholy relics attracted all kinds of foul and tainted beings and as the risk increased something must be done. That is when Kelemvor first extended the life of one of his priests, Richard Spiritbane. Appearing on the birthday of the high priest the deity of death proclaimed that he would grant a measure of temporary immortality to Richard, extending his natural life by another year upon which the god would again determine whether he would extend his blessing. This reoccurred for another two hundred and twenty years and during this time Richard trained a venerable army of the warrior priests to defend the halls beneath and the lands above and beyond the walls of the city of Oakspire.

Guardian of the Chamber of Remembrance

Brother Tobias Weatherborn – created in Artbreeder.

Brother Tobias Weatherborn was a curiosity in the city where death was revered. As a child he was found with a necromancer and used as a living energy buffer. The High priest himself disposed of the necromancer and when he turned his great-blade to the child he simply saw an innocent being used. Taking the boy in he sought to try and give him the life he deserved.

However it wasn’t long until the boy showed promise in hunting out the undead and evil. Being used as a conduit of power for quite some time left him sensitive to dark magics and he thwarted many attempts at stealing the unholy artefacts that were buried in the Chamber of Remembrance. As he came of age his power blossomed and he was indoctrinated into the priesthood of Kelemvor.

Appointed as a brother to the priesthood Brother Tobias guards the crypts to ensure that the faithful and devout to Kelemvor, his greatest warriors lie undisturbed. His secondary duty is to seek truth as evil uses lies as a weapon against the faithful. He was instituted as the Cryptguard and since then not a single emissary of the unholy arts has made it past his watchful gaze, or his blade.

Thanks for joining me tonight to meet some of members of the priesthood of Kelemvor. There are more to come later this week as we expand upon this adventure but that will be for another time. So don’t forget to come back daily to make sure you are up to date with the content here. And finally, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

The Procession of Priests

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Welcome to the first day of the new year of adventure and we start off on a, bit of a low note to be honest. The Procession of Priests is where we start our adventure this week and this year I try something a bit different. Instead of always having a set level of the adventures this year I want to tinker with configurable difficulty in my one-shots. It may be a bit ambitious but I’ve been writing one-shots here for long enough that I believe I will be able to make it happen. But for this change to truly take off, I have a slightly different format I want to check out.

So our adventure truly begins as the party enter the city of Oakspire. a city that was built from the oak trees from the Mystwood forest many centuries ago after a village, Myr, expanded from a population of a few dozen to a town of a few hundred overnight due to war. The progression attracted the unwanted attention of the undead for a few years due to the ruins within the woods themselves and as such the religion of Kelemvor settled deep roots within the burgeoning city. As befitting the churchdom of Kelemvor longevity of life isn’t uncommon and the head of this church, High Priest Richard Spiritbane, has been in power since nearly the birth of the city as we find it today.

However was he approaches his three hundredth birthday the clergy deem that the celebration; more so a night of rituals to give thanks and seek Kelemvor’s approval and blessing for the longevity of his most devout priests, needs the silent and watchful hand of hired bodyguards as they have reason to believe that the High Priest’s life is in danger.

The party now having travelled from Strumden, a small peaceful half-way village to Oakspire city to lend their services to the protection of the high priest. And that is where we find our party, outside the gates of Oakspire city, looking for the oldest man in the oldest building.

The Procession of Priests

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Church of Kelemvor – Created in Nightcafe.

The party greet the guards politely as they move on foot through the large gates. The smells of people, animals and refuse greet them first as they enter the Grand City of Oakspire – not an uncommon occurrence they muse. The buildings beyond the gate are lively. Stables, inns, bars and merchants that focus on goods for travellers line the street.

The alleyways and street are hurriedly being shovelled and mucked by street sweepers as they seek to earn their copper for the day cleaning refuse from horses and people. The alleyways are busy with people rushing through or into with goods to side doors and hatches. But beyond the busyness of commerce the din of the lesser districts can be seen with tall, thin, worn down buildings nearly stacked upon each other. The city itself sprawls outside the gates with farmhouses and poorer housing outside the wall but it’s evident to see that it spills out from nearest the wall at some stage.

Seeking directions to the church of Kelemvor was met with a knowing nod and kindness from all in the city. Even the roughest of people bowed their heads with respect and gave the party directions, offering a blessing that they find the peace they seek. As the party wove themselves deeper into the city they were greeted by the gradual change in the buildings as it evolved to business of better repute, mercantile and the merchants seemed to live here between the houses of the workers of the city, and those who were born rich.

Here guards were posted at several street corners sporting black cloaks, their weapons sheathed but not out of reach as they watched all those who walked by with calculating stares. The merchants here did not holler and call to the passers by but smiled and bowed politely to those who crossed in a nearly sombre way. Their expressions a mixture of welcoming and sympathy which the party were beginning to see on the looks of all but the guards faces.

As they were pointed away from the noble-born district by a pair of guards who saw them approaching they were nearly surprised to see that the Church of Kelemvor was away from the nobles houses and sat, alone, next to what appeared to be the barracks, the cities wall and the edge of the working districts houses. But that did not shock the party as much as the hundreds of people that lined the street towards the church.

Movement was slow through the crowd but the people of the city merely bowed their heads and wished that they find their peace as they progressed, painfully slow to the church. Many people were dressed in black and sported the symbol of Kelemvor on their clothing or as an amulet, ring or other accessory. Some merchants and noblemen and noblewomen held books which appeared to be prayer books to Kelemvor. As they stood and muttered prayers in the streets everyone, poor, wealthy and noble alike, took small steps when they could to get closer to the church.

As the party approached the church a ring of guards prevented people from walking up the large grey stone steps unless in single file and only the letter they had received from their employer let them pass as a group. Everyone bowed respectfully as they walked the steps that were covered in a large dark carpet that cascaded down from the large, heavy oaken doors of the place of worship.

Entering the doors the party was stopped by young guards dressed in black robes who took their name and one look at the letter before moving off to seek out a brother of the order. The party could see a hall lit with hundreds of candles within and at the far side of the church lay an altar, surrounded by imagery and symbols of Kelemvor. Upon the altar a body lay draped in black cloth, candles surrounded the altar and with every visitor another candle was placed upon the steps leading to the deceased. Within the minute the guard came back with a priest of Kelemvor.

“Welcome, blessings upon you and thanks for travelling. I would wish that you find the peace you seek but I must ask you to follow me first.” The man’s face was kind and welcoming but there was a pain behind his eyes. As they followed him through the church the man greeted other people paying their respects to the deceased but didn’t answer any questions the party had. All he provided was “Follow me if you will, we have much to discuss and I trust that I will be able to answer all your questions in due time.”

As they walked past the altar a human man appeared to be in his eighties lay there amongst the black fabric and candles and the party began to feel a weight settle in their stomach. Passing through a door that the priest held open for them the party found themselves in a small room, big enough for them to sit or stand but not much else.

“Now before you ask any more questions I have to ask for your forgiveness as the letter you have, the job detailed within is no longer required. But I have another for you if you are willing.” the priest said, his face still unreadable mixtures of emotions. “During the initial rituals to sanctify the church the entire congregation was visited by an image of Kelemvor. Our lord then proclaimed that the High Priest Richard Spiritbane would not be granted another year of extended life by our lord and within the hour he died.” The priest moved to the door and checked outside quickly before returning.

“As you can imagine it was quite shocking but as it was the will of our god, the guardian of the living and the dead of this city his word is lore. But myself, and a few other brothers and sisters, do not believe that we were visited by our lord. In all the recordings and teachings of our order never has the decision of the extension of his grace to his followers been declared prior to the day of the rituals, which is two days from now. We few believe that there is a foul ploy at foot and I pray that you can help uncover the truth. Only myself knows about this deal, for the rest of the city you are just once-bodyguards but now you join the mourners.” he finished as he licked his lips.

“What say you, will you be able to assist us and help us find the peace that the high priest deserves?”

Now that was a bigger writeup than intended. Thanks for coming to welcome in the near year with this blog and we have a bit of a big one this week to kick us off. The format hasn’t changed from the previous years with every day this week adding onto the weekly adventure so don’t forget to come back daily to follow along. Also don’t forget to check out the archives for the previous adventures and content and, with some luck, this year will have more content than the last – but more on that at a later date. And finally, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

Guardian of the Forest

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Last night we looked at Forescythe and the trouble that they had, one of the rumours that was floating around was a large giant in the forest. Well that rumour wasn’t exactly untrue and its something the party, being low level for this adventure, would probably do best to steer clear of.

Guardian of the Forest

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Forest Guardian – Created using Mystic.AI (stable diffusion)

Blake stumbled out of the inn after being told he should stop drinking five drinks ago. As he look to his house on the edge of the clearing he waved back to his drinking buddies, all of who could hold their ale and were returning back to the tables. Walking towards his house he walked to the front door hearing his cat, Jasper, somewhere on the other side of the door.

“Likely getting into the cheese again” he said to himself as he opened the door and walked in. Jasper had other plans and bolted out the door and ran towards the forest. Swearing as he tumbled over he watched the cat stop at the edge of the tree line. Standing up he began to give chase to the feline as it taunted him at the edge of the forest. Walking slowly at first the cat rolled on the ground encouraging Blake to pat it, but as soon as he bent down it scrambled further into the forest. Blake followed uttering more choice words but it repeated time and time again.

The woods weren’t unfamiliar to Blake as he was a hunter for the village of Forescythe and knew the woods well but he found himself stopping next to Jasper who had stopped and stared up into the trees. The hairs on his arms and neck began to rise and Blake started to sober up really quickly as an unfamiliar sensation crept over him. Fear.

The calls of the night animals had stopped and a slow rhythmic thumping could be heard, something that shook the soil beneath the grass and leaves underfoot. As the moon shone down amongst and between the trees a large, dark silhouette moved from behind a tree and it took Blake a moment to notice it. The figure was easily thirty feet tall, tall enough to grab onto tree branches and snap them off as it lumbered past them. Then Jasper meowed and the creature stopped.

A giant head turned towards Blake and it stared at him and the ginger and white cat at his feet. Within seconds Jasper had run back the way he had come, towards home and Blake was scampering behind him, hoping the trees would give him cover and block his retreat from the creature. He didn’t remember making it home and falling through the open door nor climbing into his bed after snuffing the candles. But he does remember hearing a blood chilling roar that came from the forest, one that kept him awake all night.

Thanks for stopping by tonight. A stat block it is not, but not all encounters need one. By describing how the environment reacts around something, or the feelings that wash over the party you sometimes don’t need stat-blocks. Now stay tuned for this weekend as new years eve is just around the corner and it brings with it, the end of the year. A time for reflection and planning and hopefully some tabletop gaming! So don’t forget to stay tuned in and if you don’t – don’t forget that next year is just around the corner with another 52 brand new adventures. And lastly, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

The Village of Forescythe

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Welcome to another night where I am wrapping up the end of the year and tonight I am presenting the village of Forescythe, a sleepy little farming town that has had some bad luck of late. Inspirited by one of the one shots I put my “One-shot adventure crew” through adventure had a bit of it all – but tonight I am only providing you the map to use as you see fit.

The Village of Forescythe

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Forescythe Village – created in Inkarnate

The running river that comes from the mountains to the north of Forescythe provides nearly everything the village needs to keep producing crops. The forest itself is rich in good quality timber but they only use what they need to and have plenty of land to the south for their farms. The mountains do however hold several caves that were cleared out a few decades back from a rather unfriendly family of ogors that used to cause havoc for the townsfolk but there has been peace for years. Until recently.

Rumours fly about the superstitious farmers about what is causing their live stock, tools and supplies to go missing. A group of bandits is rumoured to plague the forest and those that travel through. The rival village of Wickswitch, about half a days travel on the other side of the mountains, is also thought to be behind the misfortune. Even reports of a giant that has been seen crashing through the trees during the night of the full moon. All of these requests have been escalated to the guilds, mercenaries and inns in hope of attracting a group to investigate and finally a put an end to their bad luck.

An example of the “all roads lead to Rome” approach where all the stories are related but not quite the truth. But this adventure is a fun one with even a deeper mystery to uncover that, hopefully, will leave the party wanting to come back later. It also teaches them that sometimes combat and brute force isn’t the best option, sometimes a hasty retreat is best. But more on that another time. Don’t forget to come back the last few nights of the year and, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

What Happens on the Road

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Welcome to a bit of a filler tonight but with good intention as I look at the previous fifty-two weeks of content and try to imagine what happens on the road for the parties in the next year. The theme of this blog has changed from a bombardment of options for Plots, NPCs, Hooks, Locations and Encounters which was shortlisted into a single adventure to be crafted on the weekend. This then evolved to a single campaign that was driven over the space of a year with, quite overly detailed write-ups and to what it is now.

Every week brings an adventure and one-shots seem to be the calling that I have settled on. But I believe that all my one-shots can be weaved into a campaign by using your own NPCs and by modifying the Plot, Hooks, Locations and even Encounters to really tailor it to your own. However, a few of my One-shots don’t even need that and they can be used right out of the Zine and into your campaigns.

Now to get the one-shots to this format I have to keep it simple and provide guiding but not defining moments and encounters. This gives the DM/GM more control over how they integrate it for their party but makes it less accessible for new hosts of the game to pick up one of my Zines and use it as their first adventure. This is something I wish to remedy in the new year but it may take me some time to work out how – as to write a Zine each week is quite time intensive (between 10 to 14 hours depending on the content). Where the daily update is shorter there is normally more fleshing out that happens in the Zine – and sometimes even well fleshed out Daily updates get a boost in content in the Zine as well!

But enough on my rambling. Tonight I wanted to look at some quick hooks that can be interjected into any campaign to throw the party into a memorable one shot.

What Happens on the Road

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The invasion

What I will dub the “invasion” secondary hook or twist for this blog post is becoming more popular these days. Simply put it is the party coming into contact with a hostile force at the right time and right place.

The party had been traveling along the road at the south of the kingdom along a road that was seldom used. This road would see them leave the dense forest at the guarded checkpoint into the neighbouring kingdom where they had to deliver a sealed letter. The checkpoint was one of two regulated crossing points where the residents of the two kingdoms could cross over legally and safely. The wilderness between the two kingdoms was rumoured to be the territory of a particularly foul and territorial black dragon. However, luckily, it was extremely lazy and rarely left the large swamp that lay between the two kingdoms.

This created a natural barrier to people who wanted to cross over which the kingdoms seemed happy about as there were taxes in crossing into the neighbouring lands. The road they were on skirted the known edge of the dragons territory and had been used for decades as a way to and from the checkpoints and into the various parts of the kingdom.

The party pushed on their horses keeping a fast pace and making good time but the party were beginning to become increasingly alert and cautious. The horses were anxious and it had been some time since they had last seen wildlife that normally filled these woods. Thinking back it had been days since they had seen any sign of game and even the birds and smaller creatures were decreasing in sightings at a quick pace. Suddenly the party stopped, their forward scout signalling that something had been found. Alert and cautious the party moved up to reveal that around the bend and in a small gully a small tent-city had been created.

Dozens of men; hundreds even, could be seen moving between the tents and slowly packing supplies into bags as they mustered around a large central pavilion. Each of the men and women, humans and other races bore the colours of the kingdom they were heading towards and they were each dressed for combat. With a sinking feeling the party realised that they had stumbled upon what appeared to be either the forward advance or the rear guard of the kingdoms royal army. As they watched on the ground shook as a large adult black dragon pulled itself through the trees, its horns tearing bushes from the grounds and shredding branches on the trees.

A sturdy looking dragonborn with black scales strode forward and bowed to the dragon. “Everything is going as planned. With our forces invading the forest and moving up soon we will be out of your way as promised Garvelorgn.” the dragonborn said reverence.

“Good. And as soon as you are gone I can begin to expand my territory. Your sorcerer had correctly guessed that I was planning to take over these lands. Your promise of land and a new hunting ground is just consequential” the black dragon, Garvelorgn, said with a puff of green smoke from its nostrils. “Are you sure your force is big enough? I couldn’t help but notice that there wasn’t many amongst your ranks?” The dragon teased.

“The Black Talon is the strongest assault force in the continent. Despite our fewer number our strength comes from that idiot king and his pathetic nations lack of awareness of what happens in his own lands. Once he knows we are there it will be too late and he will be at our mercy” the dragon born said and several other warriors amongst the forest camp called out in support.

The Old friend

Now the old friend is a more situational one that is tailored to a “Find the source of the trouble and silence them”, or “Rob this wagon – it will be laden with gold” or “escort the prince, there is a rumour that there are people after him so be alert” type of mission. This is where the Party, or a member in the party, know the antagonist and have to come to grips with their old friend being the source of their work. But although it’s more sorted to these kinds of situations/quests it can work elsewhere.

The party checked the map in front of them making sure that they had the right address. Surely enough they were looking at the correct wagon that was parked in an alleyway with a draft horse harnessed to the front. Sneaking across the street they slowly approached the animal and the druid placed a hand upon its muzzle and the horse quickly went back to standing still.

Moving around the side of the wagon they found the door locked, but nothing their thief couldn’t handle. With a deft hand the lock was open and the door was slowly opening. Looking in the dark interior the bard called out a dancing mote of light to fill the interior. A few comfortable seats, curtains on the windows and a cushion one one of the two benches greeted them. Stepping into the wagon the bard and the thief began to look around. Having some advance intel that there was a hidden compartment that held what they were looking for they began searching for latches, buttons or nooks that would hold what they were searching for.

The warrior of the group kept a watch out as the druid, in the form of a tabby cat scouted around for an exit route. The warrior looked at the building they were next to. “Pinot and Stubbs” read the sign. She frowned as one of the names on the sign brought back memories from a lifetime ago.

Lost in her memories she heard too late as the door opened next to her and she turned too slowly to warn her allies within the wagon. “Arh!,” a woman’s voice shrieked as she saw the cloaked and armed figure in the alley. But the lantern in her hand did a fantastic job at revealing the warriors face. “Oh you scared me. What do you wan… Is that you Fiona? Fi?” the voice asked. “It can’t be you, surely. I haven’t seen you since we were both at the Orphanage. It’s me Pinot.” said the halfling in front of her.

A noise from the wagon drew the attention of the now smiling woman in front of her. “Wait.. Actually what are you doing here next to my shop, in the middle of the night next to my wagon?”

Either one of these two types of hooks could bring a added level of adventure to your session. Keeping the same theme you can quickly tie in a one-shot to something mundane, like travelling through a forest, or expand upon a easy snatch and grab – like stealing Pinots secreted chest. What ever the adventure is there are always avenues to include something different, a side quest, a tangent if you will. I add in more one-shots than I care to admit to doing but some of these feel much more rewarding and produce the biggest thrills for my party.

But that’s where we will have to end tonight. Don’t forget to come back for the rest of the days this week as we explore a bit more, learn a bit more and reflect on the last year. If you haven’t already don’t forget to check out my seasonal adventure, Mischief and Merrymaking, and, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

Driven to Mischief

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Welcome to the Twenty-fourth night of Dice-ember and tonight we have a look at not only the reason Daryn’edril and Beth’andra are driven to mischief but we also reveal a nearly forgotten stat-block. As we look back on the last twenty-four days, and as I am preparing the one-shot Zine, I marvel at just how much there is in a few weeks worth of content. But more on that later, let’s not waste any more time in understanding the mind of the fey!

So sit back, grab a seasonal beverage and let’s roll into the holiday season!

Driven to Mischief

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While originally put in as a bit of a “assistant” NPC for Rick, Alice quickly became a core NPC that helps drive the story later on. Because of this I was originally going to have her as using one of the bloody Knuckle Gang statblocks but I think she deserves a bit more than that. So introducing Alice Ironglove!

Alice Ironglove – created in tetra-cube.

Daryn’edril and Beth’andra are lesser members of the fey court in the feywilds. During the winter season, in their attempt to create excitement and entertainment for themselves they began to visit the elves of the Rimeteeth mountains. This delighted them for some time but the elves began to not react in the same manner and their senses and knowledge of the fey made them difficult to prank and trick.

However, as the mountains began to have other races move in they found that the same tricks, pranks and jokes that used to entertain them with the elves stopped having the same effect. It started with replacing a hunter’s arrows with twigs, which caused the twins much delight as the hunter failed to bring down its target, a deer.

Then slowly the pranks increased and they soon forgot about the elves of the forest, much to the elves delight. They realised that the humans, dwarves and other humanoid races of the now bustling city were much easier to fool than the elves and the chaos that their winter-time pranks brang delighted the fey pair more than the elves ever did.

As they progressed their pranks for swapping knives for spoons or hammers for rolling pins they realised that the people of this town relied on the guard and soon a new game was born. A game of cat and mouse began to delight the fey as they pushed their pranks and tricks further, using their magic they confused, befuddled and manipulated the people of the city until the guard wised up to their tricks. Then they would have to evade the ever angry and ever eager guard.

This game of chase was something that brought such joy that they forgot the melancholy of the feywilds during the winter months. The people eventually started to put their trinkets and valuables in chests with iron bindings which prevented their magic from affecting those few items and so they lost interest when people stopped caring that their turnips turned into carrots. With the change in the reaction of the people of Rimeglenn the fey returned to the feywilds and began to plan for the next year when they would increase the level of mischief and pranks that they would sew.

And that marks the last night of Dice-ember for the year, sort of. Come back tomorrow for the end of Dice-ember Zine. But that’s not quite the end of the year as I have plans for the last six or so days of the year. So don’t forget to come back daily and, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

Mischief Unmasked

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Welcome to the Twenty-Third night of Dice-ember where tonight we look at mischief unmasked! The true faces of the trickers who have plagued Rimeglenn for years and a hint at why they have; but more on that tomorrow. But for now we will get to see their true faces, perhaps their ‘true names’ and their statblocks!

So sit back, grab a seasonal beverage and let’s roll into the holiday season!

Mischief Unmasked

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While their stat blocks are geared towards a CR5 encounter they don’t like taking life as that would put a quick stop to their fun. They will try and prevent the loss of life so they can continue their mischief and gain more amusement and joy from the people of Rimeglenn becoming increasingly confused as chaos grows in the city.

Daryn’edril Brimesquience – Created in Artbreeder.
Statblock created in tetra-cube.

The holder of the unidentical twins, Daryn’edril is a fierce defender of his sister however still has some latent magical abilities. Stronger and quicker he uses his spells to modify his appearance more than using his precious few magical abilities to hinder or affect his opponents. Armed with a powerful attack with his claw and trained to fight in closer combat he is dangerous and effective, if provoked to fight that is.

Beth’andra Brimesquience – Created in Artbreeder.
Statblock created in tetra-cube.

Now where Daryn’edril is more accustomed to physical tests Beth’andra is adept at manipulation and using her magical talents. Able to manipulate and control those around her she uses this to get the most out of any situation. However he primary focus is getting herself and her brother to safety before they get into trouble or injured.

A brief view of the NPCs, Daryn and Beth – or should I say Daryn’edril and Beth’andra. These two fey have caused a bit of trouble over the years and tomorrow we can get a glimpse as to why and what exactly drives them. But we need to get to tomorrow first, so don’t forget to come back tomorrow for more Dice-ember Christmas themed adventure. And lastly, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

True Faces of Mischief

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Welcome to the Twenty-second night of Dice-ember where tonight we look at the true faces of mischief. Well, the actions that are taken to lead to that moment will be explored however, no faces will be revealed, tonight at least. But enough about that, let’s not worry about what will be revealed within the next three days.

So sit back, grab a seasonal beverage and let’s roll into the holiday season!

True Faces of Mischief

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This weeks encounter is focused on the social interaction between two ‘children’, a dwarf, a human and the party. While it may come to blows there are a few things at play here that would determine if it leads to that or not.

The Basics

The children have advantage against spells and effects that would charm them. They have a +7 modifier to saving throws against spells (such as zone of truth etc.) and the same modifier applies for Charisma based skill checks (Persuasion, Deception, Performance, Intimidation).

Each one of them will say the same story without difference in what they are saying regardless if they are in the same room or not, but they aren’t infallible. When they speak an arcana or Charisma check (vs deception or performance check) will reveal that there is a charm-like effect being used whenever they speak. Creatures that have advantage against being charmed (or who can’t be charmed) have advantage on this check.

The Checks

So the children are not truthful, secrets out!, so when it’s a new lie then we can allow an insight vs deception/persuasion check. If the two children collaborate on the story then it’s effectively an “help action” and grant +3 to the roll. If the party succeeds on an insight check then the child who was beaten in the contest will become agitated.

The mini-game behind this is to ask a bunch of questions that force a persuasion or deception check. If an ability or spell is used that grants creatures immunity to charm or domination then the children immediately fail all checks.

The Children

Both children are creatures in disguise with a polymorph-like ability. Detecting magic will reveal that they are indeed altered by magic.

Both children have telepathy and can charm any creature of their choice as long as the creature can hear their voice. Both children will take damage like normal and won’t revert to their true selves unless willingly. Instead of dying or falling unconscious at 0 HP they will appear dead (advantage on deception check).

They have a hatred of Gnomes and Dwarves. Both creatures will cause them to have disadvantage on charisma checks when they are interacting with a dwarf or gnome.

Once the children have been found to be lying then they will revert to their true forms and will be able to use misty step at will and mirror image once per day as per the spell without any spell components or spell slots.

Some interactions captured, some more to go. Thanks for dropping by tonight for the twenty second Dice-ember night. Don’t forget to come back this weekend for the last components of this adventure. And lastly, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

A Snow Capped Icescape

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Welcome to the Twenty-first night of Dice-ember. Now that we have made it this far I don’t really have another encounter map, yet, and tonight I still wanted to give something to add to the adventure. So I tried to imagine what the snow capped icescape that is Rimeglenn would look like and it progressed from there. From the snow ridden city to the frigid barren lands outside the walls the cost of exile is great. But those who are exiled lose the ability to cower behind the city walls when the true monsters come knocking.

So as we wrap things up sit back for a chill night where we take a breath before tomorrow and the weekend. The quiet before the storm is here and I have a lot to do.

So sit back, grab a seasonal beverage and let’s roll into the holiday season!

A Snow Capped Icescape

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While behind the walls may be stuffy and confined for some most find it a safe haven for what they need out of life. The walled city is well protected, well supported and it boasts some of the best military that this part of the land has to offer. But for those who break the law the harsh and cold reality quickly seeps in past their furs.

Rimeglenn Imagery – Created in Nightcafe.

The hills after exile are look much more intimidating and frightening instead of looking at them with the knowledge that the walls will protect you at night. Once exiled the criminals and unwanted of Rimeglenn find the landscape bountiful in Spring and summer, dwindling and frantic in Autumn and nearly impossible to survive in winter. Only those who are well prepared or used to it survive outside the walls during the coldest months.

Consequences of Exile from Rimeglenn – Created in Nightcafe.

And that’s the lot for tonight. A busy one in the real world for me and not needing a map for this weeks content so some art to help drive a thriving imagination. Don’t forget to come back the last few nights and, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

An Unlikely Truth

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Welcome to the Twentieth night of Dice-ember and tonight we face an unlikely truth. With the offer of aid from Alice the party would be foolish to not take the eye witness account of someone who was watching the building for a day. Surely this evidence would even sway the guards that the Dwarf attacked earlier

So sit back, grab a seasonal beverage and let’s roll into the holiday season!

An Unlikely Truth

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The party considered their options but something wasn’t adding up with the version of events the children were claiming. But if the Dwarven member of the bloody Knuckles gang, Alice, could prove that what they claimed was wrong then they would be removed as the suspects for the stolen reward from the vault. As they moved back through the Guards hall, with a small escort, they knocked on the door to Captain Sungrave.

“Enter.” she responded from beyond the door and the party pushed on the oaken door. On the other side of the door Captain Sungrave was scribbling notes amongst a pile of similar looking reports that had been scrawled. “I wasn’t expecting to see you for some time yet. Please sit where you can.” she gestured towards the chairs that were mostly bare. “What can I help you with? Remember something more?”

“Now let me get this straight. The Dwarf that attacked you and me claims that she has information that may help us uncover what happened to the gold that proves it wasn’t you. And it will only cost her being pardoned for the crimes of associating with known criminals, assault on the city’s guard and attempted theft?” Captain Sungrave asked as the party finished telling her what they knew so far. “It sounds like we will need to get Alice in here to confirm what she knows. I can’t promise her a full pardon until I know what she has to offer.”

Penelope looked at the party of adventurers and considered if there was an ulterior motive behind it. But no reason came to mind. Gesturing to one of the guards that had escorted them in, she requested that they retrieve Alice. She then gestured to the other guard and requested that they fetch the children. She needed to give them the opportunity to defend themselves. She sighed deeply, it was going to be a long night.

And that’s the end to tonight. A short set-up for what will be a bigger encounter from tomorrow and Friday. So don’t forget to come back the last five days of Dice-ember and, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe