Third adventure

Dungeons and Dragons third scenario – Saving Esker

Fowler meets with the characters and asks if they would go to the village of Esker to investigate Nedrick’s claim that this is where the weapons are coming from. There is a blacksmith in Esker, a Hill Dwarf named Axel Fireforge and while Fowler thinks it unlikely Axel would supply weapons to Goblins as Dwarves hate Goblins, it’s the only lead they have.

Fowler will hold Nedrick on made up charges as long as he can (a week at most) to give the characters a head start.

Go to Esker, uncover the truth about Nedrick’s story and report back to Fowler.

Esker is a mining outpost populated mostly by Dwarves and Humans. There are about 75 people living there. There is a watchtower with 5 guards there and they report to Fowler weekly. The latest report is a few days late but that’s not unusual. There haven’t been any goods caravans from Esker in a few weeks but again this is not all that unusual.

The journey to Esker usually takes about 3 days as its very hilly.

Day 1. Havens Vale.

Travelling to Wild Water Farm takes about a day. Wanda and Windle appear friendly people. They are Humans in their mid 30’s. They run a small hog farm and charge 5 copper for crossing the bridge. They also have spare rooms they rent out for 2 silver a night, this includes an evening meal and breakfast. There are 4 farmhands who work the farm. There is a cart and cart horse for taking goods to Haven.

The Waterfdlower`s will ask about the characters reason for travelling to Esker, they are concerned that no word has come from Esker for over a week. They rely on passing transport to supplement their farm income.

If asked about Nedrick Windle will state that someone who matches that description has travelled to Esker and back over a week ago.

If asked about Borsk the Waterflower`s will say that while he doesn’t like strangers, he is a good man. He is distrustful because of persecution in the past. They will say that no one knows the mountains and woods like Borsk.

If asked about his race they will decline to comment (they know he is an Ogre).

Day 2. Esker mountain track.

As the characters approach the Esker mountains the weather turns colder. There are many trees and rocky hills with the track winding its way towards Esker.

Characters can make a Nature roll against 12 to identify what appears to be wolf tracks along the route to Esker. The horses start to show signs of agitation.

Shortly after there is a wolf howl.

The horses rear and bolt, if the characters are still mounted, they must make an animal handling roll against 14 to be able to safely dismount. If they fail they take 1D6 fall damage.

Most of the wolves will run after the horses, however one for each character will attack them. Once reduced to half hit points the wolves will flee.

Wolf +2 initiative 12 HP +3 Attack armour class 12 1D6 damage

Further up the trail the characters may make a perception roll against 10 to spot two bodies off to the mountain side of the trail. If approached they will find two dead Goblins that appear to have been killed by wolves. If searched they find on each of them a dagger (perception roll against 12 will identify this as similar workmanship to that found in the chests in last adventure), pouch of 1D6 copper coins.

One will have a small stone statue of troll, an arcane roll against 10 will identify this as faintly magical but not necessarily in a good way.

If they take the statue of the troll it will glow green briefly. It will draw a troll to them which will attack them. The troll will take half a day to find them.

Troll -1 initiative 20HP +3 attack armour class 14 1D6+1 damage.

The troll statue will crumble once the troll is killed.

At the end of the second day they will reach the cross roads. There is a wooden hut here nestled in between two huge trees.

The hut has wood in the fire and more wood in a log store out the back. There is a cold store with quantities of dried food such as nuts, dried fruit and biscuits. There is a bed and a horse shelter with hay. This hut is for any traveller to use, it is maintained by Borsk.

Inside the hut there is an injured Bobcat it will hiss at them if they approach it. It has an arrow shaft sticking from its hind quarters.

An animal handling roll against 10 will allow them to approach the cat. If they make a medicine roll against 12 they can remove the arrow and patch up the cat.

A perception roll against 10 will identify this as a Goblin arrow.

When they come out of the hut they will see another bobcat who looks at them then walks towards Borsks lodge. Looking behind itself to see if they follow every now and then.

Day 3. Decisions.

If the characters travel to Borsk`s Hunting Lodge:

The characters find a rickety looking robe bridge over the Esker rapids. The bridge is high above the water which runs in a narrow cutting. It is clear that if they were to fall, they would not survive the drop…

The bridge is in fact very sturdy, just looks and sounds otherwise. Characters can make a survival roll against 12 to see this.

On the Esker woods side of the bridge there are large stone steps going up into the woods. The steps are very large, not made for human feet. The characters may make a Nature roll against 12 to realise they are being followed by several large cats, one of which has bounded ahead up the steps.

If they follow the steps after several hours of climbing they come to a massive wooden log cabin with smoke coming from a chimney. This is Borsk`s cabin.

The door to the cabin is twice the size of a normal door, it is slightly open. There are sounds of movement within.

Borsk is a Blode Ogre and will introduce himself gruffly when the characters either knock on the door or call him. He will grudgingly invite them in. If they helped the cat in the travel lodge, he will be far more well disclosed towards them.

Borsk will offer food and will wait for the characters to talk before he does.

If asked about Esker he will say that There is trouble in Esker. A gang of Hobgoblins have come down from the Esker mountains and taken over town. They have the blacksmith forging weapons and the miners digging iron to make more.

The guards have been killed.

The townsfolk outnumber the brigands but the children have been secured in an old cave in the mountain and the townsfolk wont lift a finger unless they are freed.

There is also a mysterious man in black robes, could be a magic user, he appears to be in charge of the Hobgoblins.

Borsk suggests the characters attempt to free the children but stay clear of the man in black robes. Free the children and bring them back to Borsk`s cabin. Once that’s done Borsk might know someone who might help with the black wizard…

The cave is somewhere in the Esker mountains. Borsk suggests that one of his Bobcats, Scrat, could guide them.

If the characters travel to Esker:

As the characters approach the town of Esker they can make a perception roll against 10 to notice there are 6 armed hobgoblins on the outskirts of the town. If the characters approach one of the Hobgoblins will fire an arrow at them and shout at them to clear off.

Hobgoblin bowman +2 initiative 15HP Attack +4 Damage 1D6 AC16

Hobgoblin fighters +2 initiative 15HP Attack +3 Damage 1D8 AC 16

If the characters fight they will hear the sound of other brigands coming and will have to flee or be overrun.

If the characters are captured they will be beaten, robbed and left for dead in the woods.

Day 4. The search for missing children

If the characters follow Scrat he will lead them around Esker and into the mountains, following a narrow track high into the mountains. As the track leaves the treeline Scrat stops and sits. Ahead can be seen a cave with two Hobgoblins sat at the entrance. Its clear that there would be no way to sneak up on the Hobgoblins without being seen. Scrat will pause a while then walk along the tree line, turning and meowing to the characters to get them to follow him.

If the characters follow Scrat he will take them around to a small mountain pool with a waterfall where two women are washing clothes. These are Human women who are prisoners of the Hobgoblins to look after the children.

If the characters approach the women they will be shocked at seeing them but upon seeing the bobcat they will ask if Borsk sent them.

The ladies are Amdilla and Leane. They will tell the characters the Hobgoblins have the children in the old monastery (caves). There are 18 children, 15 women and 6 Hobgoblins along with something they call One Eye. He is described as a big dopey thing, harmless.

The ladies will say the Hobgoblins have threatened to kill the children if there is any trouble, however they also say the Hobgoblins are stupid and cannot tell the Humans apart, but they can tell children from adults.

They do not guard the women as they know the women will not leave without the children. The women are a dejected lot and are not fighters.

Somehow the characters need to get in and protect the children while fighting the Brigands.

Options:

Characters try and fight their way in. This leads to Hobgoblins fighting the characters and the alarm being sounded.

Characters try to bluff their way in. Characters make a deception roll against 10 to dress up as women and enter the caves to make their way into the cave.

The women can explain the layout of the old monastery.

Rooms 1 and 2 are guard rooms for the Hobgoblins. Each has two beds, a Hobgoblin sleeping in one of them.

Room 3 is where the women are kept.

Room 4 is another guard room where 2 Hobgoblins (including the chief) stays.

Room 5 is where the children and One Eye stay.

If the characters bluff their way past the two outer guards they can make their way to room 3 but if they approach room 4 they will be ordered back by the guards in room 4.

If the characters want to try killing the two sleeping Hobgoblins they will need to make a Stealth roll against 12 to creep up on the sleeping Hobgoblins and dispatch them.

If they try to kill the two outer guards these will attempt to raise the alarm. Roll a D10 at the end of the first round, if a 1 is rolled guards start coming. Round 2 a 1 or 2 leads to guards coming, round 3 1,2 or 3 etc.

Once fighting starts, as soon as the captain feels the fight is going badly (1 or more Hobgoblin dies) he will turn to run towards room 5. If someone was fighting him they get one free attack on him. He will run into room 5 and close the door.

To break down the door a Strength roll against 16 is required. If the characters attack the door with weapons it has 25HP

If the captain managed to get into room 5, when the characters gain access they will find One Eye has slain the captain and has died in turn with the captain’s sword sticking out his chest. The children will say One Eye defended them.

If the characters manage to defeat the Hobgoblins without the captain escaping they will get to meet One Eye, a stunted cyclops. If the characters draw weapons One Eye will bear his teeth and try to defend the children, the children on the other hand will start throwing stones and plates at the characters to defend One Eye.

Hobgoblin guards Initiative +2, Attack +3 hand weapons and +4 bow, HP 15, Bow damage 1D6, Club damage 1D6, AC 15. Each has scale armour, quiver with 1d6 arrows, pouch of 2d6 copper pieces and one random item from dead goblin table.

Hobgoblin captain Initiative +2, Attack +5, HP 20, damage 1D8 sword, AC 17. Scale armour, shield, dwarven sword (finely crafted and worth 25gp to a dwarf collector), pouch of semi-precious stones (1d6 worth 10sp each).

One Eye Initiative +1, Attack +3, HP 45, Damage 1D6 claws, AC 14.

In room 1 there are wolf pelts as beds, packs of dried meats, stacks of kindle wood, two crude knives (perception roll v 10- to identify these as similar to the ones they have been tracking), 4 arrows.

In room 2 there are wolf pelts as beds, packs of dried meats, old mouldy bread, stacks of kindle wood, bottle of lamp oil, a battle axe (badly worn from chopping wood) Damage 1D8, a battered helmet which is in fact of dwarven construction and worth 10 SP to a dwarf collector. History roll v 10 will identify this.

Room 3 has clothing and sleeping pallets for the women. Boxes of dried foods and cooking equipment.

Room 4 has three sleeping pallets, wolf pelts, a table with bone dice a handful of copper coins, a chest with 4 pouches of 20 copper coins, a jewel encrusted dagger worth 10gp.

Room 5 has children’s play things, sleeping pallets, blankets etc.

The characters will need to take the children and women back to Borsk, One Eye will come with them.

Borsk will recognise what One Eye is and will put them all up at his lodge.

XP for completion of the quest:

10XP for defeating the wolves

25XP for saving the bobcat

50XP for befriending Borsk

50XP for defeating the Hobgoblins

100XP for defeating the Hobgoblin captain and rescuing the children