Yora
2014-06-27, 02:13 PM
I assumed we wouldn't play our game this weekend since we're all on a birthday party party tomorrow, but I've been asked to bring all my stuff so we can play later after we're done eating. I hadn't yet prepared anything and I don't know what new players might be joining us (and might perhaps become regulars), so I have to quickly assemble something simple that is enjoyable as a one-shot for completely inexperienced players.
My idea is to have a merchant being attacked by bandits who want a relic he bought a few weeks ago. While taking his cart back to their camp to search thoroughly, they passed an abandoned village dug into the side of a gorge, which happens to be the home of a nonevil clan of kobolds. The kobolds attacked the wagon and the merchant managed to escape into the caves.
The PCs village has send out scout to search for the missing merchant, and when a trail was found the PCs where sent as a rescue team. When they arrive at the gorge, the mercant is trapped in a cave by giant spiders and the surviving bandits are searching for him, but the kobolds are trying to get them out of the caves. Which means there are three factions in the caves right now: Kobolds, spiders, and bandits. The PCs only have to get the merchant out and don't have to fight the kobolds, but they don't want any intruders in their village and are likely to consider them bandit reinforcement until the PCs can show they have a common enemy.
Populating the place with creatures is easy, but I don't want it to be a slaughterfest and would instead prefer to have them overcome other obstacles. We're playing a version of AD&D and the five existing characters are 2nd level with two priests. They shold be able to handle quite a lot of low level creatures and might have some additional 1st level fighters as backup. (No sense in thieves and wizards for a single game).
The most prominent feature of the area is the central gorge which has a river at the bottom and a couple of bridges connecting the caves in both walls. Kobold archers could be securing one bridge and some beasts in the water could attack anyone who falls in or tries to swim through. The kobolds also have some pit traps which they cross with wooden planks. An old shrine could also be an interesting room, but I don't have an idea how to make it so.
I need a few more ideas for obstacles that the group can overcome with smart solutions, and rooms with an environment that spices up simple fights. Can anyone help me out?
My idea is to have a merchant being attacked by bandits who want a relic he bought a few weeks ago. While taking his cart back to their camp to search thoroughly, they passed an abandoned village dug into the side of a gorge, which happens to be the home of a nonevil clan of kobolds. The kobolds attacked the wagon and the merchant managed to escape into the caves.
The PCs village has send out scout to search for the missing merchant, and when a trail was found the PCs where sent as a rescue team. When they arrive at the gorge, the mercant is trapped in a cave by giant spiders and the surviving bandits are searching for him, but the kobolds are trying to get them out of the caves. Which means there are three factions in the caves right now: Kobolds, spiders, and bandits. The PCs only have to get the merchant out and don't have to fight the kobolds, but they don't want any intruders in their village and are likely to consider them bandit reinforcement until the PCs can show they have a common enemy.
Populating the place with creatures is easy, but I don't want it to be a slaughterfest and would instead prefer to have them overcome other obstacles. We're playing a version of AD&D and the five existing characters are 2nd level with two priests. They shold be able to handle quite a lot of low level creatures and might have some additional 1st level fighters as backup. (No sense in thieves and wizards for a single game).
The most prominent feature of the area is the central gorge which has a river at the bottom and a couple of bridges connecting the caves in both walls. Kobold archers could be securing one bridge and some beasts in the water could attack anyone who falls in or tries to swim through. The kobolds also have some pit traps which they cross with wooden planks. An old shrine could also be an interesting room, but I don't have an idea how to make it so.
I need a few more ideas for obstacles that the group can overcome with smart solutions, and rooms with an environment that spices up simple fights. Can anyone help me out?