sabelo2000
2020-04-18, 02:34 PM
I'm brewing up a The Hangover-style adventure as a one-off for some friends. The idea is the players wake up in Hell (City of Dis) mid-adventure after having their memory wiped by the River Styx. Attached is a rough outline of how I envision things going... Please provide your opinions and input, especially in regards to enemies, quest items, etc!
MOST especially, I'm not sure what level to target this adventure at. It needs to be low-level enough that the players don't have access to magic that will just shortcut the whole campaign, yet high-level enough that there are appropriate Infernal encounters available.
I. THE WAKE UP
A. On the banks of a Canal through Hell, City of Dis
i. Freshly-dead body of a Devil
ii. Spells & HP low
iii. Devil is holding a SCROLL CASE and a BROKEN AMULET
iv. Each PC is wearing MATCHED JEWELRY that they don’t recognize but matches the BROKEN AMULET
v. Money scattered over the ground and water, being carried off by “Glitterfish”
1. Swarm of them taking the coins through a broken-open grate, heading deeper into the Canal
a. Glitterfish: Small, eel-like aquatic animals with an attraction to shiny things, which they carry off to build their nest.
B. See Skeleton Work Crew
i. 3 Skeletons coming down the street
ii. 2 sweeping the street
iii. One putting up posters
1. Posters read: “WANTED Dead, Undead, Alive, Petrified, Paralyzed, or Discorporated: For Trespassing, Espionage, Larceny, Unlicensed Beneficence, Travelling without Permit, Commerce Without Permit, Unsanctioned Fatality: REWARD $2000 or 8 Soul-Equivalent Credits”
And has pictures of the PCs
C. See Security Patrol
i. Easy level-appropriate encounter
1. RUN to DARK ALLEY
2. HIDE in DARK ALLEY
3. FIGHT the patrol
a. Patrol calls for reinforcements (+1 patrol per call)
b. Return to 1.
II. THE DARK ALLEY
A. PCs run to or hide in nearby DARK ALLEY
B. Voice calls out to them from trash pile
C. Meet THE TALKING HEAD
i. TALKING HEAD asks what they’re still doing in Hell; obviously it knows them personally
ii. Says they’ve made the whole City mad
iii. THE TALKING HEAD was caught by a patrol after their last conversation, lost his body
iv. Clearly, the PCs contacted the waters of the River Styx and lost their memory
v. The BROKEN AMULET and MATCHED JEWELRY they’re carrying bear the craft mark of MERCHANT at the Market
vi. He doesn’t know what the Scroll Case (or the scroll in it) are for
D. Ambushed by Patrol
i. Security patrol (Medium level-appropriate encounter) blocks both ends of Alley to apprehend PCs and THE TALKING HEAD
ii. HEAD asks to be rescued
1. Run/Hide/Fight
2. Did they save THE TALKING HEAD?
a. If NO, proceed to THE MARKET
b. If YES, continue.
E. (Optional) THE SAFE HOUSE
i. THE TALKING HEAD directs them to a Safe House as gratitude for saving him
ii. PCs are granted one night’s rest and healing
iii. They’re granted a COUNTERFEIT TRADE PERMIT
III. THE MARKET
A. Travel to the Market and meet MERCHANT
i. MERCHANT is angry that they used a COUNTERFEIT TRADE PERMIT previously and he should turn them in, but they’re rich enough that he can overlook that for the price of ALL THEIR MONEYs
ii. Identifies the items they bought as protection against the memory loss of the Styx
iii. The BROKEN AMULET is the key that binds each of the MATCHED JEWELRY.
1. With the Amulet broken, the MATCHED JEWELRY doesn’t work
2. The Amulet must be replaced.
iv. MERCHANT will replace the BROKEN AMULET if the PCs will go to the REGIONAL OFFICES OF HELL to retrieve a sub-MacGuffin (or SUBGUFFIN)
1. If asked, he says the RIVER STYX can be accessed via the Canal or THE SEWERS
a. If PCs decide to head to the Styx, proceed to RIVER STYX.
v. If they have a COUNTERFEIT TRADE PERMIT, they can shop at other booths also, but every 15 minutes there is a Patrol
IV. REGIONAL OFFICES OF HELL
A. PCs infiltrate the REGIONAL OFFICES OF HELL in the INFERNAL PLAZA
i. Small building, mostly non-combatants
ii. Stealth-centric mission
iii. Find the CITY PLANNING OFFICE and retrieve the SUBGUFFIN
iv. While there, overhear the conversation from the REGIONAL ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
1. “They were leaving the Sewers?”
2. “You’re sure that’s what they were after?”
3. “And we’re confident the Eldest has it?”
4. “They’re still at large, so obviously they haven’t got it yet.”
5. “Increase patrols along the Canal. Make sure they don’t return to the Sewers.”
v. (Optional) search the CITY PLANNING OFFICE for a way to reach THE SEWERS
B. Return to the Market
i. Turn the SUBGUFFIN in to the MERCHANT
ii. Receive a new KEY AMULET
iii. MATCHED JEWELRY now becomes STYX PROTECTION jewelry
V. THE RIVER STYX
A. Find a way into the RIVER STYX
i. Either the Canal or THE SEWERS
1. THE SEWERS can be entered via a concealed maintenance door in the PLAZA, at the base of a memorial statue depicting an EIGHT-LEGGED IRON HORSE
B. Do they have STYX PROTECTION?
i. If NO, return to THE WAKE-UP
ii. If YES, proceed
C. Follow Glitterfish and/or previous trail of carnage to THE ELDEST
i. Themed dungeon
ii. Level-appropriate encounters
iii. Navigate passages
iv. Traps, locks, etc.
VI. THE ELDEST a massive, ancient Glitterfish that actually has ascended to being a Styx Dragon. He has accumulated a gigantic hoard that the ordinary Glitterfish contribute to. He is also quite mad and losing his memory, and can’t remember his hoard inventory anymore. He is cogent enough to converse with the PCs
A. THE ELDEST asks if they have the SCROLL CASE
i. If NO, return to THE WAKE-UP
ii. If YES, proceed
B. THE ELDEST returns their Collateral to them
i. A LETTER from their quest-giver detailing the MACGUFFIN and what it’s needed for
ii. The EXIT KEY
C. Open the SCROLL CASE and read the Ritual Scroll to raise a permanent ward around the Eldest’s lair
i. THE ELDEST grants them the MACGUFFIN
D. Exit the SEWERS
i. Either back the way they came in
ii. Or through the broken grate to the Canal
VII. ESCAPE
A. Return to the REGIONAL OFFICES OF HELL to find a portal to escape, using the EXIT KEY
B. Final Climactic Battle
i. Difficult level-appropriate encounter
ii. REGIONAL ASSISTANT DIRECTOR emerges to fight
1. Difficult advanced devil
iii. Rides on the EIGHT-LEGGED IRON HORSE from the statue in the plaza (Find an appropriate monster to represent this)
C. Defeat/escape from the Final Climactic Battle, use the EXIT KEY on the magic portal.
D. VICTORY!
MOST especially, I'm not sure what level to target this adventure at. It needs to be low-level enough that the players don't have access to magic that will just shortcut the whole campaign, yet high-level enough that there are appropriate Infernal encounters available.
I. THE WAKE UP
A. On the banks of a Canal through Hell, City of Dis
i. Freshly-dead body of a Devil
ii. Spells & HP low
iii. Devil is holding a SCROLL CASE and a BROKEN AMULET
iv. Each PC is wearing MATCHED JEWELRY that they don’t recognize but matches the BROKEN AMULET
v. Money scattered over the ground and water, being carried off by “Glitterfish”
1. Swarm of them taking the coins through a broken-open grate, heading deeper into the Canal
a. Glitterfish: Small, eel-like aquatic animals with an attraction to shiny things, which they carry off to build their nest.
B. See Skeleton Work Crew
i. 3 Skeletons coming down the street
ii. 2 sweeping the street
iii. One putting up posters
1. Posters read: “WANTED Dead, Undead, Alive, Petrified, Paralyzed, or Discorporated: For Trespassing, Espionage, Larceny, Unlicensed Beneficence, Travelling without Permit, Commerce Without Permit, Unsanctioned Fatality: REWARD $2000 or 8 Soul-Equivalent Credits”
And has pictures of the PCs
C. See Security Patrol
i. Easy level-appropriate encounter
1. RUN to DARK ALLEY
2. HIDE in DARK ALLEY
3. FIGHT the patrol
a. Patrol calls for reinforcements (+1 patrol per call)
b. Return to 1.
II. THE DARK ALLEY
A. PCs run to or hide in nearby DARK ALLEY
B. Voice calls out to them from trash pile
C. Meet THE TALKING HEAD
i. TALKING HEAD asks what they’re still doing in Hell; obviously it knows them personally
ii. Says they’ve made the whole City mad
iii. THE TALKING HEAD was caught by a patrol after their last conversation, lost his body
iv. Clearly, the PCs contacted the waters of the River Styx and lost their memory
v. The BROKEN AMULET and MATCHED JEWELRY they’re carrying bear the craft mark of MERCHANT at the Market
vi. He doesn’t know what the Scroll Case (or the scroll in it) are for
D. Ambushed by Patrol
i. Security patrol (Medium level-appropriate encounter) blocks both ends of Alley to apprehend PCs and THE TALKING HEAD
ii. HEAD asks to be rescued
1. Run/Hide/Fight
2. Did they save THE TALKING HEAD?
a. If NO, proceed to THE MARKET
b. If YES, continue.
E. (Optional) THE SAFE HOUSE
i. THE TALKING HEAD directs them to a Safe House as gratitude for saving him
ii. PCs are granted one night’s rest and healing
iii. They’re granted a COUNTERFEIT TRADE PERMIT
III. THE MARKET
A. Travel to the Market and meet MERCHANT
i. MERCHANT is angry that they used a COUNTERFEIT TRADE PERMIT previously and he should turn them in, but they’re rich enough that he can overlook that for the price of ALL THEIR MONEYs
ii. Identifies the items they bought as protection against the memory loss of the Styx
iii. The BROKEN AMULET is the key that binds each of the MATCHED JEWELRY.
1. With the Amulet broken, the MATCHED JEWELRY doesn’t work
2. The Amulet must be replaced.
iv. MERCHANT will replace the BROKEN AMULET if the PCs will go to the REGIONAL OFFICES OF HELL to retrieve a sub-MacGuffin (or SUBGUFFIN)
1. If asked, he says the RIVER STYX can be accessed via the Canal or THE SEWERS
a. If PCs decide to head to the Styx, proceed to RIVER STYX.
v. If they have a COUNTERFEIT TRADE PERMIT, they can shop at other booths also, but every 15 minutes there is a Patrol
IV. REGIONAL OFFICES OF HELL
A. PCs infiltrate the REGIONAL OFFICES OF HELL in the INFERNAL PLAZA
i. Small building, mostly non-combatants
ii. Stealth-centric mission
iii. Find the CITY PLANNING OFFICE and retrieve the SUBGUFFIN
iv. While there, overhear the conversation from the REGIONAL ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
1. “They were leaving the Sewers?”
2. “You’re sure that’s what they were after?”
3. “And we’re confident the Eldest has it?”
4. “They’re still at large, so obviously they haven’t got it yet.”
5. “Increase patrols along the Canal. Make sure they don’t return to the Sewers.”
v. (Optional) search the CITY PLANNING OFFICE for a way to reach THE SEWERS
B. Return to the Market
i. Turn the SUBGUFFIN in to the MERCHANT
ii. Receive a new KEY AMULET
iii. MATCHED JEWELRY now becomes STYX PROTECTION jewelry
V. THE RIVER STYX
A. Find a way into the RIVER STYX
i. Either the Canal or THE SEWERS
1. THE SEWERS can be entered via a concealed maintenance door in the PLAZA, at the base of a memorial statue depicting an EIGHT-LEGGED IRON HORSE
B. Do they have STYX PROTECTION?
i. If NO, return to THE WAKE-UP
ii. If YES, proceed
C. Follow Glitterfish and/or previous trail of carnage to THE ELDEST
i. Themed dungeon
ii. Level-appropriate encounters
iii. Navigate passages
iv. Traps, locks, etc.
VI. THE ELDEST a massive, ancient Glitterfish that actually has ascended to being a Styx Dragon. He has accumulated a gigantic hoard that the ordinary Glitterfish contribute to. He is also quite mad and losing his memory, and can’t remember his hoard inventory anymore. He is cogent enough to converse with the PCs
A. THE ELDEST asks if they have the SCROLL CASE
i. If NO, return to THE WAKE-UP
ii. If YES, proceed
B. THE ELDEST returns their Collateral to them
i. A LETTER from their quest-giver detailing the MACGUFFIN and what it’s needed for
ii. The EXIT KEY
C. Open the SCROLL CASE and read the Ritual Scroll to raise a permanent ward around the Eldest’s lair
i. THE ELDEST grants them the MACGUFFIN
D. Exit the SEWERS
i. Either back the way they came in
ii. Or through the broken grate to the Canal
VII. ESCAPE
A. Return to the REGIONAL OFFICES OF HELL to find a portal to escape, using the EXIT KEY
B. Final Climactic Battle
i. Difficult level-appropriate encounter
ii. REGIONAL ASSISTANT DIRECTOR emerges to fight
1. Difficult advanced devil
iii. Rides on the EIGHT-LEGGED IRON HORSE from the statue in the plaza (Find an appropriate monster to represent this)
C. Defeat/escape from the Final Climactic Battle, use the EXIT KEY on the magic portal.
D. VICTORY!