Credits About the Author Lead Designer & Layout: Noah Grand Noah D

Credits About the Author Lead Designer & Layout: Noah Grand Noah D. Grand is a social scientist, statistician, and Editing: Noah Grand veteran Dungeon Master in the Los Angeles area. His work has been published in Baseball Prospectus and Cartography: Noah Grand top academic specialty journals before turning to adventure design. Art: All art as provided by Wizards of the Coast for DMs Guild use with permission.

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Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Dealer’s Choice 2 Introduction: Using This Adventure Stand Alone or Larger Campaign? Adventure Background Hillsfar, the City of Trade, seems to be a much more Dealer’s Choice is a one-hour adventure set in peaceful and welcoming place in the last year. The Hillsfar, the Forgotten Realms’ City of Trade. This Demon Lord Graz’zt has been banished back to the adventure was designed to challenge a party of five Abyss. First Lord Torin Nomerthal is dead. New First 8th-level adventurers with a combination of roleplay Lord Vuhm Yestral immediately repealed the Great encounters, combat, and moral quandaries. DMs can Law of Humanity. Today there are still xenophobic easily modify this adventure for parties ranging humans in Hillsfar, but many residents are from 5th to 10th level and four to six characters, optimistic about welcoming nonhumans and their using the suggestions I provide for party strength. goods to the City of Trade. Any Dungeon Master purchasing this adventure Faustus Rosevalor served in the Red Plumes under should feel empowered to adapt it as part of a Torin Nomerthal. He immediately flocked to Vuhm broader campaign! Family secrets and estranged Yestral’s banner, speaking lovingly of his half-elf relatives are classic themes throughout fiction. As sister Merlele and the need for reconciliation. long as your campaign world has devils, most of this Faustus portrayed himself as a reluctant enforcer of encounter should be relatively easy to adapt. the Great Law of Humanity. However, imps working This adventure is set in Hillsfar, one of the most for the archdevil Dispater have learned that Faustus xenophobic areas of the Forgotten Realms. It takes was not always so reluctant to enforce the place after the most xenophobic regime has been xenophobic laws of old Hillsfar. overthrown, and some humans are eager for Dispater dispatched Migar, a chain devil, to reconciliation with the formerly oppressed threaten Faustus. How did the Red Plumes nonhuman population. If you or your players would withstand the Demon Lord Graz’zt’s attempted feel uncomfortable using the lingering racial tension takeover? If the new Red Plume commander won’t of Hillsfar as a setting, feel free to add other sources share state secrets, Migar would share Faustus’ of family strife. secret. Faustus refused to be blackmailed. He admitted to condemning a group of halfling farmers to death in the arena under the Great Law of Humanity. Migar was ordered to change tactics, looking for ways to get the Rosevalors to commit evil acts instead of immediately bargaining for their souls. He offered Merlele a chance to assassinate a “corrupt Red Plume who oppressed non-humans but is suddenly claiming to be the honorable face of the more tolerant regime.” Merlele discovered her brother’s treachery but refused to kill him. Meanwhile, Migar stole a copy of a contract between Lykos Rosevalor, the family patriarch, and smugglers selling to non-humans throughout Torin Nomerthal’s reign. Migar approached both Lykos and Faustus. Each Rosevalor had one day to decide whether they would be willing to put an innocent merchant’s name on the contract instead of Lykos’ name. Faustus hired adventures to kill the devil before the deadline, but Lykos has not been heard from since getting Migar’s deal…

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Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Dealer’s Choice 3 Adventure Hooks Adventure Overview If player characters have been to Hillsfar before, This one-hour adventure is divided into three they should be familiar with the militaristic Red scenes: Plume government. The Red Plumes have been Chapter 1 (10-15 mins): What Are You Doing? known to hire adventurers for difficult work that Faustus and Merlele Rosevalor make separate offers soldiers are poorly equipped to handle. Faustus to the adventurers, asking them to kill the devil and Rosevalor offers to pay handsomely for what could save Lykos. The siblings refuse to talk to each other, be a relatively easy job. Here are other potential but players can say yes to both. hooks, most of which are setting-agnostic: Chapter 2 (10-15 mins): Deal With The Devil. • Favors: Faustus Rosevalor is politically connected, The adventurers must negotiate with an imp named and his star is rising. If the adventurers help him, Tyop to be able to fight his boss Migar. Tyop will he will owe them a favor, which could be more make offers to tempt both good-aligned characters valuable than gold. (ensuring Lykos’ safety) and more greedy characters (offering additional rewards as distractions). The • Zealotry: A religious order, rival cult, or any other group that hates devils could ask characters to adventurers have 10 minutes (of real time at the deal with a fiend problem, introducing the party to table) to negotiate conditions for the upcoming boss Faustus. battle. Chapter 3 (30 mins): Duel With the Devil. • Reconciliation: Elves and halflings may ask friendly characters to check up on Faustus and Adventurers fight Migar and his minions. This fight report back to his half-sister Merlele. will occur in the back of Lykos’ shop, or possibly the Shadowfell, adding environmental hazards to the encounter. Adventurers can negotiate for Merlele to assist them. Location and NPC Summary Conclusion (5 mins): Merlele asks the The following NPCs and locations feature adventurers whether or not she should reconcile prominently in this adventure. with Faustus and Lykos. Regardless of what they say, • Faustus Rosevalor (FOWWS-tus ROWS-valur). the adventurers get rewards from both Merlele and LN. Male human, newly promoted Red Plume Faustus. commander. Trying to resolve remaining racial conflict in Hillsfar. • Merlele Rosevalor (mer-el ROWS-valur). CG. Female half elf adventurer. Fled the Great Law of Humanity and hasn’t spoken to her human family in a decade. • Migar (MY-gar). LE. Chain devil tasked by Dispater to recruit the Rosevalors. Better at intimidation than treachery. • Tyop (TIE-op). LE. Imp negotiating on Migar’s behalf. Hopes to rise in the ranks once the heroes defeat Migar. • Hillsfar (hills-FAR). The City of Trade had an economic boom under an exclusionary regime. Now locals are trying to recover from numerous attacks and keep the economy growing. Many humans have grown more welcoming of non- humans, but some xenophobia lingers. Sample file

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Dealer’s Choice 4 Chapter 1: What Are You Doing? Here’s a sigh to those who love me, Roleplaying Faustus Rosevalor (LN human And a smile to those who hate; male) And whatever sky’s above me, Faustus Rosevalor believes Helm has guided his path from Here’s a heart for every fate. nondescript soldier in Torin Nomerthal’s army to a —Lord Byron, commander keeping the peace of a new Hillsfar. He stands To Thomas Moore over six feet tall, with broad shoulders and a Red Plume helmet on at all times. Faustus speaks softly, trying to Expected Duration: 10-15 minutes empathize with non-humans by mentioning how his half-elf sister Merlele had to flee Hillsfar. Five days ago, Faustus The adventurers have been summoned to the confessed to blindly following the old regime, leading a group Hydra’s Den, a popular tavern in Hillsfar. Faustus of innocent halfling farmers to death for breaking old Rosevalor, a fast-rising Red Plume commander, asks xenophobic laws. Now Faustus is thinking of putting his them to drive a devil from the city. However, his family before the Red Plumes for the first time in his life. half-elf sister Merlele makes her own appeal to the As Faustus tries to hire the party, he can relay the adventurers, claiming that Faustus cannot be trusted. following information in conversation: General Features • Faustus leads investigations of racially motivated The general features of the Hydra’s Den are as crimes, trying to bring professionalism instead of follows: vigilante justice. Light and Visibility: Most of the tavern has light • While Faustus is devout, he is not a paladin, nor is pouring in from the windows. but the adventurers he a particularly skilled warrior of any kind. There are ushered to a private room with all the curtains is no way he or his followers can defeat the devil. drawn and oil lamps providing light. • Migar the chain devil threatened Faustus a tenday Smells and Sounds: The aroma of stale beer is ago. Faustus tries to hide this behind a combination distinctly weaker in the private meeting room. of honor and religious bravado, quickly changing Surrounding Activity: The tavern is relatively the subject. A successful DC 15 Wisdom (Insight) empty. check reveals Faustus is hiding something. • Everyone in Hillsfar knows of Faustus’ confession. Our adventure begins in the Hydra’s Den tavern, as He is completely unashamed to admit his misdeeds Faustus’ squire Reggie escorts the adventurers to a once again to the party. However, he is so self- private room. Read or paraphrase the following: absorbed he thinks he doesn’t have to! • Any character passing a DC 10 Intelligence The Hydra’s Den smells like yesterday’s good time. (History) check heard of Faustus’ confession. Anyone passing the check by 5 or more also heard You see a few sailors drinking the morning away, the halfling immigrant community has been willing but no one wants to pay too much attention to a to accept Faustus because of his recent good deeds. group of well-armed adventurers meeting a Red Plume commander in a tavern instead of the barracks. Faustus Rosevalor, a broad shouldered human wearing a large holy symbol of Helm, makes sure to straighten his helmet as he addresses the party: “After everything that has happened, we can’t allow the people to be divided by a devil!”

Faustus claims a chain devil named Migar is blackmailing nonhuman armorers to sabotage the city’s defenses. He offers the party 400 gold pieces per person to defeat this devil. He also offers a favor to be named later, as long as the favor is legal and Sample file will not hurt the city’s reputation.

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Dealer’s Choice 5 Sibling Rivalry Meeting Merlele Faustus ends his conversation with the adventurers As the party reaches the two-story Rosevalor Arms, by reaching in to his satchel for a puzzle cube. He hid they see Merlele standing outside the front door: a contract specifying where and when the devil will appear inside the cube. However, Faustus’ half-elf A sign below the Rosevalor Arms’ signature red sister Merlele (master thief) switched the cubes and stole the contract the night before: rose emblazoned on a gold shield door reads “CLOSED FOR FAMILY REUNION.” Next to the As Faustus twists the cube, you see the image of a sign you see a familiar copper skinned female half- copper skinned half-elf appear next to Faustus and elf with a shortsword on her hip. “You’re the start speaking. “Baby brother, you of all people adventurers my brother hired? Let me give you a should have learned to watch your back. After better offer. By the way, the door isn’t exactly everything you have done? Why don’t you step aside ‘closed’ anymore” she says with a wink. and leave the devil killing to us actual heroes? Meet me at Rosevalor Arms.” Faustus’ jaw hangs open Merlele points to her periapt of wound closure, which like he just saw a ghost. shines a deep reddish hue under her stress. If the adventurers agree to try and help save her father, she will give them the periapt. After 10 seconds of stunned silence, Faustus admits that image was his half-elf sister Merlele. He wasn’t Roleplaying Merlele Rosevalor (CG half-elf entirely truthful earlier about his dealings with female rogue/warlock of the Archfey) Migar the devil, but now he will share the following Merlele Rosevalor hates having to hide to accomplish some in conversation: of her goals, but she can only do so much when confronting • Merlele became an “adventurer” in the Underdark enemies face-to-face. She looks like her mother, with copper or some far off jungle. By which he means a rogue. skin and sharply pointed ears. Clearly non-human, she had to flee Hillsfar a decade ago. Merlele’s mother never played a • A successful DC 13 Wisdom (Insight) check reveals big role in her life, so she went adventuring instead of Faustus’s jaw locked when Merlele referred to his settling with any community. Merlele assumes other crimes against the halflings. He accepts that some adventurers are kindred spirits, freeing themselves from the people, including Merlele, may never forgive him. constraints and formality of (shudder) normal people. • Faustus has tried to contact his sister every tenday since the Great Law of Humanity ended, but she She will share the following in conversation, as long never responded. as adventurers don’t seem too loyal to Faustus, who • Migar tried to blackmail Faustus by exposing what she hasn’t forgiven: Faustus did to the innocent halfling farmers. When • Merlele fled Hillsfar a decade ago with help from Faustus confessed to the crime, Migar moved on to her father Lykos. She hasn’t seen Lykos or Faustus try and blackmail the relatively weak-willed family since, but she knows Lykos was selling armor to patriarch Lykos Rosevalor. both the Red Plumes and non-human smugglers. • None of this quest is officially sanctioned by other • An imp contacted Merlele, offering to share the Red Plumes. Faustus is trying to protect his father identity of a “corrupt Red Plume who oppressed Lykos and prevent public panic (in that order). He non-humans but is suddenly claiming to be the has no plans of reporting his sister’s theft as long honorable face of the more tolerant regime.” as Migar is dealt with. • Two days ago, an imp tried to trick her in to Faustus sends the party to Lykos’ shop: Rosevalor assassinating her own brother. Roscoe, a halfling Arms. The party arrives without any issues. wizard and old adventuring buddy, told Merlele about Faustus’ confession. Roscoe talked her out of assassination. • Roscoe cast the programmed illusion spell characters saw in Faustus’ room earlier. • Lykos may be foolish enough to deal with the devil. A DC 15 Wisdom (Insight) check reveals she is Samplemaking an educated guess, but it is shaded by her file resentment towards the human family who abandoned her and her love of her new adventuring family.

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Dealer’s Choice 6 Chapter 2: Deal With a Devil “Hey, wait. If I don't finish this last bite, you don't get my soul, do you?” Roleplaying Tyop, LE Imp —Homer Simpson, Tyop is surprisingly direct about his plan to move up the The Simpsons hierarchy of the Nine Hells by watching his superior Migar Expected Duration: 10-15 minutes fail. The imp knows Migar signed a terrible contract with Lykos, allowing for the adventurers to show up and ruin The adventurers have arrived at Rosevalor Arms, an things via the “trial by combat – legion” clause. If Tyop can extravagant weapons and armor shop owned by pry loose a secret or two from adventurers in exchange for Lykos. The shop is empty, except for an imp sitting at sharing Migar’s weaknesses, he’s sure to move up the the counter. Lykos has agreed to fight Migar the infernal hierarchy! chain devil, a nearly impossible task. If the Tyop was left behind to negotiate with anyone adventurers want to fight Migar, they will have to claiming to be a part of Lykos’ “legion,” while Lykos negotiate with Tyop the imp to get in to the fight. and Migar are in the Shadowfell. If the party kills General Features Tyop, then a red skinned imp named Szex emerges from invisibility to continue negotiations. She warns The general features of Rosevalor Arms are as the party there is no third imp. follows: Give players up to 10 minutes of real time to Sales Room: An assortment of finely crafted chain negotiate changes to the contract with Tyop. Use the mail and plate armor rests on manikins to the right. following guidelines: Longswords, rapiers and a few ornamental ruby- encrusted daggers are visible in cases to the left. • Tyop’s main goal in negotiations is to get characters to share something evil they have done Other Entrances Merlele warns the party that : in their past. Dispater will promote imps who they don’t have time to disarm all the traps to the learn these secrets. Tyop will slide this offer in to back entrance. the end of negotiations, to make it seem minor. Light and Visibility: Enough sunlight peeks Any character who shares honestly could face through curtains to provide dim light in the front consequences in a future adventure! sales room. Other areas are unlit. Smells and Sounds: The store is deathly quiet.

Merlele presses the point of her silver shortsword into the forehead of a blue skinned imp as you walk in. The imp shouts at all of you: “Hey! You ever hear the saying don’t skewer the messenger? Typical adventurers, you never read the contract either. Let me help you make a better deal so you can save poor, foolish Lykos.”

Tyop shows characters the contract (Player Handout 1). He and Migar are both agents of Dispater, the archdevil of secrets.

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Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Dealer’s Choice 7