Moonshae Treasure Hunt
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MOONSHAE TREASURE HUNT The Moonshae Isles, beautiful and dangerous, provide adventurers the opportunity to fight evil— and uncover ancient secrets and treasures. When a mysterious figure predicts a grave future for you, it triggers an Isles-spanning adventure full of intrigue, fun, and danger! Four 90-Minute Adventures for 1st- and 2nd- Level Characters By Shawn Merwin, Robert Alaniz, Krishna Simonse, Cindy Moore Adventure Code: CCC-BMG-MOON1-1 | Optimized For: APL 1 | Version: 1.1 Producer: Baldman Games Development and Editing: Robert Alaniz, Eric Menge Cartography: Steph Stober Interior Illustration: Dave LoTempio Cover Illustration: Microstocker1 [Shutterstock] Design & Layout: Erik Nowak, Eric Menge Organized Play: Chris Lindsay D&D Adventurers League Wizards Team: Adam Lee, Chris Lindsay, Mike Mearls, Matt Sernett D&D Adventurers League Administrators: Alan Patrick, Amy Lynn Dzura, Claire Hoffman, Greg Marks, Travis Woodall, Lysa Chen DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, the dragon ampersand, Player’s Handbook, Monster Manual, Dungeon Master’s Guide, D&D Adventurers League, all other Wizards of the Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries. All characters and their distinctive likenesses are property of Wizards of the Coast. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express writtenSample permission of Wizards of the Coast. file ©2017 Wizards of the Coast LLC, PO Box 707, Renton, WA 98057-0707, USA. Manufactured by Hasbro SA, Rue Emile-Boéchat 31, 2800 Delémont, CH. Represented by Hasbro Europe, 4 The Square, Stockley Park, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB11 1ET, UK. Not for resale. Permission to print a photocopy of this document for personal use only. CCC-BMG-MOON1-1 Moonshae Treasure Hunt 2 INTRODUCTION BEFORE PLAY AT THE TabLE Welcome to Moonshae Treasure Hunt, a D&D Before you start play, consider the following: Adventurers League™ adventure, part of the official • Read through the adventure, taking notes of anything D&D Adventurers League™ organized play system. you’d like to highlight or remind yourself of while This adventure is the first in the Moonshae Isles: running the adventure, such as a way you’d like to Rising Shadows storyline. portray an NPC or a tactic you’d like to use in a combat. This adventure contains four mini-adventures, Familiarize yourself with the adventure’s appendices each written to be playable in 90 minutes or less. These and handouts. mini-adventures introduce key NPCs, plots, themes • Gather any resources you’d like to use to aid you in and adventure sites important in the full Moonshae running this adventure--such as notecards, a DM screen, Isles: Rising Shadows storyline. They can be played miniatures, and battlemaps. individually, or they can be played as one longer • Ask the players to provide you with relevant character adventure that tells its own story. information, such as name, race, class, and level; passive This adventure is designed for three to seven 1st-2nd Wisdom (Perception), and anything specified as notable level characters and is optimized for five characters with by the adventure (such as backgrounds, traits, flaws, etc.) an average party level (APL) of 1. Characters outside this level range cannot participate in this adventure. PLAYING THE DUNGEON MASTER You have the most important role—facilitating the ADJUSTING THIS ADVENTURE enjoyment of the game for the players. You provide the This adventure provides suggestions in making narrative and bring the words on these pages to life. adjustments for smaller or larger groups, characters To facilitate this, keep in mind the following: of higher or lower levels, and characters that are You’re Empowered. Make decisions about how otherwise a bit more powerful than the adventure is the group interacts with the adventure; adjusting or optimized for. You’re not bound to these adjustments; improvising is encouraged, so long as you maintain the they’re here for your convenience. adventure’s spirit. This doesn’t allow you to implement To figure out whether you should consider house rules or change those of the Adventurers League, adjusting the adventure, add up the total levels of all however; they should be consistent in this regard. the characters and divide the total by the number of Challenge Your Players. Gauge the experience level characters (rounding .5 or greater up; .4 or less down). of your players (not the characters), try to feel out (or This is the group’s APL. To approximate the party ask) what they like in a game, and attempt to deliver strength for the adventure, consult the following table. the experience they’re after. Everyone should have the opportunity to shine. Determining Party Strength Keep the Adventure Moving. When the game starts Party Composition Party Strength to get bogged down, feel free to provide hints and clues to your players so they can attempt to solve puzzles, engage 3-4 characters, APL less than Very weak in combat, and roleplay interactions without getting too 3-4 characters, APL equivalent Weak frustrated over a lack of information. This gives players 3-4 characters, APL greater than Average “little victories” for figuring out good choices from clues. 5 characters, APL less than Weak Watch for stalling—play loses momentum when this 5 characters, APL equivalent Average happens. At the same time, make sure that the players don’t 5 characters, APL greater than Strong finish too early; provide them with a full play experience. 6-7 characters, APL less than Average 6-7 characters, APL equivalent Strong 6-7 characters, APL greater than Very strong Some encounters may include a sidebar that offers suggestions for certain party strengths. If a particular recommendation is not offered or appropriate for your group,Sample you don’t have to make adjustments. file Not for resale. Permission to print a photocopy of this document for personal use only. CCC-BMG-MOON1-1 Moonshae Treasure Hunt 3 ADVENTURE PRimER ADVENTURE OVERVIEW The introduction to this adventure begins in Caer The adventure is broken down into five parts: Callidyrr, and the adventurers run into a mysterious Introduction. The adventurers meet Sister Barley seer who predicts great and terrible things for the and are told about the items that they must seek. She characters themselves and for the Moonshae area also tells them that a small sailing vessel called the as a whole. It’s important that the players understand Shantu is waiting for them. this introduction, as it gives them the motivation Part 1. The adventurers meet Winnow Rustfire to undertake the adventures. and help her track down the components needed Each of the mini-adventures then begins at their for a divination spell she hopes to cast. own starting locations and may be run in any order. Part 2. Seeking the “eye of the goblin” leads If you are playing these as one long adventure, you can the adventurers to Lehigh, where they must quell simply move from one adventure to the next. If you are a goblin infection. running them separately, make sure the introductory Part 3. On the trail of a mysterious spellbook, material is understood by all the players. the adventurers travel to the small Northlander village of Blodvahrer. ADVENTURE BACKGROUND Part 4. The adventurers encounter the feared pirate, Capt. Bluto, and try to avoid being captured. The adventurers are approached by a mysterious seer in Caer Callidyrr. She tells them that they are destined to ADVENTURE HOOKS either be the saviors of the Moonshae Isles or bring about their downfall. She provides them with a prophecy that Caer Callidyrr is the seat of power of High King Derid references four items that are important to the future Kendrick, ruler of Alaron and leader of the largest of the Moonshaes. The adventurers must interpret the portion of the Moonshae Isles. Adventurers can always prophecy to discover what the items are. Some of the find work here, and rumors state that now is a great items must be collected, while others simply a landmark time to be in the Moonshaes: there is much danger, on their journey. and also much opportunity. Story Hook. The only hook for these adventures Location and NPC Summary exists in the form of a prophecy given to the adventurers The following NPCs and locations feature prominently in the Introduction. in this adventure. Sister Barley. This halfling follower of the Earthmother tracks down the adventurers in Caer Callidyrr and provides the impetus for the adventure. She has many wrinkles, green eyes, white hair, and a low voice that barely rises above a whisper. She goes barefoot and smells strongly of beer. Captain Poppie Logan. Captain Poppie runs her small caravel, the Shantu. She is approximately 70 years old, bald with clear blue eyes. Her crew is comprised of her children, half-siblings from different fathers at ports of call around the Moonshaes. Sample file Not for resale. Permission to print a photocopy of this document for personal use only. CCC-BMG-MOON1-1 Moonshae Treasure Hunt 4 As the adventurers pause to listen to the halfling, a winch INTRODUCTION. A PROPHECY lifting heavy timber onto a ship breaks. by Shawn Merwin Estimated Duration: 15 minutes Right where you would have stepped next, had the halfling not slowed you, erupts in an explosion of wood If all of the players at your table have played this shards. Huge timber logs fall from a crane moving them encounter, you can skip it and get to the mini-adventures. onto a cargo ship. If you hadn’t slowed, they would If any of your players (or their characters) have not have crushed you.