338260-Sample.Pdf

Sample file CREDITS

Designer: Sam Hope Template: Simple Microsoft Word Template by Laura Hirsbrunner Cover Illustrator: DenisPet Interior Illustrators: In order of appearance: Noel Proulx, Douglas Snook, Patrick E. Pullen. Special Thanks: To the wonderous people in the RPG Writer Workshop, and especially to those that were willing to provide their time and expertise as proofreaders of this document: Maria Gatta, Sanae Rosen and Dialectrical. Your feedback was invaluable. Cartography: Maps designed on DungeonDraft by Sam Hope.

ON THE COVER

This photo of a person exploring the opening of a disused mine was taken by DenisPet. You can find more of their work here.

CONTENT WARNINGS This adventure includes spiders, enclosed spaces, and discussion of displaced populations. There is also the suggestion that a monstrous creature has been wounded by another monstrous creature. The hobgoblins, who play the role of the main antagonists, are the representatives of an authoritarian regime.

Disclaimer:Sample While the goblins in this adventure are not dangerous, the authors do not claim that the same can be said for their cooking.file DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, Ravenloft, Eberron, the dragon ampersand, Ravnica and 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.

This work contains material that is copyright Wizards of the Coast and/or other authors. Such material is used with permission under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild.

TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction ...... 3 Background ...... 3 Overview ...... 3 Adventure Hooks ...... 3 Securing a source of metal ore ...... 3 Shelter for weary adventurers ...... 3 Clearing the hills ...... 3 Running the adventure ...... 4 Placing the adventure ...... 4 Chapter 1 — Cathric ...... 5 Meeting the Marquess ...... 5 Roleplaying the Marquess ...... 5 Traveling to the mine ...... 5 Chapter 2 — The Mine ...... 6 Approaching the mine ...... 6 Setting up the mine ...... 6 The goblin leaders ...... 6 Areas of the mine ...... 7 General Features - Buildings ...... 7 General Features - Mine ...... 7 Location of NPCs ...... 7 Cave in...... 11 Returning to Grishelda and Hubruk...... 11 Chapter 3 — The Hobgoblin Attack ...... 12 Timing of the attack ...... 12 Standard - The morning after ...... 12 Harder - Immediately! ...... 12 Easier - In the future ...... 12 Hobgoblins attack! ...... 12 Conclusion ...... 13 Sealing the deal ...... 13 Oh dear, you killed everyone ...... 13 The hobgoblins win ...... 13 XP rewards ...... 13 Acknowledgements: ...... 13 Author Bio: ...... 13 Art Credits: ...... 13 Appendices ...... 14 Appendix A. Monster statistics ...... 14 Appendix B. Magic items ...... 14 Appendix C. Player map ...... 15

Sample file

2 organizing operations before their old masters find out INTRODUCTION what they are attempting and come to quash them. This will make up most of the adventure and is detailed in In this adventure you will come to the aid of a group of chapter 2. The Hobgoblin Empire is currently scouting refugee goblins as they work to establish a life for the hills to find their location. Once they have found themselves away from the hobgoblin empire. You will them, the hobgoblin scouting party will attack the tribe help them restore a mine to its former workable state, to show their dominance and restore order. How this clearing out the monsters that have overran it and attack plays out is detailed in chapter 3. restoring magical tools. Finally, you will have to face off against the scouts of the hobgoblin empire as they ADVENTURE HOOKS attempt to reclaim what they see as their property. Cathric tends to attract adventurers looking to make a name for themselves in the largely unmapped territories BACKGROUND around it. There are several reasons that they might find Many years ago, the town of Cathric was built on the themselves involved with the mines. Some of the frontier of the kingdom to provide it with a first line of possible reasons why are listed below, or feel free to defense against neighboring enemies. As such, it was come up with your own. much more fortified than a normal town of its size would be. The kingdom however has since lost interest in the SECURING A SOURCE OF METAL ORE town, as threats elsewhere drew away the funds and The Marquess of Cathric is looking for a way to provide attention that had initially been offered to it. As such, his town with metal ore, both as a source of revenue and the town has declined considerably since. Recently, it to help build up its defenses. Having received a badly has become a base for adventurers looking to explore the worded letter from someone that has apparently opened frontier wilderness and the ruins of ancient civilizations the local mines back up, he wants a group of adventurers within it. However, the Marquess of the town is growing to investigate this opportunity and help establish a increasingly worried about the expansion of a hobgoblin source of local ore. empire that could become a potential threat and wishes This is probably the easiest start for the adventure, to reinforce the towns defenses. providing plenty of time to set expectations and to have As such, they are looking for a reasonable way to a bit of roleplaying in town before the player characters supply the town with provisions and weapons to aid in set off. restoring its defenses. The restoration of the mine in the nearby hills would be a considerable boon to them. The SHELTER FOR WEARY ADVENTURERS iron mine was abandoned when they found that it was too hard to defend properly from attack. Since then they As shown in chapter 2, there are several buildings have had to import their iron from other parts of the around the mine which could provide shelter for tired kingdom. adventurers looking to spend the night somewhere dry without having to set up a camp. The goblins currently inhabiting the buildings would be happy to greet them OVERVIEW and provide lodgings, in exchange for their help clearing The iron mines near the town of Cathric were abandoned the mine. long ago, too dangerous to keep functioning out in the This start needs no back story on the area, meaning wilds. However, the frontier town’s recent growth that it can easily be added to the end of another requires increasing resources to support it. A week ago, adventure. It can also be used as a cold open, skipping the town guards found a badly written note nailed to the chapter 1, if you are looking to save time. This start is town gates, informing them that the mine was open and most suitable for players who like to talk to monsters ready to supply them with all the iron that they might rather than jump straight into battle. need. Lacking any idea who sent the note, the Marquess is looking for adventurers willing to investigate who sent CLEARING THE HILLS this letter and, if possible, to form a trade deal with them. He desperately needs iron to help the town defend Local herdsmen and hunters have noticed increased itself against the harsh realities of the wild and the goblin activity in the hills, especially around the area of goblinoid raiding parties that plague it. the old mine. Adventurers looking to test their mettle The note received by the Marquess was sent by the might be tempted to go and deal with them. goblin tribe that has taken over the mine very recently, This start is very risky, as it makes the goblins but he doesn’t know this detail. This tribe of goblins is antagonists to fight rather than NPCs to be talked to. If looking for independence from the goblinoid empire, you want to start this way, it is advisable to provide where they occupy the lowest ranks of society. Their plenty of clues that these goblins are not threatening chief Grishelda, a nilbog, hopes that by trading with the and are looking for help. human town they will be able to build up their community and defend themselves from their old hobgoblin overlords. The chaotic nature of goblins has helpedSample to get them to accept independence from the file hobgoblins but is not particularly helpful for running a mine. They will need the adventurers help for this, as well as clearing out the mine, since even though they stated in the letter that they were ready to trade, they have not quite got everything set up. The new goblin tribe requires help clearing out the mine and securing it, as well as setting up a way of

3 UNNING THE ADVENTURE R MARQUESS AND MARCHES This adventure is designed to be run with the fifth edition Player’s Handbook and Monster Manual for A marquess (or marquis, or margrave, depending on where Dungeons and Dragons. you are from) is a noble title, generally below a duke but When a creature’s name appears in bold type, that’s a above an earl. It is often seen to be equivalent to a count. The visual cue pointing you to its stat block in the Monster difference between them is that a count rules a county, and a Manual, unless it is followed by a reference to appendix marquess rules a march. A march is a zone on the borders of a A, in which case you will find the stat block there instead. country, and as such was the first line of defense against References are made to Xanathar’s Guide to Everything outside forces, compared to a county that is generally further and Volo’s Guide to Monsters, but these are not essential from outside dangers. In D&D, this term is notably used in the to running this adventure. “West Marches” style of game. PLACING THE ADVENTURE Cathric and its surroundings are a setting neutral zone that can serve as the staging grounds for a campaign or a one-shot adventure, as presented here. Any frontier town with hills located nearby would be a suitable substitute. The setting does however have to consider that non-evil goblins are a possibility.

Sample file

4 back of an old stock sheet in large shaky letters. “We CHAPTER 1 — have opened mine. Much iron to sell. Come visit to buy, quick, quick.” Under this message is a drawing of a whip. CATHRIC On a successful DC15 Wisdom (Religion) check, a character can recognize the whip as the sign of Cathric is currently too big for its population, much like Khurgorbaeyag, the Overseer of All, god of goblins. The a pair of trousers that your parents bought on the Marquess does not know anything else about the current promise that you would “grow into them”. There are situation at the mine and does not have any other more houses than people, leading to some areas being resources to spare to investigate it. He can however help largely abandoned. The walls around it would be better the characters locate the mine on a map. suited to a fortified bastion than a provincial town. These are relics of its past, rather than a plan for its future. Cathric was founded and built to serve as the first ADAPTING REWARDS TO YOUR CAMPAIGN line of defense for the kingdom against aggressive There is little treasure to be found in this adventure. The main neighbors. These potential foes have since dwindled in reward therefore comes from the 200 gp payment that the power, and others have rose on other frontiers. This has marquess offers. If you are playing this adventure as a one- led to resources being deployed elsewhere, and the shot, then the reward will have little impact as it disappears as soldiers that had initially inhabited the town have moved the adventure ends, so feel free to go wild. If you are including on with them. Certain sections of the town are therefore this adventure into a campaign, you may wish to adjust this abandoned, and others, generally around main roads amount to better suit how rich you want your characters to be. and markets, are still normally populated. You may also want to spread the payment out over time, as a Some of these abandoned buildings, as well as the 5% commission on all trades for example, rather than a lump town walls, are currently being repaired, as the town is sum, as this can provide the characters with motivation to undergoing something of a renaissance. This is thanks to make sure that the mine remains functioning if you want to increased activity in the area from adventurers, and a revisit it in the future. growing interest in defending the border. Any items listed in the adventuring gear section of chapter 5 of the Player’s Handbook can be bought in ROLEPLAYING THE MARQUESS Cathric, and various taverns and inns can provide The Marquess is the hereditary leader of Cathric and its accommodation to satisfy various levels of lifestyle, surrounding lands, though the borders of his realm are from squalid to wealthy, at the cost stated in Chapter 5 of somewhat fluid depending on how much he can defend. the Player’s Handbook. The current Marquess inherited the march five years ago and has since been trying to secure help from the rest of MEETING THE MARQUESS the realm to reinforce his power in the area. He is As the characters make their way to the meeting with the currently interested in finding resources to provide Marquess read the following text: supplies and build up the local economy. He was therefore intrigued by the note that was found by the The main road between the market and the castle is bustling town gates proposing to reopen the old mine and provide with merchants calling out to you as you walk down it, the town with iron ore. tempting you with the smell of roasted chicken and freshly The Marquess is a skilled fighter and diplomat, who is baked bread. The throng here marks a stark difference with proud of his family history as defenders of the the abandoned streets further away from the main centers of kingdom’s borders. He is direct in his approach and is population. As you head past the guards into the castle itself used to dealing with adventurers. While his family is not you notice it too has seen better days. While the walls are well as rich as it once was, he remains powerful and has the maintained, the tapestries hanging on them are faded and support of the townsfolk and the guard behind him. He the rooms inside are sparse. does not respond well to threats, but is easily flattered, A servant shows you into the main reception chamber, and does not hold grudges against those that slight him where the Marquess sits on a simple wooden chair, raised if they are willing to help the town. slightly on a dais. In contrast to his simple surroundings the Marquess is flamboyant in his courtly dress and in his attitude TRAVELING TO THE MINE as he raises to greet you with a great booming voice. The voyage to the mine should be relatively uneventful, as it is quite close to the town. The biggest threat in the The Marquess (LG human gladiator) is looking for area, the goblins, are friendly to the characters. The adventurers willing to go to the mines, find out what is mine is located about 12 miles from the town on foot and happening, and secure a trade deal. He cannot spare any can be reached in 4 hours walking at a normal pace. This of the town guards to investigate, as they are already at can be reduced if the characters row up the river and their limit protecting the oversized town walls, and he then finish the journey on foot. Traveling up the river needs outside help. He is willing to provide the takes 2 hours, while traveling back to the town only adventurersSample with a 200 gp commission if they come back takes 1 hour. The characters willfile then need to walk the with positive news about the mine and a trade last 1,5 miles (30 minutes) to reach the mine. If you want proposition. Strictly speaking, the mine is on his land to make the wilderness seem more dangerous, than feel and would require his permission to reopen, but he is free to throw in a random encounter here. Examples can willing to this if the new operators are willing to offer be found in “Hill Encounters (Levels 1-4)” in the exclusivity. Random Encounters section of Chapter 2 of Xanathar’s If the adventurers are willing to help, he provides Guide to Everything. them with the badly written note that they received earlier that week. It is written in bad Common, on the

5 While the characters are helping them, they are provided CHAPTER 2 — THE free food and lodgings within the camp and are welcome to go wherever they please. Once the mine is clear they MINE will be more than happy to supply the town with the iron it needs.

APPROACHING THE MINE THE GOBLIN LEADERS As the characters approach the mine read: GRISHELDA Several wooden buildings can be seen in the distance. Grishelda (CG Goblin, inhabited by a Nilbog) is skinny Goblins move from one building to the next, seemingly at even for a goblin, her bright garish clothes hang off her, random, carrying materials and haphazardly trying to repair and her pointed hat wobbles precariously as she moves, walls and roofs. Their loud shrill voices can be heard at a but never falls off. Her status of Nilbog gave her a lot of distance, even over the noise of hammering and sawing, freedom within the empire, and she was able to use this though whether in discussion or argument is hard to tell. to lead her tribe away and find the mines to take refuge in. Above all she wants her tribe to be free from outside If one or more of the characters can speak Goblin, then rule so that they can grow. While she is officially the they can make out snippets of conversation as the tribe’s leader, she lets Hubruk do all the actual goblins try to repair the buildings. Examples of such organizing, as he is better suited to it. phrases could be: “I need more boards”, “You missed the nail, idiot!”, “Ow! My thumb!”, “Left a bit, left a bit, HUBRUK right a bit, no too far!”. Hubruk (NG Goblin Boss) is a highly organized goblin The goblins have spent the past week repairing the lasher and still wields the ceremonial whip of his office, buildings around the mine. They have nearly finished but no longer uses it on other goblins. He has a large, now, and most of the buildings are in decent shape, even hooked nose and droopy ears. After the loss of the rest of if the repairs are not of the highest quality. If they spot the tribe’s hunters and lashers he has taken on all the the characters, they will wave friendlily, and call out in organization of the tribe, which has made him even Common “Welcome! Come in!”. The goblins then call for grouchier than before. He is fanatically dedicated to Grishelda and Hubruk, who appear from area 1 to greet Grishelda’s plan and sees her as a divine guide back to the characters. the old ways of the goblins. While he deals with the day to day activities of the tribe, he always defers to Grishelda on important decisions. SETTING UP THE MINE Grishelda explains that they left the note at the town gate because they want to sell ore to Cathric, establishing themselves as a vital ally to the town and helpful to its rulers. She hopes that this will help her tribe survive and prosper outside of the Hobgoblin empire. If the adventurers ask about the history of the tribe, any goblin there can tell them what happened, as detailed in the “goblinoid society and escaping the empire” sidebar. They explain that while they have pretty much finished repairing the buildings outside of the mine, they still can’t go into the mine itself because of the dangers within. They require help clearing out the beasts inside before they can start mining. So far, they have identified the following problems that need to be solved: • There are animated mining tools that are in the old forge part of the mine (area 5) that attack anyone that approaches. They seem to be linked to the magic circle in the foreman’s hut. If the characters can figure out how to control them then they would really appreciate it. If not, they at least need to be destroyed. • There are spiders in the mine that need clearing out (area 8), and maybe some other monsters even deeper. • They had captured an Umber Hulk that they wanted to use to help them mine, but it escaped. It might still be in the mine somewhere (area 10). The goblins do not know the word for Umber Hulk in Common and describeSample it as “weird eyed pincer monster”. file • The tribe has no hunters left, only gatherers. Grishelda has chosen 3 goblins that look like they might be suitable and would appreciate it if the characters would allow the trainees to follow them around and watch them so as to learn some techniques. The trainees can be found in the cookhouse (area 3).