Random Roads: Conferences of Chaos An adventure for characters on the road. Written by Neil Nolette Edited by Lea and Mike Nolette Art by Lucy Freeman 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 StatesSample of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of file Wizards of the Coast. ©2016 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. Down a Random Road “It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your be in poor taste to kill them. One may even say the door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep heroes were the real monsters after all. your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.” Location —J.R.R Tolkien The reason the heroes run into this meeting is The Fellowship of the Ring. because the monsters need to have it in a neutral location. Beside that it doesn’t truly matter where the meeting is set. If your campaign is based in the Introduction desert then the meeting place would be an oasis, if it In my years of adventuring I have always found is set at sea then the meeting is at an abandoned travel in DnD to be one of the most dividing issues. pirate base, if you are just traveling through the Some people love it: facing 2d4 bandits in the middle woods then the monsters are using an abandoned of day during a randomly rolled snowstorm while on mill. an island. Some other people think that the former is The monster’s home is nearby but no delegate will quite mad. For this second group the game is found tell the heroes were it is, and when the heroes finish in the secret lairs of cults, and the halls of barons. So, up with the monsters the delegates will still be when this group is told that they will be traveling for working for several days. For the heroes to find the the next seven days to get from the lair to the hall caves they would have to wait out the meeting and they sink in their seats, uninterested in facing down stealthily follow the delegates but that is beyond the the random “encounters” that come from the tables scope of this encounter. of the DM. So comes this series of encounters that can be fitted into road travel to engage the players that love Opening remarks the deep stories of DnD, and those that want to track As the heroes are traveling, they awake one rations, liters of water, and the dead in their wake. morning to another group of travelers running into And, perhaps most importantly, this is for the DM them. with the divided table travel. Finishing up your morning meal you are startled to hear a set of high-pitched A Conference of Chaos? voices seemingly talking to you. “Pardon Keep on the Borderlands is one of the more famous me warm-bloods, we seem to have been starting adventures that DnD has had in its lifetime, turned around. Could you assist us?” and the dungeon found in the module is just as famous. The Caves of Chaos is one of the more Four kobolds have wandered into the heroes’ camp. interesting dungeons in DnD because is has its’ own This would be the kobold delegation led by scale ecosystem and politics between the monsters that singer Dirk. The delegation, which is described in full live there. They wage wars, make deals, and set later in this encounter, was trying to avoid the sun boarders between their monster kingdoms and then and so traveled at night, however got turned around the heroes come along and play the role of an in the process. Dirk, now starting to feel the sun invasive species and killing everything. sickness set in, begs the heroes to help him and his party make it to the meeting on time. Should the This random road takes those monster politics heroes agree they can easily find the meeting in the and puts in front and center as the heroes come next few hours without the need for check. They across a gathering of several monster factions and could also kill all the kobolds, in which case congrats are asked to weight in as a neutral party to help on finishing the encounter. deiced a few key issues the monsters are having. Depending on how the heroes rule they will get a After a few hours of walking the group arrives. little boon from one or two of the factions and go on their way. Of course, they can also just try and kill everyoneSample at the meeting, and higher-level parties are file likely to do so easily, but considering that the monsters are trying to have a civil meeting it would Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. CoC 1 The room you enter is packed to the brim The Cultists with humanoids. They are quick to draw on your party, but Dirk lets out a series of The newest faction in the caves is the Cult of quick yips and the whole mob seems to Blackstone. Founded by a former adventure who calm down. The group is made up five was escaping gnolls, the cult is centered around a orcs, four goblins, one hobgoblin, and dark stone which the adventurer found in the dark two humans in dark robes. depths of the cave. The cult grew as the adventurer was given clerical spells from the stone and the Dirk looks up. “Now that you are here power to raise the dead. The cult is growing quickly maybe you help us just a little more.” and would really like to bring all the other delegates into the cult. The two delegates are Alec Veers, a former adventurer, and Roselyn Waters, a run away The Delegations miller’s daughter. The two work as a team to try and The members of the cave have a lot to discuss but make the cave an easier place for cultist to enter. there are a few things that could use an outside opinion. As heroes are kind of the fifth group to most The Kobolds often use the cave, the group agrees to let the heroes The smallest faction in the caves, the kobolds are act as a tie breaking vote. The party has a whole gets somewhat isolated in one of the smaller caves. They one vote, and if they themselves are tied than the are led by Dirk, the bard of the wyrm Maty the player with the highest persuasion choses the vote. Powerful. Maty is a real red dragon, but is sadly only Before the meeting start the kobolds need to get three years old. The kobolds saved her when a band settle and so the heroes have time to talk to the of adventurers fought her mother and have been other groups that have come to the meeting. working on raising her ever since. Wanting to ensure their dragon master lives long enough to become an The Orcs adult the kobolds want to make the caves a calmer The orc delegation is led by Talk-Talk an aging place where it will be less likely for a group to kill all female orc filled with stories of the caves and the the kobolds in one night. The other kobolds are many wars that have been fought over them. She is named Stiletto, Kalis, and Bagh Nakh. the most senior member in any delegations and uses that to her advantage putting down younger member for their lack of knowledge about the cave. The Matters on The Table Most orcs think this meeting is dumb and that life in This whole encounter is going to play very the caves is going fine as normal. This means Talk- differently with different groups, and how long you Talk is likely to try and put down any talk of change want this to go on for is up to you. Provided are or rules, unless given major concession and perks. several examples of issues the delegates are facing. The rest of the orcs are just muscle and go by The heroes can leave at any time, but before they go Snaabog, Rabiz, Sudbad, and Celenog. have them address “The Adventuring Problem” as this is a fun issue to have the players end on as each The Goblinoids side has a different idea, and they are the intended targets of the resolution. Each act will be read aloud Besides the bugbears, all the goblinoid creatures are by the delegate who wrote it and then the monsters under one banner. The delegation is led by Captain will give their brief thoughts on it. The DM can see Point, the hobgoblin. The Captain used to be part of a who will be voting which way, and in all cases the massive roaming horde, but when he and his fellow matter will be a tie as that is the only time the heroes goblins suffered a massive defeat, they dug into a set will be asked to weight in.