The following blog post is Part 6 of the Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition campaign, Dreadstorms Lost. These blogs are intended for other game masters who might want to use this campaign setting and the scenarios to inspire their own role playing games. (Free for noncommercial reuse.)

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Notes:

Sound Advice

For a bit of ambiance, I often have a mix of random drum songs (like Japanese Drums, African Drums, etc.) playing in the background while I’m running a D&D game. It’d be even better if I had specific songs planned out for different scenes in the game, but I just don’t have that level of organization.

For those of you who enjoy adding cool sound effects to your games, go to Tabletop Audio. He has ambiance mixes for all sorts of different genres and environments. Even more fun is the SoundPad where you can pick your own sound bites. 

I admit that when I’m running a game, I don’t have the extra energy to keep track of sound along with everything else. But I love the idea of it. 

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What’s a Guard Gotta Do to Get Some XP around here?

Day 1 of Guard Duty

Nothing happens. It’s really boring aside from whatever the players do to amuse themselves. Simple folk, families, farmers, traders, and the like pass through.

Setting Recap

♣  The tower has the city gates and wall to the north, high cliffs drop off east, the land bridge and raging waterfall to the south and faces the Free Road to the west; The tower rises above the city wall by 50 feet.  ♣

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GM note:

If anyone activates their stone (by licking it), the rune on the rock will glow white and continue to glow until either Kazel or Foreshot arrive. On the first day, if a stone is activated, Kazel will show up and be extremely annoyed. It will take some excellent diplomacy (DC 15 with disadvantage) to convince Kazel not to magic missile the person’s bedroll or other destroy-able gear. Otherwise, at no point do the characters get a visit from the champions. Nor do the champions respond to any summons after the first day.

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Days 2-5 of Guard Duty

Guard duty is boring. The biggest challenge is staying awake and alert.

If the party decides to abandon post before day 5 to look for the champions, skip to the section starting with “Searching for the Kazel and Foreshot.”

If they decide they just want to go to a tavern and get drunk, go to the section “Days 6, 7, or 8 of Guard Duty” where they can find some bandits to tangle with.

Towards the end of the 5th day things pick up a bit, with occasional small groups of  the rougher types going into town. (A mix of races, dealer’s choice.) A random group of toughs will have 1d6+1 members. If any of the random people are questioned by the party, they will get cagey, brusque, or rude answers:

“I’m traveling through. Ya gotta problem with that?!”
“What’s it to ya? Do I gotta bribe ya or somethin’?”
“Looking for work on the docks.”
“Non of yer business, ya snotty nose nibbler.”

If the travelers are pressed further by the party (diplomacy or intimidation)

Roll of 10-14  =
“I was told this was a friendly, open town. What’s with the 3rd degree?”
“I heard there was treasure to be had here! And it’s got my name on it!”

Roll of DC 15-19 =
“With your protectors gone, this town is ripe for the picking!”

Roll of DC 20+ =
“The old man told all of us at the bar that the champions are dead or good as! And somewhere in this town is the famous Dreadstorm treasure. We just have to find the right person and shake the secret out of them! Let’s start with you!”

If things get to the point of a fight between the players and the travelers, use the stats for the Bandit (5th Edition Monster Manual 343) for an encounter with the ruffians.

If they somehow get on friendly terms with one of the incoming ruffians, the ruffian would tell them this tale:

I was in the Village of Crossover, nursing a drink at the Choked Goose. Relaxing, ya know? When an older, distinguished hoity-toity man dressed up all pretty like comes a strolling in. One of them neatly trimmed beard. Not a hair on his head out of place. Don’t think a spec a dirt woulda dared touch that man’s white suite. Probly one of them bored nobles or somethin’… anyways …

He walks over to the bar. Casual like leans back like he ain’t got a care in the world. He starts talking in this deep commandin’ voice. Everyone just stops. Stares at him.

He tells how the wealthy town of Berlsturm – just down the river – is a ripe fruit. Ours for the plucking. Their champions gone. Somewhere is the famous Dreadstorm treasure trove. Someone in that town ‘s bound to know the secret location. We just need to find the right person and shake it out of em.

Old guy goes on for a while talkin’ bout gems laying about in the streets, piles o gold under people’s beds, magic items hanging over fireplaces… You could see the excitement growing in the people listening.

He saunters out as leisure-like as he came in. Smiling all pleased at himself. Everybody starts movin’ n talkin’. Within a couple minutes, most of the tavern has emptied. I wasn’t going miss out on that, now, was I?

So here I am!

End of Day 5

Around MIDNIGHT on the 5th day, when the party is on ground duty, a pack of Kobolds (5 regular kobolds, 2 wing Kobolds) try to sneak past the tower and into the city. If they’re caught sneaking (stealth vs perception), the kobolds will fight.

Kobolds aren’t terribly brave. As long as they have the numbers they continue to battle. If it looks like they’re losing, they’ll make a run for it. (Wing Kobolds optional based on power level of players.)

If the players capture and question a kobold, they’ll get the same story as the ruffians above.

Kobold 1 Initiative:

Kobold 2 Initiative:

Kobold 3 Initiative:

Kobold 4 Initiative:

Kobold 5 Initiative:

Wing Kobold  1 Initiative:

Wing Kobold 2 Initiative:

Searching for the Kazel and Foreshot

If any of the players decide to abandon their post to go look for the champions inside Berlstrum, they will find Kazel’s store, The Glass Eye, closed and locked. If they break inside (Open Lock / Strength DC 20), the place in in disarray. Broken vials. Tossed about spell components. All magic items he might display gone.

The champions’ manor is also locked (Open Lock DC 25 / Strength DC 30) with no answer to knocking.

Days 6, 7, or 8 of Guard Duty

If the group decides to stay at the tower instead of going into town to investigate, the stream of miscreants continues to increase. At some point, a gang of 4 Bandits and 2 Giant Rats (5th Edition Monster Manual  343 and 327) will approach and demand that the guards take them to the Dreadstorm Treasure.

*Or if the group leaves the tower, they’ll meet this band of Bandits & Giant Rats inside attacking townsfolk and random bandits bands attacking townsfolk.

“Baz” Bandit 1 Initiative:

“Gart” Bandit 2 Initiative:

“Neff” Bandit 3 Initiative:

“Hork” Bandit 4 Initiative:

“Gig” Giant Rat 1 Initiative:

“Russ” Giant Rat 1 Initiative:

If the bandit gang is winning and it’s going badly for the players, they will allow the players to surrender if they’ll show the bandits where the Champions’ treasure is hidden. [As far as the group knows, there is no hidden treasure!]

If the group heads to the Champion’s Manor, the location details will be in #8 – Champions’ Manor. 

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Up Next: The town is over run! The Champions are missing! The mayor needs their help closing the city gates! #7 – Rusty Gates of Berlstrum – Dreadstorms Lost Campaign

It took me a while to get around to give the explanation of what was going on behind the scenes with the champions while the players are dealing with these immediate challenges. If you want to jump ahead for that information: #9 – The Mystery of the Missing Champions – Dreadstorms Lost