Introduction

Our party of adventurers entered the village of Ashburn on a sunny summers day to find the place quiet and deserted. Our group consisted of Lady Nova and Lady Sky, the daughters of Lord Jameson ruler of the local lands who have been sent on a mission to visit the local villagers whom they are sworn to protect as part of their education. Accompanying them is their bodyguard, the young noble knight Sir Gallant along with the expert hunter and tracker Aurora and finally making up the group is the ladies tutor Friar Hugh, their educator and advisor.

• Lady Sky, Level 1 Human Mage
• Lady Nova, Level 1 Human Mage
• Sir Gallant, Level 1 Human Knight
• Aurora, Level 1 Human Ranger
• Friar Hugh, Level 1 Human Cleric

This was the first face to face session I was running in a long time and I was running the game for a group of rpg newbies with a broad age range (from 6yrs old to teenagers to someone in their 70’s) and I was using my home-brew system (Heroes of Adventure). In view of the age range I was going to keep the tone fairly light (i.e. avoiding graphic detail and heavy violence for example).

To keep things nice and simple, I had pre-generated the characters and matched the heroes roles with the profile of the players (i.e. the youngest two played the two daughters and the eldest player portrayed Friar Hugh). With little to no rpg playing experience in the group the rules were broken down into the following two points.

1. This is a ‘story’ game where you each portray a character (like a part in a play). You play most of the game by telling me what you would like your character to do and I will then explain what happens next.
2. Sometimes, I may ask you to roll a dice to determine the outcome of an action. You roll the d20 die and the higher result the better.

Each player was given a character sheet and their own set of dice (which they could keep afterwards as a momento of their first ever game) and I made sure to give each person a couple of interesting pieces of equipment (potions, scrolls etc) they could use in the game and then we jumped into the first scene.

In addition, I had hand drawn a map of the rooms (on A3 paper) which I could piece together or replace as they moved from room to room. I had created some 2D miniatures to help the group visualise their characters exploring the adventure location. During the exploration phase I simply asked them to move and position their characters where they wanted and would ‘pause’ them somewhere if this led to a clue, hazard or encounter.

The Adventure

The group made their way to the centre of the village to see a woman kneeling down and sobbing next to a stone statue. Some gentle questioning and interaction revealed some ruffians had broken the hand of the statue and stolen it away and were last seen heading towards the abandoned temple at the edge of the forest. The stone statue was said to bring good fortune and fertile lands to the village and the missing piece must be returned otherwise some corruption may befall the village. To emphasise the point, the grass near the foot of the statue had started to darken and turn to ash.

This was the players first NPC interaction with the visibly upset villager (Merelle) and was intended to set the scene and give them a clear objection (return the missing piece of the statue) and a destination (the abandoned temple). The party wanted to make sure Merelle was safe and I gently fast-forwarded her safe return home and moved them onto the front of the temple where the adventure started.

The party arrived at an old abandoned template forgotten by time on the edge of the forest, its moss covered stone features suggesting it has been abandoned for centuries. A large twisting gnarled tree seems to have grown through the building from the inside with its roots and branches weaving around and through crumbling walls. As you approach the sturdy oaken entrance door you hear a voice snapping at you from behind the door.

The words were unclear to most of the party however, Lady Nova and Friar Hugh understand the darkling tongue, the language spoken by Goblins, Wretches and other underground dwelling creatures. The words were translated to ‘I am King Snotweezle and you have trespassed on my lands. You are not welcome here, go away!”. From further behind the door, the party could also hear the deep growling sounds of some sort of beast inside the temple.

This encounter introducted the main protagonist King Snotweezle, a dastardly, cunning but cowardly Goblin and sign-posted a potential danger (the beasts) inside the first room. After a brief interaction, King Snotweezle closed the door and ran away, the chase was on.

Sir Gallant bravely sprinted forward and opened the door followed by the rest of the group which revealed a room with crumbling pillars either side and a set of steps ahead leading to another room. Next to the steps were two very large makeshift kennels from which the group could hear some deep growls and the clanking of chains, there was no sign of King Snotweezle. As they entered the room from within the shadows of the kennel they could make out the movement of two very large wolves (Direwolves) within the shadows of the kennels.

This was the players first challenge, two powerful creatures potentially blocking the party’s advance although the clanking of chains suggested they were locked up. The youngest player of the group (6 years old!) cleverly identified her sleeping potion as an option and they poured the potion over some fresh meat carried by the Ranger and threw two slabs of doctored meet into the kennels. I made a check to see how this would affect each of the wolves with one falling asleep and one resisting.

I had some printed pictures of any monsters and adversaries and displayed the picture of the fearsome Direwolf to help the players visualise the beast.

The group scoured their equipment and found one carried some wolfsbane (which I indicated was a toxic plant wolves do not like) and allowed then to throw it near the kennel so the remaining Direwolf so it retreated back and the party continued onwards having overcome the first challenge.

The party entered a long wide hallway in a darkened room, to the right a stair case covered in thick cobwebs led up to an attic level and ahead stood a closed wooden door.

There was some brief debate about which direction to head and the group correctly decided that King Snotweezle didn’t go upstairs otherwise he would have damaged the cobwebs leaving a trail. They searched the hallway and identified some scuff marks on the floor which they found was caused by a shifting wall leading to a secret chamber to the left.

The party peered into the secret chamber which was covered in loose rocks and debris fallen from an unstable ceiling. In the centre of the room lay a large wooden table and chairs and a wooden hatch leading downwards. However, their eyes were drawn to an open wooden chest full of sparking gems and jewels which sparkled and glistened lighting up the room.

The chest was an illusion created by the crafty King Snotweezle as a diversion and the group resisted the temptation to interact with a seemingly obvious trap/distraction. They searched the room and opened the hatch which led down to a deeper level in the darkness. They sent one of the players familiars (a cat named Midnight) into the tunnel and after a few minutes of waiting and then gently calling for its return it sprinted back covered in sweat and seemingly startled (signposting a potential danger in the deeper level).

Friar Hugh cautioned the group as to the potential dangers below and they made their way out of the chamber back into the hallway and through the wooden door which led to a room where the structural integrity of the floor had succumbed to the advance of nature as roots and branches had ripped up the floor causing it to warp and break leaving loose earth, dust, debris, holes and unstable flagstones. The party could see another wooden door at the far end of the room.

This room was a trap due to the instability of the floor. However, on the physical map I had drawn some faint footsteps in the dust which successfully led them to the door. No checks or dice rolls were required this was simply a ‘player’ test to see if they could work out the (fairly obvious) clue. The group successfully navigated the correct route to the next room.

I had been making random encounter checks every turn but so far the party had been careful with their approach and hadn’t encountered any denizens.

Opening the wooden door led to a dimly lit room where the stone walls and ceiling were buckling under the weight of large tree roots growing through the ceiling. The wall and ceiling has collapsed on one side of the room leaving rocks, stones and boulders although this was now covered in thick cobwebs. In the centre of the room stood a large statue of a man formed of rock who stands in front of an impressive looking portcullis leading to a room beyond. Two additional passageways lead north and south.

This room gave the party a few options (i.e. which way to explore). However, hidden amongst the collapsed wall and ceiling were a couple of dormant Giant Spiders which could be awoken. The party examined the statue but found no way to activate it (the solution was elsewhere) and tried to open the portcullis which was sealed shut due to a rusted chain. Sir Gallant started to smash the chain with his mace which echoed loudly around the room and awoke the Giant Spiders which moved to attack. Aurora the Ranger had the highest senses skill and I allowed a check to see if she heard their approach. A low roll meant the party were surprised the Giant Spiders tore into the group biting both Sir Gallant and Aurora causing minor wounds before the party rallied and defeated the spiders.

I usually run an ‘individual initiative’ approach (i.e. everyone rolls individually with group rolls for similar monsters and we take it in turns from highest to lowest). However, at the table with several excited players each wanting to do something I found it easier to control the combat turn from a ‘side initiative’ (monsters act then players act in turn) along with a ‘left to right’ approach around the table. Having established this approach people then knew when it would be their turn and everyone had a chance to act in the spotlight.

The combat encounter wasn’t difficult with strength of numbers leading to a quick victory with a few minor wounds.

Sir Gallant decided that whilst he could break the chain eventually the noise was likely to attract more creatures and the party took the northern passageway through a door to a large room which unfolded like a vibrant tapestry of life with an array o lush greenery and plants covering the room from floor to ceiling. In the heart of the room lay a raised well adorned with soft moss and delicate vines connecting the plants. A wooden door stood closed at the far side of the room.

The group examined and tested the waters (dipping a staff then tasting a mouthful) in the well which had healing properties (the lush foliage all around being the clue) and those people with wounds healed themselves. No dice rolls were used at all here, this was simply determined by player descriptions of their actions.

Moving through the exit of the garden room led to a large unstable room, the ceiling above had collapsed leaving piles of rock and rubble on the floor next to thick roots which had grown upwards from below making travel potentially hazardous. In the centre of the room lay a marble statue of a cloaked woman, it had fallen and lay broken in two pieces on the floor. A further passageway led south ahead of the group.

The group searched the room and found a gold rimmed key hung on a small chain on the neck of the statue and cautiously navigated the hazardous terrain. If a combat situation was to take place this may have presented a danger of slipping or tripping but with sufficient time and care the group moved on.

The passageway led to a flight of stairs leading down and a locked door. Using the gold rimmed key from the previous room they opened the door to reveal a dust filled library, the musty air and dust causing the party to cough and sneeze. Within the room were shelves full of books, scrolls and parchments in various condition from readable to tattered fragments. From the amount of dust in the room, no-one had been in here for quite some time.

The group searched the room, Lady Sky using her magic lodestone to feel the vibration of magic leading her to finding two scrolls (Sleep and Animation). The remaining party members searched for useful books and particular any reference to King Snotweezle. This was a reasonable idea but the temple had been built centuries before King Snotweezle had lived so flawed idea but I did allow a random roll (d20, high good, low bad) to see if they could find anything useful which led to one character finding a book on the biology and ecology of monsters.

Putting away the books and scrolls from the library, the group cautiously made their way down the flight of steps lighting a lantern to illuminate their path ahead. A winding set of steps led to an underground room which was dominated by a large tree trunk growing in the centre of the room with various roots and branches extending outwards. Surrounding the walls of the room were different suits of armour on stands and hanging on the walls were shields and an assortment of old, dusty and rusted weapons. Lying next to the tree was the form of a green skinned humanoid leaving over the inert form of another of its species laid upon a bed of leaves but firmly held in place by a tree root.

This was the final encounter room where the story outcome would be revealed. Through a series of interactions and discussions the party identified the humanoid as King Snotweezle and the unconscious goblin as Griselda his Queen who was suffering some curse or sickness for which he required the hand of the statue (which contained a healing gem). This left the party with a simple dilemma of how to approach this situation and to complicate matters as they approached the tree, the form of a Wood Weird revealed itself as the source of the tree growth and curse.

A scene of chaos unfolded which was manic but good fun with some of the group trying to fight off the powerful and intimidating Wood Weird, some of the group trying to revive Griselda, one member of the party trying to steal back the statue hand from King Snotweezle and then trying to assassinate him with another member of the party trying to prevent harm coming to him. 

Having got a feel for their skills and abilities we had a series of illusions being created, the animate scroll being used to animate tree roots to crush King Snotweezle and then backfiring (natural 1) and causing the roots to start to crush the caster, the lantern and oil being thrown at the Wood Weird, the Knight stoutly defending his ground and losing his shield under a powerful attack by the Wood Weird.

Eventually, the group cut the roots away from Griselda and Friar Hugh used his healing hands to help Griselda recover. Lady Nova stole the statue hand from Snotweezle who then escaped with Griselda through a portal he cast. Friar Hugh led Lady Sky and Lady Nova away having recovered the statue hand leaving Aurora the Ranger and Sir Gallant the Knight to defend their retreat and fight off the Wood Weird which was narrowly defeated with both suffering serious wounds (down to a few health points left each). 

We fast forwarded to the epilogue to finish off the story. The statue hand was returned and resealed to the statue allowing the lands to once again grow to the thanks of the villagers of Ashburn. The party rested and recovered from their wounds having gained some valuable knowledge and experience of potential threats and dangers in then lands. Alas, King Snotweezle had escaped but his card was marked by members of the party although there was some healthy tension concerning his motives (to save Griselda) and the extent of his punishment should he be captured in the future.

Post Adventure Notes

Everyone enjoyed the game and participated and contributed to the story so I hope it was a success. I even received a message the next day to say the youngsters had still been talking about the adventure a day later and were looking forward to part 2 at some point in the future. 

A few things that I think worked well considered I was running the game for a group of newcomers with a wide variety of ages.

• We broke a 3-4 hour session into two parts with a lunch break which kept everyone’s concentration levels up.
• All I asked of the players was ‘tell me what you want to do/what’s your intent’ and I translated these into options with an idea of success/consequence (there’s a good chance this will work, you can try it but this might happen). The players could then make informed decisions over their actions and didn’t need to learn any rules to play the game.
• Giving a set of dice the players could keep was a nice token to remember the game by.
• We used pre-generated characters and dived straight into the game and only referred to the character sheet when needed. The only thing the players needed to track was their health score (hit points) and each player had a yellow ‘post it’ note they used to do this.
• I played a fast and flexible with the rules to keep the story moving forward which was mainly narration (i.e. 80%) with some (i.e. 20%) dice rolling.
• Using maps and miniatures gave the players visual references and something tangible to interact with (i.e. moving their character around the map).
• I kept the story simple and clear and introduced the dilemma (i.e. the protagonists motive) towards the end.
• I gave the players lots of things they could use (scrolls, potions etc) and interact with and encouraged lateral thinking (i.e. the sleeping potion on the meat to put the Direwolves to sleep).
• From a personal perspective, I don’t run a lot of games and have only really play with the same group of players (for many many years) but running a game with youngsters I felt more comfortable embellishing the NPC’s and monsters actions and behaviours (voices, sound effects, interactions etc) which (I hope) they enjoyed.

A few things which I’ve taken away as potential refinements for my home-brew system.

• ‘Side initiative’ and players acting in a clear sequence (left to right around the table) was quicker and much clearer to players and easier to follow then individual initiative.
• I have an idea on how I can streamline the limits on ability use (i.e. feats) even further to make this even easier for players to follow.
• I use a slot based inventory system but would like to design equipment tokens to provide some more tangible components the players can interact with.
• We didn’t track XP (as it was a one-shot) but this did make we think about the merits of a milestone vs. Individual XP award approach.