A few of my forum friends and I want to run an extremely short experimental campaign that I whipped up not too long ago for fun. We need just one more player to join us.
The campaign could probably be finished easily in under 10 hours of live play. The campaign takes place mostly outdoors and there is potential for many encounters, depending on the actions of the PC's. There is also potential for deadly situations or even sudden death. Hopefully the PC's can be savvy and aware of their own mortality. But again, the campaign is extremely short and meant to be fun and mentally engaging, also a bit of a puzzle. I've run some of the sessions in real life and already discovered some areas for improvement :) The working title for this mini campaign, by the way, is "Tending the Garden".
So far we have a ranger, a druid, and I believe a cleric. We're looking for 1 more player to round out the party and then we'll get going!
I suppose I should add, we're looking for a level 1 character, pretty much anything that has been printed in a 5e D&D book will be accepted (such as Tasha's rules for distributing attribute scores, etc). Backstories welcome but don't overcomplicate them as the campaign is very short and not to be taken too seriously. Roll stats or go with standard array.
Family grew up in the forest where we tended to stay away from most other folk. I childhood of beet farming made me strong, and my father taught me a little about handling weapons, mostly tools from around the farm and on occasion his short swords hung over the mantle. Once an Orc stumbled through camp - I was able to kill him but both of my parents had been caught off-guard. I now travel with my father's old adventuring equipment looking to find my way.
Family grew up in the forest where we tended to stay away from most other folk. I childhood of beet farming made me strong, and my father taught me a little about handling weapons, mostly tools from around the farm and on occasion his short swords hung over the mantle. Once an Orc stumbled through camp - I was able to kill him but both of my parents had been caught off-guard. I now travel with my father's old adventuring equipment looking to find my way.
You are a band of adventurers who recently joined together to run some minor quests and earn some extra coin. Safety in numbers! You've been doing a few easy jobs off of the local notice board, run by the captain of the guard in some midsize town in a backwater country of some country or other in a typical D&D world. Just go with it! You're heading to a new job, and it's an odd one, though it looks like easy money.
"Adventurers Needed! 50 gold per helper! Old man needs a special job done in his garden, can complete the job in 1 afternoon."
The captain of the guard informed you that the posting has come up a number of times, and he's sent a number of adventurers that way. He knows the old man who makes the posting, a bit of an odd fellow and recluse, but friendly enough, named Rezlin. He grows magical reagents that he sells to the University far off in the city, and apparently gets some good money for doing so. The captain has inquired as to why Rezlin keeps posting this job, and Rezlin explained that it's a task that needs doing regularly, and Rezlin's gotten too old to accomplish it himself. The captain gives you instructions on how to find Rezlin's cottage on the outskirts of town.
Now you've arrived at the cottage, an old ramshackle affair. It's small, one story, perhaps big enough for 3 rooms. The front door is accompanied by windows on either side, with small window boxes containing colorful flowers. In front is a short picket fence in some disrepair, with an unlocked gate, very small unkept yard with random herbs and weeds growing. A tall old oak tree can be seen towering over the cottage in the back.
Well, you've arrived at Rezlin's cottage, what do you want to do now?
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
A small, lean, fiery-haired gnome peers through the slats in the picket fence. Although only maybe 2 feet in length, his chain hauberk swings only a few inches above the ground as he moves about. The short swords on his sides look near-comical in relation to his stature, and the ends of the scabbards are dented and scratched from many countless miles of dragging and bouncing across the ground.
"I can barely see a thing over the weeds through this fence.." He scuffs as he half-hops / half-pulls himself up the fence to try to get a better view. "But - if this is anything like the beet farm this should be a easy 50 gold in our pockets! Ugh.. I am gonna run around back real fast and see if I can get a peek."
Horkur pushes away from the fence and trots toward the rear of the house to try to get a look.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
A slight vibration in the ground is felt as a 6 ft upright tortle comes wandering up the path looking left and right at the buildings then finally stops in front of the cottage. "Ooops! Almost didn't see you there little one. Are you here for the gold for gardening too?" She peers down at the little Gnome just before they disappear around the back. She shrugs her tortoise shoulders and carefully lifts the latch to the fragile looking gate, turns sideways to avoid damage to its frame from her enormous shell and straightens up and heads up to the front door. She hesitates and gently knocks on the door. "Hellooo, I'm looking for Rezlin?" She calls from outside in a voice that sounds like she spends most of her time chewing on rocks.
perception6 as she looks around at the plant life surrounding her
Horkur looks around the back corner of the house and sees a quaint little back yard. The area nearest the cottage is dominated by the large oak tree, two different gardens, and a vegetable patch. Further back is a little pond lined with reeds, grasses, cattails. Further back is a sea of weeds and some pine trees further out.
Elric sees an interestingly wide variety in flowers: pansies, daisies, zinnias, cosmos, marigolds, even a small rose bush. You realize some of the flowers are not from this region and must have been consciously imported and tended to be able to grow and thrive in this spot.
Horkur trots back around to the front of the house. Seeing Nemi walk up and begin to knock he doubles his pace while contemplating how rich this old man must be to pay so handsomely to weed his little gardens.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
A tall, willowy firbolg wanders down the path behind the rest of the group at a slow pace. He's on the tall end for a firbolg, towering over the rest of the group at around 8'4". He has curly black hair, which also looks rather unkept. He's wearing a set of leather armor, and is carrying a wooden staff nearly as tall as he is, with the top of it shaped like a four-fingered claw, three clawlike fingers on side, and one across from them. "My apologies for falling behind. I got into a most wonderful conversation with a pair of dragonflies! Apparently they're on their honeymoon. I hope it goes well for them." He says calmly. Making his way into the garden, Algernon looks through all the flowers to see if he can find any honeybees. "Now that I have arrived, our story can truly begin. We just have to wait for the gods to reply." He's got a small, happy smile as he speaks and searches for the bees.
Nemi knocks on the front door. Soon enough it’s opened by a small old man. He’s short enough and scrunched up enough that he might be able to pass for a large gnome. He’s got a big bulbous nose with gray hairs curling out, joining a wispy weak mustache and beard, two small dark eyes, almost black, but plenty of wrinkles and creases in the old skin that suggest a pattern of smiling often. He grins at you now, showing yellowed teeth.
“You must be the adventurers I asked for! Come in, come in!”
He stands to one side, beckoning you into the cottage. He’s wearing dirt-stained overalls with light-colored robes underneath, but with so many different kinds of stains you can’t say for sure what color they were meant to be.
He sizes each of you up as you come in and introduces himself anew, wanting to catch your names and know a bit about each of you.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Carefully watching for Nemi and Algernon's feet, Horkur slips into the entrance of the cottage and off to the side to avoid any accidental trampling.
Acrobatics 12
"Uh, um.. Ahem.. I am Horkur, Horkur Beren. It's a pleasure! I... used to farm beets.. To make a long story short, the family beet farm was a passion of my family - but not necessarily mine. The day they died was the day I left to seek my own adventure in this world, and since then have become quite handy with these blades."
He takes a moment to check the placement of his swords and tug his chainmail taut under his belt. "Was my daddy's armor too - he was a tad taller than I am......." Horkur trails off, looking past Rezlin for half a moment before pulling his thoughts back.
"But!" He exclaims louder than intended, taking half a second to adjust his tone and volume. "Don't let my vertical challenge fool you - I am quite capable and at your service!"
Elric clunks through the cottage door with a series of 'Sorry's, scale mail clattering against his mace and shield. Once safely through the doorway, the halfling turns to Rezlin and says:
"Yes, we are the team you sent for! I am Elric Greenbody, I have a knack for all things green and pleasant thanks to the guidance of Rontra"
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Algernon frowns as he looks at the bumblebees, before standing up and wanders into the cabin after everyone else, but quick enough to hear everyone’s introductions, listening closely as they speak to see if they’re telling the truth or holding anything back.
”I am Algernon Rambleroot, and I also am gifted with nature magic; moreso due to the time I spent in the Feywild rather then a deity’s favor, but still just as skilled as my compatriots here. Does your task have anything to do with those poor corrupted bumblebees out there, or is this something supposedly unrelated that will lead us into why they’re suffering so?” As he speaks in the same calm tone he always speaks in, Algernon looks for a space to sit down in the room.
Horkur is not attempting to lie/decieve. He does look for something to fidget with as the conversation unfolds.
OOC:
<Horkur has a habbit of accidentally breaking things per his personality trait: "I’m always picking things up, absently fiddling with them, and sometimes accidentally breaking them.">
Hello,
A few of my forum friends and I want to run an extremely short experimental campaign that I whipped up not too long ago for fun. We need just one more player to join us.
The campaign could probably be finished easily in under 10 hours of live play. The campaign takes place mostly outdoors and there is potential for many encounters, depending on the actions of the PC's. There is also potential for deadly situations or even sudden death. Hopefully the PC's can be savvy and aware of their own mortality. But again, the campaign is extremely short and meant to be fun and mentally engaging, also a bit of a puzzle. I've run some of the sessions in real life and already discovered some areas for improvement :) The working title for this mini campaign, by the way, is "Tending the Garden".
So far we have a ranger, a druid, and I believe a cleric. We're looking for 1 more player to round out the party and then we'll get going!
I suppose I should add, we're looking for a level 1 character, pretty much anything that has been printed in a 5e D&D book will be accepted (such as Tasha's rules for distributing attribute scores, etc). Backstories welcome but don't overcomplicate them as the campaign is very short and not to be taken too seriously. Roll stats or go with standard array.
https://ddb.ac/characters/81211942/Oy97VQ
Name: Horkur Beren
Stats: Standard Array
Race/Class: Gnome Fighter
Backstory:
Family grew up in the forest where we tended to stay away from most other folk. I childhood of beet farming made me strong, and my father taught me a little about handling weapons, mostly tools from around the farm and on occasion his short swords hung over the mantle. Once an Orc stumbled through camp - I was able to kill him but both of my parents had been caught off-guard. I now travel with my father's old adventuring equipment looking to find my way.
Horkur Beren in Tending the Garden
Geraine Lucineous in Onward Down
Alright you're hired! That was easy.
Yay, thanks!
Horkur Beren in Tending the Garden
Geraine Lucineous in Onward Down
TENDING THE GARDEN
a Mini-Campaign by T0dd0
You are a band of adventurers who recently joined together to run some minor quests and earn some extra coin. Safety in numbers! You've been doing a few easy jobs off of the local notice board, run by the captain of the guard in some midsize town in a backwater country of some country or other in a typical D&D world. Just go with it! You're heading to a new job, and it's an odd one, though it looks like easy money.
"Adventurers Needed! 50 gold per helper! Old man needs a special job done in his garden, can complete the job in 1 afternoon."
The captain of the guard informed you that the posting has come up a number of times, and he's sent a number of adventurers that way. He knows the old man who makes the posting, a bit of an odd fellow and recluse, but friendly enough, named Rezlin. He grows magical reagents that he sells to the University far off in the city, and apparently gets some good money for doing so. The captain has inquired as to why Rezlin keeps posting this job, and Rezlin explained that it's a task that needs doing regularly, and Rezlin's gotten too old to accomplish it himself. The captain gives you instructions on how to find Rezlin's cottage on the outskirts of town.
Now you've arrived at the cottage, an old ramshackle affair. It's small, one story, perhaps big enough for 3 rooms. The front door is accompanied by windows on either side, with small window boxes containing colorful flowers. In front is a short picket fence in some disrepair, with an unlocked gate, very small unkept yard with random herbs and weeds growing. A tall old oak tree can be seen towering over the cottage in the back.
Well, you've arrived at Rezlin's cottage, what do you want to do now?
Elric looks around the cottage front and the garden, brown curly hair bobbing with the motion.
"Well it looks nice enough, eh? Strange flowers"
Taking a moment to give himself Guidance, Elric tries to identify the flowers, particularly any interesting properties they may have.
Nature 14 plus 1 for guidance
A small, lean, fiery-haired gnome peers through the slats in the picket fence. Although only maybe 2 feet in length, his chain hauberk swings only a few inches above the ground as he moves about. The short swords on his sides look near-comical in relation to his stature, and the ends of the scabbards are dented and scratched from many countless miles of dragging and bouncing across the ground.
"I can barely see a thing over the weeds through this fence.." He scuffs as he half-hops / half-pulls himself up the fence to try to get a better view. "But - if this is anything like the beet farm this should be a easy 50 gold in our pockets! Ugh.. I am gonna run around back real fast and see if I can get a peek."
Horkur pushes away from the fence and trots toward the rear of the house to try to get a look.
Perception 21
Horkur Beren in Tending the Garden
Geraine Lucineous in Onward Down
A slight vibration in the ground is felt as a 6 ft upright tortle comes wandering up the path looking left and right at the buildings then finally stops in front of the cottage. "Ooops! Almost didn't see you there little one. Are you here for the gold for gardening too?" She peers down at the little Gnome just before they disappear around the back. She shrugs her tortoise shoulders and carefully lifts the latch to the fragile looking gate, turns sideways to avoid damage to its frame from her enormous shell and straightens up and heads up to the front door. She hesitates and gently knocks on the door. "Hellooo, I'm looking for Rezlin?" She calls from outside in a voice that sounds like she spends most of her time chewing on rocks.
perception 6 as she looks around at the plant life surrounding her
Looking for a game
Horkur looks around the back corner of the house and sees a quaint little back yard. The area nearest the cottage is dominated by the large oak tree, two different gardens, and a vegetable patch. Further back is a little pond lined with reeds, grasses, cattails. Further back is a sea of weeds and some pine trees further out.
Elric sees an interestingly wide variety in flowers: pansies, daisies, zinnias, cosmos, marigolds, even a small rose bush. You realize some of the flowers are not from this region and must have been consciously imported and tended to be able to grow and thrive in this spot.
Nemi the tortle notices that many of the weeds growing here are typical of this area, but there are a few that she's never seen before.
Horkur trots back around to the front of the house. Seeing Nemi walk up and begin to knock he doubles his pace while contemplating how rich this old man must be to pay so handsomely to weed his little gardens.
"Now hold up and wait for me!"
Horkur Beren in Tending the Garden
Geraine Lucineous in Onward Down
A tall, willowy firbolg wanders down the path behind the rest of the group at a slow pace. He's on the tall end for a firbolg, towering over the rest of the group at around 8'4". He has curly black hair, which also looks rather unkept. He's wearing a set of leather armor, and is carrying a wooden staff nearly as tall as he is, with the top of it shaped like a four-fingered claw, three clawlike fingers on side, and one across from them. "My apologies for falling behind. I got into a most wonderful conversation with a pair of dragonflies! Apparently they're on their honeymoon. I hope it goes well for them." He says calmly. Making his way into the garden, Algernon looks through all the flowers to see if he can find any honeybees. "Now that I have arrived, our story can truly begin. We just have to wait for the gods to reply." He's got a small, happy smile as he speaks and searches for the bees.
Perception: 4
There are indeed honeybees buzzing about among all the different flowers and other plants here.
(and to anticipate your next question about them Algernon, the answer is Yes)
(I’m at a pretty busy spot at work so I’ll progress the campaign a bit later, hopefully within a few hours, sorry)
Nemi knocks on the front door. Soon enough it’s opened by a small old man. He’s short enough and scrunched up enough that he might be able to pass for a large gnome. He’s got a big bulbous nose with gray hairs curling out, joining a wispy weak mustache and beard, two small dark eyes, almost black, but plenty of wrinkles and creases in the old skin that suggest a pattern of smiling often. He grins at you now, showing yellowed teeth.
“You must be the adventurers I asked for! Come in, come in!”
He stands to one side, beckoning you into the cottage. He’s wearing dirt-stained overalls with light-colored robes underneath, but with so many different kinds of stains you can’t say for sure what color they were meant to be.
He sizes each of you up as you come in and introduces himself anew, wanting to catch your names and know a bit about each of you.
Carefully watching for Nemi and Algernon's feet, Horkur slips into the entrance of the cottage and off to the side to avoid any accidental trampling.
Acrobatics 12
"Uh, um.. Ahem.. I am Horkur, Horkur Beren. It's a pleasure! I... used to farm beets.. To make a long story short, the family beet farm was a passion of my family - but not necessarily mine. The day they died was the day I left to seek my own adventure in this world, and since then have become quite handy with these blades."
He takes a moment to check the placement of his swords and tug his chainmail taut under his belt. "Was my daddy's armor too - he was a tad taller than I am......." Horkur trails off, looking past Rezlin for half a moment before pulling his thoughts back.
"But!" He exclaims louder than intended, taking half a second to adjust his tone and volume. "Don't let my vertical challenge fool you - I am quite capable and at your service!"
Horkur Beren in Tending the Garden
Geraine Lucineous in Onward Down
Elric clunks through the cottage door with a series of 'Sorry's, scale mail clattering against his mace and shield. Once safely through the doorway, the halfling turns to Rezlin and says:
"Yes, we are the team you sent for! I am Elric Greenbody, I have a knack for all things green and pleasant thanks to the guidance of Rontra"
Algernon frowns as he looks at the bumblebees, before standing up and wanders into the cabin after everyone else, but quick enough to hear everyone’s introductions, listening closely as they speak to see if they’re telling the truth or holding anything back.
”I am Algernon Rambleroot, and I also am gifted with nature magic; moreso due to the time I spent in the Feywild rather then a deity’s favor, but still just as skilled as my compatriots here. Does your task have anything to do with those poor corrupted bumblebees out there, or is this something supposedly unrelated that will lead us into why they’re suffering so?”
As he speaks in the same calm tone he always speaks in, Algernon looks for a space to sit down in the room.
18 - insight
Horkur is not attempting to lie/decieve. He does look for something to fidget with as the conversation unfolds.
OOC:
<Horkur has a habbit of accidentally breaking things per his personality trait: "I’m always picking things up, absently fiddling with them, and sometimes accidentally breaking them.">
Horkur Beren in Tending the Garden
Geraine Lucineous in Onward Down