My wife is going to be playing a single-player 40k game. It's for a character she's had in mind for quite some time; a Tiefling named Seeker who lost her parents at an early age when they were lynched by a mob for looking like they did (racism is a problem in this world). She was saved because she read a book that connected her to a devil named Tezonapius, who took the form of a young devilish boy and taught her to cast her first spell. She's now a level 1 warlock (The Fiend), and I'm continuing the story off with her now grown up a bit more, living the life of a street urchin, and her current scores (the standard array) are all reduced by 2 at the moment to represent her youth (approximately 13 years old). I'm looking to see if this current mission is about the right difficulty for someone.
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Now a teen, Seeker is recruited by a gang to steal a necklace from a rich old lady.
------------------------------------
Intro:
You're sitting back and relaxing in a small shack built by yourself and two other urchins; Gregory and Tilia. It's a wood and straw shack barely large enough to fit all three of you, but it's home. You've been on the streets for some time now. Your imaginary friend, Tez, doesn't like to be inside it when others are around. Tez isn't always around, but he says that he watches out for you. There's been times when the guards have walked around the area, and he warns you to throw up a minor illusion that there's just a pile of junk here, and so far that's worked out.
Gregory is a dwarf that lost his parents in an Orc raid. He's been great at keeping the place together, even though he's "only" 19. He says that to a dwarf, he's still very, very young, and is considered to be younger even than Seeker. Gregory loves gold and glass trinkets, and has gotten good at games that filch people of their money.
Tilia is a half-elf whose parents didn't want her. She never knew them, and was rescued from early starvation by an old lady, who died when Tilia was only 5. She's never found a safe place either, but enjoys being with you two. Tilia is very light on her feet and with her hands, and is able to pickpocket passers-by, or those who start winning games against Gregory.
The three of you often sit on stone steps during the day and dream about being in the castle, or are else trying to steal a meagre living.
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Finding Food:
Story: You're very hungry tonight. Your money has run out (again), and Tilia is sick with something. Gregory asks if you can find some food and maybe some medicine. You're in your makeshift hobble in the alley, and the market nearby will be closing down soon as the guards institute curfew. The Captain is instructing 2 Conscripts that they will be in charge of shutting things down tonight, as the Captain is needed back at the barracks. He'll be looking to promote one of them soon.
There are 4 market stands here, each with a merchant at them:
Produce; Human Female, Glenda Fields
- sells food, potted plants, and has 3 Goodberries stashed in a hidden compartment located on the inside stall (requires key that she has on her person)
- keeps a pouch on her person, with 3 silver pieces and 5 copper pieces in it, and key
- lives nearby in a two-room apartment (2 floors), with some furniture, candles, cooking pots, and some more coin (owns 5 gold pieces of coins total)
- gets stock from farmers in the hills out of town, and travels there once per weak, just got new produce fresh today
- got healing herbs by stealing it from a farmer when it was left out today, and is looking to sell it for 3 gold pieces; the farmer got 3 Goodberries from a passing Druid
- is looking for someone to help her business by travelling further for better produce, and maybe to hook up with as she's currently single
- dislikes Grimace, and she's worried he might go off the handle with his butcher's clever. She thinks that people should be vegetarian, as she's heard that some sorcerers talk to animals, meaning that they have thoughts and feelings
Meats; Human Male, Grimace Kurn (some Orc ancestry)
- butcher who prepares meats from animals raised in the hills
- really enjoys his meats and will suggest foods to have them with
- once saw a dragon fly overhead and never shuts up about it
- has some slight Orc looks and tendancies
- has a pouch with 2 silver pieces and 8 copper pieces in it
- lives closer to the hills and gets new meats sporadically, and today's meat is 3 day old
- is worried for Ruby that people are seeing her as making too much money, and thinks she should lower her prices and not carry around that chest with her
Produce; Human Male, Sid Meekery
- sells older produce scavenged from those tossed out by the rich folks near Oracle's Spire, but sells it really cheap (2cp is enough for a meal)
- his food has a chance to get you sick (CON DC6)
- has a belt with a bag on it, and 35 copper pieces in the bag
- dispises non-humans, and has killed a half-elf before that tried to steal from him
- dislikes Ruby, and will give some of his produce free if the players can prove she's conspiring with other dwarves to raise prices
Equipment; Dwarf Female, Ruby Ironside
- Ruby sells construction and farming tools, as well as fertilizers
- farming tools can be used as improvised weapons
- has a Healing Potion she's selling as a remedy for curing any sick animal or plant (selling for 5 gold)
- carries a chest, with a combination lock (set to: R U B Y), with 8 gold pieces, 34 silver pieces, 67 copper pieces, and 13 Etherium Pieces used only in dwarven villages - it's her life's savings and she carries it everywhere
- lives in a stone home nearby and occasionally leaves town to get new equipment from a dwarven community
- Suspects Glenda or Sid of having stolen something from some farmers she knows that said they were missing some special berries. Will pay 1 silver piece if someone will prove it.
- Ruby also has a dagger she's willing to sell, but can also use it for defense.
If Seeker would get caught, Knuckles Fiddlefingers will hit the guards with ForgetMe powder
Story: Afterwards, a Halfling named Knuckles Fiddlefingers takes notice of Seeker's activities and approaches her hobble. He tells Seeker that he can help her and her friends out if Seeker's willing to steal something for him. He says that there's an old woman in the Oracle's district that owns 10 farms, and lives a wealthy life off their hard earned livings. She has a particular circlet that she wears on her head; a gold circlet with a triangular gem that sits above the forehead, encrusted with pearls. Steal this for him, and bring it back to your cot, and he'll bring you into his house where living will be far easier. He needs you to go immediately.
NOTES:
(If player asks about the house)
- The old lady (named Duchess Markeesa) has hired 1 Guard, 1 Bandit, 1 Mastiff, and 1 Acolyte to guard her. The Mastiff belongs to the Bandit, who guards outside the house. The Guard and Acolyte are inside. The Acolyte will likely be doing prayers, but will quickly come to the guard's defense. He doesn't know where in the house the Guard will be. The Duchess will be sleeping in her quarters, and likely has some kind of locking mechanism to prevent people from entering her room.
- There's an abandoned building on the side, but there's two Guards posted at it. If you could sneak past them, then you might be able to access the Duchess' home from the rear courtyard.
(if players ask about the Duchess)
- She's a mean old hag who cares nothing about the suffering of others, and deserves to have these items stolen from her
- She's incredibly keen and sharp, and has used her knowledge to take advantage of others
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Room 1 (Entrances):
Story:
- The Duchess' home is located on a hill in the Oracle's District; an area of the city that has many richer people, but also much tighter security. It's past curfew, and the guards in this area are on watch for thieves, so won't hesitate to attack anyone that looks out of place. The front door to the house is a metal and wood door.
- There's an abandoned building on the side, but there's two Guards posted at it. If you could sneak past them, then you might be able to access the Duchess' home from the rear courtyard. The courtyard has access to some other people's homes here, and there's bushes along the sides that have been tended to by gardeners, with some in the shapes of people or pets. There's a tree in the middle of that courtyard. There's a barred window here (peaking through shows a kitchen). The door is wood, with a nice coat of paint on it. The house is grey and white brick.
Combat:
- 2 Guards at Abandoned Building (Terry, Phillip)
- 1 Bandit & Mastiff at front door, though they will occasionally walk through the house to go to the back courtyard.
Puzzle:
- Front door is locked (DC 15). The key is held by the bandit.
- The back door is locked, but there's a door flap for a cat to go through.
- The upstairs balcony door is not locked, but requires an Athletics (Climb) DC 11 check to get up. There are vines growing up the side that a Knowledge (nature) check tells you are strong enough, letting you climb up at DC5 instead.
Treasure:
- Front door key.
- In the bushes in the courtyard is an apple tree, and 3 good condition apples in reach (another 7 bad condition are in reach). Climbing the tree lets you get up to 20 good condition apples and 47 bad condition apples) 1/2 lb per apple
Room 2 (Main Foyer):
Story:
- As you come in, you see stained wood walls, and carpets on the floors; such high class! There's some candles in holsters on the wall providing light.
- (if you came in the front) there's a door to your right with two handles that opens inwards. There's a small table here with a marble top and three wooden drawers. On top of it there's some small statues and a bronze candelabra. Ahead of you is a large opening to maybe a shared area on the right, and to the left is an opening. There's a corridor to the left at the end of this hallway, and you can see on the wall at the end of this hall a large potted plant, similar to the kind sold in the market.
- (if you came in from the kitchen) There's a door across from you, and a full length mirror mounted onto the wall to your left. There's a corridor that leads to a door to your right, but there's a turn to the right part-way down, and at the end where the door is there's another turn to the left. Part-way down the mall is a pair of paintings, one of the Duchess, and another of her husband with candles and flowers in front of it.
- in the open area there's a coathanger with two men's coats and a two ladies fur coats hung up on it, a beautiful area rug in the middle of the floor, and a set of stairs to the east leading up.
Combat:
- 1 Guard patrols this floor. He goes from room to room, walking through them, moving at half-speed (15 feet) each round while unaware.
Puzzle:
- Moving the portrait of the deceased husband reveals a combination safe (8-24-12; the date the husband died) with a treasure hoard in it.
Treasure:
- There's a treasure hoard in the safe.
- Silver Candelabra.
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Room 3 (Brandy Room):
Story:
- this is the Brandy Room, where people stand around and have a drink before leaving.
- if there are people staying a while and they have stagehands, the drinks will be cleared out of the room first
- there's a cabinet with brandy, rum, and vodka within on the north wall.
- there's a fireplace on the east wall in here that is currently not lit.
- there's two chairs in here
- there's a high table on the south wall and a small round table with a brown marble top between the chairs
- there's more decorations in here that are worth fair money
Combat:
- none
Puzzle:
- the fireplace here leads up to the fireplace on the second floor
Treasure:
- The alcohols are all considered fine bottles of wine for treasure purposes
--------------------------------
Room 4 (Dining Room):
Story:
- there are places set here for 8 people around a large and long table, and cabinets in all four corners with glass and fine china in them
- there's a large chest-cabinet filled with more china to one side with a notebook on it from other important people on it. Some of the notes mention how glad they were to have increased their profits from other people losing out.
- there's a door to the north
Combat:
- none
Puzzle:
- investigating the guestbook (Insight DC15) gives you an idea of the political hierarchy of the city.
- ruffling through the cabinetry could cause the player to knock over some displayed pieces, which would cause considerable noise and draw attention of this floor's guard (Sleight of Hand DC10).
Treasure:
- fine china (8 sets on table, plus 12 sets in cabinetry, each set worth 5gp to the right buyer)
- political hierarchy of city (+2 to skill checks involving city politics)
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Room 5 (Living Room)
Story:
- this room has chairs, table, and portraits of the Duchess' other family members.
- there's some books and papers here of recent deals the Duchess has made, potentially revealing that she's been in contact with the Kingdom of Ankarat, a rival kingdom to the current queen
Combat:
- none
Puzzle:
- investigating the books and papers (Knowledge DC15) reveals that the Duchess is breaking the law by funding outside forces against the kingdom in exchange for war profits
Treasure:
- there's trinkets in here, and the investment papers could be worth something
- portaits are awkward to carry, but worth 15gp each to the right buyer
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Room 6 (Kitchen)
Story:
- this is the kitchen, with many cabinets with cooking equipment in them, a few furnaces for stoves and ovens, and water pumps for cleaning dishes
- there's a door to the east
- under a trapdoor at the west side of the room is a cool food storage room that's dank, cold, and has a rat's nest in it
Combat:
- 3 rats in food storage room
Puzzle:
- there's a hidden corridor under the floorboards. Search DC15 finds the trapdoor. This area is used to store food, but also there's a chest down here with a treasure parcel in it
Treasure:
- treasure parcel in the chest
- cooking equipment is worth coin
- 20 high-quality food rations in storage room
- 3 wheels of cheese worth
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Room 7 (Bathroom)
Story:
- there's a toilet here, a bucket in a stool effectively. No combat. No puzzle. There's a few turds in the bucket for treasure.
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Room 8 (Stairs)
Story:
- there's wooden set of stair here leading up. Not sure if they're squeaky or not
Combat:
- there's the Acolyte upstairs who goes on prayers and occasionally patrols upstairs
Puzzle:
- the stairs will make creaking noises as you walk on them, meaning that any rolls for Stealth on them have disadvantage
Treasure:
- none
--------------------------------
Room 9 (Upper Hallway)
Story:
- there's candles along the wall up here too, and you can hear someone talking to the south
Combat:
- the Acolyte is up here, not far, conducting prayers
Puzzle:
- the door to Room 10 is locked (DC20, trapped such that a failed attempt breaks the lock)
- the doors to Room 15 are locked (DC15)
Treasure:
- painting on wall, image of the legend of Kiran, a human who fought the devil (worth 100gp to the right buyer)
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Room 10 (Private Study)
Story:
- There are numerous scrolls and books within here, stacked high to the ceiling. It's obvious that, someone, she has read all of these books. Within the middle of the room is a massive tome that seems to be a journal made from years of study.
- The journal contains notes about her study of occult artifacts and trying to figure out where they originated from and how they can be created. It notes that the Circlet of Intellect she has used is instrumental to this task, allowing her to absorb its previous owner's intellect and constantly add to it.
Combat:
- None
Puzzle:
- Reading through the tome requires a Knowledge (Arcana) check DC12 to gain anything useful. DC20 reveals a secret panel in the bedroom that, when pushed, opens up her personal treasure trove.
--------------------------------
Room 11 (Upper Lavatory)
Story:
- This lavatory is filled with ivory, marble, silk sheets, bathtub with lavish oils, and gems
Combat:
- None
Puzzle:
- behind the toilet bucket is a key to Room 10
Treasure:
- key to Room 10
- oils
- gems
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Room 12 (Upper Lounge)
Story:
- There are chairs in here, a bookcase on the west wall, and a large statue in the corner
- There's an alcohol cabinet on the east wall
- There's a floor mat in the middle of the room, and a small shelf-cabinet thing with a small statue of an angry sun (Pelor) looking down.
Combat:
- This is where the Acolyte is praying to Pelor, asking for forgiveness of sins, asking for strength to banish the darkness, and the power to dispel undead and crush the unbelievers.
Puzzle:
- If Seeker starts praying to Pelor here, Tez will appear and push the statue over, breaking it. Tez says that Pelor is the whole reason these people hate Seeker, because Pelor only cares about those he considers hi favourites, and gives nothing to anyone else. Tez seems visibly upset at it.
Treasure:
- the statue is worth 5gp, though Tez will ask you to break it in exchange for some additional power
--------------------------------
Room 13 (Balcony)
Story:
- this balcony looks over the front steps and doorway. It's unlocked, as the Acolyte occasionally looks out of it.
Combat:
- none
Puzzle:
- opening this door without causing noise requires a Stealth DC 10 check
Treasure:
- none
--------------------------------
Room 14 (Guest Bedroom)
Story:
- this room has a nice bed, cloths, some Fine-quality garments, and a few pieces of fruit
- there's a mannequin with a set of leather armour here - the bed is against the south wall - there's a fireplace here on the east wall (not currently lit)
Combat:
- none
Puzzle:
- donning the leather armour quietly requires a Stealth DC8 check. - the fireplace leads down to the Brandy Room
Treasure:
- leather armour
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Room 15 (Bedroom)
Story:
- this is where the Duchess Markeesa is sleeping. She'll be woken by combat or shouting upstairs, but a quiet scuffle downstairs won't wake her
- there are nightstands and closets and drawers in here. There is one set of aristocratic clothing
Combat:
- 1 Noble (unarmed, AC8)
Puzzle:
- there is a secret panel on the east wall behind the cabinet that, when pushed, opens up a hidden door to Room 16
Treasure:
- aristocratic clothing
- golden candlestick
- three pieces of jewelry (15gp each)
--------------------------------
Room 16 (Secret Artefact Room)
Story:
- a glowing orb lights this room that hovers above a brass plate
- there are two scrolls in here, a potion, and a spellbook (that you can't read)
- there is a mannequin head here with the Circlet on it
Combat:
- None.
Puzzle:
- The spellbook is written in a Fey language (Gnomish)
With one PC you have got to remember that multiple enemies multiple the XP value for making encounters.
At 11 hp the guard will probably survive two rounds (I'm assuming she is smart and attacks the mastiff first.) If the guard hits both times she has a high probability of becoming dead unless you fake the rolls.
I would strongly suggest you allow her hit dice to restore hp without rolling as a bad roll could end things after one encounter.
Depending on rolls and initiative, two encounters is potentially all she is going to be able to handle.
Echoing what @NightsLastHero said - for a single Player mission, you need to be wary of having multiple attackers and their HP totals. Especially if the player is a character who cant dish out a whole lot of damage per turn. Changing the monsters to having lower HP (or picking smaller critters - rats, bats, etc.) will assist to make it more achievable.
So you feel that the Mastiff + Bandit together will be too strong to take down. I don't want to make it a single creature, since I want her to see the front door as being a "poor" option to just go at head-first, and having it be two creatures is a good way to deter that. Perhaps I'll make it a single guard watching over the abandoned building. What if I found a way to give her some kind of temporary additional protection to make her tougher and more resilient?
So you feel that the Mastiff + Bandit together will be too strong to take down. I don't want to make it a single creature, since I want her to see the front door as being a "poor" option to just go at head-first, and having it be two creatures is a good way to deter that. Perhaps I'll make it a single guard watching over the abandoned building. What if I found a way to give her some kind of temporary additional protection to make her tougher and more resilient?
She probably has something like 8 to 10 hp. The Mastiff and guard are each going to do 2 to 7 points of damage on a hit (as written). She probably can't/won't kill the guard in one round. So a mistake on her part to hit the guard first, means both the guard and mastiff has a chance to hit her. If she doesn't miss, then she has potentially 3-4 attacks on her depending on initiative order. If she attacks the Mastiff first, she can lower that to 2 attacks. She really only needs to take two attacks to potentially die. Even if she survives she would need to take a short rest somewhere to regain hp.
Options that I see are fake the damage/alter the damage. So take away the str bonus. Lower the damage die to possibly a d4-1 for both the Mastiff and Guard. and lower the Guard's AC to probably 12 or 13.
If need be, when you roll to attack say one of the creatures miss when they don't.
Really hard to judge the outcome of her actions because her spells can make things a little hard to predict. I would err on her not using them.
A lot of variables can change the pace of the game. Such as a couple low rolls on her part and high rolls on theirs. I think its one of those things where you are simply going to have to fudge numbers.
Well, I ran it tonight, and she fought the bandit and mastiff; she Eldritch Blasted the Mastiff for exactly lethal, then Burning Hands'd the Bandit for lethal! She suffered some damage, but otherwise made it out great.
Well, I ran it tonight, and she fought the bandit and mastiff; she Eldritch Blasted the Mastiff for exactly lethal, then Burning Hands'd the Bandit for lethal! She suffered some damage, but otherwise made it out great.
Thanks folks!
Really a big risk in using a first level spell on the guards at the front. Seems like it was needed to beat the encounter though.
My wife is going to be playing a single-player 40k game. It's for a character she's had in mind for quite some time; a Tiefling named Seeker who lost her parents at an early age when they were lynched by a mob for looking like they did (racism is a problem in this world). She was saved because she read a book that connected her to a devil named Tezonapius, who took the form of a young devilish boy and taught her to cast her first spell. She's now a level 1 warlock (The Fiend), and I'm continuing the story off with her now grown up a bit more, living the life of a street urchin, and her current scores (the standard array) are all reduced by 2 at the moment to represent her youth (approximately 13 years old). I'm looking to see if this current mission is about the right difficulty for someone.
-------------------------------------
Now a teen, Seeker is recruited by a gang to steal a necklace from a rich old lady.
- the bed is against the south wall
- there's a fireplace here on the east wall (not currently lit)
- the fireplace leads down to the Brandy Room
With one PC you have got to remember that multiple enemies multiple the XP value for making encounters.
At 11 hp the guard will probably survive two rounds (I'm assuming she is smart and attacks the mastiff first.) If the guard hits both times she has a high probability of becoming dead unless you fake the rolls.
I would strongly suggest you allow her hit dice to restore hp without rolling as a bad roll could end things after one encounter.
Depending on rolls and initiative, two encounters is potentially all she is going to be able to handle.
Echoing what @NightsLastHero said - for a single Player mission, you need to be wary of having multiple attackers and their HP totals. Especially if the player is a character who cant dish out a whole lot of damage per turn. Changing the monsters to having lower HP (or picking smaller critters - rats, bats, etc.) will assist to make it more achievable.
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Wary the wizard who focuses on homebrew, for he can create nightmares that you wouldn't even dream of
Thanks for the feedback!
So you feel that the Mastiff + Bandit together will be too strong to take down. I don't want to make it a single creature, since I want her to see the front door as being a "poor" option to just go at head-first, and having it be two creatures is a good way to deter that. Perhaps I'll make it a single guard watching over the abandoned building. What if I found a way to give her some kind of temporary additional protection to make her tougher and more resilient?
Well, I ran it tonight, and she fought the bandit and mastiff; she Eldritch Blasted the Mastiff for exactly lethal, then Burning Hands'd the Bandit for lethal! She suffered some damage, but otherwise made it out great.
Thanks folks!
Guards are not CR 1/8. I know they say they are, but they're really CR 1/4. I calculated it myself.
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
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