Here is the start of a campaign based around chasing a dirty, low down scum named the Grackle into and out of numerous Dungeon magazine adventures. Enjoy the love!
1st session:
The Port Town of Stillsquall, Tuesday
I ran a small individual side quest for each individual character before the campaign in the Town of Stillsquall, introduced in "A Box of Flumph" (issue #118)
Also, keep in mind that I asked all four of my players to think up a terrible thing that the Grackle did to them so that they have motivation for revenge.
Jason- Playing Ting Num Padu (1st Level Vanara Ninja- race from Oriental Adventures)
Ting (aka Monkey Man) wanted poison for his shurikens, so he did what any Ninja would do when trying to find a rare and dangerous, probably illegal, poison: asked around town. Stillsquall's not exactly a well groomed or exotic trading town so everyone looked at him with a, "What the hell would you want poison fer?" kind of look.
Gather Information check DC 15 (rolled a 10, which brought him to Howell's Cheese Logs and Cheese Log paraphernelia).
"Hey man, it's too early to be askin fer poison. I can get you a cheese log! Would you like that instead?" Asked an NPC named Howell who just so happenened to own "Howell's Cheese Logs and Cheese Log Paraphernelia" (going out of business).
"You know anyone, anyone at all that would have poison, Mr. Cheese log?" Asked Ting.
"Well, Cheese Log's not my given name, the name's Howell Baker, but it flatters me that you would think so. So, I'll tell you what, you buy one of my cheese logs and I'll tell you where to get poison."
*buys cheese log*
"Alright then. There's a witch at the edge of town who's got all kinds of $*!% like...oh, I don't know, black magics, and er...poison and all. Now go on, git! You're scarin away my customers!" (not a single customer in sight)
So Ting made his way to the edge of town and found a surly, ugly-as-sin witch named Daisy. She wouldn't have any talk about poison and slammed the door in Ting's face.
Jason: Ok then, I am going to climb to the roof of a nearby building and wait until night.
DM (me): Alright, you do know there are people on the street and that they will see you climbing up onto someone's roof.
Jason: Yeah, I'll just tell them I'm a meteorologist or something. (rolls good)
DM: Ok, you say you're a meteorologist and because most of the population of Stillsquall are hicks they hear a big word and don't question it. Some even say, "Well, it's about time!" and wander off with a confused look on their face.
(to be cont.)
The Town of Stillsquall, Tuesday night,
Jason: I finish my cheese log and jump across the street so that I'm on top of the witch's house.
DM: It's more of hut with a thatched roof, not very sturdy.
Jason: Ok. I'll jump on top of it now. (rolls a 14)
DM: Alright. You made it across the street but when you landed on top of the hut you broke through the thatch and landed on top of the witch. She takes (rolls) 6 points of subdual, knocking her out.
Ting picked himself up off the ground and looked down at the knocked out witch. Ting laughs to himself and claps his hands together in victory. But then someone bangs on the door. It's Daisy's next door neighbor, Gam the Meat Trader.
"Daisy, you all right? What was that?"
*Ting speaking in faux female voice*
"Um, nothing. It was just a meteor, no big deal." (rolls bluff check and Gam rolls sense motive. Ting rolls decent and Gam rolls poor)
"Meteor? What in the...alright, well alright. grumble grumble witches and grumble..."
Ting searches frantically for poison before anyone else can show up. (rolls terrible search check)
DM: Wow, you can barely find your own @$$ with two hands and a flashlight much less poison.
Jason: I'm gonna try again. (rolls bad)
Ting keeps on getting fascinated by shiny lights that seem to sparkle through the hole in the roof, he just can't seem to pull himself to search the place.
Jason: Can I take a ten?
DM: Alright, I'll allow it. (I consult paper behind the screen even though I know he needs a twenty to find the loose boards in the floor) You find a have drinken bottle of something that could be a potion and a bunch of herbs, it looks like this witch is more into cooking then real witchery.
Jason: Son of a - Ok, I'm gonna roll again. (rolls a 1)
Ting, suddenly feeling the ill effects of the cheese log, begins to feel dizzy and during his search tips over one of the witch's concoctions sending a smell into the room that makes Ting feel sick to his stomach (Jason becomes nauseated and the witch wakes up.)
"Alex is that you?" The witch said, groggily.
"Um, yeah. It's me, Alex. Where's your poison?" (rolls bluff and Daisy rolls sense motive, Ting wins)
"You want poison Alex? What fer? Your a cat, cats don't need poison," witch said and rolled over trying to stand up.
"Bully cats! Bully cat's have been beating me up!" Ting says. (rolls bluff check Daisy rolls sense motive)
"Oh, ok. Revenge is a dish best served cold you know..."
The witch crawls over to a loose board and pulls out a small black bottle with a red skull on it.
"Here you go Alex."
Ting grabs the bottle and crawls out the window in haste eyeballing his new treasure.
(end of Ting's mini mission- next mini mission to come)
