What's in a gem
No borin gem!
He backed out a deal with me, so you all show him what that means!
As the party explores, they run into a merchant, who seems pretty bothered by a bad deal. Upon talking to him, the heroes discover that the person that the merchant is upset about is Borin Gooddeal, a prominent figure in Roserest. He asks them to go take the item he was promised, a gem, from Borin anyway.
Components
Goals
Shake Borin down for the gem (Zane hook).
Steal the precious gem in the castle (Borin hook).
Retrieve the gem or let the bandits keep it.
Hooks
The party finds Zane the wandering merchant along the road, who's grumbling about someone called Borin Gooddeal backing off a deal with him. He wants the party to go shake Borin down.
The party talks to Borin in Roserest and he mentions the situation, or he sees that a band of capable adventurers has arrived and approaches them for their help to steal the gem from the castle.
Stakes
If the gem isn't returned, the players will lose some reputation with the Waterbrand Guild, the Thalass Kingdom's merchant guild, but will gain reputation with the Ebonarrows criminal syndicate.
If the gem is returned, the opposite is true. The party gains reputation with the Waterbrand Guild but loses reputation with the Ebonarrows.
Relations
Protagonists
The party/player characters
Allies
The Darfield Keep bandits can be befriended and potentially turn into allies depending on what the players choose to do, and how they act, during the adventure.
Neutrals/Bystanders
Zane Shadefeather
Human Merchant
He/Him, 37
Long, wavy golden hair, red eyes, and soft brown skin. His face is a little round and he has a lip piercing.
The merchant that had a deal with Borin, who believes that he's backed out and has no qualms sending the party to show him what it means to break off a deal with him.
Borin Gooddeal
Half Orc Merchant, Roserest Village Representative
He/Him, 35
Always smells of perfume. Soft green skin, in a way that makes it clear that he has a multi step skincare routine. Soft face with a very short mutton chops beard. Long silver mohawk and red eyes. Very soft spoken.
Struck a deal with Zane to sell a precious gem he claimed he'd found, but claims it got stolen by the Darfield Keep bandits.
Competitors
Possible competitors can start appearing in the form of mercenaries hired by Zane, if the party ignores his request or does another quest after talking to him. They will always retrieve the gem.
Adversaries
Shiny Magpie
Tabaxi Bandit Leader
She/Her, 32
Short, striped, dark grey fur and black eyes, and an average, almost deceptively lean, build. She sports a round, ordinary, symmetrical face.
Magpie is very nimble and frequently squints, as she technically needs glasses but will never admit it, since she finds it embarrassing. She talks loudly and sees fighting as a solution to any problem, so as a result she is very paranoid. She judges people on their fighting skills, which is how she managed to build her bandit band. She wants the gem so she can fence it and finally be able to afford to give her girlfriend a proper wedding gift.
Nol Horsebraid
Human Bandit
He/Him, 65
Long curled brown hair and black eyes. Diamond-shaped face with a very long and impressive braided mustache.
Nol acts on impulse, rarely speaks and never surrenders. He can challenge a PC to a duel to the death, since he owes a life debt to Magpie, who saved him from a guard patrol who'd have cut him down once. He would be the first to attack should things come to blows.
Itha Sacredsprinter
Human Bandit
She/Her, 20
Cropped and braided white hair, brown eyes and soft skin, sporting a round build. She has a small piercing on her left eyebrow, a slightly bigger piercing on her left ear and a piercing on her lip that she's very proud of and tries to show to impress women, unsuccessfully so far.
Itha's very curious and is constantly asking questions, which ends up betraying her age, and tends to misuse big words that she's heard someone else say in other contexts to try to sound smarter. She left her family's farm to look for revenge for the death of her brother, and on her travels she stumbled upon Magpie's band. Alone as she was, she ended up joining with them for protection
Bandits
The rest of Magpie's bandit band, who will defend the keep, their loot, and boss until their enemies are dead. Or, until they themselves have been killed.
Backdrops
Locations
Roserest
A sleepy fishing village, Roserest provides much of the seafood that Dewport needs. The first thing a visitor would notice is the gleaming rose statue at the center of the village square, which is clearly well taken care of. A few farms dot the lands around it, but the building that truly takes anyone's breath away on first sight is the manor up a hill overseeing the ocean. Borin lives in it and is the current village representative there, so the party can meet with him at several locations, but most likely should find him either at the Consortium's Seat or the Ocean's Thorns Inn. If he's not in either of those places, he can be found in the village Representative's Office.
Consortium's Seat
The original residence in the village, now turned the seat of the main guild in Roserest, the Fishermen's Consortium, and is where a lot of activity happens when people aren't fishing.
Ocean's Thorns Inn
The village's inn-doubling-as-a-tavern is the most popular place of activity in Roserest. The innkeeper, Asher Laughingsteel, is always welcoming whoever walks through his doors, be it one of his fellow Roserites or a new face, with a smile and a quip.
Representative's Office
An unremarkable house, the Representative's Office is where most of the administrative work for the village is done. It's rare to see the representative actually sitting down with the paperwork during certain seasons.
Darfield Keep
A once bustling castle that was abandoned during war, now taken by Magpie's bandits and used as their home and base of operations. It stands proudly on a hill surrounded by trees and greenery. It also features a small orchard. A beaten path leads to a stone staircase and heavy wooden doors. Adventurers who wish to explore it should tread lightly, as the Keep is more dangerous than its external appearance may show.
First Floor
Orchard
Right to the side of the building proper there's a charming orchard, which is rather well kept and healthy. A cursory glance may show that it doesn't seem to have any kind of security measures. However, intruders find that to not be true at all, as some of the bandits keep meticulous care of the trees, and as such keep guard dogs around. Not many have survived what they'd assumed to be an easy apple stealing job.
First Defenses
Brave adventurers who have just opened the door are greeted by cannonballs being fired at them, behind two rows of palisades. One look at the floor makes it clear that it's definitely seen better days, but some areas still hold the splendor of the castle from when it wasn't expecting attacks at any point. The blue curtains are tattered, but there are well preserved paintings still on the wall.
The centerpiece is a statue, and next to it a throne, flanked by a golden statue of a curled up dragon and a small table with a partially drunk wine goblet. Unlike the rest of the decoration around the room, the throne has a beautiful red rug still under it.
Right by the throne, and with its own red rug, is a shockingly functional piano with a stool. It faces a beautiful painting, another tattered blue curtain, and one of the few suits of armor scattered around the hall.
Bandit Camp
This is the spot where most of the bandits sleep and spend some free time at. There's a chest full of books and scrolls, and the straw rug is littered with broken bottles, and a single broken down cannon. Two bandits are there.
Training Room
A training room equipped with some training dummies and archery targets for practice. There's some broken weapons and armor strewn about after some particularly intense sessions. Two bandits are there.
Smith
As you approach this room, you're greeted by a massive wave of heat. As the hottest room in the castle, the smith has a still working forge that's still used. The results of melting different kinds of metals and attempts to mold them into different weapons and armor are... varied. One bandit is there.
Leatherworks
A small room with a faint scent of blood in it. The main piece in it is the tanning rack, but it's watched over by multiple trophies of animals. Some, more superstitious, may claim that they're judging or even cursing whoever's working in there, but most people would ignore that. However, no one's really managed to explain why it still has that distinctive smell in it. One bandit is there.
Library
What used to be a grand library, now stands mostly wrecked. There could be something salvageable for those who may find worth in looking for it.
Second Defenses
An intruder attempting to go further into the castle will have the very unpleasant surprise of getting attacked by a volley of bullets from the multi barrel cannon facing the door. The door is connected to an activation mechanism that, once it's opened, barrages the intruding person.
There are multiple ways to dismantle the trap: the activation mechanism can be seen to the side of the door on both sides, so if the heroes can solve the puzzle on it. The bandits also know how to disable and enable it, so one could be intimidated or persuaded into giving the answer. Regardless of how the combination is discovered, it can be used to safely cross.
Staircase
A stone spiral staircase with some armor stands under and around it. It connects the first and second floors.
Second Floor
Staircase
A stone spiral staircase with an impressive statue by it, and solid wood doors connecting to a small room which also holds another, different, statue. It connects the second and first floors.
Grand Hall
The Grand Hall is a large room boasting three chandeliers to light it, two tables that are clearly used regularly and well, with plenty of food and drink on sight. Some weapons are thrown on the tables, and on the corner there's a third table. This one is broken and by a fireplace. The blue curtains are well kept, as well as the rare hunt trophies displayed around it. Around a corner, a statue is visible. Nol tends to patrol this hall with two other bandits.
Storage
A storage room, that holds many chests and containers holding supplies of all sorts. It connects to the wine and beer storage.
Wine & Beer Storage
Connecting to the storage, this is a small room holding as many barrels of alcohol as the bandits can get their hands on. They could be sold for a decent amount of gold, or put straight to use to liven up a celebration.
Torture Room
A grim room with even more grisly sights. The smell of blood overpowers most other scents in it, except perhaps the stench of decay. The two iron maidens on a corner give the impression of being two distorted, horrific witnesses to the torture rack, which is itself front and center in the room. It also boasts a cage, set right over a raging fire. Right next to the cage, are the torturer's tools, set on a table. Both metal and wood are stained with blood. The throne of this room, the spiked torture chair, rests against a wall, almost in mockery of the throne that exists just one floor below.
Chained, between the iron maidens, are the remains of an individual. It's become so decayed it's impossible to tell who or what they were, but the shackle holding it to the wall remains, strong and cold.
Shiny Magpie's Quarters
By far the fanciest, most decorated and best lit room in the entire Keep, Magpie's room holds a lot of her personal treasures. The first thing that'd draw anyone's attention upon opening the door is the bear rug, followed by the dragon head trophy mounted on her wall.
Her personal desk is littered in treasure, such as precious gems, weapons, and a lot of gold - both in coin and in treasures-, all on display. Right behind the desk, she keeps multiple bags of gold, and to the side of it there's a chest full of gold and precious gems.
By her bed, there's a second golden dragon statue, perfectly matching the one next to the throne downstairs. Her two side tables have a candle and a dagger each. Another one of Magpie's hunting exploits finds its final resting place by the foot of her bed: her wolf pelt rug.
Nol & Itha's Quarters
Nol and Itha share a room, which just has two neatly made beds, one table with weapons and wine, and a simple blue rug under the table. The most decorative thing in their room is a mounted bear head, which they hunted together and decided to immortalize in this way. It also serves as a warning to whoever would be so bold as to trespass. The room is often locked, with only its two occupants holding the keys to it.
Treasure Room
This room holds the accumulated treasures of the band. It includes a great amount of gold, both in coin but also in statues, dishes, instruments and other assorted items crafted with it. As well as that, there's a lot of silver, which, much like the gold, also has its own assortment of creations.
Several chests and bags are overflowing with riches, spilling them all over the ground. Some pouches have tilted over and precious gems of all kinds sparkle among this golden paradise.
Chests full of treasure line the walls, which also share space with assorted weaponry, which itself glows with the soft light characteristic of enchanted weapons. Some golden musical instruments lay on another corner.
Threats
Bandits, bandit leaders, guard dogs, cannons, door puzzle.
If at any point the bandits' disposition towards the party become very negative, they risk getting attacked and locked in the torture room. Killing Magpie while there are still bandits alive immediately triggers this.
Encounters
The hounds of war
The orchard guard dogs, which are trained to attack trespassers viciously. They are called protectors, and the strongest among them is called a guardian. They will attack on sight, unless a party member can somehow befriend them, through a Wisdom (Animal Handling) check.
SRD
Orchard Protector CR: 1/4
STR
12 +1
DEX
15 +2
CON
12 +1
INT
3 -4
WIS
12 +1
CHA
6 -2
Keen Hearing and Smell. The wolf has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell. Pack Tactics. The wolf has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the wolf's allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 2d4+2 piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 11 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
Suggested Environments
Darfied Keep
SRD
Orchard Guardian CR: 1
STR
17 +3
DEX
15 +2
CON
15 +2
INT
3 -4
WIS
12 +1
CHA
7 -2
Keen Hearing and Smell. The wolf has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell. Pack Tactics. The wolf has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the wolf's allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 2d6+3 piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 13 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
Suggested Environments
Darfield Keep
A hot and cold welcome
The heroes are assaulted by a volley of cannonballs and the bandits potentially sounding the alarm on the first floor, as these bandits are anticipating attacks. Before opening the door outside the keep, a successful DC 16 Wisdom (Perception) check can alert the party that something is being set up, and allow for them to brace while entering. A party member with criminal connections may be aware of the initial defenses set in place, which can bypass the check.
The sound of the cannons firing will alert any bandits that are in the camp to their intruders. It does not need to devolve into violence, as they can be convinced that the party is there to help. However, as they're on edge, they do not trust the party and can become violent if they perceive any deception, or if alarm is sounded at any future point.
SRD
Cannon
Weapon
Common
Armor Class: 19 Hit Points: 75 Damage Immunities: poison, psychic
A cannon uses gunpowder to propel heavy balls of cast iron through the air at destructive speeds. In a campaign without gunpowder, a cannon might be an arcane device built by clever gnomes or wizardly engineers.
A cannon is usually supported in a wooden frame with wheels. Before it can be fired, the cannon must be loaded and aimed. It takes one action to load the weapon, one action to aim it, and one action to fire it.
Cannon Ball. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 600/2,400 ft., one target. Hit: 44 (8d10) bludgeoning damage.
| Type | Damage | Damage | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple Ranged | 8d10 | Bludgeoning | 600/2,400 ft. |
SRD
Magpie's Band Bandit CR: 1/8
STR
11 +0
DEX
12 +1
CON
12 +1
INT
10 +0
WIS
10 +0
CHA
10 +0
Actions
Scimitar. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 1d6+1 slashing damage. Light Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, range 80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 5 1d8+1 piercing damage.
Suggested Environments
Darfield Keep
SRD
Magpie Captain CR: 2
STR
15 +2
DEX
16 +3
CON
14 +2
INT
14 +2
WIS
11 +0
CHA
14 +2
Actions
Multiattack. The captain makes three melee attacks: two with its scimitar and one with its dagger. Or the captain makes two ranged attacks with its daggers. Scimitar. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 1d6+3 slashing damage. Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 5 1d4+3 piercing damage.
Reactions
Parry. The captain adds 2 to its AC against one melee attack that would hit it. To do so, the captain must see the attacker and be wielding a melee weapon.
Suggested Environments
Darfield Keep
Door activation pains
The door activation puzzle to bypass the automatic activation of the multi barrel cannon defending the staircase. There is also an alarm system connected to it as a safety measure.
Once the players reach the door, read:
The tabletop is engraved with nine squares in a three-by-three grid. Nailed to the table's leg is a piece of parchment with the following instructions:
"Fifteen per column, fifteen per row;
Diagonally, the same is so.
A plea of warning to carefully count;
No two places may hold the same amount.
What coins in the center be fed through the door;
Exact change for passage or trouble galore."
The bowl on the table contains forty-five gold coins. The puzzle requires that an exact number of coins be fed into the slot into the door. If the wrong amount is deposited, it triggers the alarm and the bandits in the entire keep become hostile.
Hint ChecksDC 15 Intelligence (Investigation): The character realizes that if diagonal corners add up to ten, it makes filling out the rest of the grid much easier.
DC 15 Wisdom (Insight): The character figures out the placement of two numbers other than the center number.
If the check is high enough, the bandit may give the full solution, up to the DM's discretion.
The verse explains that the door requires the amount of coins shown in the center square. Upon inserting exactly five coins, the locked door opens.
The correct combination, as shown in the diagram, is:
6 - 1 - 8
7 - 5 - 3
2 - 9 - 4
Nol's Patrol
Nol is often patrolling the grand hall alongside two other bandits. He will attack the party on sight if any alarm's been sounded or fighting happened in the floor below. He works well together with his bandits, and should the violence escalate, he can call for aid from Itha. However, if the fight is a duel to the death, then he will do it on his own.
SRD
Nol Horsebraid CR: 4
STR
14 +2
DEX
16 +3
CON
15 +2
INT
15 +2
WIS
12 +1
CHA
15 +2
Brute. A melee weapon deals one extra die of its damage when Nol hits with it (included in the attack). Pack Tactics. Nol has advantage on attack rolls against a creature if at least one of his allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated.
Actions
Multiattack. Nol makes two Longsword attacks and one Dagger attack. Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 2d8+3 slashing damage, or 14 2d10+3 slashing damage if used with two hands. Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 5 1d4+3 piercing damage, or 8 2d4+3 piercing damage if used to make a melee attack. Leadership (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). For 1 minute, Nol can utter a special command or warning whenever a nonhostile creature that he can see within 30 feet of him makes an attack roll or a saving throw. The creature can add a d4 to its roll provided it can hear and understand him. A creature can benefit from only one Leadership die at a time. This effect ends if Nol is incapacitated.
Reactions
Parry. Nol adds 2 to his AC against one melee attack that would hit him. To do so, he must see the attacker and be wielding a weapon. Protect Me! When a creature Nol can see targets him with an attack, Nol can sidestep behind an ally within 5 feet of him, moving to an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the ally. The chosen ally becomes the target of the attack instead.
Suggested Environments
Darfield Keep
Itha's Interrupted Nap
When the party enters the Keep, Itha is taking a nap. She will be more on guard if any alarm's been sounded or any fighting's happened in the floor below. She can be reasoned with, but her willingness to listen will vary depending on how many bandits are still alive. Notably, she will not be too happy to work with the party if she sees Nol and/or his two bandits dead. Itha can run in to help Nol, if he asks. She can also be a possible ally to help stop any fighting before more people die.
SRD
Itha Sacredsprinter CR: 4
STR
14 +2
DEX
16 +3
CON
15 +2
INT
15 +2
WIS
12 +1
CHA
15 +2
Brute. A melee weapon deals one extra die of its damage when Itha hits with it (included in the attack). Pack Tactics. Itha has advantage on attack rolls against a creature if at least one of her allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated.
Actions
Multiattack. Itha makes two Longsword attacks and one Dagger attack. Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 2d8+3 slashing damage, or 14 2d10+3 slashing damage if used with two hands. Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 5 1d4+3 piercing damage, or 8 2d4+3 piercing damage if used to make a melee attack. Leadership (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). For 1 minute, Itha can utter a special command or warning whenever a nonhostile creature that she can see within 30 feet of her makes an attack roll or a saving throw. The creature can add a d4 to its roll provided it can hear and understand her. A creature can benefit from only one Leadership die at a time. This effect ends if Itha is incapacitated.
Reactions
Parry. Itha adds 2 to her AC against one melee attack that would hit her. To do so, she must see the attacker and be wielding a weapon. Protect Me! When a creature Itha can see targets her with an attack, Itha can sidestep behind an ally within 5 feet of her, moving to an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the ally. The chosen ally becomes the target of the attack instead.
Suggested Environments
Darfield Keep
Shiny Magpie's confrontation
She has the gem on her person, but is less likely to fight if one of her bandits has informed her that the party is friendly towards them. She's much less likely to fight if that information comes from Nol or Itha. Otherwise, she can infer why the party's there, and will attempt to strike first.
As she judges people on fighting prowess, she can be impressed through it, either against her, Nol, or Itha. However, if her paranoia gets to her, she will not listen to reason and will attempt to kill. Factors that influence her paranoia levels are:
- How many bandits are alive;
- If the puzzle door has been completed and if it sounded the alarm;
- If the party has been thrown into the torture room;
- If Itha's alive;
- If Nol's alive;
- How much loot from the Keep the party is overtly carrying.
Living Bandits: Each living bandit adds 5 to her score and each dead bandit subtracts 5 to her score. There are 8 bandits, for 40 points total.
Completed Door Puzzle: Adds 10 to her score.
Door Puzzle Alarm: Subtracts 10 from her score.
Has party been thrown into the torture room: Subtracts 50 from her score.
Is Itha Alive: Adds 50 to her score.
Is Nol Alive: Adds 50 to her score.
Keep Loot: Subtracts 5 from her score for each visible/percievable piece.
100 to 150 points: Wary, but leaning way more positive into hearing the party out.
90 to 95: Still willing to hear the party out, but tensing up and readying for possible violence.
55 to 85: The lower the score gets, the less patience she will have for too many words.
50: May propose a contest of strength to give the benefit of the doubt, or see one of the party dead, as she's not very convinced you're an ally.
0 to 45: Extremely wary and likely to start violence unprompted. Can still be reasoned with, using the right words.
0 to -10: Does not trust a word the party says. Can potentially be talked with using the help of one of her allies.
-15 to -40: Convinced you're here to destroy all she holds dear. May hear the party a little bit but will trigger a fight.
-45 to -125: Unwilling to hear anyone out. Will trigger a fight after a very short while and there's almost no opening to stop her.
-130 or lower: Immediate fight. No opening for conversation at all. You're here to kill her and all of hers and at this point she will kill you or die trying.
Homebrew
Shiny Magpie CR: 11
STR
10 +0
DEX
20 +5
CON
14 +2
INT
18 +4
WIS
14 +2
CHA
16 +3
Evasion. If Magpie is subjected to an effect that allows her to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, she instead takes no damage if she succeeds on the save and only half damage if she fails. Magpie can't use this trait if she has the Incapacitated condition.
Feline Agility. Her reflexes and agility allow her to move with a burst of speed. When she moves on her turn in combat, she can double her speed until the end of the turn. Once she uses this trait, she can't use it again until she moves 0 feet on one of her turns.
Cat's Claws. Because of her claws, Magpie has a climbing speed of 20 feet. In addition, her claws are natural weapons, which she can use to make unarmed strikes. If she hits with them, she deals slashing damage equal to 1d4 , instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.
Actions
Multiattack. Shiny Magpie makes three attacks, using Scimitar or Pistol in any combination. Scimitar. Melee Attack Roll: +9, reach 5 ft. Hit: 12 2d6+5 Slashing damage plus 14 4d6 Poison damage. Pistol. Ranged Attack Roll: +9, range 30/90 ft. Hit: 10 1d10+5 Piercing damage plus 14 4d6 Poison damage.
Bonus Actions
Deadly Aim. Magpie gives herself Advantage on the next attack roll she makes during the current turn. If that attack hits, the target takes an extra 28 8d6 Poison damage.
Suggested Environments
Darfield Keep
Maps made by ArmoredWolf on Inkarnate
Door puzzle from Tasha's Cauldron of Everything ("Exact Change", p. 183)
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