Wreckage at the Carriage Yard - One Shot

Just outside the floral cottage core town of Moss Branch, lies a workshop designed to manufacture carts and carriages for the lands of Cytal. But what happens when that workshop is out of commission? Who or what has caused the production of carts to suddenly halt?
Step into the world of Violem with a band of heroic adventurers and explore the acts of vandalism in this whimsical one shot. Full of quirky NPCs, optional rules to add an element of chaos into your gameplay and unexpected combat encounters. So, grab your dice and dive deep into Wreckage at the Carriage Yard.

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Rules

This one shot is designed to follow the TG20 ruleset I use for my personal solo campaigns, and is an adaptation version of Tunnel Goons V1.2 by Nate Treme (all credit for the original rules goes to them, Check Out Here).
For the full list of rules, check out the link here: TG20 - Homebrew Rules

Throughout the adventure, there will be flavour text that can be described to the players directly. This will appear in text boxes such as this one.

The only addition for this adventure is a chaos counter, an optional ruling that can be used during the adventure. The way it works is for the Games Master (GM) to keep track of every natural 1 rolled by players during the game. If the counter reaches a total of 5 before the end of the session, then chaos ensues. In game this is explained by a buildup of chaotic energy which summons creatures known as Nikkan who possess wooden objects within the vicinity of the players.
In mechanic terms, the GM rolls 1d4 to determine the number of Nikkan that spawn and treat it as a wild combat encounter. These creatures can only possess any wooden object. A few ideas include but not limited to wooden planks, wheels, cutlery, tool handles, tree twigs, crates, dice sets and peg legs.

Nikkan
HP - 6
DS - 10

Actions:
Melee - 1d4 damage (bleed)

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Tavern of Moss Branch

Your adventure begins in the sleepy tavern known by the locals as The Tipsy Grape Bar. A quiet, cosy little place that has been coated in wildlife, giving it an overgrown appearance inside and out. Small pots of luminous mushrooms give a warm blue tint to the room. Chairs are replaced with repurposed stumps, cushioned by soft leaf pillows to make it more comfortable. And the feint sound of buzzing can be heard from the fireflies that float in the rafters above your head.
Besides yourselves, stands a barmaid cleaning mugs behind the bar and snoring old man slumped over in his chair. The red stained door into the tavern creaks open. A tall rugged figure steps inside the bar and gives a nod to the barmaid. He scouts the room and makes eye contact with the whole party. Walking over and begins conversation, thanking you for meeting with him.

Mechanic NPC: A tall, broad young man with rugged facial features. Manual work has made him look older than he seems but his eyes still shine bright with youth. Despite dressing in a fine embroidered jacket, his dirty overalls poke out from underneath and his heavy voice is a clear indication he is a man that works hard. Taking off the jacket will reveal geometric tattoos trailing from the back of his hands to his shoulders. He talks calmly but absentmindedly, as if there something on his mind bothering him.
HP: 13
DS: 14
Brute (B): 2
Skulk (S): 1
Erudite (E): 2
Magic (M): 1
Defence (D): 0

The mechanic offers the party the main quest, hearing about their adventures and asking for help. Explaining his workshop just outside of town has been overrun with goblins. It has scared off his fellow workers and he cannot handle that many alone. He may explain to the heroes that he has a contract with a highly popular cart service (Cart N Cart) and a deadline he is fearful he will miss. If the party help and clear out the goblins, he can offer them each 50 gold each and a promise of free cart travel with Cart N Cart once he fulfils the contract. He can give the party the location of the workshop but that’s about it.


Barmaid NPC: Behind the bar stands an older woman with a fair complexion, her white hair tied up in a messy bun and golden jewellery decorating her hands and neck. Her temperament is one that is stern, not taking nonsense from anyone in her bar. With a little persuasion she can be a vital source of information but only if she can get some extra coin in return.
HP: 15
DS: 16
Brute (B): 2
Skulk (S): 0
Erudite (E): 3
Magic (M): 3
Defence (D): 0

The barmaid can give the players information regarding goblins they could encounter. Players must roll an Erudite check using a d20 to gain this knowledge. The amount given is determined by how well the players roll. It is recommended to give between one to three pieces of information.

Goblin:
Appearance – With an average height of 2-foot, covered in warts and distinctively green
Abilities – Often carrying makeshift swords and bows that don’t deal very much damage
Personality – Not the brightest of creatures and not very loyal, often running away at the sign of defeat (run away after another goblin is defeated)

Jhenga:
Appearance – Their skin seems to be more grey than green, with blocky features that resemble rocks
Abilities – With a stronger build than a typical goblin, they are very good at throwing things with decent accuracy
Personality – They are obsessed with rocks, pebbles and shiny gems. Often getting distracted by them

Ossanasso:
Appearance – More angular facial features and mimic looks of traditional wizards (pointy hats, long beards and glasses)
Abilities – The smartest type of goblin, are able to mimic the last successful spell they saw cast
Personality – Tend to stay away from direct combat and choose to cast spells from afar

Smog Gob:
Appearance – Bulbous and balloon looking, floats around with limbs wiggling to navigate
Abilities – Don’t get too close, they will release a gas that is toxic when breathed in
Personality – They are angry in nature and will find a strong hatred for the first person that gets too close

Snoring Old Man NPC: A short and portly old man, with wisps of grey hair poking out his ears and nose snores loudly in the corner of the room. Wearing old fashioned tweed clothing with his collar undone. He is far too tired to be woken up, if something extremely loud or chaos ensues within the tavern, he will partially wake up in a daze. Complain about the noise and then return back to his slumber. If the party attempt to pick pocket the man, they will be caught by the barmaid and barred from the location.

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On the Road

Upon accepting the quest and gathering supplies you think you may need, you head out of town, taking a short walk towards the workshop marked on the map. Just needing to take a slight detour off the main road in about an hour. Whilst you take strides towards your destination, you are greeted with the smell of fresh winter air. The sky above is seasoned with soft white clouds between the canvas of pale blue. And the sound of their footsteps crunches with every step you take along the frosty dirt road.

As they venture further towards the location, they encounter one of the following. An optional encounter for those GM who wish to grant their players an additional challenge during the adventure or want to increase the game session overall.

Wanderling Encounter:

You continue towards the location marked on your map when your thoughts and conversation are interrupted by the melodic tones of whistling. The sound of music gets louder and louder, being accompanied with the rattling of glass bottles and wheels turning until you see the cause of it all. A wanderling, dressed in baggy clothes and long flowing hair causally driving a wagon splattered with paint splodges rides towards you. He greets you with a slow and calming voice, asking the group if they wish to partake in a little game.

The wanderling is a nomadic NPC and has a variety of potions in the back of his wagon and is willing to give the party up to three bottles if they beat his high score in a game of high and low. The rules of the game are as follows. The GM will roll a d20 and ask the players to choose higher or lower. If they are able to guess correctly 3 times, they receive one potion. Correctly guessing 6 times earn them two potions and guessing it right 10 times earns them all three potions. The potions offered are health potions (roll 1d4 to determine how much is healed), potions of antidote (counteracts the poison condition on a player) and potions of strength (temporarily grants players +2 to Brute (B) stat for three rounds of combat or fifteen minutes of gameplay in roleplay scenarios).
HP: 14
DS: 15
Brute (B): -1
Skulk (S): 3
Erudite (E:) 0
Magic (M): 2
Defence (D): 1

Lone Goblin:

As you make your way down the frosty main road, you are suddenly interrupted by the sound of rustling from the tall grass on the side of the road up ahead. You pause and watch a short creature with yellow stained teeth and a strange object in its little hand emerge into sight. Waddling past fixated on the item it holds. It does not seem to have noticed you but is now blocking your route to the workshop.

This can be any goblin of choice and be used as a combat encounter for the party to prepare for the combat in the upcoming section. If the GM is undecided on which goblin to use, then roll a d4 to determine the goblin. Stats of goblins can be found in the stat block section at the end of the adventure.
1= Goblin, 2 = Jhenga, 3 = Ossanasso, 4 = Smog Gob
Upon defeating the lone goblin, the party can be rewarded with one of the following objects.
Bone Sword of Extension – A long reach melee weapon that deals 1d6 damage. Chunks of bone have been crafted together in a way which when the sword is whipped, the length of the sword is doubled
Caltrop Slingshot – A ranged weapon that deals 1d4 damage with every successful hit. The weapon can be loaded with 1 caltrop per attack. The lone goblin has 3 caltrops in its possession
Dedrof Shield – A wooden shield with an outer edge of dedrof metal, a metal similar to steel but rusts into a pale green colour. Adds +2 to Defence (D) stat of a player holding the shield
Ring of Fortennia – A moonstone gem glows brilliant white and blessed by the goddess of fortune, granting the wearer the good luck condition (advantage on all rolls)

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The Yard

Taking a left off the main path, you head down a small trail that winds through thick winter firs shivering at the cold wind that blows, tickling your ears. After clearing the trees, you are greeted with the sight of a large barn house, complete with peeling red paint of weathered wooden walls that signifies the workshop the mechanic described to you. As well as a small shed attached to the large sliding doors open wide. As your eyes follow the path towards the entrance, you spot a half-broken cart besides a large boulder, the front completely smashed and a single wheel hanging onto the remains of the cart. The place seems to be quiet, too quiet for a place that was seemingly overrun by goblins. How do you approach?

There is a chance for goblins to appear in the three main locations. Each location offers a suggested number of goblins that could appear. The entire map is relatively small, so if too much noise is made, then the GM can make the decision for goblins in other locations to be drawn to the sound. The aim of the map is for the party to investigate all three locations and defeating all goblins. Wooden objects will also be described in each location if the GM chooses to use the chaos counter during the adventure.

Tool Shed:

Sat in front of the main building, just to the right of the door is a sturdy wooden shack. Big enough for one or two people to fit inside of. A roof of sheet metal sits on top to protect whatever is inside from the rain. The door rests on the East wall and seems to be locked with a rusty padlock. On the South facing wall is a single window roughly eye level, the glass has been shattered and you can hear the sound of something moving inside. The window is big enough for a small animal to climb inside without getting injured.

Inside the tool shed is a variety of hand tools such as hammers and saws resting on the workbench. Along with a coil of rope, a rake propped up and a small collection of paint buckets stacked up neatly but could easily fall. The noise inside is made by a Jhenga, hoping to find a new rock to add to its collection.
If the party gain access to the tool shed, they have a chance to find a skeleton key with 5 uses before it breaks after investigating the room, Erudite roll DS 12.

Main Barn:

If the party enter through the main doors, they will notice the half-built carriage in the centre of the room. Swinging above it is a large hook and chain that was installed to aid the construction of the carriage. The pulley system and controls for the hook can be found near the open doors on the West wall. A few unlit lanterns can also be seen hanging on posts that ascend into the ceiling, giving support to the building. On the opposite side to the entrance is another set of identical doors which are closed. They are unlocked and slide open.
Three smaller rooms are segmented with solid fence panels about five foot tall on the northern wall. Mostly used for storage, crates, barrels and sacks of food and supplies rest in big piles. A larger room on the southern wall houses is where the goblins can be found. Sat around a makeshift table made out of a cart wheel and broken wood planks. They are invested in some kind of card game that you can’t seem to understand the rules of. Around the table is 2 Goblins, 1 Ossanasso and a Smog Gob who is gripping onto the table to try join in on the game. They are not immediately spotted by goblins as they enter the room unless they draw attention to themselves. After successfully defeating the goblins in combat, the party are able to obtain the 16 gold that was used during the card game.

The Forge:

Behind the main building, sits a makeshift forgery. Complete with a cobble base for the fire pit, a very battered anvil and a barrel of dirty water used for quenching. The fire is still hot and the smell of something burning is enough to make you gag. There seems to be a metal rod of some kind sat heating up nicely inside the forge. A dozen steps away from the firepit is a long bench that is covered with various machine parts, cogs and metallic tools. Scattered like a disorganized dinner table. Another long bench is lined up next to it but has been crushed under the weight of a rock pile. A pile which is being added to by 2 grey skinned creatures that are throwing a hot coal between each other.

2 Jhenga are walking around the outside forge. There is a small collection of raw iron scraps near the firepit itself as well as iron ingot stacked next to the anvil. The only wooden objects in this area are the barrel of water, the handles of select tools and the legs of the work benches.
Defeating the Jhenga will reward the players a chance to investigate the forge. If they check the rock pile successfully complete an Erudite roll DS 14, they will be rewarded with two small garnets that are worth 25 gold each. The iron ingots could also be sold to merchants or blacksmiths in the future.

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The Epilogue

The Successful Ending:

You and your friends head on home with a spring in your step. Triumphant over the battle with the goblins, feeling like you could take on anything the world throws at you. You meet up with the mechanic once more to deliver the good news and claim your prize. He sighs with relief and clasps his hands as if praying. He sincerely thanks you all for the help and bestows you the reward that was promised, 50 gold for each member of the party. He then prepares himself to return back to work and happily invites for you to return to the workshop in a weeks’ time to receive tickets for free cart travel in the local area. You begin to celebrate the only way you know how…

The Failed Ending:

You have become overwhelmed, outmatched by the power of the fiendish goblins, allowing for the barn to fall into total wreckage. A pile of rubble smolders in the aftermath and a cloud of dust puffs into the sky. The destruction of the workshop can be seen from the main road and is quickly noticed by passerby. The mechanic hears about your failure and drowns himself in sorrows as he knows has not only lost the contract but also his entire workshop and livelihood has been destroyed…

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Stat Blocks

Goblin
HP - 10
DS - 11

Actions:
Melee - 1d4 damage (bleed)
Ranged - 1d4 damage (bleed)

Jhenga
HP - 10
DS - 11
Defence - +1

Actions:
Clobber - Melee 1d4 (bleed)
Throw - Ranged 1d4 (stun)

Ossanasso
HP - 12
DS - 12
Magic - +1

Actions:
Thwack - Melee 1d4 (bleed)
Mimic – Copies the last successful spell it saw

Smog Gob HP - 10
DS - 11

Actions:
Club - Melee 1d4 (bleed)
Fart – Ranged 1d4 (poison)
Float (evade)
Poison Immune