Little D&D: Crashing a Monster Party

I ran two Little D&D games at the Dorothy Alling Memorial Library this past month. With this first one, I tried to really embrace the idea of building an adventure around a simple idea with lots of opportunity for creative problem solving. It worked wonders! The kids worked together really well to come up with a creative plan and completed the quest in a solid hour.

Farmer Wilson is beside himself with grief! He was going to bed one night when he heard a horrible squealing outside. He rushed out to discover his prize pig being swine-napped by goblins.

People in the area have been hearing word that the local monsters have been playing a party to celebrate the Monster’s New Year! Farmer Wilson is sure that’s where you’ll find his hog. He’s offering a reward to anyone who can rescue his beloved pig.

This adventure takes place all in one central location: a monster party hidden deep inside the dark of the woods.

The Player Characters (PCs) will need to find Farmer Wilson’s pig and rescue it from the party. This could involve fighting, sneaking, deception, disguise - whatever the PCs can come up with!

They need to move fast, however, because the monsters because the monsters are planning a pig roast!

Goblins huts made from plastic Easter eggs - constructed special for the occasion!

The party takes place inside a dark forest. The monsters have assembled a wooden fence around its perimeter and built a big bonfire at its center. Various tents, booths, wagons, and carts have been set up with everything from (monstrous) snacks to (creepy) drinks.

The monsters here are relatively low level (Kobolds, Goblins, Bugbears, etc) but there are a LOT of them. If they PCs do pick a fight, it could turn rough.

Farmer Wilson’s stolen pig is being stored inside one of the tents. If the PCs get close to the chosen tent, the Game Master (GM) can have them roll a Perception DC to notice it. A roll of 10 or higher will be enough to notice the purloined swine without searching inside the tents themselves.

Some other items the PCs might find around the party include:

Bottle Rockets
Firecrackers
Firebug Sticks (Glow Wands)
Party Blowers
Honey Stick Candy
Fire-Roasted Squirrel on a Stick
Chocolate Covered Bugs
Musical Instruments
Monster Party Punch

If the PCs get into any sort of fight, the Game Master (GM) should initially only have the weaker monsters (Kobolds, Goblins, etc) join the fight. The GM may also consider having these weaker enemies move/attack in groups of three to keep the turn order from getting too complicated.

Example: Three Kobolds acting as a single unit with 15 Hit Points total and three attacks per turn.

Action shots from the day!

Once the PCs find Farmer Wilson’s pig, they’ll need to find a way to smuggle it out of the party. That could involve everything from wheeling it out hidden in a wagon to leading it out with Animal Handling while the party fights off it monster pig-nappers.

Once the PCs exit the perimeter of the party camp with the pig, they win. They are also free to flee at any time if they feel they can’t win. Farmer Wilson will offer them a gold reward if they return with his pig.