This adventure was a little more structured than Crashing a Monster Party. That being said, if you do run this for your kids, make sure you're more flexible than I am. If I had been smart, I would have cut out some of the less necessary parts as the game pressed on. I didn't read the players cues very well, however, and I was forced to rush through some of the latter parts of the adventure. It didn't help, of course, that the kids were being a bit nuts too, but that comes with the territory when your players are all under ten.
“The Jolly Bear” is a favorite tavern in the town of Babersnaber. Recently, however, its owners -a pair of married elderly humans named Bill and Jill- a pest problem has been cutting into their profits recently.
Supplies and food have been disappearing from the tavern’s basement. Last night, Jill went down the basement to investigate “a terrible racket.” She caught sight of “the rodent I’ve ever seen!” “It was bigger than a dog!”
She’ll ask the PCs to investigate the basement of the tavern to see what they can find. She’ll offer them a reward for their efforts.
Their investigations lead them to an underground colony of Goblins living in the sewers.
The adventure will take place in two parts: The Cellar and The Colony.
Part One: The Cellar
When the PCs arrive in the cellar of The Jolly Bear, they’ll find it in a state of disarray following Jill’s encounter the night before. Bags of flour, grain, and sugar are torn open. Wheels of cheese are missing bite-shaped chunks.
Have the Player Characters (PCs) perform a Perception Roll. Any players who Roll 12 or higher will notice a trail of grain leading to a particular shelf. If they investigate behind the shelf, they’ll find a hole leading into a tunnel. If the PCs choose to enter, the GM can read the following:
The hole is small, almost too small to fit inside. With some wiggling and effort, however, you manage to get through.
You work your way through the tight confines of the stone until, finally, you exit into a larger tunnel leading straight ahead into darkness.
Ask the PCs, if they follow the tunnel. Point that it’s so dark they can hardly see. If anyone lights a torch or uses a light-focused spell, the Difficulty Rating on upcoming challenges lowers from 12 to 10.
After the PCs advance a ways, have them roll a Perception DC. If they roll a 12 (10) or higher, they’ll notice trip line. The PCs who fail will trigger a Collapsing Roof trap.
These PCs can then roll a Dexterity Saving Throw. PCs who roll a 10 or higher on the saving throw will take half damage. The trap deals 3d4 bludgeoning damage.
After the PCs have recovered from that, they’ll come to another area where the ground gets sticky. A trio of Giant Spiders will drop down on top of them and attack!
Once the PCs have defeated the Giant Spiders, the GM can move on to The Colony.
Part Two: The Colony
After the PCs defeat the Giant Spiders, they’ll follow the tunnel for a little while longer. The GM can read the following:
You follow the tunnel deeper into the shadows until, after a time, you see the faint flicker of light ahead. The echo of shrill voices bickering starts to become louder in the distance. A putrid smell fills the air - a scent of rotting waste and filth.
The PCs will follow the tunnel until they finally emerge into a large sewer chamber. Living in the sewer is a group of Goblins who have set up a small subterranean colony. One of the Goblins will be scolding another, demanding to know “How could you let someone spot you!”
The other Goblin will argue that they got away and “the spiders will take care of anyone that follows.”
The Goblins will fail to notice the PCs at first. Ask the PCs to come up with a plan to resolve their presence. The GM should adjust the Goblins’ numbers accordingly depending on the size of the player party. The PCs can try to fight them, negotiate a surrender, etc. It's their choice how they choose to resolve the situation.
Once the Goblins are taken care of, they can return to Jill and collect their reward.
