The Goblins of Brayfort Ridge – Solo /ARCHIVE

Traveling through south Dunstrand, the character(s) happen upon an area suffering at the hands of a band of Orrish newly moved into the area. Investigation leads to a rescue of hostages… and maybe something more sinister.

Challenge Notes

Statistics for the adventure reflect Incarna 3.x-4.x materials. This adventure is considered to have a “Lesser” Challenge Rating; a single Competent character or pair of Adroit characters is most appropriate.
Combat skills are necessary. There are sample characters provided with this scenario. This is designed as a
Solo play adventure (PLEASE READ THE SOLO PLAY MATERIALS); In this scenario, characters left behind will exit safely after 8 hours.
This is the first Incarna solo quest. It is not small, consisting of many and varied environments and interaction.
There are only a couple dozen or so real encounters though – the rest is mostly detail discovery. It is intended to be resolved quickly, with the usual limited options of working through a solo quest.
Although it is a solo quest, it is provided with a rudimentary map and enough information to make it challenging for a GM to potentially run it themselves with an entire party by increasing the difficulty of specific encounters.
It is desingned though with only one or two characters at the most.

Opposing Forces: Mostly goblins + attending creatures, traps and some mystical items and effects.
Note that approaches other than direct conflict or manipulation are part of the adventure.
Communication skills and ability can play an important role in maximizing the rewards or chance of success as well.

Lighting: Assume all areas above ground are well lit. Unless noted, all encounter areas underground are faintly lit with phosphorescent lichen or tallow candles. The lichen is harvested from deeper in the caverns under the ridge – where foodstuffs of fungi are also gathered. Any area which is big enough to allow ranged combat penalizes PC’s an additional -1; the inhabitants have acclimated and are unaffected.

Time: The adventure takes places within a 24 hour game-time period. In general, the game can easily be completed within the time frame allowed. Any time in excess of this indicates that the captives are lost and reinforcements arrive in some areas – enough force as to prevent a small number of intruders from operating effectively. Difficulty and multiple setbacks could potentially carry the PC’s over the time limit. They must make a decision to press on, knowing the captives are dead but with the intent of exacting revenge… or to leave, avoiding a wrathful crowd. If ever your time clue (TIME) value is greater than 24, you will be faced with this decision.

Cover: Unless otherwise noted in an entry, all areas provide cover of some sort.
A character may use cover against opponents or effects if they have initiative. Taking cover imposes a penalty on attacks equal to
-4; an additional -1 per level of camouflage skill may be appropriate.
Opponents with ranged weapons will only use them for three (3) rounds before engaging in hand to hand combat.

Credits

Designed by: Kelly Berger; July 2010

Edited By: Kelly Berger; August 2010-2012

Adventure Pace

Starting: Read the background carefully, it may contain clues or information that will help guide your decisions in the scenario.
It may also be good to print this page for future reference as you go through the scenario.

Ending: When all aspects of play have been completed, see
rewards for details about how to assess rewards and item values, as well as following up on any discovered information.

Background

[area]

You have been traveling for a few days now, through the rolling flat lands of County Faer in Dunstrand – heading southeast.
Your goal is Low Reach Pass and the town of Bevmordain on the other side, as you have heard the local lord there is hiring mercenaries
to deal with a bandit problem. Low reach Pass is a winding affair, a two and a half day trip all total – and a half day into the road
on the north side is the last township before the crest. Along the way you hear stories that the goblins have stepped by their raiding to huge proportions.
Instead of a caravan or 2 each year, it grew to several in a few short weeks – catching the locals unprepared. They have begun to raid settlements now, and trade through the pass
is slowing to a trickle. It wont be long before soldiers arrive and all out war ensues – ending any chance for adventurers to intervene.
You have arrived in the town of Nettlemist to rest and resupply before making the trek through the pass.

The town seems strangely quiet and you see no traffic coming from the other direction. After
you rise the next day and finish breakfast, you are approached by an older couple with a scared look in their eyes.
They explain that they are very worried about their daughter and grandson, who went picking wild flowers yesterday, and have not returned.

The man, Brian Ramirez, explains that there has been a series of kidnapings in the last three days, of which their relations are
the latest. The local sheriff sent two men into the pass yesterday and they have not returned. Although
no official is saying anything for sure, Aaron the huntsmen has found evidence of Orrish raiders in the pass. The locals know
that raiders don’t ransom their victims… help has been sent for but it will be too late to save their daughter and grandson.

Everyone else is afraid of confronting the raiders, but you are new and look as though you can handle yourself. Brian’s
family is not wealthy, but they have scrapped up 100 silver crowns and can talk to the townsfolk to see if they can do more
to help. He asks you to set out and recover his lost family members within 24 hours – before they become fodder.
You decide to to accept.

Decision Options:

Note that (TIME) = 0

Are you ready? It is best to have a electronic or paper copy of your character handy for you to record the CLUES and loot you find, to more easily assess the rewards later.

  1. I have no character of my own, I need to select one…
  2. I’m ready; start the scenario

Design Notes

  1. [Res Bar] > The Resource Bar:
    This has reminders and quick links for found item easy reference.

Suggestions for Game Masters

If you are running this not as a solo-adventure, add more traps. A pit trap – goblins run on edges; A cave in trap – not full, just 20 – 5 per RC from an evade check. Also, add-in
some additional treasures to balance it out. Demon guarded boxes – two of them; 1 cannot be identified; 2 is poison needle trap (death) holding the Ring of Uiel (Toughened; +1 resist poison of all kinds) = ULIEL.
Throw on one of the NPC’s one of Shunchao’s Pockets (sewn onto a robe or jacket; always has dry fire-making gear + apt 1 magic = magus always has kit magic component for torchlight +1 ALU) = POCKET

Testing: (2010-2012) Kelly Berger (Coordinator), Mario Kundzins, Larry James, Sean Drew, Charlie Grenier, Steven Grenier