Goblin Trouble
What follows is based on the Goblin Trouble module by Janek Sielicki (full credits, below). It has been changed to fit the world of Antheros and the Haven Irregulars campaign. It should also be noted that the original was for beginning characters and DMs so was scaled up for the campaign.
Introduction
Goblin Trouble is a simple adventure that aims to introduce you into the world of Dungeons and Dragons. It is the first part of the upcoming Dark Master’s Return series. It has been designed for four 1st or 2nd level characters, but naturally it can be played with more or less people, which will make it less or more challenging. On average, it takes about four hours to play. Don’t be scared by the adven-ture’s apparent length! Half of the 80 pages are character sheets and maps and there is not that much actual reading.
Adventure Summary
The party arrives to a small village located deep in a forest. The villagers ask them to help get rid of a group of vile goblins, which recently appeared at a nearby clearing. After a fight with a small pack of creatures, the adventurers discover the entrance to an old dungeon, where more goblins lurk. Using their might, magic, and cunning, the party explores the dungeon and finally deals with the goblin boss. However, during the adventure, it turns out that goblins allied themselves with kobolds and there is an even more sinister force in the Green Forest.
Difficulty Level
The adventure has been designed and tested with groups of four players. If your party consists of five people, the adventure will be a bit easier for everybody. With six player characters, you might want to slightly adjust the number of foes:
- in the encounters with goblins, add 1 extra goblin
- add another spider in the spider cave (Scene 5, Area 3)
- Increase Grug’s hit points to 40 (Scene 5, Area 6; see page 53, Grug will have 40 hit points instead of 30).
The adventure is quite difficult for three player characters and very difficult for two. In that case, reduce the number of foes in each combat encounter by 1 and halve the spiders’, Grug’s, and Toother’s hit points. If you’re playing with kids (and even seven year olds have fun with D&D-this adventure has been tested with such a group), consider increasing each PC’s hit points by 5-10.
Although Goblin Trouble is purposefully simple and straightforward, advanced players already familiar with D&D can also enjoy it. In most Scenes you’ll find a paragraph with ideas for advanced players, which make combat encounters more difficult or add extra options and ideas. Even if you’re a beginner group, try using some of them during play!
Adventure Background, or What It’s All About
Three centuries ago a secret war ravaged the Green Forest. A nomadic tribe of Wood Elves fought a powerful sorcerer named Bel’Quath. The real reason for the war has been forgotten, the elves left and Bel’Quath has never been heard of again.
Decades passed and humans began to settle in the forest. Trees grow on old battlefields and plants cover derelict towers and fortifications. One day, Pabinus Yardon, a young wizard driven to prove to his superiors that Bel’Quath was not a legend, arrived to the Green Forest. Pabinus found Bel’Quath’s burial site and discovered that the powerful sorcerer was still alive, but bound with elven magic and unable to leave his tower. However, Bel’Quath easily dominated Pabinus’s mind, making him into his puppet. At last he could carry out his plan and regain freedom.
But the elven spells were powerful and it’s not easy to unbind the weave of magic. The elves couldn’t kill or even get close enough to Bel’Quath, so with powerful rituals they made three magic statues of the sorcerer and placed them around the forest. The lines of magical energies flowing between them converged on Bel’Quath’s tower, draining most of his magic and imprisoning him forever. Now, Bel’Quath wants to find and destroy the statues. Powerless outside the tower, he uses Pabinus as his agent.
The forest is enormous, dark, and unexplored. Bel’Quath, acting through Pabinus, began with finding more allies. He visited different tribes of goblins, kobolds, or even more terrifying creatures and used threats or promises to make them work for him. While monsters are combing the forest searching for the statues, Pabinus pretends to be a harmless hermit and lives in Oakenville, keeping tabs on humans.
Quest Hooks for My Campaign
Where this starts in the overall campaign can vary, with the following suggestions:
- As the party is returning to Haven from some other quest, they are approached by some Oakenville citizens.
- Oakenville representatives are encountered outside the mayor’s office (or Duke’s castle) after having their pleas rejected.
- Dejected Oakenville reps approach the party as members of the watch and thus must be heros who might help.
4….
However the party comes across them, the goal of the villagers is the same… to gain help in their fight against the goblins.
Setting the Hook
Mandyk Bor, Oakenville’s leader, approaches the party’s table. His wife, Sarah Bor, accompanies him, but she doesn’t say anything. Instead, she stares at her husband the same way a teacher looks at a pupil checking if they’re well-prepared for a presentation.
Read Aloud
“Hello there my dears. My name is Mandyk Bor, head man of the village of Oakenville, and this is my wife Sarah. You look like tough and clever folk who can deal with any situation. And well, it is a sad fact that our village and surrounding forest has recently become a tad dangerous due to the goblins that keep harrassing us. Our boys and girls know how to handle an axe, but most of them still haven’t returned from timber floating. So we’re in kind of a desperate situation.
We’re not a rich village, but we can spare some gold for a reward.” Mandyk stammers, but his wife elbows him and he continues. “It’s about them goblins. I talked to the people and it turns out everyone has had trouble with them. Especially since we’ve started work at the new clearing. So, can you come help us by dealing with those nasty buggers? We’ll give you 100 gold coins!”
Note: Turin’s village was raided by goblins and it resulted in his father’s death. He should be motivated to assist.
Further Information
The following info can be alluded to upon meeting Mandyk or fully explained upon reaching Oakenville.
** Since when have you had trouble with goblins? Where did they come from? **
- “Well, there are always around but not so many and not so organized. But this troubles now? I think it all started a few months ago. After that huge storm that fell a lot of trees.”
** Can we get some support from you? **
- “We have families, children. We can fight, sure, but only if we really must.” Note: on a successful Persuasion check (DC 15), the town headman (Mandyk Bor) will assign a village guard as a guide.
** What else can you tell us? **
- “Rest at the inn and depart in the morning. Visit Marsha, our herbalist. She’ll give you a few healing potions-I feel you’ll need them.”
** How many goblins are there? **
- “Hard to say, but not an army for sure. Probably only a few left after you’ve killed so many with Yuri!”
** How far is the new clearing? **
- “Three or four hours on foot.”
Infobox
table-of-contents
Introduction
Link to original
Scene 1
Scene 2
Scene 3
Scene 4
Scene 5
Post Goblin Trouble
Credits
Written and translated into English: Janek Sielicki
Editor: Christopher Walz
Interior art: under CC0 license or authorized by artists
Cover art: Dean Spencer Tower Approach © 2019 Dean Spencer, used with permission. All rights reserved.
Layout: Anna Madrjas-Dymek
Cartography: Filip Gutowski, Oakenville’s map by Janek Sielicki with Inkarnate PRO
Testers: Jerzy Baryłka and his team, Jacek Runowski, Michał Wdowiak, Rafał Chełpa, Marek Kozłowski and his team and all others who helped a lot but wish to remain anonymous.
Special thanks to Maciej Jesionowski from Rebel, the official Polish publisher of Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition , for his help and support on this project.
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS , D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, the dragon ampersand, and all other Wizards of the Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries. This work contains material that is copyright Wizards of the Coast and/or other authors. Such material is used with permission under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild. All other original material in this work is copyright by Janek Sielicki and published under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild.
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