We’re off to kill the goblins...
[comments:(13), views:(6545), rating:(7.2)]

Author: Unknown
Homepage: http://
System: AD&D 2nd Edition
Type: Scenario
Category: Fantasy
Requirements: 3-5, 1st and 2nd level player character (4-8 combined levels).

Graphic: Map

This is an AD&D adventure for 3-5, 1st and 2nd level player character (4-8 combined levels).

This adventure can be set up within a town that has a good trading route nearby, no surrounding wall, and a population of no more than 3,000 permanent residents. This is a simple adventure of going after the goblins that raided this unexpecting town, killing them, collecting their treasure, returning what belongs to the town and collecting your reward. No problems? NOT!

This adventure is based in a town called Benden, which is directly off a major trade route and is a major support to the trade route. There is a Merchants Guild in the city that is responsible for holding funds for passing merchants, finding good guards for merchants, and providing safe places for merchants to store their goods. The town has just over 2,000 permanent residence with sometimes twice that amount passing through and saying each week. Benden was raided twice by ten goblins in the past month, the first time about four weeks ago and the second a little over one week ago. Both times the southern most end of town, which is where all of the merchants live, is where the raids where conducted. During the first raid the goblins made off with 1,500 gp in gold and platinum from the Merchants Guild its self. During the second raid one goblin broken into a gem traders home and stole 1,000 gp in gems while the other nine goblins where raiding and raising havoc in the central part of the city. The gem trader, Marcus, says that the gems where worth 5,000 gp. These goblins knew when and where to hit the town. By the time any of the Merchants Guild militia came the goblins where gone. The Merchants Guild militia is weak so the Merchants Guild has put up a bounty on the goblins and put up a reward for the stolen moneys. The bounty is 100 gp per raider plus a reward of 1000 gp for the return of 1,500 gp in gold and platinum and 5,000 gp in gems (Remember that Marcus told the Merchants Guild that his gems where worth that much). The town has plenty of inns and taverns in the Northern end to support the needs of any passing merchant and adventuring party. The Southern end of town is where the rich Merchants live, where an inn can cost as high as 7 gp per night (not including food).

The Goblins have been raiding the trade route for the past season, and they watched the for almost two moons before the first raid. The goblin leader is a goblin name Quatal who has been taught the profession of rouge by anyone willing enough and evil enough to teach him.

Quatal, goblin ; S: 12; Dex: 16; Con: 7; I: 17; Wis: 14; Ch: 9; AL: LE; AC: 5; MV: 6; HD 6d6; hp: 15; THAC0: 17; #AT: 1; Dmg: By Weapon Type; SA: back stab +4 to hit, Dmg X3; SD: None; MR: nil; SZ: S; ML: 11; XP: 420. Thieving skills PP 40%; OL 65%; F/R T 25%; MS 70%; HS 65%; DN 25%; CW 60%; RL -10%. Quatal has leather armor +1 (will only fit a gnome), short sward +1, dagger, thieving tools (worth less). Quatal is specialized in the fine arts of stacking out, looting, and track covering. Quatal has now decided to start a Clan of Goblins of his own. Quatal and his 9 companions need money to start their cave and the goblins go out to obtain gold the most legal way they know how: they steal it.

For the past season the PCS have been hearing about the raids on the local towns, villages, and trading routes. There has been rumors that all of the raids where inside jobs. When the PC’s enter the trading town of Benden they are encouraged to answer the call of the Merchants. Read or paraphrase the following to the PC:

As you enter the town you see a wanted poster of a goblin, on the outside of the Watering Wench Inn. The poster reads: “Wanted Dead: 15 Goblins that have been raiding our town. 100 gp for the execution of all of them plus a reward for the return of 1,500 gp in gold and platinum and 5,000 gp in gems. Reward stands at 1000 gp of all returned items or ten percent of what is returned. If any question, contact Guild Master Riley at the Merchants Guilds Office.” The first people you ask give easy directions to the Merchants Guilds Office. Most of the people in the tavern/inn encourage your party to take care of these goblins. A bar maiden introduces herself as Susan and brings the whole party drinks. Susan says, “Thank you for coming to our rescue, the owner wants y’all to have these drinks on the house.”

If the PCS decide to actual take the Merchant Guilds’ job then they need to go to the Merchant Guild and speak to Guild Master Raily. If the PC’s decide not to take the job, but go after the measly 15 goblins by themselves in hopes that they can keep all of the treasure then they are going to need information. Look to the Rumor Side bar for the information they can collect. If the PC’s decide to due nothing then a bolt of lightning will strike within feet of the PC’s or some other form of DM persuasion (I did not write this for my looks and you are not reading it for your health).

If the PC’s go to the merchant's guild to take the job then read or paraphrase the following:

You enter the Guild House and a small boy greets you with a kind word. After you make your selves known the boy fetches Guild Master Raily. Raily introduces himself and says, “I am glad someone has finally answered our call. I am not one to pussy foot around so lets get to the point. The reward stands at 100 gp for the capture and execution of each goblin. I must have proof of their demise. There is an additional reward of 1000 gp or ten percent of the returned gold, platinum, and gems. With a total of 15 goblins and 6,500 gold’s worth stolen, that could give you 2500 gp as your reward, to divide among yourselves. You can keep all other treasure found in the goblin's lair. The Goblins are in the woods somewhere southeast from here. The Merchants Guild militia is too weak to track down the goblins. You can pick up their trail just south of town or if your want you can hire one of my guards to show you the way there.” The Guild Master wishes you a quick return.

The guard that Guild Master Riley was speaking of was a 1st level female fighter named Isaiah. Isaiah is proficient in tracking (14) and hunting (13) she will only fight in self defense. She is only being paid to track the goblins and take the PC’s to their lair.

Isaiah; AL: CG; AC: 6; MV: 12; F1; hp: 7; THAC0: 20; #AT: 1; Dmg: By Weapon Type; S: 11; D: 14; C: 7; I: 12; W: 14; Ch: 7; MR: nil; SZ: M; ML: 13; XP: 35. Ring Mail with shield, Long bow, Battle ax, and dagger. Isaiah’s fee for tracking is 5 gp per week and she asks for her first weeks pay in advance (with no refunds).

First the party must find the goblin lair, so once the PC's are south of town they can make a tracking proficiency to try to track the goblins. Because, the leader of the goblins is in all respects a 6th level thief he knows how to cover and conceal tracks. To first find the trail, three successful tracking rolls in a row are needed. After the trail has been found a successful roll every mile for the first ten miles is needed. You can change the frequency of the checks if you think they are too much, or for every check add one to the proficiency score until the modified score equals twenty. After the first ten miles has been successfully navigated (or a modified score of twenty is reached), than a tracking check no longer needed. If the party is able to move at a movement rate of 12 then the whole trip will take two days of travel, or 100 miles. Because, the party is moving through a wooded area horse movement is hindered to a movement rate of 12. The DM may choose to put in random encounters if she (or he) wishes just remember that this is a tempered clement, wooded area. After two days of travel the PC’s will reach the goblin encampment, which is a knoll hill in a small clearing, at late dust on the second day. When the PC’s reach the encampment read or paraphrase the following:

As you are quietly as possible moving through the woodlands your group tracker (or Isaiah) stops and beginnings to move slower. The rest of the party can now hear the noise of what sounds like cheers and roars of happiness. Everyone moves closer to the edge of a small clearing about 200 yards across. There is a small knoll hill about 80 yards from your position. Dug into the knoll hill as what looks like a small cave entrance around which goblins are gathered and appear to be in the beginning of a celebration. At first you notice a Two-handed sword stuck blade first into the ground, a huge gauntlet filled with gold coins, and five barrels of ale. After a longer moment of watching, everyone notices that there are only ten goblins, not 15 as the Wanted poster and the Guild Master reported.

Isaiah will watch for a few rounds and make a suggestion of waiting until the goblins are drunk to attack or possibly waiting until morning so the goblins have to fight at a disadvantage in full sunlight. Isaiah will then pull back about one mile from the clearing. Isaiah will not vouch for the fact that there are only ten goblins when she returns to the city.

If the PC’s attack now, then the goblins fight at full strength [AC: 6; DMG: 1d6; THAC0 20]. If the PC’s wait until the goblins are drunk, which will take about three to five hours, the goblins will fight with a penalty of -1 to hit and -1 to damage and they will not retreat [DMG: 1d6-1; THAC0: 21]. If the PC’s wait until morning to attack then the goblins will be hung over and in bright sunlight. This will cause a penalty of -1 to hit and -1 to damage for being hung over, and -1 to hit and -1 to AC for the bright sunlight [AC: 7; DMG: 1d6-1; THAC0 22].

The goblins just got back from a raid on a hill giant encampment and are beginning to celebrate their lucky victory. The purpose of the raid was not to steal money or equipment, but to steal worgs; preferably one male and one female. The goblins where vary successful under Quatal guidance, and made out of there with two Worgs (both females), a giant long sword (two-handed sword), five barrels of grog (giant brewed ale), 100 giant gold coins (200 gp), and a giant gauntlet to carry it all in. The two worgs are locked up inside the cave. Quatal knows how to handle, raise and train worg cubs and he also knows that the two females are not trainable anymore but are great breading stock. If the goblins try to enlist the aid of the worg in any battle than they will most likely bite into the goblins before running away.

Worg (2); INT: 3: AL: NE; AC: 6; MV: 18; HD 4d8+4; hp: 19, 18; THAC0: 15; #AT: 1; Dmg: 2d4; SA: None; SD: None; MR: nil; SZ: L; ML: 10; EP: 185, 180

The goblin cave is vary simple and basic with ten small living quarters and two holding rooms. All area’s named with an (A) are living quarters all of them contain a small pile of straw, for a bed, with a few blankets within the straw of the beds there is 1d6 sp and 1d3 gp. Quatal knew that this would not be the final resting place for his lair so every one lived sparingly with only a bed to sleep and a cave to live. The two area’s marked with a (B) are the holding rooms the northern one holding all of the gold and the southern one holding the two Worgs. The one holding the Worgs has a crudely made gate made out of green tree branches and vine. The Worgs could brake it down if they wanted to but they have been properly trained to behave when locked up. If the gate is removed then the Worgs will quickly run out of the cave biting into any goblin that gets in their way (They will only attack goblins). In the three areas marked with a (C) there is a ten foot pit with a wooden cover. In order for these traps to be activated a lever, marked with a dot near the wall, needs to be pulled. Pulling the lever will remove the widgets that keep the wooden cover from falling when anyone steps on to them.

Read or paraphrase the following:

You are easily able to find the blue-steel two-handed sword (150 gp) and the giant size gauntlet (worthless to humans) filled with 100 large gold coins (200 gp) out side of the goblins’ lair. Inside the goblins’ lair you see a must different picture. At the end of a 50 foot tunnel, to the north, you find the treasure room, with a huge pile of silver and copper with a sprinkle of gold. Sitting on top of the pile, like a crown, is an open chest filled with gold and gems. This must be the moneys stolen from the Merchants Guild and the gem cutter. In a corner there is a table with a kettle next to it. On the table there is a merchants scale (50 gp) and a 5 pound bar mold (15 gp). At the end of the 50 foot tunnel to the south you find the holding pin for two worgs.

Encourage the PC’s to stay and count all of the copper, silver, and gold. There is 26 gp, 3,000 sp, and 11,000 cp. An hour or so after they killed the goblins the rightful owners of the two-handed sword, gauntlet, 100 gp, and two worgs will come to clam what is rightfully theirs. That’s right. . . 5 Hill Giants are coming.

Read or paraphrase the following:

As you are counting all of your copper you begin to feel the ground tremble like you have never felt it before and the worgs are beginning to hollow. Your first concern if of the goblin lair, will it cave-in, but it is holding up well. The trembling is not getting strong just louder. When you go to the cave entrance you can only see three pairs of vary large hairy legs. Then a deep voice cracks the air, “Au, are you sure this is where those smelly-little ticks lived, ‘cus I don’t smell them”. Then you see one pair of legs bend over and a giant looks inside the cave. “Hello, little horned demons, come out where ever you are”. Then your hear one of the standing legs say, “I can hear my dog, let my dog go!”

Giant, hill (5); INT: 6: AL: CE; AC: 4; MV: 12; HD 8d8+2; hp: 33 (X2), 26, 25, 24; THAC0: 9; #AT: 1; Dmg: 2d8, or by Weapon type; SA: hurling rocks (2d8); SD: None; MR: nil; SZ: L; ML: 13; EX 975 each.

The PC’s are not expected to take on the hill giants and the hill giants will almost immediately know that the PC’s are not the “smelly little ticks” that stole their stuff. Even if the PC’s begin to attack don’t let the giants become too aggressive. My suggestion is to at first have the giants engage in conversation because the PC’s don’t look like the “little horned demons” (unless you have a party of all Dwarves or Gnomes). If the characters do attack them first then the giants will only pick up the PC’s, sniff them, and say things like “Au, you said that this is where those smelly rats lived.” When you play the giants remember that they have an INT of about 6.

The only think of importance to the giants are the worgs and the blue-steel two-handed sword. The giants will not leave without recovering these items. If the PC’s return the worgs, and the sword to the giants then the giants will give the PC’s the 100 gp of giant size gp as a reward.

If the PC’s have been gone for under seven days then they are able to return to the trading town of Benden with out any real danger. The DM may wish to use random encounters on the party’s return trip just remember the terrain in use. When the party reaches the town go to the Back at last section.

If the party was gone for over seven days then read or paraphrase the following:

Your have spent well over a weak on this one trek that everyone though would have taken half as long. As night approaches on your way back to town your guide (or Isaiah) notices a small camp fire ahead. As you get closer you can see four people around the newly build fire. One figure, facing towards you, wears a dark cloak that covers all features. A second, with its back towards you, wears padded armor with a suite of chain mail laying be side him. The other two, a man and a woman, ware robes and read from books. The cloaked figure raises and places a hand under its’ cloak. At that movement the man wearing padded armor stands, draws a broad sword, turns towards you and says, “Who goes their!”

The one wearing padded armor is a ranger named Tiberius.

Tiberius ; AL: NG; AC: 5; MV: 9; R1; hp: 10; THAC0: 20; #AT: 1; Dmg: By Weapon Type; S: 14; D: 13; C: 14; I: 12; W: 15; Ch: 10; MR: nil; SZ: M; ML: 11; EP: 30. Broad sward, chain mail, padded armor, ten gp.

The male robed half-elf is a mage named Calthos.

Calthos; AL: LN; AC: 8; MV: 12; M1; hp: 3; THAC0: 20; #AT: 1; Dmg: Spell or By Weapon Type; S: 8; D: 16; C: 7; I: 16; W: 12; Ch: 10; MR: nil; SZ: M; ML: 12; EP: 35. Dagger, staff, robe, 5 gp, Spell memorized: detect magic, magic missal, read magic. Spell book with Tenser’s floating disk in addition to his memorized spells.

The female robed human is a cleric named Kry Longtier.

Kry Longtier; AL: NG; AC: 5; MV: 12; C1; hp: 7; THAC0: 20; #AT: 1; Dmg: By Weapon Type; S: 13; D: 15; C: 10; I: 12; W: 15; Ch: 13; MR: nil; SZ: M; ML: 12; EP: 35. Ring mail with shield, mace, 2 vial of holy water, holy symbol (copper), ten sp. Kry Longtier has the following spells prayed for: Cure light wounds (X2), Pass without trace.

The person covered by a dark cloak is a female dark-elf fighter named Allistra.

Allistra; AL: CG; AC: 3; MV: 12; F!; hp: 10; THAC0: 19; #AT: 1; Dmg: By Weapon Type +1; S: 17; D: 16; C: 9; I: 10; W: 12; Ch: 8; MR: sleep/charm; SZ: M; ML: 13; EP: 65. Chain mail, long sward, ten pp, 25 gp.

The small adventuring party was the second party hired by the Merchants Guild. For the most part they are good people. They will want to know who the PC’s are and what they are doing there. The Ranger Tiberius is the leader of the party and will be quite happy that the PC’s are still alive. Tiberius will assess the PC’s by using a wisdom check roll. If Tiberius feels as though his group is stronger then the PC party then he will untactfully ask the PC’s all that they have found on their adventure. If Tiberius is being untactful, then he will ask for compensation for his party’s lost time. The compensation Tiberius speaks of is 25 gp per each of his party members (total of 100 gp). Tiberius basic argument is that his party has lost time and money because the PC’s where too slow in returning. If the PC’s attack the NPC party, then the NPC's will flee with Allistra taking up the rear, Tiberius shooting his bow, Calthos shooting a Magic missile, and Kry Longtier casting pass without trace.

If Tiberius feels as though his small party is too week to fight, than Tiberius will ask if they can joint the PC’s on their return trip to the trading town of Benden. Tiberius will try to get some compensation from Guild Master Riley.

Back at last . . .

As the PC’s enter the town read or paraphrase the following:

You reach the trading town of Benden about three hours before sunset, enough time to go to the Merchants Guild and go to an Inn and rejoice in your long awaited victory celebration. Guild Master Riley is in the guild house with a member discussing terms of a business deal. After waiting for about ten minutes, the Guild Master comes over to you and says, “Well.”

Riley is very willing to pay the reward money but he dose not wish to be ripped off in the process. First, he asks for the proof of the goblins demise. If the PC’s are able to trick him into thinking that there was 15 or even more goblins the Guild Master will pay 100 gp for each goblin killed. Then Guild Master Riley will inspect the returned gold, platinum, and gems. If the PC’s have not stolen any of the money then there will be only 1,000 gp, 100 pp, and 1,000 gp worth in gems with a total of 2,500 gp value. The most Guild Master Riley will pay ten percent for the returned moneys, which is 250 gp and that was the agreement.

With every thing they have done, it is time for them to rest in a comfortable bed. If the PC’s decide to go back to the Watering Wench Inn, where they got free drinks, then many of the town's people will hear of them being back and at that Inn. Bards and Minstrel are quick to sing songs about the PC’s. The Tavern is packed with paying customer so the Inn keeper doesn’t mind letting the PC’s have free drinks. As the night goes on, more and more town's people come to the Tavern to pay tribute to the PC’s. They are given mostly silver and copper coins with a few gold ones all night long. By the time that the sun comes up the PC’s have collected, from the town's people, an extra 400 gp worth of gold, silver, and copper. Just as a way of saying Thank You!

Rumors afoot
If the PC’s decide to go after the goblins by them selves then they will need some information in order to get them on the right track and in the right duration. This rumor table is used by rolling 2d8 and saying the rumor on the table that corresponds with the number of the dice. The Rumors are marked as to which ones are true and which are false.
2 F There has to be at least 50 goblins.
3 F They where not Goblins but Kobolds
4 T They are impossible to catch because their lair is full of traps, tricks, and pitfalls.
5 F They are not goblins, but just a band of ten vary small people in masks.
6 T They live at the bend of Quatal Stream southeast from here.
7 T They ran off with over 2,000 gp worth of gold and gems from the Guild.
8 T These raiders know we are week and will attack again soon (the raiders know they are
weak but not even the goblins know if they are going to ‘attack again soon’).
9 T The last people who went looking for them found nothing but dead end tracks.
10 F The last group of people who went looking for them never came back.
11 T These raiders have been attacking other villages in the area.
12 F Susan, the bar maiden, is pregnant with the Guild Masters Child.
13 F The raiders are holding out in the old gnome mine.
14 F The raiders must have an inside connect with the guild.
15 T The band of raiders is lead by a thief (this is true but it is a goblin thief).
16 T Jackey doesn’t really like Thor she is just leading him on.
- I all ready told ya' all I know.
- hay buddy, what are you lookin’ at.
(Insert these last two rumors if they are repertory).

This was my first attempt to sending in an adventure into dungeon mag, it was rejected for reasons unknown. If you have any comments about this adventure then e-mail me at Nicotine69@aol.com. Please tell me how you liked it and if it ran smoothly or not. Thank you for you support.