September Short Adventure 12: Beat the Drums

Preamble

A September of Short Adventuresis an OSR Challenge initiated by Matt over at the Asshat Paladinsblog. You can click on the Moustache Dragon over on the right-handside-bar (just above Features) to learn more about all of this stufffrom Matt directly. All of our 25 (possibly more...) entries areformatted along the lines of what Matt calls the Get Ready, GetSet, Go! format. In a nut-shell, this approach breaks eachadventure into a Title, Three escalating sections of adventuredetails (the Ready section is limited to an elevator pitch only 2sentences...), and a final catch-all section for any NPC notes/stats.The idea is to keep it short, simple, easy to read without any maps,drawings, diagrams or 8X10 glossies. Keep description to a minimum,avoid lengthy exposition, and no casts of thousands -- unless it's aninvading horde of three-eyed orcs or goblins riding purple wombats.

We're also going to aim to keep thingsgeneric, setting agnostic and thus portable or adaptable to anycampaign/setting using the particular rules-set we'll be using in anygiven September Short Adventure such as Mutant Future,Labyrinth Lord, Swords & Wizardry (White Box), etc.

FreeRules

Labyrinth Lord:http://www.goblinoidgames.com/labyrinthlord.html

Mutant Future:http://www.goblinoidgames.com/mutantfuture.html

Swords and Wizardry (White Box):http://www.swordsandwizardry.com/whitebox.htm

SeptemberShort Adventure Number 12

Title: Beat the Drums

Rules: Labyrinth Lord

Ready

The Player Characters are caught behindthe line of battle in a small-scale war between two rival tribes ofgoblinoids. For better or worse, the PCs are in a position to dosomething – but what will they do?

Set

Just ahead, in a slight clearing are agroup of (2d4) goblin war-minstrels setting up their Drums of Panic (LL p. 118).

A little discrete scouting will revealthat the war-minstrels are guarded by (1d4) goblins with wickedlybarbed spears, and there are (2d10) shaggy purple mammals millingabout behind the next ridge. All of the beasts are barded withstudded leather harnesses and rigged-up to serve as mounts for someodd-ball form of goblin cavalry.

What the discrete bit of scouting won'treveal is that there are another (1d4) goblins with nasty spearspatrolling the perimeter of this site and there is a cumulative 25%chance that the patrol will spot the PCs as it makes its rounds.

Go!

Right at the start of this scenario thePCs have a distinct advantage and they have the initiative.

If they manage to seize or destroy theDrums of Panic, this particular goblin horde will most likely lose totheir enemies who have cheated and hired-on a few hobgoblinmercenaries.

If the PCs hide and try to wait it out,they will fall under the effect of the Drums of Panic and run seriousrisk of getting noticed by one or both warring bands of goblins, withpredictably dire repercussions. (Base 30% chance that both hordesgang-up in order to pursue the PCs, double that if they've destroyedthe Drums of Panic and 100% likelihood of massed pursuit if they havethe Drums in their possession – those Drums are a goblin-esquedoomsday weapon that neither side can afford to let get out of theirgrasp as it could empower some other horde to destroy them)...

Don't forget to use the Chasesin the Wilderness rules and the handy WildernessRetreat Table from p. 52 of Labyrinth Lord.

Let loose the wombats ofwar!

Notes / NPCs

Goblin War-Minstrels(2d4) [AL C, MV 60' (20'), AC 6, HD 1-1, #ATK 1 (short sword), DG1d6, SV F1, ML 7]

Goblin Guards(1d4) [AL C, MV 60' (20'), AC 5, HD 2, #ATK 1 (spear), DG 1d6, SV F2,ML 9]

Goblin Horde(6d10) [AL C, MV 60' (20'), AC 6, HD 1-1, #ATK 1 (mixed blades), DG1d6, SV 0-lvl human, ML 7] (LLp. 78)

Goblin Wombat-riders(2d10) [AL C, MV 60' (20'), AC 5, HD 3, #ATK 1 (lance), DG 1d6, SVF3, ML 8]

Purple Wombats(2d10) [AL C, MV 160' (50'), AC 5, HD 2+2, #ATK 1 (bite), DG 1d4, SVF1, ML 6]

Andjust in case...

The Other Goblin Horde(4d10) [AL C, MV 60' (20'), AC 6, HD 1-1, #ATK 1 (mixed blades), DG1d6, SV 0-lvl human, ML 7] (LLp. 78)

Hobgoblin Mercenaries(1d6) [AL C, MV 90' (30'), AC 6, HD 1+1, #ATK 1 (mixed blades), DG1d8, SV F1, ML 8] (LLp. 82)

Hobgoblin Archers(3d6) [AL C, MV 90' (30'), AC 6, HD 1+1, #ATK 1 (short bows &handaxes), DG 1d6/1d4, SV F1, ML 8] (LLp. 82)