Here is the outline of the planned mission. In actual play, we noodled around so long in Redwall and on the road that the middle bits were entirely breezed through. The entirety of the structure is displayed in the hopes you will benefit or be entertained.
Characters
Blacksnout the Frail, Fox Wanderer, played by nroman.
Rillbar Riverstone, Otter Hunter, played by Ahistorian.
Welko, Shrew Riverfolk, played by Xenophon of Athens.
Preamble
The Sword of Martin the Warrior has disappeared once more. Was it stolen from the Great Hall? Did the champion bearing it fall in some far-off land, their body never recovered? I did not answer these questions, though it might be important later.
A rat stumbled into Redwall a few days ago, demanding sanctuary, driven half-mad by starvation and blood loss. In his fevered ramblings he speaks of a warlord who wishes to conquer the east. Many ancient treasures have been stolen to legitimize his rule and decorate an immense statue of him. Chief among these is, of course, the Sword.
The most recent haul of stolen treasure, including the Sword, will leave by ship within the week. If a small band of brave Redwallers could make it to the port in time, they might be able to steal the Sword back. Three such heroes would be plenty.
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| No you can't just go through the woods. That's about eighty miles of hoofing it through dense, trackless forest — it would take just as long as going around and you would almost certainly die. |
Part 1: To the Mill
The party is supplied with a few days worth of rations, simple weaponry, and some equipment. I said that the players could take one inventory slot worth of gear, "something like a coil of rope would be fine", and so they all chose rope. No rope was used this adventure.
The trip to the northern ford will take two full days of walking. The party will have to sleep on the road one night, and will reach the mill by the next evening.
Roll 1d6 three times over the course of the day, and three times over the course of the night. On a 1, an encounter occurs. Roll 2d6 on the following table:
Old Road Encounters [I didn't prepare many because I didn't have many ideas and thought the players would encounter one at most (Turns out they couldn't even manage that)]
2: The Blue Empress (roll for Reaction)
25 HP, 16 AC, 1d8 fangs +4 (save or triple damage)
Omen: A sudden flash of terror that freezes you in place, a strong instinct to close your eyes and cower.
This female adder is named after her metallic scales. She is gossipy, and likes to talk about her cache of eggs (Ssssafe in her nesssst, sssso many beautiful eggssss), her husband (The handssssome Yellow Duke, terror of the ssssouth), and Paimon (He is coming! Besssst to abandon your preciousssss red temple, and flee hissss hunger, yessss).
If her reaction roll is 7 or higher, she has eaten within the past month and will only attack the party if insulted. On a 3 through 6, she is peckish, and will taunt the party before attacking them. On a 2, she is hungry, and will attack the smallest party member silently and drag them into the brush.
3 – 5: Cultists (roll for Reaction)
1d4+1 of them, 6 HP, 12 AC, 1d6 crude weapons +1.
Omen: Smoke rising, the distant sound of a rattle, low voices singing a song you cannot quite make out.
Rats wearing rags and bird-beak ornaments sing and dance around a tree, from which hangs an effigy of a bird. A shaman shakes a bird-skull full of bones and foul burning herbs. The area is full of smoke. The rats are blitzed out of their minds and cannot understand spoken word.
If their reaction roll is 8 or higher, they are happy to see the party and will offer them a huff from the skull (HRTS or unable to speak for the rest of the day). On a 3 through 7, they are wary, and place themselves between the party and the effigy. They will attack if the party approaches. On a 2, they will scream in terror and attack the party relentlessly.
6 – 8: Mole Engineers
1d4+1 of them, 6 HP, 10 AC, 1d6 simple tools +1
Omen: Tracks of clawed feet, marks from tools being trailed or used as walking sticks, cheerful and incomprehensible conversation about rocks.
Moles on their way to the northern ford. Someone is paying to have a bridge built over it. Hard workers are welcome and the pay is good, so a fairly large group of moles are already there. The Foremole is excited to talk about bridges (Baint seen a bridgin' in 'ese parts sinse me grandmoul's time, ay? 'Eres grate need for hard wourkers op thair).
The moles are friendly, but are walking much slower than the party ('aist makes wais, 'ats what me grandmoul allwis said, bohur). Maybe they'll see you there?
9 – 11: Squirrel Bounty Hunters
2d4 of them, 8 HP, 12 AC, 1d6 shortbows +2
Omen: They're pretty stealthy, but a sharp eye might detect some red hairs caught on twigs twenty feet above the ground, or the swaying of a branch in the absence of wind.
Squirrels searching for the scouts of Verdictus. They are a little cagey on who or what "Verdictus" might be. They will warn the party that the Blue Empress is on the move and ask them to warn anyone else they meet. If there is a squirrel in the party, they will ask them to keep an eye out for any signs of eagles.
12: Chicken (roll for Reaction)
20 HP, 14 AC, 2d6 beak and talons +4
Omen: The shadow of a huge bird hanging low in the sky, claw marks on a tree limb, a bloody battlefield littered with the bodies of squirrels.
This adolescent golden eagle is being hunted by squirrels. His left wing is full of their arrows and he can barely fly, but he is still strong enough to kill. Chicken has no idea why the squirrels are attacking him. He is unfamiliar with the local geography, but if he leaves before completing his mission (discovering the whereabouts of an ancient naga) he will face exile or worse from his community.
On a reaction roll of 7 or above he approaches the party to beg for help; on a 6 or below he will attack if the party contains a squirrel, or else just flee.
Part 2: On the Water
The party has been picked up by a flotilla of shrews and will be carried up-stream in longboats. The shrews expect the party to pull their own weight at the oars, but otherwise it is a pleasant, speedy and (mostly) safe journey.
The trip to the head of the next section of road will take two days. The flotilla will sleep on the riverbank by night, but the camp will be well-guarded.
Once a day, roll 2d6 on the following table:
River Hazards (We never rolled on this table).
2: Luce Attack An immense, carnivorous river fish has noticed the flotilla and plans to make it his lunch. Roll INIT and prepare for a fight. On his turn, the pike will attack a random target (1-in-6 chance this is a PC). Targets are pulled into the water and take 2 damage every round as they are savaged by the fish. The shrews are busy pulling their friends out of the water or keeping the boats upright; it's up to the party to deal 10 damage to the fish (consider his AC to be 12) to drive him away.
3 – 5: Rapids
No more fun and games; you'll have to really pull to get the boats up this section of the Moss. All PCs roll HRTS and sum the total. If it is greater than or equal to [party size]*10, you succeed with no issue. Otherwise it's rough going and the party must roll on the following table:
- Gain 1 exhaustion.
- Gain 2 exhaustion.
- Gain 3 exhaustion.
- Boat swamped; rations lost
- Boat swamped; rations lost
- Boat swamped; random gear lost
6 – 11: Nothing Happens
Nice day for it, eh?
12: Chicken
As on the Road Encounter table, except he is soaking wet and about to start crying.
Part 3: Retrieval
The party has reached the eastern coast. Only a last stretch of road lies between them and their goal. The journey to the port will take two full days, and the party will have to rest on the road for one night.
Roll 1d6 three times over the course of the day, and three times over the course of the night. On a 1, an encounter occurs. Roll 2d6 on the following table:
Vermin Road Encounters
2: Gornat (roll for Reaction)
15 HP, 14 AC, 1d6 hatchet +2 (attacks twice)
Omen: Axe-marks on the ground and foliage, wild howling in the distance, a babble of threatening nonsense from someone hiding behind a tree
Gornat is an oversized weasel plagued by intense auditory and visual hallucinations. He is happy to hold a conversation, but he can perceive an extra PC named Tanrog. Tanrog delivers immature insults which sour the whole conversation [like, "Hey Gornat, looking good (— for a little bitch)!" "Listen, we need a favor (— and if you don't help we'll kick your ass!)].
Gornat tries to be polite, but he can't understand why everyone pretends to not hear Tanrog. He hates Tanrog. Whenever he meets new people, Tanrog is already there, ready to ruin a chance to make new friends.
Reroll Gornat's reaction every few sentences. On an odd result he responds in a pained tone to something the party did not hear, and becomes more miserable. On an even result he turns pale with shock, and becomes more angry.
3 – 5: Militia Patrol (roll for Reaction)
2d4+1 of them, 6 HP, 12 AC, 1d6 picks and spikes +1.
Omen: A confusion of booted prints, distant marching songs, jingling of equipment
A small host of vermin following a proud Captain with twice the HP. They are carrying mining tools instead of proper weaponry and their uniforms are shabby and mismatched. Regardless, they are capable fighters and work for peace in the region.
If their reaction roll is 7 or higher, they hail the party and will leave after ensuring they aren't slavers or raiders. On a result of 3 to 6, they will take the party into custody and back to Vermintown (This is a good thing, sort-of, since they will no longer roll for encounters). On a 2 they will take the party back to Vermintown after beating them unconscious.
6 – 8: Stoat Sappers
1d4+1 of them, 6 HP, 11 AC, 1d6 bludgeons +1
Omen: Deep tracks from small feet, random chop-marks in the environment, irritable yelling about holes.
Stoats on their way to the northern ford. They have heard it is possible to make a lot of money without putting in much work. The stoats have more experience with demolition, but their understanding of pitprops might be useful in bridge building.
They will trade their clubs and shields for the party's rations, and have a small supply of jewelry they will trade for axes or shovels.
9 – 11: Regal Soldiers
1d4+1 of them, 6 HP, 12 AC, 1d10 pikes +2
Omen: A mess of booted prints, distant marching songs in a strange language, and tall polearms visible from a good distance away
Rat soldiers under a Captain with twice the HP. Having delivered the Sword of Martin the Warrior to a waiting ship, they are patrolling to catch any would-be heroes. They are immediately hostile to any group containing non-vermin (i.e. the PCs), but they will try to confirm what the party knows before they attack. They aren't bright, and can easily be tricked into giving away the location of the Sword.
12: Mama Reave
6 HP, 10 AC, 1 knitting needle +0
Omen: Her tent is signposted for about a mile in both directions, and the fabric is eye-catchingly colored.
Mama Reave is a wandering fortune teller who is traveling towards Vermintown, stopping often when she thinks customers are nearby. She will read palms and cards to tell the party's fortunes. Mama takes almost anything as payment, but prefers metal tools. It would be cool to actually read the players' fortunes here.
Vermintown
A sprawling port laid out across several miles of unpleasant pebble beach. All manner of creatures live here, roughly divided along the lines of woodlanders, reptiles and large predators. They are agitated by the presence of the eastern warlord's troops, and are happy to direct you towards his ships in the hope that you will drive them off.
The Ship
The treasures of a dozen kingdoms have been looted and brought to this lonely stretch of coast. The last vessel would have carried dregs — if not for the surprise appearance of the Sword.
The ship is guarded by four rats; one of them a giant with 15 HP, 12 AC and a 1d8 claw attack and the rest with 6 HP, 12 AC and 1d6 cutlasses. They will attempt to scare off the party by identifying themselves; this is a ship of the Eastern Warlord, bound for the Isle of the Crowned Fox, and it would be terribly stupid for anyone to try to attack it. The Sword can be found in an unlocked chest on the deck of the ship.
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