DM Yourself Phandelver

I received my hardcopy of DM Yourself (author Tom Scutt) in the mail a month ago. I was not in on the Kickstarter but I saw a review on Youtube and emailed the author to buy a copy. Delve is a handbook for Solo Adventuring using D&D 5th edition. While the principals could be of use in any system it is designed for D&D 5th edition. While I am not really interested in being a DM in a 5th Edition game (too many rules) I am fine with DMing myself. I can take my time checking to see which rules apply.

DM Yourself is a very different method of solo adventuring from what I am used to. This is not a random oracle. The booklet (running 60 pages) gives you rules, suggestions, and guidance to running a solo character (with Sidekicks) through published D&D adventures. It even gives specific guidance on many of the already published adventures. It is a chance for me to run some of the official D&D 5th edition adventures I purchased and read but never ran.

DM Yourself does this but adding in a few rules to make the published adventure survivable. This starts with the suggestion to start your PC at Level 2 for that 1st level adventure. From there the PC should get maximum hit points at every level. There are suggested additional rules like Hero’s Luck, Plot Armor, using average monster damage. Nothing is game-breaking. But if anyone has tried playing D&D 5th edition solo before they know that character death at first level is very likely. The published adventures are designed for 4-8 players.

The meat of the DM Yourself book is suggestions on how to play through a published adventure without spoiling it for yourself. How to attempt to immerse yourself in the play to provide an enjoyable experience, and how to roleplay encounters. Many of the suggestions are things that you could probably come up with yourself but it is a handy journal.

I decided to run a 2nd level cleric with two sidekicks (one expert, one warrior) through Lost Mine of Phandelver. I have read this adventure before but it was years ago so I remember nothing. I had planned to run it on a tabletop with stand-up minis, paper character sheets, and dice to go full old school. But I immediately found that less than ideal. So I decided to run it using the Phandelver module in Roll20. This gave me a partial method of using fog of war on the maps but more importantly it made tracking the character and the NPCs much easier. The first two sessions are complete and went reasonably well. I think I enjoy it more than the times I have tried solo play with a random oracle generating the plot and it is definitely better than any pick-a-path solo playbook.

Lost Mine of Phandelver

Session 1

Day one

Nate Fallcreek a cleric of Torm is in the City of Neverwinter. Nate recently left the militia after hearing the call of Torm. He is in need of work and an old friend named Gundren Rockseeker (a dwarf) has hired him and two others to escort a wagon to the village of Phandalin. Gundren has gone on ahead accompanied by his bodyguard Sildar Hallwinter to attend to urgent business in the town. Nate and the two others are each expecting to be paid 10 gold coins by the owner of Barthen’s Provisions in Phandalin once they deliver the goods. This is the first time Nate has met the female, human warrior Marit and the male human expert Arjen.

The route they are to travel with the cart is south on the High Road until they meet the Triboar Trail. Then it is east to the road to Phandalin.

Day Three

The three heroes head east along the Triboar trail moving at a slow pace. Up ahead they see something in the middle of the trail. Nate is currently driving while Marit and Arjen are dozing in the back of the wagon. Nate whistles to get the attention of his companions. Arjen jumps down from the wagon and moves ahead to investigate. He finds the horses belonged to their patron Gundren. The saddlebags have been looted. Just then arrows fly out of the forest striking Nate twice. Two goblins run onto the trail to attack Arjen hitting him. Marit runs over to help. Nate casts Cure Wounds on himself then runs over to help Marit. Arjen kills one goblin and Marit kills another then they both crash into the woods to attack the goblin archers. Arjen badly injures one goblin who turns and runs away. Marit kills the remaining goblin. They try to hit the running goblin with arrows but miss it. After the battle, Nate prays to Torm to heal Marit and Arjen.

Arjen spots a trail headed north and the three set out in pursuit. Arjen spots a snare on the trail and the trio avoids it. But Arjen doesn’t spot a pit trap that opens beneath his feet. However, he is quick enough to leap over it. Following the goblin trail north, they come to a stream exiting a cave in the hillside.

Session 2

They approach the cave. As they prepare to splash across the stream they spot 2 goblins hiding in a thicket just as the goblins spot them. Nate reacts first by rushing across the stream and storming the goblins. He kills one on the spot with a blow to the head. The other goblins darts away to the cave entrance shouting in goblin. Nate signals to Arjen who stabs the goblin in the back killing it.

Nate lights a torch and the three adventurers head into the cave splashing across the stream Arjen in the lead. Arjen spots a cave with wolves tied up in it. They quietly walk past. Up ahead Arjen just barely makes out the sight of a bridge over the stream and a tunnel off to the left. They decide to go left and run right into a cave full of goblins. Marit and Nate rush in to attack while Arjen readies his bow at the entrance. Marit and Nate are immediately surrounded by goblins. Nate calls down Sacred Flame as he advances. The Goblin immediately in front of him is engulfed in flames and staggers to the back of the cave, but another goblin steps up to take its place. Marit is attacked by 2 goblins but quickly kills them. As he fights Nate spots a goblin boss atop a ledge holding Sildar. He shouts at Arjen to get the boss pointing up at the goblin. Arjen brings down the boss goblin with an arrow. Eventually, all but one of the goblins are killed. Marit doing almost all of the killing.

Nate goes up on the ledge and frees Sildar. He also searches the goblin boss and finds some gold teeth. They tie up the remaining goblin in the ropes that were holding Sildar. Marit questions the goblin as he speaks their language. Nate questions Marit on where she learned goblin but she does not answer the question.

They learn that there are fewer than 20 goblins in the lair and they count the dead and see they have dispatched eight of them. The goblin says their leader is a bugbear named Klarg. The goblins here are part of the Cragmaw tribe. They ask about Gundren and learn that the dwarf has been sent to Cragmaw Castle. Marit threatens the goblin and gets rough directions to the castle which is in Neverwinter wood.

Nate can see that Sildar is badly injured. Sildar tells him that the goblins took turns working him over and kept promising to eat him. Nate uses Channel Divinity/Preserve Life to give some healing to Sildar. Sildar says he is ready to fight and grabs one of the goblin scimitars. Marit uses Second Wind to recover some hit points. Finally, Nate casts Cure wounds on himself. Now that they know Gundren is not in the caves they discuss whether to leave immediately and continue the journey to Phandelvin, detour to Cragmaw Castle or continue on to confront Klarg. The group vote with Marit voting to continue fighting goblins but Nate and Arjen voting to continue to Phandelvin. Sildar does not vote and tells them he will abide by their decision.

Sildar also tells them that the goblins did not waylay Gundren by chance. They were instructed by someone called the Black Spider. Whether that is a name for a goblin or someone else he does not know. He mentions his contact in Phandelvin is Iarno Albrek who has gone missing. When asked to speculate why the goblins were after Gundren, Sildar suggests it was because the Rockseeker brothers found the long-lost Wave Echo cave a famous mine.

The group sneak out of the caves and head back to the road. Their wagon is still there waiting. They set out for Phandelvin.

That did not turn out like I planned

One of the odd and fun things about solo play using a GM Emulator like Mythic is the completely unexpected stories that develop. Mythic sometimes sends you off where you did not expect to go. In my case, I had 2 sessions complete with Jorgin Taw journeyman wizard in Shadow River on Uresia and had begun to lose interest.

I conceived of this solo campaign as a city campaign in Uresia. The city of Shadow River is one of the few detailed parts of the Campaign setting and I thought an urban campaign would suit a wizard character. But after two sessions it was becoming Jorgin Taw runs errands for his master. So I decided let's just kill him off. I will send him out in the wilderness on his own and let the fates (Mythic GM Emulator Deck) decide what happens. If he gets killed as expected then I move on to something more interesting. So with those dark gritty thoughts, I delt the Mythic cards and came up with a fun trip from Shadow River to Cedar Vale where the hero met some trolls running an inn/boarding house and a talking bear.

It is still the player who is creating the story from the suggestions of the emulator. For some reason, these story ideas were what popped into my head. Someone else would come up with something different.

SESSION 3: TROLLS FOR LUNCH AND A TALKING BEAR

Expected Scene: Jorgin reports to his Master and is initiated as a Journeyman. Does the scene occur as expected? Interrupt. NPC Action, attains their dreams.
Expecting some sort of grand ceremony, Jorgin is disappointed when Olbrich just thrusts a scroll at him. Opening the scroll Jorgin sees it is a duly signed certificate noting him as reaching journeyman status with a modest increase in wages. Olbrich tells him to tidy up the component storage closet and then he can go early for the day. Jorgin goes to the Gilded Lily Inn, a popular inn for mage school students to see if he can impress anyone with his new status. He is unable to enter as there is a private party going on for his rival Egbert Schonfinkel who has also just reached Journeyman level and has been appointed to a position at the Mage School.

Can Jorgin sneak into the party? (Unlikely). Exceptional No.
Jorgin tries to sneak into the party at the Inn through the kitchen entrance. A troll bouncer grabs him by the collar and tosses him on the street into a puddle of offal. On the balcony above, several party guests including Egbert see his predicament and break out in laughter. Jorgin shuffles off to his
tenement in anger.

End Scene.

Expected Scene, Jorgin tells Olbrich that he is off to the countryside to seek his fortune! Occurs as expected.
Jorgin packs up his meager belongings. He spends 40 silver coins at the market on foodstuffs for the road. Then he goes to Master Olbrich to inform him of his decision to head out on the road. Olbrich, in his study, glances up at Jorgin and states’ “All set for the road? Well, good luck to you and don’t come back until you have learned something.” A little deflated, Jorgin heads out the west gate into the countryside looking for adventure. Not really sure where to go. Jorgin heads south following the trail along the Shadow River. A signpost tells him that someplace called Cedar Vale is 24 miles to the south.

Does Jorgin have an encounter along the road? Likely. No. Does he come to an Inn or Village to stay at for the night? Likely. No.
Jorgin walks all day, a few merchants and fellow travelers wave to him as they pass him headed for Shadow River. But the road is quiet. Several riverboats do pass him. As it starts to get dark he realizes he is going to have to make a camp by the side of the road. This was not part of his plans. He has no shelter and no fuel for a fire. Jorgin wanders off the road to what he thinks is a likely spot under a pine tree. He tosses down his blankets and goes to sleep.

Is Jorgin disturbed during his sleep? Likely. Yes. Is it by the weather? 50/50. Yes.
During the night a storm rolls in and it starts to rain heavily waking Jorgin. He sets his back to the tree and puts a blanket over his head trying to stay dry. But he is soon soaked. As the sun comes up, Jorgin is wet and miserable and has not had much sleep. His boots are full of water. But he is determined to continue on.

Does Jorgin find a village on the second day of travel? Likely. Yes. Describe the village. Kindly, abnormal.
It is still raining the next day but only lightly. Jorgin again sets out to the south. A few hours after noon he sees that the road passes through a small village of five buildings. A signpost reads, Leeside. As Jorgin enters the town a large troll emerges from a building. She is dressed in a bright pink and yellow dress and wearing an apron and a bonnet. She waves at Jorgin and ushers him out of the rain. The woman asks Jorgin’s name, where he is from, and where he is going and she yells for someone called Tusk to prepare a room and a hot bath. Jorgin barely has time to mention his name before she has whisked him into a room with a steaming tub of hot water. Another troll, this one an enormous male is pouring hot water into the tub. He waits patiently for Jorgin to speak. Unsure what to do Jorgin just stares.
“Take off your clothes, man. I will get them tried while you soak!”
Baffled Jorgin complies. He is soon resting in the heavenly hot, clean water. He looks about and is suddenly aware that he is naked in a tub of water in a strange building run by trolls.
“Hello? Ahh, I think I need to be on my way!”, Jorgin says.
The door opens after a moment and the female troll enters with a bowl of soup and some crackers. “Here you go, small human. Enjoy. Tusk will have your things dried out in a few hours. You can wear the robe until then”, she gestures at a brown robe hanging on a nearby hook. Jorgin stammers his thanks and is reluctant to ask what all of this is costing him.

Do Trolls mean Jorgin harm? Very Unlikely. Yes.
Jorgin gets out of the tub refreshed. His skin smells of garlic? He wonders if the water was seasoning him for a meal. Jorgin puts on the robe and casts Mage Armor just to be safe. Then he casts Disguise self to appear to look like the medusa sage he saw earlier. He steps out of the backroom into the main room of the home. The female troll is there and she drops a platter of food on the floor in shock.
“Where did you come from!” she shouts. Then turns and runs out a side door. There is a lot of shouting and Jorgin hears the exterior door slam shut. He goes looking for his clothes and finds them in a heap in another room. Along with the clothes of other travelers. The pouch with his gold is missing.

Does Jorgin find his gold? Investigate at DC 15. Yes!
Jorgin finds a pouch hidden behind a counter that has 100 gold coins in it. Picking it up he hurriedly rushes out the front door stuffing his clothes in his pack. He walks with as much confidence as he can muster out of Leeside. Once he is well past the village and the disguise spell ends he stops and gets dressed and arranges his pack. He puts 20 gold in his pouch and hides the rest in various places on his person.

Does Jorgin make it to Cedar Vale today? (50/50). Exceptional No.
After a few hours, the track that was following the river swings off to the west to go around an area of sharp cliffs that the river has cut through. Then Jorgin is confronted by a fork in the road. An old signpost lies on the ground. One direction says, Cedar Vale, and the other says Dry Wood. But it is not clear which trail it means. So he picks the one that looks more level.

As it starts to get dark Jorgin realizes he has made a mistake. He is entering a darkened wood. The forest closes in and it becomes really quiet. The canopy overhead is thick and he is finally out of the rain. When he spots a simple wood structure and firepit at the side of the road, Jorgin stops to make camp. The structure is just two walls and a partial roof but it is dry. There is a pile of dry firewood so Jorgin sets up a fire and casts prestidigitation to spark the fire and get it burning. He cooks some meat and potatoes over the fire and enjoys the meal. Despite the eerie silence in the woods, Jorgin feels like he is finally getting the hang of traveling.

Does Jorgin encounter anything during the evening? 50/50. Exceptional No.
Jorgin sleeps soundly. In the morning the campfire is cold and his body feels a little achy but he passes the night successfully.  Jorgin decides to use up Prestidigitation again so he can get a fire started and cook a hot porridge breakfast.

Is anything drawn to the camp by the smell of food? Likely. Yes. What? Slowly amusing.
Jorgin is just about to eat his meal when there is a disturbance in the bushes. He shouts, “Who goes there?”
A brown bear emerges from the bushes. It is comically wearing a patterned vest and a red hunter’s cap. The bear approaches and sets down a longbow.
“You wouldn't happen to have any honey, would you?” the bear speaks in a deep, growly voice in perfect common. Jorgin closes his gaping mouth and looks in his pack.

Does Jorgin have any honey in his provisions? 50/50. Yes.
Taking out a clay jar of honey he shakingly hands it to the bear. The bear nods his thanks. Then opens the jar and proceeds to lick the honey out the jar with a long tongue. Once the bear has emptied the jar he lets out a contented sigh.
Then the bear looks at Jorgin again. “So where are you headed?”
Jorgin explains that he is on his way to Cedar Vale. “Well, then you have headed the long way around, lucky for you I know a shortcut. Come on!”

The bear gets up and picks up its bow. It waits and looks expectantly at Jorgin.
“Right, just a moment!”, Jorgin says.

Jorgin quickly clears up his campsite and puts out the fire with some sand. The bear nods appreciatively. Then with the bear leading the way. Jorgin heads out through the forest off of the path. Jorgin becomes aware that they are moving at a high rate of speed. Some magic is being employed. After an hour they come to the edge of the forest. The bear points to a village down below on the shores of the river. “There is Cedar Vale. Good luck human.” The bear turns to leave. “Wait, I never got your name!” Jorgin says but the bear has disappeared into the woods.

Jorgin heads out at a leisurely pace for the nearby settlement.

Pardon me. Do you have any honey?

Kidnapped

I had some free time and played a really long session of solo D&D 5th edition using The Solo Adventurer's Toolbox. I have not played this campaign with Valgrim the fighter in a few weeks. I was not certain what direction to go next. Valgrim had successfully delivered the wine. But Bertan Zerfal's wine business was still threatened. I did not want to do a bunch of delivery missions.

There is an option in these solo rules to generate complex random encounters using what is called the Element Interaction Table. So I decided to do this interpret the results and watched Valgrim take off on an exciting adventure that I would not have thought of on my own.

I also made used the Random Dungeon generation rules to generate a full (albeit small) dungeon. It proved function but I find these random dungeon generators never generate anything like you would make on your own or would find in a published adventure.

Kidnapped

Now that he has a considerable fortune in his pouch, Valgrim decides it is time for some gambling.

Does Valgrim win at dice? (possible). Maybe.

Valgrim finds a dice game at his Inn and spends several hours building on his 100 gold coins. Then he loses all of his earnings in a few tosses. He realizes he has spent the entire afternoon at the dice tables so he gets up and goes to his room to sleep.

On the Story Element Interaction tables which are more complex random encounters. I roll a Creature/Situation/Situation/Situation. The creature is a giant eagle, bleed, manhandle, and glare.

Valgrim is awakened early the next morning by pounding on his bed-chamber door. He removes the chair he propped under the door latch and the door flies open. The assistant he met yesterday at Zerfal’s shop falls into the room.

“Come quick! Come Quick!, they mean to kill him!”

Valgrim tells the man to calm down and he starts to get dressed. While he is dressing the assistant tells him that two men broke into the shop and are trying to force Master Zerfal into a cart. Valgrim responds, “Look, what is your name?” “Master my name is Tuncer, but you must come quickly!”
Valgrim nods, “There is no watch I guess”. Tuncer shakes his head. Valgrim leaves the room and runs down and out onto the street. He takes off for the shop leaving Tuncer well behind.

Does Valgrim arrive before the thugs make off with Master Zerfal? (Possible). Yes.

Valgrim arrives too late, but there is a trail of blood leading out into the street and a set of wagon tracks headed out of town. Valgrim looks about for a horse and sees none around. He jogs after the cart.

Can Valgrim catch up to the cart? (Likely). Yes.

Shortly after passing the outskirts of town Valgrim spots the cart. There is one man at the reins whipping a single draft horse. Another man is struggling to tie up Bertan Zerfal with a rope. A giant eagle is perched on the sideboard of the cart. Valgrim quickly realizes he is outpacing the cart so he slows down slightly to conserve his strength. The eagle lets out a cry alerting the two men on the cart. They begin gesturing and shouting but Valgrim cannot hear them clearly. The man with the reins shouts a command at the eagle and it leaps into the air flying directly toward Valgrim.

Valgrim stops scrambles to load and aim his crossbow. But the eagle swoops down before he is ready raking him with its claws and digging into his shoulder with its beak. Then it leaps back into the air. Bleeding profusely, Valgrim still manages to get off a shot and the bolt rips through one of the eagles’ wings. The eagle struggles to maintain flight. Valgrim tries to load another bolt but he drops it into the sand. The eagle swoops back at Valgrim forcing him to drop prone in the sand.

Does the Giant eagle press on the attack? (Possible). Maybe.

The eagle comes about to attack again but a distant whistle summons the eagle and it climbs up into the sky and vanishes into the distance. Valgrim gets to his knees and sees that the cart is no longer in sight. But the tracks are still clear, leading across the desert. Valgrim is unable to find anything with which to bandage his wounds so he just keeps pushing on across the desert.

Are the thugs taking Master Zerfal to a town? (Unlikely). Definite No. Are the thugs taking him to a secret hideout? (Likely). Maybe.

Eventually, Valgrim follows the tracks to a trail leading into an oasis. The tracks become hard to follow and then he loses them entirely. The oasis is small with only four clay-brick buildings and a number of tents scattered about the area. It is midday and few people are outside. Those people who are about glare at him and watch him carefully. Valgrim walks up to a water trough outside one building and washes off most of the blood. He then heads inside. It appears to be a small trading post that also functions as a tavern. There is only one man in the room. A large, fat man leaning against the bar, he watches Valgrim closely.

“Well, met sir. Is this your Inn?”. The man nods sullenly. Valgrim asks for a healer or some bandages. The man says, “We have nothing like that here.” He then asks for a bottle of spirits. “We have nothing like that here.” Valgrim glares back at the man and then heads back out into the sunlight. He finds that a small crowd of six men has gathered standing by a well across the street. Not liking the look of things Valgrim moves quickly back out into the desert.

Do the locals follow Valgrim? (Unlikely). Maybe.

Two of the men follow Valgrim long enough to make sure he is clearly leaving the oasis. Valgrim waits until the men turn back and then he doubles back and approaches the oasis with stealth (average roll). Finding a good vantage from which to observe the oasis. Valgrim settles down and waits.

Does Valgrim spot any clues? (Possible). No.

Valgrim observes the oasis for the rest of the afternoon until evening but he does not spot anything interesting. That evening Valgrim sneaks back into the oasis and eases up next to an open window to the tavern.

Does Valgrim overhear anything interesting? (Likely). Maybe.

He hears two men discussing their fortunes in House Zimri but nothing that would lead to Bertan Zerfal. Valgrim moves through the Oasis and checks out the next largest building that looks like a residence.

Is there anyone in this residence? (Highly Likely). Definite Yes.

There are many lights on in the house and Valgrim spots a guard standing on a balcony on the second floor. Valgrim cannot see a way to approach unseen so he moves off and keeps his eyes on the house from a nearby hill. During the night a few men come and enter the house but no one leaves. Valgrim stays up watching the house for the entire night. Early, in the morning a familiar cart and horse approach the house. A large basket is brought out of the house by two men and is placed into the cart. Finally, Valgrim spots two familiar men come out of the house and get up on the cart. One man whistles and a giant eagle swoops down from the building roof and lands on the cart. The man chucks the reins and the cart trundles off out of the oasis. Valgrim follows the cart on foot easily pacing it as the men move slowly over the desert.

Where is the cart going, (1-2) Secret Dungeon, (3-4) Opotal, (5) Delreaata, (6)Yorque. Rolled Secret Dungeon. The number of rooms is 6, maze.

After a few hours, the cart turns into a narrow box canyon, and then it stops. Valgrim observes from a distance being careful to remain hidden. The man who controls the eagle gets down from the cart and approaches a stone wall. He kneels and then a passageway opens up in the rock. The man then comes over and helps his companion lower the basket off of the cart. They set the basket on the ground and take off the lid. A limp body is tipped out on the ground. The two men argue briefly and then one man drags the limp body into the passageway. While the other man heads back to the cart and walks over to feed the eagle. Valgrim waits for a few moments to see if anything will happen. But nothing changes. Eventually, he moves stealthily up to be within crossbow range. The man and the eagle do not notice him. Valgrim takes careful aim and then shoots without warning. The bolt rips through the chest of the man who chokes then crashes to the ground. The Giant eagle lets out a loud screech and launches itself into the air.

Does the Giant Eagle stick around and attack? (Likely). Maybe.

Valgrim does not wait around to see if the Giant Eagle is going to swoop down and attack. He dashes across the open space and dives through the entrance into the open passage. Then he slides down a down foot ramp of stone and piles to a halt in an enormous stone chamber. The ceiling is held up by crooked stone pillars. Valgrim hears a moan in the darkness. Unfortunately, he has no lamp or torch in his possession. The light from the doorway allows him to make out a trail of drag marks moving across the floor. Lying at the end of it is Master Bertan Zerfal. Valgrim swiftly makes it to the merchant's side. He appears to have been stabbed. Valgrim gets out his waterskin and wets his hand, splashing some water on the merchant's face. Bertan’s eyes open up and gaze upon Valgrim.

“It’s a trap!”

Valgrim leaps to his feet. He sees the other bandit race out from behind a pillar and dashes up the ramp.

Can Valgrim get up the ramp before the bandit closes the stone doorway? (Possible). No.

Just as Valgrim reaches the ramp, he sees a stone block slowly descending cutting off the sunlight. He crashes into the block just as it slides shut. It is deathly quiet in the chamber and in complete darkness. Valgrim slides down the ramp and crawls across the floor until he comes to Bertan’s body again.

“I think we may be in trouble, Master Zerfal”.

Bertan Zerfal tells Valgrim that the man with the Giant Eagle whose name is Osrit spent last night trying to convince him to sign over his business to Zimri. The convincing involved a lot of beating. Valgrim tells Bertan that he just killed Osrit a few moments ago. Bertan says “Good!”.

Valgrim rescues Bertan Zerfal

Once they realized Bertan could not be coerced into signing away his business they lost interest. He overheard them talking about getting rid of him in the desert. But then there was some excitement. Osrit came to him and said, “We may have a use for you yet merchant”. They knocked him out. He woke up to the shock of a knife being stuck in his stomach.

Can Valgrim find something to burn? (Likely). Maybe.

Valgrim searches around in the darkness and comes across something. Touching it he realizes it is the leg bone of a skeleton. He breaks the leg free and takes a spare blanket out of his pack. Wrapping it around the bone he lights it with his flint and steel. It burns with a lot of smoke but does give light in about a twenty-foot radius. Valgrim lifts off the makeshift torch and notes that it gutters and dances.
“Bertan, there is a breeze! There is a way out somewhere in this place.” Bertan does not respond. He has passed out.

Valgrim picks a door and approaches it. He travels down a few corridors but is turned back by a securely locked door. He heads back to the large chamber. Checks on Bertan. The merchant is still breathing. He then picks the remaining door. It opens onto a steep stone stair. Valgrim descends. The air is foul with rot and decay. He turns into a passage and finds a half-dozen corpses. Humans all with their throats cut. Valgrim rips off some of their clothing to use as more fuel for his primitive torch.
Valgrim finds a stair leading still further down.

He descends to a corridor and finds a strange stone door in one wall. The door is circular shaped and has no hinges or handles. The face of the door is carved with a representation of a skeleton wearing a cloak and holding a sickle. Valgrim observes that the sickle can move. He slides it down and hears a click. The stone door rolls back into the wall revealing a chamber beyond. In the chamber are the remains of several men. The men have been eaten leaving only small amounts of flesh and bones. The bones have gnawed marks on them.

On the far wall, there is a lever and a portcullis. Valgrim pulls down the level and the portcullis grinds open. As he enters the chamber he sees a flash of light from his torch to his left. The glint of the eye of a giant snake that is rearing back preparing to strike. Valgrim levels his crossbow and fires pinning the poisonous snake to the wall. He moves through the chamber to an open archway leading into another room. This room is octagonal and empty. Another open archway leads into another room. This room has been damaged. A huge 10-foot wide crevasse has opened up on the floor and divides the chamber in two. Valgrim leaps across with ease. There is a door on the south wall. Valgrim pushes open the door. There is a stair descending even deeper into the earth. A foul smell wafts up from below. Valgrim shakes his head and closes the door firmly. Again he leaps over the crevasse and he retraces his steps up a level to the unexplored passageway.

The passage leads to an open doorway and yet another stairs down. Valgrim turns around and tries the other direction. As he moves along the stone hallway he comes across the remnants of a long-abandoned camp. Perhaps some adventurers were here many years ago. Most importantly he sees a pair of partially burned down torches. He lights one and tosses away his makeshift torch. The new torch allows him to see that the passageway ends in a deep pit. Valgrim can just make out the bottom and a passage entering from one side. It is at least 50 feet deep and Valgrim has no rope. So he reluctantly heads back to the stairs at the other end of the corridor that head down. The stairs descend a short distance and arrive in a square room. There are four doors leading out of the chamber. Some stone debris lay on the floor. A giant rat startled by his torch rushes out to attack Valgrim. It misses and Valgrim kills it quickly with his crossbow.

In the room, there are three more doors. The doors, like other ones in this maze, are made of stone. Valgrim figures out how to slide one open. On the other side is a stair leading down. He tries another stone door. Beyond is a stair leading up. Suddenly, his torch gutters and jumps from a breeze. He smells fresh air. Running up the stair Valgrim comes to a small chamber. One wall is partially collapsed and through an opening, he can see sunlight. Valgrim squeezes through the opening and finds himself in a winding gulley outside.

He follows the gully back to the box canyon. The horse and cart are gone. The corpse of the man he killed is gone. Valgrim hurries over to the closed secret door. Kneeling like he saw the man do earlier that day he examines the ground and sees the stone is carved with figures. Valgrim pushes on one figure and the doorway grinds open. He slides down the ramp and moves across the huge chamber to check on Bertan.

Has Bertan died while Valgrim was wandering through the maze? (Unlikely). Definite No.

He finds Bertan has regained consciousness and is leaning against a pillar. Valgrim rushes to his side.

“I wondered if you were coming back”

“I wondered a little myself. I kept going further and further down. But eventually, I found my way out”. Valgrim tells Bertan about the corpses he found. They agree they are likely victims of the bandits employed by House Zimri. They wait until early evening before Valgrim supports Bertan and the two of them struggle out of the stone chamber. They set out across the desert for the town of  Sandcrest.

The Randomly generated Maze

Jorgin Taw Uresia Session 2

I had another short session (2 hours) of Jorgin Taw's adventures on Uresia. I am using the Mythic Game Master Emulator Deck. Now that I have used it for a handful of sessions I have some thoughts. Number one I really like the deck aspect. There is no flipping through a book or pdf consulting charts. I just have to remember a few things (which are printed on a stand-alone card) and then just draw cards. It is very smooth and easy to learn. Like any GM-emulator the toughest part is interpreting the results. I have taken the rules to heart and I go with the first explanation that pops into my head to keep things moving. I do not use the emulator for every step of social interaction. There are some things that I think I can assume are going to happen.

I have also been using Solo Adventurer's toolbox for a separate solo campaign. One of the real differences I find is with encounters. When a random encounter was suggested I was first tempted to go to a random monster chart. But instead, I used the emulator and used the description to guide what was encountered. Which could have been really bad. But all of the encounters ended up being fairly balanced for a 1st level Wizard on his own.

This was almost the second and final session for Jorgin Taw but a very unlikely occurrence happened that saved him.

Session 2: The Harpy and the Medusa.

Jorgin returns to Master Wizard Olbrich dressed for travel. He has never left Shadow River in his entire life so he is excited and a little nervous. Olbrich gives him a pouch to deliver to a sage that lives alone in a nearby badlands. Olbrich tells him to return with a scroll in trade for what is in the pouch. He warns Jorgin not to look in the pouch. Then he gives him a mirror and says you will need this. When Jorgin questions Olbrich the wizard says "Because the sage is a medusa."

Expected Scene, Jorgin heads to the Hollow Hills to find Cotovatre the sage (medusa). Altered. Does Jorgin have an encounter as he wanders through the Hollow Hills? (Likely). Yes. Is the encounter hostile (50/50). Yes, Exceptional. The description is frighteningly graceful.

As he wanders through the Hollow Hills, Jorgin begins to hear a melodic song. He is entranced (failed Wisdom check) and wanders off of the path toward the sound of the music. The music is the charm of a harpy that is 90 feet away and residing in a cave. It will take Jorgin 3 turns to reach the Harpy. After a dozen seconds, Jorgin shakes his head and breaks out of the charm. The melody is still beautiful but now he can fight its lure. He realizes what has happened. The sound is coming from a large cave mouth in the side of a hill 60 feet away.

Jorgin casts Expeditious Retreat and dashes off at an incredible speed into the Hollow Hills. He hears a scream of frustration behind him that is not melodic or alluring.

Does Jorgin have any more encounters on his way to Cotovatre’s lair? (50/50). No.

Jorgin continues to follow a trail that looks like it is traveled upon with some regularity. Eventually, he comes to a ruined shrine atop a hill. There is a small enclosed area, a platform, and eight stone pillars. All around are stone statues of travelers, peasants, and even knights. Clearly the work of a medusa.

The Shrine of the Sage

Taking out the mirror, Jorgin looks into it, points it at the doorway to the shrine and politely says, “Hello, Mistress Cotovatre?”

A hissing voice responds, “Welcomes, Jorgin Taw apprentice of Olbrich. Please, come in, come in.” Jorgin politely declines and tells Cotovatre that he has come to pick up a scroll that Olbrich requested.

“I knowsss, I knowsss. Please step in to pick up the scroll.”

Jorgin decides that he is going to have to enter. He carefully enters with the mirror pointing slightly at the floor, his eyes glued to the mirror. Inside the small shrine is surprisingly decorated like a rich ladies sitting room. At least of what he can see of it. He sees settees, chairs, and end tables. Rugs cover the stone floor. He can just see the lower half of a woman approaching wearing a fine white and gold dress. He does not dare to point the mirror upward.

“A mirror! Put that horrible thing away!” The woman backs quickly away. Jorgin steps forward, still holding the mirror and places the pouch on an end table.

Jorgin Taw prepares to enter the shrine using the Mirror

“Ahhh, I will just place this here, milady.”

Jorgin then steps back toward the doorway and points the mirror downward at his feet. He hears motion coming toward him and then backing away. The sound of the pouch opening.

“Perfect. Just what I need. You may go, scared little man.”

Jorgin haltingly asks for the scroll and Cotovatre tells him to step forward and take it from her hand. Jorgin steps forwards and sees a slim, pale woman’s hand holding the scroll. Carefully he reaches forward to get the scroll. As he grabs the scroll the hand lashes out, knocking the mirror to the ground and smashing it.

Does the Medusa attack Jorgin? (Very Unlikely). Yes.

One of the medusa’s snakes hissing and lashes out at Jorgin but misses. The medusa's hand catches Jorgin’s chin and she tries to force him to look up but Jorgin manages to grab her hand and force it away. Jorgin casts Expeditious Retreat again and makes to dash out of the sage’s lair. As he runs away he feels the bite of a snake on his calf. He makes it thirty feet from the doorway before succumbing to the poison and collapsing to the ground unconscious.

Does anyone come along while Jorgin is unconscious? (Very Unlikely). Yes. Is it Tirza Stentz? (50/50) Yes, Exceptional.

Tirza Stentz followed Jorgin to the sage’s lair and is a short distance away. She makes it to Jorgin’s side and gives him a potion of healing within a dozen seconds of his fall (during that time Jorgin passes 2 death saves). Jorgin is completely healed (7 hp).

Jorgin comes out of unconsciousness and sees Tirza Stentz kneeling over him with a flask in her hand.

Has Tirza Stentz taken the scroll? (Likely) Yes, Random Event. Close a thread, Praise, Riches.

Tirza looks down at Jorgin and than holds out her hand to help him up.

“Congratulations, you passed the test.” Jorgin just looks at her blankly. Tirza explains that Olbrich puts all of his apprentices through a test before accepting them as Journeymen wizards. He comes up with a test that he believes will test the apprentice’s weakest skills.

“And you passed.”

“But I would be dead if not for you?”

“No, I am sure you would have made it. I just helped you along. Now let’s get back to town before it gets dark. These hills may not look it but they actually get dangerous after dark.”

Jorgin gets to his feet and hobbles after Tirza, he calf still swollen and sore. He has no further encounters as he returns to the town with Tirza. On the way, he talks to Tirza asking if any of the statues back at the sages' shrine are former apprentices of Olbrich. She tells him that most of the statues have been there for a long time. Long before Olbrich came to Shadow River.

Returning to Olbrich's residence they enter and the old mage looks up expectantly.

Jorgin reaches into his pouch for the scroll. Which is gone. He dumps out the pouch on the floor and looks through the contents. "But it was here!"

"Well it is not here now, is it," says Olbrich, pointedly looking at Tirza and holding out his hand to her.

Tirza laughs and hands the scroll over to Olbrich. "Here you go. I took it for safekeeping."

Jorgin glares angrily at Tirza. "You took that while I was dying!"

"Sure I did. Remember you would have died if not for me."

Olbrich waves his hand at the pair. "Jorgin, no more lessons today. But tomorrow we shall look at a new spell for you to learn." He pauses then says, "Journeyman."

END SCENE.

Delivering the Goods

I have not run a session with Valgrim for several weeks. Mainly, because I was unsure where to take him next. He still had a contract to fulfill but he needed a plan. It took a while but I finally came up with a plan that I thought might work. If this was a non-solo game the GM will have packed up and left while the players came up with their plans.

Again this is D&D 5e set on Aedenne using the Solo Adventurer's Toolbox.

Wanderings of Valgrim - Session 4

After a few days of rest, Valgrim has fully recovered. He has also had Tekin find him a leather jerkin and a crossbow. He spends the time planning how to best House Zimri and get the wine delivered to Sandcrest as he had promised.

Can Valgrim find a local map-maker? (Likely). Definite yes. Is there another route to Sandcrest? (Likely). Maybe. Is the other route dangerous? (Very Likely). Definite yes. Natural dangers? (Possible). No.

Valgrim asks Tekin if there is a local map-maker. Tekin ponders and tells him there is one in the marketplace. Valgrim and Tekin go to the map-maker and buy a map of the land around Opotal. Looking at the map Valgrim can immediately see another trail that heads to Sandcrest in a looping longer route to the south. He points to the trail and tells Tekin, “That is the route we shall take”. Tekin puts up his hands and objects. The longer route is not used because nomadic raiders of the Dastani tribe claim that area. “Not me, brother. I will not take that route,” Tekin says. Valgrim considers him for a moment then an idea comes to him. “No. You will take the usual route with a decoy wagon full of water and I will take the southern route with the wine!” Tekin, objects that he will not risk his life for some barrels of water. Valgrim assures him that he only needs to travel a few miles until he is out of sight of the town. Then he can wait and return after a few hours. There will be no danger.

“And what about you? And my employer's wine? What do I tell Master Zerfal?” Valgrim tells Tekin not to worry because he is certain his plan is going to work.

The next morning they load up two wagons taking some effort to conceal what they are doing. They leave early in the morning. As they follow each other through the town, Tekin turns his wagon toward the north gate and Valgrim turns his wagon toward the west gate.

Are they ambushed in town by Zimri bandits? (unlikely). Maybe. Is it Valgrim who encounters trouble? No.

Everything appears to go smoothly for Valgrim. He passes out of the gate and heads off into the desert following a seldom-used path.

Is there an encounter? Number of rolls 2. Yes. Is Valgrim beset by Zimri thugs? (Possible). Maybe.

A few hours out of Opotal, Valgrim spots four riders on his trail and about a half hour behind him. He surmises that Tekin must have been stopped and searched and the bandits discovered his ruse. He urges the horse pulling the cart along and looks for a good spot to defend from an ambush. Valgrim spots a rise with the foundation of an old stone building atop it. Deciding this would be an excellent position with which to defend himself he pulls the wagon to a stop, ties off the horse, and positions himself behind the wall with his crossbow ready.

The bandits see that he is waiting for them and they slow their horses and approach carefully. Suddenly, arrows fly at the bandits from the desert. Two of them are struck but stay on their horses. They turn and beat a hasty retreat for Opotal. Two men clad in sand-covered robes rise up out of the desert holding short bows. The approach Valgrim’s position and wave. Valgrim motions with his crossbow and yells, “I thank you for your help with those dishonorable thieves, but I must warn you that being chased has made me nervous and this crossbow has a light trigger!”

Rolled on the Situations Table and I got “disarm”. Not sure how to interpret that. So I rolled again this time asking, Will the raiders attack? (unlikely). No.

The two men pause. Then one of them tells Valgrim that they only wish to share equally. They will share a safe passage if he shares his goods. Valgrim levels the crossbow directly at the men and tells them he cannot let that happen.

The two speak amongst themselves for a minute then they shoulder their weapons and disappear into the desert. Valgrim waits for a few minutes and then quickly gets moving again, looking about nervously. Valgrim does not encounter any more problems on his trek to Sandcrest. He pulls up to Bertan Zerfal’s shop in Sandcrest and finds the gate is locked. After some banging on the door. A man appears and sees Valgrim and the cart and starts shouting excitedly for Master Bertan. Finally, Bertan Zerfal appears. He is surprised that Valgrim is here. It has been several days and he assumed that Valgrim had been killed by bandits. He had been awaiting word on whether he had lost another load of wine. “Come, come inside. Tell me all about it. It has been 4 days. I am sure you have had some adventures.”

Valgrim tells Bertan about the events of the past few days. Upon learning of the involvement of House Zimri, Bertan smacks his fist on the table, “Of course, Sala Zimri! I should have guessed!” He is amazed when he hears of Valgrim’s escape from the warehouse. Moving over to a desk, Bertan counts out the agreed-upon amount of gold, pauses, and then adds 10 more gold. “You certainly earned this my friend.” Valgrim accepts a pouch of 100 gold coins.

“Tell, me. Can I convince you to make more runs of wine?” Valgrim shakes his head, “I am not a cart driver”. But I will protect your business and put an end to these bandits for the right amount of gold”.
Valgrim says goodbye to Bertan and agrees to meet him in two days. He heads over to the Greasy Spadger Inn and waves hello to Savanna the owner. It is fairly busy so he waits to speak with her. Once Savanna comes over to speak to Valgrim he asks if Nisa is still in town.

Has Nisa waited in Sandcrest for Valgrim to return? (Possible). No. Did she leave voluntarily? (Likely). Yes.

Savanna tells Valgrim that Nisa cleared out of the Inn on the same day that Valgrim left 4 days ago. A little disappointed, Valgrim thinks about it for a while and then orders a meal.

Solo D&D 5e Jorgin Taw apprentice wizard

Another round of solo play today. This time I am using the Mythic Game Master Emulator Deck again. I am using D&D 5th edition rules and I am running it in the setting of Uresia: Grave of Heaven. I bought the hardbound copy of the setting a few years ago and have never found a use for it before. Solo play offers me a good opportunity to use it. In the Uresia setting, there was a god war 1380 years earlier. At the climax of the war, all of the gods were killed and heaven crashed to the earth in a cataclysm that destroyed civilization. The remnants of the heavens are small continents to large islands set in the sea. Each island has been repopulated and has developed a fairly distinct culture. There are no gods anymore but that has not stopped men from continuing to worship them.

Jorgin Taw

PREGAME: Jorgin Taw is a half-elven first level wizard living in the town of Shadow River on the island of Temphis. He is an apprentice to the human wizard Olbrich. Olbrich has a home in East Corner but Jorgin lives in an apartment above a shop in The Bells. He grew up in the Bells district. He was orphaned and taken in by Brother Benedict of the Temple of Taur (god of the fall). He was raised as an acolyte of the temple. Five years ago he managed to save enough gold to purchase a membership in the Mages Guild. He was apprenticed to Olbrich.

Cold Start Event - Move toward a thread, Release Tension.

Does Olbrich have a mission for Jorgin? Exceptional Yes.

What is that mission? Imprison, Dispute.

Olbrich asks Jorgin to bail a woman out of prison. The woman Tirza Stentz was imprisoned for stabbing a man after a dispute in a game of cards. Tirza is due to be handed over to the Galonite priests for auction as a slave. Olbrich gives Jorgin 100 gold omens to bribe the Jailor to release Tirza.

Does Jorgin make it to the Jail cells without incident? Likely. Yes.

Jorgin makes his way to the Citadel and meets with the Jailor. He asks after Tirza Stentz and suggests (persuasion) to the guard that he would be willing to pay for the woman’s release. The guard takes offense (natural 1) and threatens to imprison Jorgin for attempted bribery. Jorgin apologizes profusely and beats a hasty retreat.

Jorgin comes up with the plan to break Tirza out of prison when she is being transferred to the Golonite priests. Tirza is transferred in a locked wagon along with two other convicts. Guarded by two militia (fighter 1).

Jorgin waits until the cart is in a narrow lane and then he approaches having used Disguise Self to make himself look like the jailor he met earlier. The guards stop the wagon as Jorgin approaches (roll against perception the guards fail). Thinking he is the jailor the guards ask Jorgin why he is here? Jorgin tells them that one of the convicts needs to be questioned immediately and he is to take that convict in hand right now.

Do the guards believe Jorgin’s story? 50/50. No!

The guards tell the Jorgin (in his jailor guise) that this is not proper procedure and they can only release their prisoners to a Priest of Golon. Jorgin casts Prestidigitation and makes a pile of apples of a nearby fruit vendor spill onto the street before the prison wagon. The fruit vendor starts running about with his apprentice causing a commotion. During the excitement, Jorgin uses sleight-of-hand to try and open the door to the cart. He is observed as he fumbles with the lock and one of the guards jumps down from the wagon and yells, “Ere’ What you on about?” Jorgin tells the guards that he was just testing the lock to make sure it was secure. The guard glares at Jorgin and gives the lock a firm pull. “See, Nuttin’ wrong wit it!” The shopkeeper finishes picking up the apples and the guards mount back up on the wagon. One of them turns to Jorgin and says, “Now push off Ralf, or me an’ Irm will be reporting you to the Castellan.” With that, they shake the reins and head off toward the Golon slave pens. Jorgin kicks at a loose apple in frustration and is shouted at by the irate shopkeeper. Dejected, Jorgin heads back to report to his master.  END SCENE.

Expected Scene: Jorgin reports to his Master and comes up with a way to rescue Tirza Stentz off of the auction block. Interrupt! Introduce a new NPC. Return. Bureaucracy.

Jorgin reports his failure to his master Olbrich. Olbrich is displeased but not surprised. “Perhaps, you are not ready yet for important tasks. But I have a task I think even you can manage.” Olbrich gives Jorgin a bulky envelope and tells him to deliver it to Magistrate Kelemon Sandor who works for the Castellan.

It is late so Jorgin heads back to his flophouse to sleep. The next day he gets up and takes the letter to the Kelemen at the Magistrates Hall near the Market.

Is Jorgin waylaid while delivering the letter? Unlikely. Yes!

Who waylays him? Frantically, Glorious?

While on his way to deliver the envelope, Jorgin meets Peric More, an old mage school friend who asks him to join him in a little carousing.  Jorgin is able to beg off and makes his way without incident.

Is Jorgin able to find Kelemen and deliver the package? Yes, Exceptional.

Jorgin asks for Kelemen and is directed to his office. Kelemen seems irritated by Jorgin’s interruption of his morning sword practice. But he quiets when Jorgin hands him the package. He opens it and removes a brass key. He absent-mindedly gives Jorgin 2 gold omens and waves him away. Happy to fulfill the task Jorgin decides to meet up with Peric at the Golden Orbs tavern after all. They enjoy an early lunch washed down with some Brindle’s Ale.

It is late afternoon when Jorgin finally arrives back at his Master’s shop. He is surprised to find a roguish woman waiting in the parlor. “So you’re Olbrich’s clumsy oaf of an apprentice. That business o’ trying to get me out of the wagon was poorly done!” Then the woman laughs and introduces herself as Tirza Stentz. Slapping Jorgin solidly on the back.

Olbrich hears the noise and enters the parlor with an absent-minded look on his face. “There you are, I thought perhaps you got yourself in trouble again.” He looks at Jorgin expectantly. “Well, don’t just stand there I have a job for you to do. Get dressed for travel!” Jorgin nods confused and heads to his rooms to get some traveling clothes. Tirza nods to Olbrich and follows Jorgin out the door. END SCENE.

Remove Thread, Release Tirza.

I put together a summary of the Mythic rules and the Fate Question chart and put it all on a single image so I did not have to consult any rules while playing. Just draw cards. The emulator went smoothly. Although Jorgin struggled to be competent. Jorgin came up with a plan but I just rolled poorly. Luckily, his Master bailed him out and has not booted him out the door yet.

By the end of these two scenes, my character list had 15 names on it.

Valgrim Escapes Solo play

I do not want to leave Valgrim alone in a cell facing death or starvation so I played another session to see if I could extricate him from imprisonment.  I put some thought into how I would do this using the solo rules but I did not want to ask the question, “Does Valgrim escape?” So I decided to take a chance with overpowering the jailor.

As a reminder, this is 5th Edition D&D rules, and the Solo Adventurer’s Toolbox is being used as the GM emulator.

Valgrim Escapes!

Valgrim awakens in a dark stone cell. All he has left are his clothes, the tattered pennant he carries, his dice set, and his tinderbox. The cell contains a stone bench and a chamber pot. The door is thick oak boards reinforced with iron.

Does a jailor arrive to give him food and water? Possible. Yes. Can he catch the jailor by surprise? Possible. Yes.

Valgrim moves the chamber pot over to his side. He pretends to be unconscious on the stone bench. After what seems a very long time, the jailor looks in then opens the cell door. He walks over to Valgrim and looks at him briefly then sets down a plate of food and a cup of water. Then he takes some food off the plate and eats it. As he turns to leave, Valgrim leaps up and tries to smash the chamber pot over the jailor’s head. But he misses the man! The pot smashes on the stone floor. Valgrim then punches the surprised jailor on the side of the face.

The jailor curses at Valgrim and raises his club but swings and misses. Valgrim punches the jailor into unconsciousness.  He does a quick check of the jailor and finds a ring of keys, 4 silver coins, and a heavy wooden club. He also takes the jailor's dirty clothing. Valgrim tries to disguise himself as best he can. He drags the jailor onto the stone sleeping bench and covers him in his old clothes. Then he leaves the cell and locks the door.

This gave me a chance to try out the Random Dungeon generation rules in The Solo Adventurer’s Toolbox. 

Random Dungeon Generation, Size tiny, Cult Headquarters, starting area is a 20 feet square room with 3 doors.

Valgrim checks the room and sees a chair, and two torches in wall brackets. There are three doors. One door leads to his former cell. The other two doors are open. One leads to a passage and the other leads to stairs headed up. Valgrim quietly moves into the passage with the stair and heads upward. At the top of the passage, another passage leads off to the left. The passage narrows to just over five feet and then comes to yet another stair.  This stair seems to go upward at least 25 feet and then enters another passage. Valgrim continues sneaking down the passage and comes to a stone wall dead end. Searching this wall he notices a protruding metal rod. Valgrim pushes down on the rod and a secret door swings open. It leads to what looks like a cellar for a home or business. There is light coming from around a door at the top of a wooden stair. Valgrim can hear voices at the top of the stair beyond the door.

Not seeing any other way out of the cellar, Valgrim quietly climbs the stairs and listens at the door. He can hear several men discussing merchant shipments and assigning which “crew” will hold up which shipment. It sounds like there are 4 men on the other side of the door.

Valgrim checks the door and finds it unlocked. He swings it open and runs quickly into the room brandishing his club. The room is the front room of a shop that appears to sell carpets. Four men are meeting around a tall table. They all whirl about in surprise.

Bold moves are the best course of action

Valgrim runs up to the first man and strikes him solidly with his club. Two of the men recover in time to draw daggers and attack but both miss and one of them stumbles over a stool and falls prone. Valgrim strikes the prone man on the shoulder. The prone man stands, while two other men scramble around the table to attack, Valgrim is stabbed once (3 points) but barely notices the pain. Valgrim avoids some attacks and then crushes the skull of one of the men killing him. One of the men manages to stab Valgrim again (4 points). Valgrim blazes into a rapid series of strikes (combat surge) he knocks one man to the ground again and the man does not get up, then he strikes another man. The two remaining men attack (7 points). Valgrim calls up all of his reserves to renew his attack (second wind 8 hp). Valgrim strikes one man on the shoulder with a vicious blow (natural 20) that knocks him flat. The man does not get back up. Valgrim is stabbed once more by the last man standing (2 points) but it brings the man close to Valgrim and he strikes him in the side of the head. The man stabs Valgrim desperately (3 points) but Valgrim shoves him back onto the table and caves in his skull (natural 20).

Valgrim quickly takes stock of the situation. He is bleeding from several wounds. He throws off his robed disguise and takes a cleaner one from one of the corpses. While searching the bodies he finds 74 silver coins and a pile of papers is lying on the table that he also takes. He takes one of the daggers.

Do any enemies spot him leaving the shop? Possible. No.

Valgrim checks the entrance to the shop and steps outside into the street, judging by the position of the sun it is late afternoon. He notes the location of the shop with respect to the East gate and moves quickly to the docks. As he nears the Zerfal warehouse he hears a shout of surprise. One of the men protecting the warehouse yells for Tekin.

Tekin approaches Valgrim with a friendly wave and says, “My friend, we thought we had seen the last of you. Were you perhaps enjoying too much wine?” Then as Tekin comes closer he sees the blood dripping from several wounds and cries in alarm. He helps Valgrim into the warehouse and brings him to a cot to lie down. Tekin sends one of the men to bring a healer.

Are there any clues in the documents he found? Highly Likely +4. No.

Tekin takes the papers from Valgrim and looks at them. He tells Valgrim that they list merchant houses and the date of caravans. But this is common knowledge and is not really helpful.

Valgrim tells Tekin that he decided to search House Zimri and he ran into trouble. He awoke in a cell beneath a carpet shop. Tekin confirms that the shop Valgrim describes belongs to House Zimri. But he says that is no proof that they are holding up caravans. Valgrim could be wrong and they were just defending their warehouse from intruders. Valgrim looks at Tekin exasperated. Tekin clasps his shoulder and tells him, “Of course you are right. But we have only your word. Your word against Sala Zimri’s word. A respected merchant.”

A healer arrives and tends to Valgrim’s wounds.

That ends Valgrim’s adventures for now. I cannot believe I did not get an adventure hook out of the papers Valgrim took from the shop. Even at +4, I managed to roll low. The escape turned out to be pretty easy. A second level fighter against the first level fighter jailor. Even with a few botched rolls.  I was lucky not to roll any encounters in the dungeons beneath the shop.

I like The Solo Adventurer’s handbooks a lot but I am not thrilled with using 5th Edition rules for the combat. It seems to take a while. It would likely help if I went with combat challenges which were more 1-on-1 as opposed to four against one.