The High Road Tavern
The High Road Tavern is a short adventure for 4-6 1st or 2nd level characters.
Tavern and Safe House Background
The tavern is located near the wharfs in Specularum, or a pretty rough neighborhood in any sizable town in your campaign, proximity to a wharf adds some flavor but is not required. The tavern serves as a meeting place and social center for men of all types, though it is not for the faint of heart.
Horace Lokk, the proprietor is a retired adventurer who had built a measure of local fame. His name carries enough weight to keep the law from poking around the tavern, though watch officers and guardsmen both frequent the establishment both to sample the brew and fair, which are renown, and to watch his daughters serving the tables.
In actuality Horace belongs to a newly formed crime syndicate called the Black Hand. Horace's only contribution to the Black Hand is a safe house below his tavern. The Black Hand has established the High Road as a meeting place of their top officials and has even based several operatives out of the tavern, a development that Horace is not exactly pleased about.
Adventure Background
It is recommended that the following be roll-played out with the party. The exact nature of this is left up to the DM.
Two days prior to the beginning of this adventure the party heard that a city ministry was broken into. The particulars were not made public but the scuttle butt in the streets has it that a rogue branch of the Knoxx Ordain mage guild was involved. Witnesses claim that the Ministry building was "lit up" by magical blasts that could be heard in all the surrounding neighborhoods.
That night the party is rousted by a group of city watch. They are escorted to the local watch headquarters, where they are led into the office of Captain Lanthon Barge, the local ghettos watch commander. Lanthon Barge matches his name well. He is a bear of a man with a curly black beard and head of hear.
Barge will share only what is needed to get the party to agree to help him and get them started. He knows; The Ministry of Arcane Theory was broken into by a large group of wizards a couple nights ago. Their goal was the retrieval of an artifact that them ministry had captured and deemed to dangerous to allow into the wild.
The break-in was thwarted and most of the would be burglars were captured in the attempt. A half dozen however escaped. Barge has been put in charge of capturing those wizards. His manpower is stretched rather thin in the search and while looking for groups that may be able to help he came across the party's recent registration in the watch records.
He would like the party to track down Nathar Lynth, the least powerful of the fugitives. Lynth is a local and Barge doubts he would leave the ghetto, when he could easily go to ground here.
Assume at this point that the party has some contact with the local thieves guild. The guild contact will point the party to a unaffiliated thief and beggar called Coughing Walt. Walt can be found in the streets. He is known to have worked with Lynth in the past.
Coughing Walt is easy enough to find. He is a lunger who sleeps in an ally with a group of beggars. The other beggars will give the group no trouble. Walt will have to be convinced to talk, he is however a coward at heart.
Walt will admit that Nathar came to him after the botched job and begged for his old associate to help him find a place to lay low. Walt took Nathar to The High Road Tavern and talked with Horace Lokk, who agreed to take Nathar in for a small fee. As far as Walt knows that is where he is.
Coughing Walt: Thf 2, HP 4, AC 8, Dagger, Rags
The Tavern
1 The Tavern: This large room is warmed in the winter by a massive fireplace across the room from the bar. Minstrels and entertainers can be seen almost nightly staging a show in front of the Great Pit as it is called.
2 Lokk Family Quarters: Horace his wife and two grown daughters sleep in the roomy area. Horace and his wife will be away on business when the party enters the tavern. His two red headed daughters have charisma scores of 16. Both work in the Tavern serving meals and drinks.
3 Kitchen: There is always a fire going and something cooking or brewing in this room. Moxx, the cook and two houseboys live in this room. The Lokks and all the tavern help eat here. Moxx and the houseboys are normal men, with 3 hp and AC 9 each. They will arm themselves with cleavers (1d4 damage) and question anyone seen going down into the cellar.
4 Pantry: This room is lined with shelving containing all manner of foodstuffs.
The Cellar
5. Cellar: This vast open room is crowded to nearly overflowing with stores and racks of wines, kegs of ales and beers, The maze of alleyways barely give enough room for items to be removed.
6 Horace’s Storage: The secret door into this area is locked with a key that hangs around Horace’s neck. A spring loaded scythe blade (2d6 damage to those failing a paralyzation save) swings at anyone that has opened the door by any means other than the key, which is gone with Horace on business.
Within the room is all manner of contraband, payment given by those in the safe house for their stay. Most items are too large to easily sneak out, there is however a small locked chest with a poison needle trap (save or take 2d4 damage) that contains; 250sp, 100gp, and a Potion of Gaseous Form.
7. Guard room: Four Black Hand Operatives guard this room.
Black Hand Operatives: Thf 1, AL N, hp 3, AC 7
Leather Armor, Sword, 2 Daggers, Thieves Tools, 2d6 silver pieces each.
a. This area contains two more Black Hand Operatives each armed with a short bow. The wall of the stair way contains murder holes from which the operatives will fire on the party.
Black Hand Operatives: Thf 1, AL N, hp 3, AC 7
Leather Armor, Sword, 2 Daggers, Short Bow, 10 Arrows, Thieves Tools, 2d6 silver pieces each.
The Safe House
The safe house is patrolled by Black Hand Operatives. 1d6 chance every turn of encountering 1-4 of them. After the first four operative encountered in this manner remove additional operatives from the barracks rooms.
Black Hand Operatives: Thf 1, AL N, hp 3, AC 7
Leather Armor, Sword, 2 Daggers, Thieves Tools, 2d6 silver pieces each.
8. Landing: There are six spear traps hidden in the far wall of this room. Characters entering the room will have a chance to activate traps every time they move across a square. There are pressure plates scattered around the room. A successful detect traps will allow a thief to determine that all the spear traps are somehow connected. A successful deactivate traps will reveal a hidden compartment with the switch that stops the spears from firing. If the spears are not deactivated, roll to see if they fire until all six have fired. The spears will hit and inflict damage as if thrown by a 3rd level fighter.
9. Council Meeting room: This room is very luxurious. Rich red tapestries hang on the walls, each baring a Black Hand symbol.
An ornately carved long wooden table is the centerpiece of the room. The same Black Hand is lacquered into the center of the table. Eight chairs line the table each as ornate as the table.
A large desk with two locked drawers sits on the north wall. The Black Hand symbol is repeated on its surface. There are no papers or items on the surface. The top drawer is trapped with a poison needle, save vs. poison or take 2d4 damage. The key to the drawers is on Horace’s belt. The bottom drawer contains several coded communications. The top drawer has a small bag with 150gp. A plain battered looking dagger (+1 Dagger) is under the bag.
10. Horace’s Study: This room is lined with bookshelves. Each contains books and scrolls on all manner of subjects. The whole is poorly organized, to the point that characters will notice any character with compulsive tendencies starting to rearrange them. Lawful characters must save vs. spells or become enthralled by the desire to neaten up. Once begun the character will resist all attempts to get him to stop and will continue until finished. There are approximately 40 hours of organizing to be done this is divided equally between each of the compulsive characters.
There are a handful of collectable books, total value 450 gp. These can only be detected if someone says they are looking for them. They wont take long to find, 1d6 turns.
11. Guest Room: This small room has a plain bunk, solid footlocker, unadorned wooden desk with two drawers and a chair. The footlocker is locked and contains a backpack with Lynth’s things, clothing, traveling food, wineskin, and 100gp, 50sp, and 35cp. Nathar Lynth is sitting at the desk when the party arrives at his door. The door is locked. He will hear a failed lock pick attempt, or any attempt to open the door and prepare himself by casting Mirror Image. He will use the charm person off his scroll to attempt to get one of the PCs on his side.
Nathar Lynth: M-U 3, hp 8, AC 8,
Spells: 1st (Magic Missile*, Shield*, Read Magic), 2nd (Continual Light, Mirror Image*)
Scroll (Charm Person, Light, Magic Missile, Continual Light, Dispel Magic)
Ring of Protection +1, Potion of Growth.
12. Guest Room: This small room has a plain bunk, solid footlocker, unadorned wooden desk with two drawers and a chair. This room is currently occupied by a cruel looking elf who goes by the name Blighter. Nearly a week ago he killed a noble in a duel. He has been laying low waiting for a way out of town every since. The family of the noble is offering a 250gp reward for his capture.
Blighter: Elf 2, hp 6, AC 3
Spells: (Charm Person*, Detect Magic*, Read Magic)
Chain Mail, Shield, Sword, Dagger, Short Bow, 10 Arrows, 2 Arrows +1, Potion of Healing, Potion of Climbing.
13. Empty Barracks: This room contains eight bunks at the foot of each is an empty unlocked chest.
14. Guest Room: This room contains eight bunks each with a footlocker. Four of the bunks are being used by a group of adventurers that are being sought by the city watch for a bloody battle in the Green Duck Inn that left two watchmen and half a dozen patrons dead. Bringing this group in dead or alive is good for a 500gp reward. The group left most of their other belongings at the Green Duck, the rest they had to trade to Horace for their stay.
Caz Mall: Ftr 1, AL C, hp 7, AC 3, Sex Male
Chain Mail, Shield, Sword, Dagger
Darkgale: Clc 1, AL C, hp 5, AC 4, Sex Female
Chain Mail, Shield, Mace, Silver Unholy Symbol
Spell: 1st (CLW)
Gryx: Thf 1, AL C, hp 3, AC 6, Sex Male
Leather Armor, Sword, Dagger, Short Bow, 11 Arrows, Thieves Tools
Drathak: Dwf 1, AL C, hp 9, AC 4
Chain Mail, Shield, Hand Axe, Dagger
15. Black Hand Barracks: This room contains eight bunks at the foot of each is a footlocker. Six Black Hand operatives are bunked here. They will check out any disturbances in the halls. Each operative will have 2d6 silver pieces.
Black Hand Operatives: Thf 1, AL N, hp 3, AC 7
Leather Armor, Sword, 2 Daggers, Thieves Tools
16. Black Hand Barracks: This room contains eight bunks at the foot of each is a footlocker. Six Black Hand operatives are bunked here. They will check out any disturbances in the halls. Each operative will have 2d6 silver pieces.
Black Hand Operatives: Thf 1, AL N, hp 3, AC 7
Leather Armor, Sword, 2 Daggers, Thieves Tools
17. Oil Barrel Trap: The door to this trap is locked. Opening the door causes an anvil to drop down a chute above a barrel of oil that sits on the floor of this cubical. The anvil will shatter the barrel and splatter everyone within 20 feet of the door with lamp oil. A fuse on the anvil is lit when it falls and will ignite the oil. The flaming oil will cause all flammable items on a character to light on fire. It will also cause 1d6 damage to everyone for two rounds. A save vs. Paralysis each round will half the damage of the oil. If the first save is made the characters flammable items don’t catch on fire.
T. Poison Arrow Trap: Opening any door in the hallway without first disarming the trap will cause a poison arrow to fly down the hall. It will strike the person opening the door with the same chance to hit as a first level fighter. On a successful hit the arrow will do 1d6 damage and the poison will do 2d4 damage. A successful save will negate poison damage.
