Table of Contents
Intro Adventure
This page is intended for Game Masters only! Reading this will spoil the fun if you are a player…
This page contains an introductory adventure designed to demonstrate for the GM how to organize and play a game using just the Core Rules. This adventure is a learning tool and it is recommended that new players play this adventure first to help them learn the game, or at least read it to get the idea.
Info boxes should be read or paraphrased to the players at the appropriate time. All other text is secret and for the GM's eyes only.
Light bulb boxes should only be read to the players after they succeed in an action required to reveal this information.
The Haunted Tavern
The Adventure takes place in a roadside tavern and contains a short basement dungeon.
Summary: the player Actors must solve the mystery of the haunted tavern and rid the bartender of the “monster” in his cellar that is ruining his business. The GM's job is to motivate the players to try and accomplish that mission.
Setting
The GM should decide what kind of world the tavern exists in: is it a medieval road stop for peasant farmers and pilgrims? Is it a modern cafe along a rural route? Is it on an alien world where those present are from another planet? Because the Core Rules leave the setting up to the imagination, there are no rules to influence gameplay or place constraints on how outcomes are adjudicated.
You arrive at the roadside tavern as night falls, weary from the road outside, and eager for a meal and a cold drink.
Maps
The adventure consists of the tavern main floor map, as well as the cellar below. It is recommended that the GM print this page ahead of time, and fold it in half so only the main floor map is shown to the players as the adventure begins.
Area Descriptions
1 – The Common Room
The common room is dimly lit by lamps that hang from the ceiling overhead, illuminating through the smokey room a few patrons this time of night who are alternatively trying to listen to the performer upon the stage, or talk over her. Tonight's entertainer is over dressed in a tight fitting and sparkly outfit, singing and playing in front off a fireplace that crackles merrily.
As your eyes adjust, you vaguely become aware of the patrons occupying about half of the tables and chairs: a drunk at the bar heckling the stage act, a small group of local workers stopped off for dinner and drinks before arriving home by the looks of them, and a young couple here on a date perhaps.
The bartender rubs a copper mug with a rag as you enter, nodding to acknowledge your presence.
Allow the player Actors to settle in, look around, and take some actions before introducing the plot hook:
The young man who was sitting with the young lady has made his way to the bar and raises his voice loudly in anger at the bartender, apparently becoming exasperated with the service, “but it is her birthday! We can't just drink all night, you must have something we can eat!”
“I'm sorry,” the bartender replies, shaking his head wearily, “but like I said, I ain't going down to the cellar to fetch anything, that ghost was just moaning not an hour ago! You want food so bad, you want to risk your life for it, you go down there! Get whatever you want and I'll cook it fer ya.” His tone changes to one almost pleading with the young man, as the the other patrons, including the entertainer stop their conversations to listen in, hungrily.
Just then, a terrible groaning-roar erupts from somewhere below the floorboards, followed by loud banging, just as green-blue flames burst from the fireplace, causing the singer on the stage nearby to yelp and jump away to safety.
“Ya see what I mean!” says the bartender to the young man as the commotion subsides.
Below are the Actors (NPC and environmental) who are present in the Common Room. Use these stats to determine difficulty of Automatic Actions the PC Actors attempt, or to adjudicate Playing Hands during this Scene. It is recommended that the GM use the scene in the Common Room to demonstrate or practice how the rules are applied to social interaction and conflict.
NPC Actors
- Workers (3) – R1/1(27/0)-M3(3/3/3)-B3(3/3/3)-S3(3/3/3)
2 – The Bar
3 – The Kitchen
4 – The Cellar
5 – Cold Storage
6 – Dry Storage
Example Play Through
GM:
Player 1:
Work in progress…