Twelve Hours Til Dawn Module
Title: Twelve Hours til Dawn
Author: Kathy Ice
Game: proposed Tapestry game
Date: 2006 (modified from a module written in 2003)
Premise: This module is a mystery, with the players taking the parts of various people in the town of Northbrook. They are trying to figure out who stole the annual hobgoblin tribute, before the hobgoblins show up to collect. One or more of them is responsible for the theft.
The following information will be given to players:
Background
The town of Northbrook is located in one of the remoter parts of the kingdom, in an area heavily populated with orcs, goblins, and other savage humanoids. Life in Northbrook was uncertain and difficult for many years.
About ten years ago, the Lord Mayor of Northbrook formed an alliance he felt would benefit the town--an agreement with a particularly aggressive tribe of hobgoblins. The hobgoblins would prevent the other tribes from raiding the town, and in return Northbrook would pay a yearly tribute to the hobgoblins on the Autumnal Equinox. In his typically high-handed way, the Lord Mayor did not include the Town Council, the Merchant’s Guild, or anyone else in his discussions with the hobgoblins, and did not even reveal that the discussions were taking place until the agreement was made. He presented it to the town as a fait accompli, a signed pact that the rest of the town had no choice but to follow.
Although some still grumble at the expense, the alliance has served Northbrook well. Raids are a thing of the past, and the town has grown and prospered.
It is the eve of the Autumnal Equinox, and the hobgoblins will arrive tomorrow at dawn expecting their tribute. Moments ago, several of the townsfolk opened the warehouse holding the tribute. It was empty.
It is twelve hours till dawn. You must find the missing tribute or be prepared to defend the town against a horde of furious hobgoblins. And one or more of you is responsible for the theft.....
Characters
The Captain of the Guard has always been a loyal and honest defender--but his wife and daughter abruptly left town a week ago. Did he send them out of harm’s way knowing this crisis would happen?
The Lord Mayor has always had Northbrook’s best interests at heart, but he is high-handed and dictatorial. And he has the only key to the warehouse. Could he have made yet another agreement without telling anyone?
The Merchant has a vested interest in a peaceful town, but has complained loudly about the taxation necessary to make up the tribute. Has he taken back what he feels is his?
The Priestess is a loyal servant of Pelor, but she has been a vocal critic of the “pact with evil”. Has she taken matters into her own hands?
The Soldier has served the town for years, but has long been of the opinion that the best way to handle the hobgoblins would be to fight them once and for all. Has he taken steps to ensure such a fight?
The Stranger arrived in town a few days ago. Solitary and taciturn, he has had little contact with the townsfolk and has not said what his business in town is. What is he doing here?
The Thief has finally been jailed and is awaiting the arrival of the King’s Justiciar to decide her fate. True, she has been safely behind bars this whole time, but locks and bars mean little to a cunning thief. Has she exacted revenge on the townsfolk who seem to have ended her career?
The Wizard is well-respected, but she has a deplorable fondness for practical jokes--and magic would have made the theft much easier. Is this all just a prank?
When they sign up, players will be asked to choose one of the characters to portray. Each player will then be given a character write-up, which includes the following:
- A brief description of the character, written from the character’s point of view
- An outline of the character’s role, if any, in the theft
- An outline of what clues the character may have access to
- A traditional character sheet
- The character’s victory conditions
Players will have some leeway to customize their characters, and then the game will begin.
The following table summarizes the characters and their victory conditions. In the victory conditions, “save the town” means either finding the stolen tribute or fighting off the hobgoblins. Some characters want specifically to find the tribute; others don’t care one way or the other.
Designation Name Guilty? Victory Conditions The Captain Talfryn Sort of Get his family back Save the town The Lord Mayor Mederick No Find the tribute The Merchant Aldo Yes Leave town with the stolen goods The Priestess Rolanda No Save the town Find the culprit The Stranger Kirill No Leave town at dawn (i.e., find the tribute) The Soldier Halvard No Save the town The Thief Decla No Get out of jail The Wizard Gersemi No Save the town Find out how the theft was done
I have not planned out scenes, since this is very much a player-driven scenario. What happens depends on what the players decide to do. Even the “bad guys” are out of the DM’s control.
I’ve run an earlier version of this module twice now as a tabletop game, and each time it took about 3 hours. I think I can get it done on the board in a month or two.
Planned rewards:
I plan to hand out two Golden Seals at the end of the module, one from the Seals board, and a new one I’m proposing. All players would get the (proposed) Seal of Serendipity, and all players who met their victory conditions would also get a Seal of Approval.
Seal of Serendipity: Activate this seal to “discover” that you had purchased an item the last time you were in town, and it is even now in your backpack! Add to your inventory one item from “Adventuring Gear” in PHB Table 7-8, and deduct the cost from your funds.
Seal of Approval: Once activated, this seal allows a +10 to diplomacy, bluff, disguise, and gather information skills. The seal lasts for 3 rounds and affects all party members.
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