The Seventh Adventure

[rredmond]

"Us druids have to stick together Ursa, Noh says, "though you seem quite out of sorts today. Sorta like me having to take a blunt ax to the dol."

[Scottenkainen]

It didn't matter if he didn't have their names. Beppo remembered their faces. He forced one more smile, but stepped backwards 15' before turning his back on them.

Karens? Such strange lingo the humans used in these parts.

He tried to turn a corner as quickly as he could, in case the jerks-at-arms changed their minds and decided to shoot him in the back. He mulled over trying to shadow them to learn more about them, but decided it was too dangerous. He needed more experience at that first.

Beppo backtracked to that large open triangular field to see if it was a marketplace, or what purpose it was serving if not that.

[mushgnome]

"Us druids have to stick together Ursa, Noh says, "though you seem quite out of sorts today. Sorta like me having to take a blunt ax to the dol."

"How do you keep your scramble from getting brained when you back change to Hobbet form?" inquires Ursa.

[mushgnome]

Beppo sees that the triangular area is just a vacant lot. He feels the ever-present, watchful gaze of the human guardsmen upon him. He's definitely being 'tailed.'

How many more hours does Beppo want to spend skulking around town, knowing that his cover is blown?

Thief-skill stealth check for Beppo, to duck around the corner and give the guard the slip. He needs 4-6 to succeed but rolls 1d6=2, failure.

Beppo's curiosity has exceeded the DM's preparation! I am not prepared with a building-by-building key for CSIO-style urban adventures. We're veering into improv play and out of my comfort zone.

Let me break the 4th wall so you can calculate the risks:

Beppo has fully explored the town of Hornpipe. No matter how hard he looks, he will not find any keyed encounter areas or meet any named NPCs. (This is why the guards refused to tell him their names: they don't have names.)

If Beppo continues to snoop around town, I will check for wandering encounters on the urban encounter table, once per hour. Some of these random encounters might be friendly, informative or beneficial to Beppo, but other encounters I do not think would be survivable for a solo 1st level PC. You would be one bad reaction check away from losing Beppo and having to roll up a new character.

I know you are probably bored (and I do admire Beppo's persistence), but the main party is binding their wounds and tallying up their big treasure haul. It probably won't be long now until they are back to the surface and you can join in the Adventure!

[mushgnome]

I hate to step on your creativity, and I do enjoy the 'sandbox' style of play, in moderation. I just want to drive home the point that these humans are Monsters with a capital M. You know how in OD&D Volume 2: Monsters & Treasure, it says "Men, Number Appearing 30-300" and then goes into detail about their troop composition, leader-types, etc.? This is that!! And 30-300 is the number of combat-ready adults, not including children and civilians. This difficulty of this encounter is not "balanced" for a party of one 1st level PC.

Beppo is not a "Man" and he is arguably not even a "Man-Type." In OD&D Volume 3: U&WA, dwarves, elves and gnomes are listed as "Giant-Types" alongside goblins, kobolds and orcs. Therefore an argument could be made that Beppo despite his diminutive stature is considered a Giant-Type by the humans!

While it's true we are using Delving Deeper, not OD&D rules, I do like to consider these quirks of the original game as background inspiration, when I am doing my world-building. These Humans of Hornpipe view Hobbets as mischievous fairy-tale creatures, like grumkins, snarks or ogres. These humans would consider hobbets as capable of such crimes as snatching your baby, curdling a cow's milk or stealing a cooling pie off your windowsill.

And really, can you blame them? Hasn't Beppo played right into their stereotype of Hobbets as malicious gremlins or vengeful bogeymen?

The flip side of the coin is that, I do love your idea to bend the children to your will and use them as minions and informants. I have allowed such things in past campaigns. Memorably there was a young NPC informant named Loose Lips who worked as a busboy at the Arkham Saloon. But Beppo has to earn that. Right now, he is a stranger to these children, and they have no reason to respect him. Beppo would be looking at Hero level or thereabouts, before he gets that kind of influence over NPCs. (Or perhaps some type of magic item, that lets him have a pied-piper effect.)

[Scottenkainen]

If they wanted to follow him, Beppo would oblige. He took them on the most circuitous, boring tour of the town he could conceive for the next hour. Maybe he would get lucky and they would catch cold out here -- there would be a little revenge!

[rredmond]

"How do you keep your scramble from getting brained when you back change to Hobbet form?" inquires Ursa.

Just checking that my 1e brain isn't messing things up. The druid rules for DD don't say anything about a level when druids can change shape. If they did, I'm certain Ursa could do it
Do druids gain that power? And if so, can something go wrong during the shift back and forth? Thank ya sir!

[mushgnome]

Just checking that my 1e brain isn't messing things up. The druid rules for DD don't say anything about a level when druids can change shape. If they did, I'm certain Ursa could do it
Do druids gain that power? And if so, can something go wrong during the shift back and forth? Thank ya sir!

Noh has no knowledge of shape-shifting druids. Even his druid tutor, old master so-and-so, did not have that ability. But it does make sense conceptually, though, doesn't it? The idea of druids changing into animals fits with the ancient myths and legends.

This isn't a puzzle you can solve with your knowledge of D&D lore. Rather, put yourself in the situation of a sympathetic listener, to a druid who has been through some unspecified shapeshifting trauma. What would you ask her, or say to her, to help bring her back home?

[mushgnome]

Beppo spends a lovely hour touring the town of Hornpipe. He sees all the typical buildings he would expect to see in a small New England town: houses, barns, a church, a blacksmith, some shops, a schoolhouse. All businesses are closed to Hobbets, some more politely than others, but all non-negotiably. This time of day, the foot traffic is primarily housewives running errands. For the most part, the human women completely ignore Beppo, going out of their way not to make eye contact with him. Beppo observes that they have a complex social code: They all seem terrified of behaving differently than their neighbors, or standing out as unusual in any way. Perhaps they are worried they will be accused of witchcraft, if they do not observe the social rituals and conform with the group!

Beppo overhears snippets of their conversations. The gossip is about Witches. There are rumors of witches in Dunwich and witches in Arkham. Will there be witches in Hornpipe soon? Who knows! Maybe there are witches here already. Oh my!

The hour passes unventfully. Nobody confronts Beppo or tries to speak with him. What next?

Does Beppo have a random encounter? 1d6 = 2, no he does not.

Reaction roll from the townsfolk 2d6+1=8, neutral. They largely ignore him.

Does Beppo lose his tail? 1d6=2, no he does not. He is still being watched from a distance.

[Scottenkainen]

Beppo is thinking he may have made a mistake, and that Arkham and Dunwich would be better places to seek adventure! But it's too late and Beppo is too cold to start out for another long journey. He returns to the pancake house -- chancing the front door this time -- and inquires about where traveling hobbets are allowed to sleep around here.