A little over a year ago we started this campaign (just before my state locked down due to Covid). At the time, I wasn't expecting my four players -- all brand-new to D&D -- to play more than a session or two, so I didn't put a whole lot of effort into setting something up. We spent the first session rolling up characters, and by the time we were done, it was nearly time to stop for the night.
I started them in a new area of my campaign world, away from the campaign I run on Tuesday nights, and just made up some names. The girls also made up a few details about their character backgrounds, and I supplemented them with some on-the-spot motivations (which I expanded upon in the week between sessions, most of which is reflected in the write-up below).
I laid out a quick ad hoc scenario to let them experience combat. I had no idea where we were going and I had zero information for them other than what I was pulling out of my ass as we went along. Everyone seemed to have a really good time, though, and when it was over, they all wanted to play a second session.
So, here we go..
SESSION 1
04/01/21
The Player Characters (PCs)
Armolas d'Skievich = Emily
She is a wood elf ranger from The Reach, a small settlement of elves who dwell in the Gnarly Forest, in a secluded valley nestled in the foothills of the Ironblood Mountains about 60 miles northeast of the village.
She was dispatched to the village by Aethelwyn (pron. ETH-uhl-win), the matriarch (“Eldress”) of the wood elves. Her mission: To keep an eye on matters in the town, particularly relations between Canton Ferril—the human lord of Brackleborn Keep—and the dwarves of Umber Hall, with whom the elves have a serious quarrel over the construction of their steam train which threatens the ancient Gnarly Forest.
Five years ago, she came to Brackleborn Village and set up shop as a carpenter and woodworker. She has come to love and respect the little village and its residents, who have treated her as one of their own. She rents a small cottage and workshop from Mr. Mulberry, a halfling landlord and the local “ambassador” for the halfling refugees from Worcestershire. Despite settling into a nice life in the village, she keeps her eye on the situation in the north.
Belba Grubb = Marie
A lightfoot halfling bard, Belba is the only daughter of a co-owner of the Half-Baked Bakery—Aldi Grubb (neé Baggings). She came to the village as a little girl after the hill giant’s army invaded the north of the province and destroyed the halfling settlement of Worcestershire.
Dixie Dawn = Cameron
She is a human paladin from an area in the remote highlands of a neighboring province, bordering the Wilderlands. The people in that region are clannish and distrustful of outsiders. Her father is the head of a clan there, and he is a proud but intolerant man. Dixie had a rough-and-tumble upbringing and grew up using her fists to solve problems.
She wasn't satisfied with what her father and other kinfolk "expected" of her — to be someone she didn't want to be (get married, raise kids, and be an obedient wife to the son of one of her father’s allies). When her father promised her hand in marriage to the son of a clan chief, Dixie decided to leave home to figure out who she really was.
With the aid of her beloved aunt whom the family has shunned because of her "crazy beliefs and practices," Dixie fled her family's farm on her wedding night, and headed for far-off Brackleborn Village. Once there, she contacted a dwarf-friend of her aunt's named Murph, who owned the local brewery. Murph gladly welcomed Dixie as if she were his own daughter, and hired her on as an apprentice brewer.
As a paladin, she serves no god; instead, her intense drive and motivation to become something greater than what her family expects gives her a wellspring of inner strength and determination which gives her formidable power.
Ellie-Mae Bottomtooth = Rachel
She is a stout halfling druid, the only daughter of a co-owner of the Half-Baked Bakery—Lidl Bottomtooth (neé Baggings). She came to the village as a little girl after the hill giant’s army invaded the north of the province and destroyed the halfling settlement of Worcestershire. She became aware of her shape-changing powers as a wee girl, as she and her mother (and aunt and cousin) fled the goblins who were attacking the town. During their flight, she transformed into a bear to scare off a patrol of goblins blocking their escape.
As she grew older, Ellie spent much of her time in the fields and woods surrounding the village, caring for the small animals and gathering herbs, berries, nuts and seeds for her mom and aunt’s bakery. This brought her to the attention of Madame Enorca, the village wise-woman (or “witch” as some call her). Ellie has become Enorca’s apprentice, and the young halfling now lives in the cottage with the elderly woman, who teaches her to harness her natural powers.
She lost her father during the giant’s invasion, as he stayed behind with the men-folk to defend the village. He is presumed dead. Ellie works part-time in the bakery with her mom, aunt, and cousin, Belba, but she spends the bulk of her time assisting Madame Enorca.
Story Events
As the campaign begins, the girls are relaxing one evening in the Hogshead Inn just off the village common. Nothing seems amiss as they notice the innkeeper's wife and young son descend the cellar stairs. A few moments later, they hear a blood-curdling scream…
The party springs into action! Dixie and Belba run downstairs as Ellie Mae helps the innkeeper lock down the establishment so that no one leaves. Moving toward the cellar stairs, Armolas covers Ellie Mae with her bow.
In the cellar, Dixie and Belba see that a section of the stone floor has collapsed into a dark hole. The innkeeper's wife cowers next to the hole as three giant rats the size of dogs viciously attack her. Armolas joins her friends and together, they kill the giant rats.
Pointing at the hole, the woman cries, “My baby! They took my baby!” (8 y.o. Mortimer). The hole is approximately 3-ft. in diameter and opens into a twisting rat tunnel that leads off to the west.
The session ends here...
An amazing way to start a campaign! Looking forward to reading your play reports.
ReplyDeleteThank you! It's hard for me to express how amazed and elated I was, as an adult, to be introducing brand-new players to D&D (much less my closest group of friends). It's been such a rewarding experience watching them embrace the game, and I'm really excited to share their adventures.
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