1-Hour Sessions: Grave Robbers (Level 1 encounter)

Introduction

Hello and welcome to the first post in 1-Hour Sessions, here I will provide all of the core material needed to take a group of up to 5 adventurers through one adventure of Dungeons and Dragons, without having any experience.  I will provide the encounter map, the encounter & experience, and the treasure for every session.  This will allow you to either take this up as a quick sidequest, a hook, or even the beginning of your own campaign.

The Scenario

In Grave Robbers players will be introduced to the Caretaker to the local graveyard who has been complaining about graves being dug up and raising his superstition that the undead will strike against him and the town if digging doesn't stop.  He promises the party a large collection of potions, oils and other similar trinkets if the party can stop whoever or whatever is digging in the middle of the night.

Your first step should be getting to know who your players are, or at least their characters.  Go around the table and have all of them introduce themselves and have them keep it short.  If this isn't your first session, then ignore this step.

Here you will be given the brief script that the caretaker will use with the players:

Intro hook: "P-please, help me. I fear for my life if they aren't stopped."

Answering their question: "I am the caretaker of the graveyard, S-s-simon.  S-someone or something has been digging up the graves in the middle of the night...I-if they aren't stopped, we're all doomed.  The dead will demand vengeance for disturbing their sleep. I c-can re-reward you if you save our town."

The party should get the idea that that the caretaker is either a fragile person, superstitutious, simple, or even elderly with the stuttering and it plays on the idea that it would be good to not only help the caretaker, but also prevent skeletons and zombies to ravage the town.

Answering a question about reward: "I have a c-cache of potions, oils and and ointments you can have, just stop them before it is t-t-too late!"

Explaining the Map

The map comes with 8 rooms in total, two of which are blocked by locked doors.  Each number has a flavor description which may or may not be read at your choice and are just optional ways to describe the room.  At any point you feel comfortable, you can just ad-lib the descriptions.  Here are the scripted descriptions:

1. "Easily entering the sepulcher, the dim torchlit hallway holds a somber tone of respect as it is met with the spine-tingling smell of earth.  Echoing off the walls are the sounds of boots and whispers.  The hall way extends 75 feet inward and to your left and right are open doorways with more doorways visible through the dancing shadows of torches."
2. The room seems undisturbed as six large sarcophagi sit in the room.  You recall the warning that Simon, the caretake had told you before.
3. The room looks like it was recently disturbed and the sounds of scratching can be heard within in the coffins.  It almost sounds like nails scratching against their oaken lids and faint gasps can be heard.
4. Inside the room, you see two statues with braizers lit, but giving off a strange blue flame.  There are two sarcophagi below them and two chests nearby.
5. Ten coffins sit in this room and are accompanied by a wheelbarrow and a chest.  It is obvious now that someone has been here before as the same sound from the coffins before can be heard in a louder chorus in this room.
6. Entering this room you see two large statues that look like they belong to a noble person.  Two chests sit at their heads and their sarcophagi are decorated with personal belongings and weapons.  You get the feeling disturbing this room may lead to a grave mistake.
7. Entering this room, the smell of heady wines, dust, grave dirt and sweat assault you.  There are several crates that look like were moved around earlier in the day.  You can assume that this is the caretaker's storage.
8. A chest sits on top of a large altar that has runes and arcane symbols sketched around its base.  Whatever is in the chest most either be important or worth something, but is it worth it?

Notes:

• All of the doors that require to be unlocked should be a Difficulty Check of 15 with Thieves' tools.
• Opening a sarcophagus requires a Strength Check of 14.
• The coffins in room 3 & 5 contain skeletons and if disturbed or opened become hostile.
• The chests in room 4 contain 300 gold pieces in gems, but when disturbed raise 2 ghouls from the nearby graves.
• The chest in room 5 contains jewelry, coin, gems and an ornate dagger totaling in worth of 450 gold pieces.  Taking any treasure of this chest would awaken ten skeletons, bursting from their coffins.
• The chests in this room contain 500 gold pieces in jewelry and gems.  The personal items are worth a total of 200 gold pieces.  Taking any treasure from this room will raise two wights, which are deadly to these characters at the moment.
• Entering the caretaker's room has no penalties outside of a moral quandry.  The party, searching the crates find three bottles of holy water and several small trinkets, but nothing of value.
• The chest on the altar in room 8 contains a magical amulet, but opening the chest also releases a ghost, which is deadly at this level.
• When the party enters room 8, have them roll a Perception check to notice stomping footsteps.  The check for this should be a 12.

Running the Encounter

The encounter with the grave robbers is a fight against 5 bandits.  This is a medium encounter, which means that the bandits should be of an equal level to the party, no one should die, but it may happen with bad rolls.  The fight in total is worth 250 experience points, and it is up to you whether or not you divide it between the players or give it as a lump sum.  I generally will divide experience, so each play in this case would get 50 experience points for surviving the encounter.

To make it easier on your party, have the bandits each attack a different target on their turns.  Some bandits may engage in melee combat, while others stay at ranged.  It is fine to mix it up.

Here is the stat block for the bandits:

Bandits are a staple in robbery for both GP and HP.

Conclusion

If the party did not disturb any grave site award them each 100 experience points.  At this point it leaves to question who the men were looking for, could they be working for someone else? What about all of the coffins filled with animated skeletons?  You can leave the party with all of the questions they want, but the best hook for your next adventure is leaving them wondering until next session.

If you are looking for pre-generated characters, you can find them here.