Adventures for a Lone Rogue [Archive] - Wizards Community

Adventures for a Lone Rogue [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Meeka
12-27-06, 01:35 PM I was wondering if anyone had any ideas for adventures that a 5th level rogue could go on by himself. The character is a drow mercenary living in a small underdark city. His character is focused on stealth, lock picking, and disabling traps (the typical rogue), and I'd like to run adventures that let him put those skills to use, alot. He is also good with his hand crossbow, so I'd like to set up combat encounters where he can put it to good use without the bad guys rushing him with axes and swords.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. :)
theotherdraxen
12-27-06, 01:40 PM What books do you have? What does the player prefer?
Thubby
12-27-06, 01:47 PM you could do a crawl in an ancient and terrible dungeon (maybe an egyptian pyramid deal). they have lots of traps, with not as many "fight x dudes" encounters.
as to the ranged deal. i usualy say its for the player to figure out. but a simple way would be to say areas of the cealing have collapsed, creating elevated areas surrounded by rough terrain. an acrobatic character (jump balance climb) could get there and get gunning while the enemy has to struggle their way to him. id do this whether or not you had a ranged character, since its cinematic, logical, and makes dynamic encounters
Meeka
12-27-06, 02:36 PM Books I have are:

Players Handbook 3.0
Dungeon Master's Guide 3.5
Monster Manuel 3.0
Tome of Magic
Miniatures Handbook
Libris Mortis
Oriental Adventures
Savage Species
Draconomicon and
Arms and Equipment

The players prefers action, not combat exactly just anything that feels stressful and keeps him on the edge of his seat.
Daergal_the_Black
12-27-06, 02:56 PM I've never played a single rogue campaign, but I have played in all rogue campaigns before. We did things like espionage missions (infiltrating, spying on, and later attacking a rival thieves' guild), simple burglaries (it's very liberating to do your thieving when everyone can Hide and Move Silently).

If your world has magic shops, those are just dying to be burgled.
Gr8tyrant
12-27-06, 03:47 PM have him rob the treasury of a wizards tower.

plenty of traps - dont just make him roll disable checks, actualy make them fun and brain bustin

put a few guards. make them a couple levels lower than your pc and allow him to do some guerilla tactics.

give him a couple days to case the joint and come up wiht a plan of attack. then let him go to town.

this will allow him to use some combat, sneakyness, some charisma, a lot of RP and a little bit of brain power.

other ideas, like above fight a rival guild
have him wack someone
put a hit out on him, so he has to kill the assassin before being killed
make him escape from a jail cell and get his gear back
have him steal some noble's document, wihtout which war will start
have him run weapons from city to city to fuel that war
theotherdraxen
12-27-06, 03:50 PM Books I have are:

Players Handbook 3.0
Dungeon Master's Guide 3.5
Monster Manuel 3.0
Tome of Magic
Miniatures Handbook
Libris Mortis
Oriental Adventures
Savage Species
Draconomicon and
Arms and Equipment
Good books, but you should get Complete Adventurer if you want a rogue-only campaign. Also, check this (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/buildingCharacters/complexSkillChecks.htm) out from Unearthed Arcana.

The players prefers action, not combat exactly just anything that feels stressful and keeps him on the edge of his seat.

Right. What kind of campaign are you running? Military style? Dungeon Crawl? Investigation?
ccerose
12-27-06, 03:53 PM City adventures would be good. Scale a walled housing complex. Break into a second story bed room. Eavesdrop on a conversation. All while avoiding the compound guards.
Gr8tyrant
12-27-06, 03:53 PM big thing for any theives campaign, i always keep a 1 minute and a 5 minute timer. even if there is nothing that requires time, flipping that will keep him on his toes (i also use it for gaurd patrol times etc) that way he actually has to think in the time his character would have in the same situation
Meeka
12-27-06, 04:23 PM Some good ideas.

As I mentioned, the game takes place in a small underdark city, ruled by drow, but populated mostly by savage races like kobolds, goblins, and orcs. The game hasn't begun yet, I only know what character my player wanted to play, and that he wants to be able to use his rogue skills to their max.
theotherdraxen
12-27-06, 08:06 PM Okay. I advise putting your rogue into McGuyver style scenarios. He gets stuck in a lot of ruts, and only really clever use of the environment around him will save him.

An example: the rogue is hired by a dark elven noble to spy on her husband while he is away. This rogue cannot gain access to his 'getaway party' through the front gates: they have an explicit list and all that are coming are already inside. However, he is told (or possibly knows via Knowledge (local)) that there is an entrance to the place through the sewers. After traveling for some time (possibly encountering some sewer creatures (rat-men are a classic) on the way that require sneaking to get around or lying to get past, both of which should reward the rogue xp as if he beat them) he manages to gain access to a cellar through a secret passage in the stone, which seals itself behind him.

The cellar is locked from the wrong side, and guards patrol outside it. Unless he has a vial of acid on his person, he will need to dig through the alcohol for resources. Upon doing so, he discoveres an old, forgotten, caustic bottle (it used to be alcohol until it aged a little too much). He can use this as a vial of acid and get through the door.

Of course, he needs to avoid the guards, which requires a mix of hide and move silent checks (there's rules for dashing across hallways and remaining hidden in Complete Adventurer, but you could make up your own). He has to try to predict the guards patrol patterns to pick the best way through the basement.

Once up in the building, he either needs to use a disguise kit (if he doesn't already have one on) or capture a noble of his likeness and take his clothes. Then, he can approach the noblewoman's husband, and see if he's up to anything.

All it needs is an ending! :)
Mock26
12-27-06, 08:16 PM Find a copy of the old first addition adventure called "The Assassin's Run."
Meeka
12-28-06, 08:10 AM Okay, so I have a general idea of what adventures would be good for a rogue.

I'm planning now to have his first adventure be an assassination mission. He'll be hired by a drow noble to kill the sorcerer of a rival house. However, since drow culture emphesises stealth and subdulty, he can't just stick a dagger in the sorcerer's back. Instead he'll have to sneak inside the sorcerer's, family's compound, find the sorcerer's chambers, and poison him somehow (Most likely through food or drink.

What I'd like to know is, what kind of defenses might a rogue encounter trying to break into a drow noble house? What might he expect to encounter once inside? And should he have a time limit?

Just looking for imput, and ofcourse any other adventure ideas you might have.
CharlieRock
12-28-06, 08:24 AM I keep seeing this module appearing on the shelf at my local game store. :D
Solo module for rogue (http://e23.sjgames.com/item.html?id=XRP6001)
Mitchell
12-29-06, 04:16 AM Thanks for that link, Charlie. I knew Paizo had some in their last newsletter, but I couldn't remember the company, so I couldn't find them on their site.
Now, if you want adventures, here are some of those (http://paizo.com/store/byCompany/e/expeditiousRetreatPress/1on1Adventures), including the one Charlie linked to.
If you would rather have them as downloads, then go here instead (http://paizo.com/store/downloads/expeditiousRetreatPress/1on1Adventures).
Either way you have a few adventures for rogues. Just go over them to make sure there aren't any funky non-standard things in there, and you may want to insert some non-core stuff of your own.
Disclaimer: I have never looked at or played any of their stuff. It may be spectacularly good or bad. :cool:
CharlieRock
12-29-06, 08:51 AM You know; sometimes I just don't want to order online. Luckily my LGS owner will order things for me. I just have to tell him what I want. Somehow ,I escape the S&H charges as well. And, I get to shoot the bull with some fellow gamers (almost like here ;)). One time, our LGS was having trouble with a supplier (middleman types). Out of an e-mail from little ol'Charlie here, Joe Goodman himself (of Goodman Games) gave our game shop a phone call and managed to straighten things out for everyone! :D Now, we have a steady supply of DCCs and stuff from TLG,too. The manager asked me if it was my e-mail that started it all. I was kinda ,like, 'um ... yeah??' ,but he was happy and gave me some dice. My gamestore rawks! :cool:

Edit: I have played DCCs and Assault on Blacktooth Ridge. They're awesome!
RobbyPants
12-29-06, 11:51 AM Some good ideas.

As I mentioned, the game takes place in a small underdark city, ruled by drow, but populated mostly by savage races like kobolds, goblins, and orcs. The game hasn't begun yet, I only know what character my player wanted to play, and that he wants to be able to use his rogue skills to their max.
Do you have problems with your character venturing to the surface (or at least some "civilized" area underground)? If not, I have two words:
Thieve's Guild
If you can somehow get your character associated with a guild of some sort (perhaps a standard thieve's guild, the mafia, or something similar), you will have a virtually endless supply of adventures and plot hooks. Depending on your role in the guild, you could go on all sorts of adventures. Something I'd suggest is an assassin/enforcer type. This would allow you to use that crossbow of yours, without having to put yourself at risk of melee often.

This is just a suggestion, but it's the first thing that jumped to mind when I read the words "solo rogue adventures". :D
Warduke
12-29-06, 02:13 PM Quick suggestion. Make sure your encounter areas are 3 dimensional. If you are using gaming tiles or a game mat many DMs forget to add in the terrain that truly helps a rogue(or any ranged character).

Balconies, rafters, huge chandliers, catwalks, windows, window sills, are usually grossly underused.
PwnageLlama
12-29-06, 03:08 PM Snipe?

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Meeka 12-27-06, 01:35 PM	I was wondering if anyone had any ideas for adventures that a 5th level rogue could go on by himself. The character is a drow mercenary living in a small underdark city. His character is focused on stealth, lock picking, and disabling traps (the typical rogue), and I'd like to run adventures that let him put those skills to use, alot. He is also good with his hand crossbow, so I'd like to set up combat encounters where he can put it to good use without the bad guys rushing him with axes and swords. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. :)
theotherdraxen 12-27-06, 01:40 PM	What books do you have? What does the player prefer?
Thubby 12-27-06, 01:47 PM	you could do a crawl in an ancient and terrible dungeon (maybe an egyptian pyramid deal). they have lots of traps, with not as many "fight x dudes" encounters. as to the ranged deal. i usualy say its for the player to figure out. but a simple way would be to say areas of the cealing have collapsed, creating elevated areas surrounded by rough terrain. an acrobatic character (jump balance climb) could get there and get gunning while the enemy has to struggle their way to him. id do this whether or not you had a ranged character, since its cinematic, logical, and makes dynamic encounters
Meeka 12-27-06, 02:36 PM	Books I have are: Players Handbook 3.0 Dungeon Master's Guide 3.5 Monster Manuel 3.0 Tome of Magic Miniatures Handbook Libris Mortis Oriental Adventures Savage Species Draconomicon and Arms and Equipment The players prefers action, not combat exactly just anything that feels stressful and keeps him on the edge of his seat.
Daergal_the_Black 12-27-06, 02:56 PM	I've never played a single rogue campaign, but I have played in all rogue campaigns before. We did things like espionage missions (infiltrating, spying on, and later attacking a rival thieves' guild), simple burglaries (it's very liberating to do your thieving when everyone can Hide and Move Silently). If your world has magic shops, those are just dying to be burgled.
Gr8tyrant 12-27-06, 03:47 PM	have him rob the treasury of a wizards tower. plenty of traps - dont just make him roll disable checks, actualy make them fun and brain bustin put a few guards. make them a couple levels lower than your pc and allow him to do some guerilla tactics. give him a couple days to case the joint and come up wiht a plan of attack. then let him go to town. this will allow him to use some combat, sneakyness, some charisma, a lot of RP and a little bit of brain power. other ideas, like above fight a rival guild have him wack someone put a hit out on him, so he has to kill the assassin before being killed make him escape from a jail cell and get his gear back have him steal some noble's document, wihtout which war will start have him run weapons from city to city to fuel that war
theotherdraxen 12-27-06, 03:50 PM	Books I have are: Players Handbook 3.0 Dungeon Master's Guide 3.5 Monster Manuel 3.0 Tome of Magic Miniatures Handbook Libris Mortis Oriental Adventures Savage Species Draconomicon and Arms and Equipment Good books, but you should get Complete Adventurer if you want a rogue-only campaign. Also, check this (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/buildingCharacters/complexSkillChecks.htm) out from Unearthed Arcana. The players prefers action, not combat exactly just anything that feels stressful and keeps him on the edge of his seat. Right. What kind of campaign are you running? Military style? Dungeon Crawl? Investigation?
ccerose 12-27-06, 03:53 PM	City adventures would be good. Scale a walled housing complex. Break into a second story bed room. Eavesdrop on a conversation. All while avoiding the compound guards.
Gr8tyrant 12-27-06, 03:53 PM	big thing for any theives campaign, i always keep a 1 minute and a 5 minute timer. even if there is nothing that requires time, flipping that will keep him on his toes (i also use it for gaurd patrol times etc) that way he actually has to think in the time his character would have in the same situation
Meeka 12-27-06, 04:23 PM	Some good ideas. As I mentioned, the game takes place in a small underdark city, ruled by drow, but populated mostly by savage races like kobolds, goblins, and orcs. The game hasn't begun yet, I only know what character my player wanted to play, and that he wants to be able to use his rogue skills to their max.
theotherdraxen 12-27-06, 08:06 PM	Okay. I advise putting your rogue into McGuyver style scenarios. He gets stuck in a lot of ruts, and only really clever use of the environment around him will save him. An example: the rogue is hired by a dark elven noble to spy on her husband while he is away. This rogue cannot gain access to his 'getaway party' through the front gates: they have an explicit list and all that are coming are already inside. However, he is told (or possibly knows via Knowledge (local)) that there is an entrance to the place through the sewers. After traveling for some time (possibly encountering some sewer creatures (rat-men are a classic) on the way that require sneaking to get around or lying to get past, both of which should reward the rogue xp as if he beat them) he manages to gain access to a cellar through a secret passage in the stone, which seals itself behind him. The cellar is locked from the wrong side, and guards patrol outside it. Unless he has a vial of acid on his person, he will need to dig through the alcohol for resources. Upon doing so, he discoveres an old, forgotten, caustic bottle (it used to be alcohol until it aged a little too much). He can use this as a vial of acid and get through the door. Of course, he needs to avoid the guards, which requires a mix of hide and move silent checks (there's rules for dashing across hallways and remaining hidden in Complete Adventurer, but you could make up your own). He has to try to predict the guards patrol patterns to pick the best way through the basement. Once up in the building, he either needs to use a disguise kit (if he doesn't already have one on) or capture a noble of his likeness and take his clothes. Then, he can approach the noblewoman's husband, and see if he's up to anything. All it needs is an ending! :)
Mock26 12-27-06, 08:16 PM	Find a copy of the old first addition adventure called "The Assassin's Run."
Meeka 12-28-06, 08:10 AM	Okay, so I have a general idea of what adventures would be good for a rogue. I'm planning now to have his first adventure be an assassination mission. He'll be hired by a drow noble to kill the sorcerer of a rival house. However, since drow culture emphesises stealth and subdulty, he can't just stick a dagger in the sorcerer's back. Instead he'll have to sneak inside the sorcerer's, family's compound, find the sorcerer's chambers, and poison him somehow (Most likely through food or drink. What I'd like to know is, what kind of defenses might a rogue encounter trying to break into a drow noble house? What might he expect to encounter once inside? And should he have a time limit? Just looking for imput, and ofcourse any other adventure ideas you might have.
CharlieRock 12-28-06, 08:24 AM	I keep seeing this module appearing on the shelf at my local game store. :D Solo module for rogue (http://e23.sjgames.com/item.html?id=XRP6001)
Mitchell 12-29-06, 04:16 AM	Thanks for that link, Charlie. I knew Paizo had some in their last newsletter, but I couldn't remember the company, so I couldn't find them on their site. Now, if you want adventures, here are some of those (http://paizo.com/store/byCompany/e/expeditiousRetreatPress/1on1Adventures), including the one Charlie linked to. If you would rather have them as downloads, then go here instead (http://paizo.com/store/downloads/expeditiousRetreatPress/1on1Adventures). Either way you have a few adventures for rogues. Just go over them to make sure there aren't any funky non-standard things in there, and you may want to insert some non-core stuff of your own. Disclaimer: I have never looked at or played any of their stuff. It may be spectacularly good or bad. :cool:
CharlieRock 12-29-06, 08:51 AM	You know; sometimes I just don't want to order online. Luckily my LGS owner will order things for me. I just have to tell him what I want. Somehow ,I escape the S&H charges as well. And, I get to shoot the bull with some fellow gamers (almost like here ;)). One time, our LGS was having trouble with a supplier (middleman types). Out of an e-mail from little ol'Charlie here, Joe Goodman himself (of Goodman Games) gave our game shop a phone call and managed to straighten things out for everyone! :D Now, we have a steady supply of DCCs and stuff from TLG,too. The manager asked me if it was my e-mail that started it all. I was kinda ,like, 'um ... yeah??' ,but he was happy and gave me some dice. My gamestore rawks! :cool: Edit: I have played DCCs and Assault on Blacktooth Ridge. They're awesome!
RobbyPants 12-29-06, 11:51 AM	Some good ideas. As I mentioned, the game takes place in a small underdark city, ruled by drow, but populated mostly by savage races like kobolds, goblins, and orcs. The game hasn't begun yet, I only know what character my player wanted to play, and that he wants to be able to use his rogue skills to their max. Do you have problems with your character venturing to the surface (or at least some "civilized" area underground)? If not, I have two words: Thieve's Guild If you can somehow get your character associated with a guild of some sort (perhaps a standard thieve's guild, the mafia, or something similar), you will have a virtually endless supply of adventures and plot hooks. Depending on your role in the guild, you could go on all sorts of adventures. Something I'd suggest is an assassin/enforcer type. This would allow you to use that crossbow of yours, without having to put yourself at risk of melee often. This is just a suggestion, but it's the first thing that jumped to mind when I read the words "solo rogue adventures". :D
Warduke 12-29-06, 02:13 PM	Quick suggestion. Make sure your encounter areas are 3 dimensional. If you are using gaming tiles or a game mat many DMs forget to add in the terrain that truly helps a rogue(or any ranged character). Balconies, rafters, huge chandliers, catwalks, windows, window sills, are usually grossly underused.
PwnageLlama 12-29-06, 03:08 PM	Snipe?