Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 mccloud Aug 29, 2008 19:12:44	Ok. The story behind the Campaign is this. I have Acting classes 4.5 hrs solid in High School (current). One of the plays we are performing is an adaptation to the old story of Sleepy Hollow. During auditions, it hit me. So far, this is the story at the beginning of the Campaign. But first, make sure that you move to another random town you have not visited for more than 8 days, turning the Inn under new ownership. Waking Sleepy Hollow It is around 10 o’clock at night. Our adventurers return to the tavern to find a place to rest from their recent campaign. The tavern is rather empty, a sign of a slow day. The dim candlelight reveals several shapes; several tables and chairs covered in dust. The Innkeeper sits at the counter, running her numbers. “It has been so slow this past week! If things continue, I’ll run out of business in a couple of days!” she said, as if speaking to someone in front of her. The walls responded with silence, and the windows with the wind. “On the bright side, I haven’t had to do the dishes for a while. “I wonder where everyone went to.” As if to answer her question, a man in a hooded cloak, sitting in the dark corner of the tavern, blurted out, “To Sleepy Hollow! Where else could they have gone?” The Innkeeper turned her head, looking puzzled at the man in the corner, sipping at a pint of beer he had purchased earlier that morning. “What do you mean? Eight days ago, this tavern was packed full of people! I had a hard time moving from that table,” she said, pointing at the table not five feet from where she sat, then pointing at the door to the kitchen, “to there! In one night, I go from working hard, to hardly working. Right now you and these adventurers are my only source of income!” She turned around to the door behind her, where the adventurers stood. One of the group heads to the table where the man sat, looked at the man, and asked, “What is happening there? A festival?” “The Horseman is happening!” the man snapped. “The damned Horseman.” He paused, silent and open mouthed, as if plotting his next few words. With one fist clenched around his glass, nearly shattering the half full vessel, and the other hand extended out, pointing into the ill-lit darkness. He relaxed, letting go of his drink, and withdrawing his hand back to the table. “Maybe I shouldn’t speak of this. Too many.” “Too many what? Do tell!” The mysterious man let out a heavy sigh, as if carrying a burden greater than the world itself. “If you really must know… “The town is called Sleepy Hollow. It’s name speaks of the sleepy atmosphere the town holds. It is said that it has come to be such from an ancient spell. Nobody knows anymore. It consists of many characters, one being my friend, Ichabod Crane. He is currently a school teacher, or at least that is what I last knew. Before he left, he spoke much about strange creatures roaming the woods. Goblins, for the most part, and others I’d rather not mention. I received a letter recently from the town. Who knows how they found me! But it said that he had gone missing, his school moved, and they have suffered several attacks from small, green, evil creatures.” “Goblins!” the adventurer thought. “The priest is now missing, and the only one who saw anything about the incident will not stop saying anything about pumpkins, horses, and a skeleton. Said person is now deceased, and her cryptic message only deciphered recently. I have told this story eight days ago, when this tavern was packed. The next day, everyone left in a hurry. Who knows what they were after! Yesterday I received another letter. It was thanking me for the effort to help, but it was useless. Everyone who had arrived there faced a three day journey, and was dead that night attempting to hold off the creatures.” The man in the cloak now grew furious, a pot bubbling within him, ready to burst off the lid. In a flash, he stood up, threw the table to the other side of the tavern some sixty feet, extinguishing the candles in that half of the building in a cloud of dust. The cloaked man drew back his hood, revealing a well built human face with long, unruly hair and a short beard in the ill light. Tears ran down his cheeks. “Please… Allow me to travel with you back to my hometown. I must avenge those who did not know what they were getting into.” The adventurer in front of him faces a decision. Quickly he returns to the group. Then just as quickly he returns with an answer.
#2 mccloud Aug 29, 2008 19:13:22	At this point in the story, round up your (wo)men and vote whether or not you wish to pursue this campaign with this ally. The next part is for DM eyes only, so hinting about the following is not allowed. But if your band chooses yes, here's what happens. The Innkeeper, overhearing all the commotion, and nearly hit by the flying table, stands up. "Ah, what the hell!" she says, "I might as well join you guys since you, since I will have nothing left by tomorrow anyway." From the mysterious man, whose name you learn is Edward, a Human Paladin, you gain the following. -Sailing Ship SS Hollow (carries up to 50 tons), as there is an overseas voyage to SH -Strong Wagon (carries up to 3 tons) for over land voyages (counts as a 3x5 token) -Access to Edward's Emporium, Edward's store on the ship. Treat as a regular store, as the economy has gone down the toilet since the attacks in Sleepy Hollow. Note: The store's current stock has no weight penalty on the ship. From the Innkeeper, whose name you learn is Maryanne, a Human Wizard, you gain the following. -Enough Journey-bread to last 30 days. -Enough Ale to last 30 days. Note: What you gain from her has no weight penalty on the ship. For these characters, refer to the 4E PHB to create the characters. As the DM, you build them up to the lowest level in your party (if your band's lowest level is 6, make the allies level 6), add the feats and spells of YOUR CHOICE, but be wary of their equipment. These characters do not gain experience, currency, or items of any sort. Their potions come from any of the band members willing to provide. Same goes for any consumable short of ammunitions. Edward, Human Paladin -Great-sword +2, plate armor +2, Crossbow +4, 200 bolts -Special Feat: Shopkeeper's Greed. Whenever an ally would receive currency of any sort, roll a D4. that ally gains D4 times the currency. Maryanne, Human Wizard -Cloth armor +4, Magic Staff +4 -Special Feat: Innkeeper's hospitality: Rest periods take half as long as usual without penalty, all allies gain +10 temporary Heal and +5 temporary Endurance. There is more to come, as I will update this when I can... please throw in some ideas as to how to improve the Campaign, but do not include Hook ideas just yet.
#3 mccloud Aug 29, 2008 19:13:58	Once you have reached Sleepy Hollow, you realize a few things... for one, after just 20 feet of dock, there is a massive stone wall, about nine feet thick. There is a door, 5 feet thick, pure steel in the wall. Breaking it open will require a Strength check of DC 90. Doing so will alert the guards at the door. 15 human guards (closest to the highest level character in your party, see MM). Peacefully entering requires a DC 40 Diplomacy or Stealth check. Picking the lock on the door requires a DC 50 Thievery check. After entering, you see only a few standing buildings remaining of the infamous waves of green creatures. Among them is a church, whose Deity is unknown, since the Priests and everything in the church has gone missing or destroyed. Another is the Inn and Tavern. Being the largest of the structures, it is also the strongest. It bears great scars, that of dents and huge scratches, as well as what seem to be explosion marks. Make no mistake, as this is the toughest possible fort available, its armor having about 5000HP remaining from recent battles. More later...