Code Of The Rats
"From Spuds To Studs"

Adventure Set Up

By Dave Dollar
Art by Chris Myers

As we said in the GM's notes, one of the more tedious obstacles in the setup of a new campaign is uniting all the various characters under a single banner. We refer to the following scenario as the "Guilt by Association" scene.

It is a known fact that aspiring adventurers love to congregate at taverns, inns and restaurants. Presumably, this is because few of them can cook for themselves; since, in most campaigns, the "Portable Camp Microwave" has not yet been invented, adventurers usually hit the Bar n' Grille as soon as they hit town.

The town in question in this case is the village of Salanon. Salanon is a small, quiet town, whose inhabitants do not particularly care for excitement, news, literature; sports., or, well ...anything. In fact the name Salanon is derived from two old Khendoran words, "Sally, " which means "To gather together with important purpose," and Anon," which means "later."

As the name suggests, Salarion is a town that enjoys their apathy. In fact about the only thing that gets them riled up is when someone disturbs that apathy.

The Guilt by Association setup is simple. The Characters are strangers. They are new things in a town that does not like new. They are outsiders! (insert hostile murmuring here). About the only people in the town not apathetic enough to leave well enough alone with hostile whispering is 4, young man named Lance Boyle (snicker,' snicker), Lance is the leader of the towns aft's band of local toughs, He also has a lovely singing voice.

Shortly after the group arrives at the inn., Lance and his boys will start making trouble. They will do so in one of several ways.

    1. Trip the barmaid carrying one or more of the party's drinks, causing a nasty spill on the best dressed character in the group.

    2) Begin making off-color comments about someone's questionable parentage.

    3)Begin making overt gestures of affection at any female members of the group (i.e. groping).

    4) Launch into a rousing, loud, and exceptionally long version of The Village People's "Y.M.C.A."

Any of these antagonistic devices should be adequate to start a fight with someone. The combat statistics for Lance and his boys are not exceptionally important. Just rnake sure they are tough enough to give your group a bit of a fight and a heavy property damage bill before they are bludgeoned into goo.

As the fight ends, the sheriff of Salanon arrives on the scene to break things up. His name is Carlton Cody and he has brought with him the entire Salanon militia. After all, this is more action than the town of Salanon has seen in years.

The "outsiders" will be summarily thrown in the klink. No trial. No questions. Welcome to the world of small town law enforcement.

It does not matter if any of the characters did not participate in the fight. They are all outsiders and therefore they will be arrested and charged. Guilt by Association!

With all of your player characters safety locked up in small, lonely rooms together, this is a perfect opportunity for them to really get acqainted.

Enter the Wizard Estevan; governor of the township and county of Salanon. Estevan is a wiry man, perhaps in his late thirties dark of hair and gray of eye. He is well aware of the reputation of Lance Boyle and his propensity to sing Village People songs at passers by. He will agree wholeheartedly that Lance is a jerk and will offer to release the entire group without charges. However there is the small matter of the damages to the inn.

He will then offer the group a job. Whoever refuses to take the job will have to cover the damages to the inn. But he will offer both freedom and a tidy sum to the ones who will agree to help him! (What a guy!)

Estevan has long been at odds with the Wizardress Roshia who lives in (and governs) a nearby county. Estevan is a smooth beguiler and a model scumwaffle with few to no endearing qualities. Simply for hate's sake Estevan will contract the party to retrieve a precious enchanted chime which this most wicked and hateful woman has stolen from him.

In actuality, Estevan is sending the characters on what he knows is an impossible mission; to break into the home of a kind and just lady and tear the place apart looking for an item "that doesn't even exist."

The GM can choose to play out the farcical break-in in full or simply read the following passage to the players:

    When your Party left, the town your mission had been fairly well defined. You were to travel by horseback to the hamlet of Villano, commonly called "Villa Moo" by the inhabitants of larger cities. Upon your arrival you were, to seek out the black tower of the despicable witch, Roshia. Through stealth and, cunning, you were to recover a small platinum chime with magical runes etched upon it. The evil witch had stolen it from Estevan, and he warned you that the woman was dangerous and under no circumstances should you allow yourselves to be caught.

    The offered reward seemed more than ample compensation for any danger involved, considering thecircumstances.

    Things got off on the wrong foot immediately. To reach the black tower, you had to perilously scale the four foot tall, white picket fence and tread around the treacherous hedges and flower beds to reach the well- trimmed inner yard. The witch's black tower appears to be an elegant but simple manor house whose expansive gardens were tastefully decorated with fine statutry. You begin to mistrust Estsvan's character description of the Wizardress Roshia when you see bird feeders hanging from the front porch lamps.

    The sculpture garden was full of exquisitely pleasant statuary,, mostly depicting forest sprites, athletes and large cats. One statue in particular, that of a life-size Wyveern was very realistic. In fact, that it began chasing all of you around the gardens. You and the wyvern yelled and screamed, knocked over statues and bushes in a joyfull panicked frenzy--it was quite a ruckus.

    The last thing you remember was seeing a tall, light-haired woman in the doorway of the manor. She was in her nightgown, and did not look pleased. From her outstretched hands light flared and the world seemed to buckle beneath your feet.

    The party awakes in the chilly subterranean entry room of the Gauntlet...

More Code of the Rats Introductory Fantasy Adventure

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