Adventure Seed: From the Lake

When a strange apparition continues to surface from the lake near a small town, the adventurers are called in to deal with the problem before it becomes a threat. Will they investigate or leap into action without thinking? From the Lake is an adventure suitable for any classic style fantasy RPG.

This adventure seed was inspired by this Twitter post by Dungeons & Possums.

Bait & Hook

During their travels the PC adventurers pass through a small town near a large lake. During their brief stop they are implored by the townspeople to help them dispose of a monster that has been seen in the lake over the past few weeks. While the creature hasn’t yet come to shore, the town’s fishers have seen the dark being with strange glowing eyes and mouth and are certain it won’t be long before the beast attacks. The people of the town will gather their money to act as a reward.

The Real Story

Forgotten, and often thought dead, by the townsfolk is the reclusive Camdyn Blake. The elderly sage lives as a hermit on the far side of the lake. While once an accomplished wizard, he turned away from the use and study of magic during the last Spellplague¹. Deciding magic was too unstable, he shifted his learning to the natural world and other solutions.

The scholar has recently set his sights on methods for long-term underwater exploration without magical means and has developed a diving suit. Early in the mornings, he’s been taking longer and longer trips in the water, often surfacing within view of the town to recapture air into the suit’s “bladder.” This morning act, with Camdyn surfacing closer and closer to town has been misconstrued by the town’s fisher-folk as a monster scouting for victims. The “glow” of the eyes and mouth are simply reflections on the glass pieces of the head of the diving suit.

Probe or Pounce?

In D&D and similar games, players often take a “shoot first, ask questions later” approach. If they attack the “creature” without warning, it will be easy to dispatch Camdyn in his leather diving suit. If they search the water to loot the “monster” for treasure or proof they’ll find they’ve murdered a human in a strange suit. Presenting Camdyn’s body to the townsfolk will cause a stir through the town; the townsfolk will withdraw their reward but won’t attempt to prosecute the adventurers, as they shared the blame.

If the player characters instead decide to investigate or follow the strange apparition, they may be able to make an ally of Camdyn, who could later aid them with non-magical solutions and inventions. In addition, the townsfolk will initially offer half the suggested reward as there was no monster but could be convinced to provide the promised amount by a smooth-talking PC.

Footnotes

1. If your game is not set in Forgotten Realms or is too distant from an event like the Spellplague, then Camdyn may have lost comrades due to an anti-magic field or nearly lost his life when a foe was able to resist his spells.