4AD - Adventure the First

4AD (Four Against Darkness) is a Solo RPG published by Ganesha Games.

 

Adventure 1 – The Giant’s Tomb

 

Krud (a young overzealous Warrior) and Ildore (a middle aged down at heal Hedge Wizard) have met at the Oaken Heart Inn situated in the village of Mournestead. Both are sorely in need of cash and have learned from the Landlord that there may be “a great treasure” in the “Giant’s Tomb”. The entrance to the Tomb is reported to be in a cave in the mountains, a day’s march to the East of the village. Krud is keen to get started. Ildore grudgingly agrees to carry the lantern.

Their trip to the cave’s mouth is surprisingly free of encounters (your author didn’t bother to make any rolls for random monsters etc).

 

1. The cave is empty (apart from a few animal bones). A passageway leads off the back and the duo soon reach a crossway. Turning right the pair reach a door…

2. Entering a room Ildore spots another door in the North-East corner. Krud spies the six vicious rats that rush towards them. The rats attack. Krud’s sword kills two and Ildore skewers one with his knife. The rest flee.  Searching the dust and litter on the floor recovers no treasure. After a brief discussion, they return and try the left-hand passageway…

3. As our heroes enter another room they are surprised to see four strangely glowing skeletal rats (ancestors of the previous encounter?) approach with clearly evil intent. Krud smashes the first with the flat of his sword breaking it to pieces. Ildore pulls out his wand and squeaking out the incantation in a shaky voice, casts a fireball that burns another to ash. The remaining vermin attack and Ildore is wounded. The skeletal rats are finally dispatched and a search of the room ensues. Krud recovers a necklace of antiquity (and value) and throws it to Ildore to stow in his sack. Ildore’s wound is bandaged and they explore the other door to the room…

4.  Through the door is an S shaped passageway terminating in a further door. Unfortunately, halfway along they encounter three angry looking Hobgoblins coming the other way. There is only room in the passage for Krud to fight one of the creatures at a time. Ildore starts muttering another spell. The first Hobgoblin falls. A bright light shines out and the next monster in line is blasted by Ildore’s magic. The final Hobgoblin fights with more voracity but eventually is slain. Krud searches the bodies and finds on the last a gemstone which he pockets.  Through the door, a short stretch of passage leads to…

5. A room containing three smug Orcs (they are smug because they have recently won some gold from three Hobgoblins, now deceased). Krud and Ildore engage and kill two with sword and knife. The third attacks Krud, who sustains a wound before despatching his foe. A search of the corpses produces 5GP (the winnings). After patching Krud’s wound with the remaining bandages, the two adventurers move to the door…

6. After another short passage they enter a room. As they come in a colony of vampire bats, woken by the lantern, attacks them. After eight of their number have been slain, the bats fly through the passage and escape. Krud sustains a bite but is not poisoned. The pair proceed through the opposite doorway…

7. The fountain room contains nothing but the aforementioned water feature, however Krud soon discovers that his bat bite has healed after a wash in its blessed waters. On through the South door!

8. Another cross road. Our heroes go South.

9.  A small empty room leading via a door in the south wall to…

10. A large room with a rough tunnel mouth broken into the North-East corner. Lurking in a pile of rags, the bones of a large man and other sundry detritus is a fearsome ogre. The monster is open to bribery but Krud would rather test its mettle and attacks. Initially the fight seems to be going well but Krud soon starts to get seriously damaged; “Blast it with magic” he grunts at Ildore. A ball of fire hits the ogre who is momentarily stunned, but not for long. “I’m out of spells” whimpers Ildore. His knife is less than affective against the ogre’s tough skin. Krud fights on and eventually the ogre’s wounds weaken it enough and the warrior prevails but only after taking a serious beating. Ildore searches the rubbish in the room and finds a small gem embedded in a slightly larger than usual, human’s skull.

Moving through the tunnel, Krud leaning rather heavily on his companion, the two emerge once more into the daylight.