Dragon Age Game Master's Kit.pdf

A n a c c e ss o r y f o r t h e D r a g o n A g e R PG

The Game Master’s Kit is here to make your job as a Dragon Age GM

easier . This handy accessory features a three-panel hardback screen

that puts all the essential game info right in front you. It also includes

a 32-page adventure by Jeff Tidball, A Bann Too Many , that can serve

as an introduction to the game or as a follow-up to the adventure in

the boxed set. With the Game Master’s Kit and Set 1 of the Dragon Age

RPG, you’ll be ready to kickstart your dark fantasy campaign.

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G a m e M a s t e r ’s K i t

A Bann Too Many is an adventure for the

d rAGon A Ge tabletop roleplaying game. To

use this scenario, you must have a copy of

the d rAGon A Ge rPG, Set 1.

Only d rAGon A Ge Game Masters should read A Bann Too

Many . If you are likely to play a character in this adventure,

stop reading now. Learning the story’s secrets in advance will

only spoil your fun and that of your friends.

A Bann Too Many is intended to be a good follow up to The

Dalish Curse , the adventure in the Set 1 G Ame m Aster ’ s G uide .

The action here is not related to Vintiver, Mythallen, or the

Link of Rage though. It comes from the premise that led the

the PCs to be traveling near Vintiver in the irst place: that

they were following reports of a bann near Brecilian Forest

looking to hire adventurers. Given that background, A Bann

Too Many is suitable for any group of PCs eager for adventure,

whether they’ve taken part in The Dalish Curse or not.

A Bann Too Many

It’s best if you read A Bann Too Many in its entirety before

you run it. Don’t be afraid to use a highlighter or pen to make

marks that will help you remember key elements of the story

at the game table, when you’re under pressure to keep the

game moving. You won’t remember every detail of every

encounter, but reading the entire adventure and having made

some notes in the margins will give you a sense of where to

look for the information you need as you need it. Just before

starting to play, it may be helpful to re-read the overview

sections, and consider whether you intend to use any of the

optional subplots.

If you’re pressed for preparation time, on the other hand, read

the overview sections in their entirety, skim the summaries at

the beginning of each part, familiarize yourself with which

encounters comprise each part, look over the various “Envi-

rons” sections and their maps, and review the background

description of each of the NPCs described under m AJor nPC s .

Skip over the o PtionAl s ubPlots section and leave those out

of the adventure when you run it. During play, read each of

the encounters as you need them. This approach isn’t ideal,

but it will get the game going faster.

Assuming that you will play for three or four hours at a sit-

ting—an evening’s entertainment—and that your group is

closely focused on playing the game, you can expect that it

will take two or three sessions of play to make it through A

Bann Too Many . If the players don’t wind up being interested

in solving the mysteries behind the adventure’s most obvi-

P reParing for P lay

To use this adventure, you’ll obviously need a group of

friends, and they’ll need to create characters using the rules

in the d rAGon A Ge P lAyer ’ s G uide .

This adventure is suitable for newly created characters, as

well as characters who’ve been through one or two adven-

tures. If the characters in your campaign are level 3 or higher,

you may need to tailor the NPC statistics and test target num-

bers to account for your group’s power level.

ous task, and if they don’t rise to the challenge of righting

the injustice revealed when the mystery is solved, complet-

ing the adventure will take less time. On the other hand, if

the players must create characters at the beginning of the irst

session, and are intending to learn how to play d rAGon A Ge

as they go along, you can probably expect that it will take a

solid three sessions, and perhaps even four, to inish A Bann

Too Many .

Every encounter begins with a short summary of the action.

These are formatted in bold italics.

Next, most encounters have read-aloud text, which is indented

slightly from each margin and in a shaded grey box. Although

this text is written so that it can simply be read aloud to the

players as that encounter begins, it’s better and more natural if

you paraphrase and embellish what’s written, using your own

words to communicate the information. This helps the play-

ers feel like A Bann Too Many is a unique experience for them.

Just make sure the players get all of the important pieces of

information the read-aloud text provides, and try to end your

introduction to each encounter with some question or instruc-

tion that requires the PCs to tell you what they want to do.

One word of caution: While the pre-written nature of read-

aloud text is helpful when encounters begin as expected,

it can be at odds with what’s otherwise obvious if the PCs

approach a given encounter at a different time, from a differ-

ent direction (either literally or iguratively), or in the com-

pany of different NPCs. A given passage of read-aloud text

will still give you clues about the important pieces of informa-

tion you should communicate to the players, but you’ll have

to tailor the speciics to match the circumstances.

After each encounter’s read-aloud text is the general descrip-

tion of what you, the GM, need to know about the encounter

and how the action may unfold in play. In most encounters,

this includes speciic information about tests the characters

are likely to have to make. Tests are formatted in small caps,

like this—“a tn 13 w illPower (C ourAGe ) test ” or “an o PPosed

d exterity (s teAlth ) vs . P erCePtion (s eeinG ) test ”—to make it

easier for you to spot them in the text at a glance.

Some encounters have additional passages of read-aloud

text interspersed in the general description, to be read if and

when particular conditions are met. Treat these the same way

as the read-aloud text that begins each encounter (save, obvi-

ously, that you only read them when the relevant conditions

apply).

Some encounters include a “Questions and Answers” sec-

tion. These are pairings of questions the PCs might ask with

answers the various NPCs in the encounter might give. The

questions and answers are presented in the irst person, as

those parties might ask and answer them. As with read-aloud

text, though, you are encouraged to adapt the phrasing to the

situation. And of course, the precise phrasing of the questions

is included only to help you locate the right information.

Under no circumstances should you insist that the players

use these phrasings or say these particular words. The entire

point of playing a tabletop roleplaying game (as opposed to a

computer RPG) is to let the players exercise their creativity to

do and say things just the way they want. That’s the fun!

NPC statistics are found in two different places in the adven-

ture. Stats for incidental NPCs are found in the sections where

they’re used. However, stats for important NPCs—characters

of relevance in more than once encounter—are found under

m AJor nPC s near the end of the adventure.

Finally, in addition to encounters, some parts have one or

more “Environs” sections. These are not encounters, per se.

Each of these describes an area where several of the part’s

encounters take place, and each one includes a map. They

help you understand the overall geography, and how the var-

ious encounters in the part it together in the larger world.

If You Need to Create

Characters

If this will be your group’s irst foray into Dragon Age, you’ll

obviously need to create characters before the adventure can

begin. This process is described in detail in the Dragon Age

Player’s Guide , Chapter 2: Character Creation . As always, it

helps if the players create PCs who are struggling adventur-

ers, willing and able to go out into the world to make their

names and earn their keep.

In this scenario, the PCs are tasked by the bann of the Rus-

wold Valley in southeastern Ferelden to carry out a danger-

ous task, inding and destroy a murderous gang of outlaws. If

you notice any players creating characters who’d be unlikely

to take up such a task, guide them toward character concepts

that make more sense.

r eading the

a dventure

The text of A Bann Too Many is largely broken down into parts

and encounters (just like The Dalish Curse ) to help you under-

stand the overall outlines of the action, and to deal with each

piece of the puzzle as you need it.

Each part is a collection of related encounters. All of the

encounters likely to take place in the village of Logerswold

comprise P Art 3 , for example. Each part begins with a broad

description of the part and its place in the plot. Each part

ends with a “Resolution and Troubleshooting” section that

wraps things up, details the important things the PCs should

have done or learned, and provides guidance about what

you should do if things went—or are going—wrong. The ive

parts of A Bann Too Many are very likely to take place in the

order in which they’re presented.

Each encounter presents a single challenge, or collection of

related challenges (such as a ight) that the PCs must deal with

or overcome. Each is classiied as either a roleplaying encoun-

ter, exploration encounter, or combat encounter. Exploration

encounters challenge the PCs to use their skills and ingenu-

ity to ind things out about the world and the story, roleplay-

ing encounters let the PCs interact with and inluence the

NPCs who are part of the adventure, and combat encounters

involve battle between the PCs and their foes. Although it’s

obviously possible to (for example) roleplay in an exploration

encounter, the generic classiication helps you know what to

expect, and understand how that encounter functions in the

larger story.

Each encounter has sections of text formatted in different

ways to help you ind the information you need right away

while you’re at the game table.

A Bann Too Many

Gone Before

As with most dramatic situations, the story of A Bann Too

Many has some dramatic history. This section describes what

has already happened, before the PCs’ story begins.

The Ruswold Valley is a region that transitions from the Ban-

norn in central Ferelden to the Brecilian Forest in the east.

The valley runs east-to-west, with the opposite ends having

notably different characteristics. The west is open, agricul-

tural land where farming is relatively easy. The east is heavily

forested, and logging is the chief industry.

The village of Logerswold is the only town of any size in the

valley. For 30 years, the villagers and surrounding freeholders

have lived and labored under the protection of Bann Valdur

Krole. Although gruff, conservative, disigured, and not partic-

ularly well-liked, Bann Krole kept them safe… until recently.

Within the last year, a band of murderous outlaws under the

leadership of Waldric the Gore-Handed beset irst the loggers

operating in the forests near Logerswold and then the villag-

ers themselves as they traveled the region. Many were killed,

the local industry was disrupted, and the region was thrown

into turmoil.

Although Bann Krole made some progress in harrying the

outlaws, Fereldan freeholders are free to elect new banns to

protect them, which is what happened in the Ruswold.

A landless lordling named Trumhall, whose family hails from

a river valley to the north of the Ruswold, gained popularity

in Logerswold when he and his retainers, including a great

Mabari mastiff, slew a group of the Gore-hand’s outlaws who

assaulted his party. Well-spoken, handsome, and dynamic,

Trumhall looked like the perfect leader. The harried Loger-

swolders held a referendum to oust Krole and replace him

with their new hero.

Krole was bitter at this reversal of his fortunes, but as an

honorable Fereldan, had no recourse but to wait for what he

felt was the sure and coming devastation of the area, given

the new bann’s inexperience. But Trumhall was successful

in spectacularly defending Logerswold against two vicious

bandit attacks that came soon thereafter. It began to look like

Bann Trumhall would stay.

The soldiers who had served Krole had little choice but to dis-

perse from Manor Krole, where some had served their bann

for more than 20 years. With his inancial support cut off, he

had no choice but to let them go. Although some found work

with Bann Trumhall, others left the area entirely, and some are

still at loose ends in the Ruswold.

Trumhall’s next move is to bring his bann’s justice out of

Logerswold and into the forest where the bandits lair, to end

their threat once and for all. But his resources are limited. He

doesn’t have enough men to search out the outlaws in the

trackless Brecilian Forest while also protecting the main road,

the village of Logerswold, and the scattered freeholders of the

Ruswold.

The clear solution was to put out the call for adventurers will-

ing to explore the forest, ind the outlaws, and put an end to

their depredations.

B laCk s eCrets

What none of the villagers know is that Bann Trumhall is

secretly in league with the forest bandits. Waldric Gore-hand’s

attacks on Trumhall’s traveling party, the loggers in the for-

ests, and the village itself were all carried out with Trumhall’s

cooperation.

The nefarious scheme beneits both Trumhall and the Gore-

hand. The landless Trumhall gains a bannric, while the out-

laws gain long-term access to a “herd” of villagers upon

whom they can prey at will as long as they don’t step too far

out of line.

But this story also features wheels within wheels. Trumhall’s

ambitions are not his own, for he has fallen under the domi-

nation of an apostate mage who calls himself Blacktail. The

“real” Trumhall is noble and true, and would have no part in

these black schemes. But the apostate, who remains near to

the bann by assuming the form of his Mabari mastiff, dom-

inates Trumhall’s mind with a magical item, the Collar of

Obedience (see sidebar). It is Blacktail who was responsible

for the secret alliance with the outlaws, and who truly pulls

the strings.

And the mage has no interest in sharing his new hunting

grounds with the likes of common bandits. It is his intention

that the adventurers will succeed in eliminating the outlaws,

leaving himself—alone—at the pinnacle of the Ruswold.

[The Collar of Obedience

The Collar of Obedience is the source of the apostate Blacktail’s unusual powers. The collar has two effects. First, a human

mage wearing it can spend 5 mana points to transform into a Mabari war dog. The mage retains his intelligence but cannot

cast spells while transformed. Returning to human form also costs 5 MP. Second, the wearer of the collar can reverse the

normal master/dog relationship. This is a long process that takes many months but ultimately the transformed mage

can make a human “master” obey his wishes without the master realizing that his thoughts are no longer his own. The

enchantment is broken if the master witnesses the transformation of the mage/dog, or if the collar is removed.

Blacktail stole the collar from a crazy hermit who lives in the Brecilian Forest. He does not know its origin. The collar is

made from copper discs green with age, and each disc is backed with an unaturally viscious, sharp spike that digs into the

lesh of the wearer’s neck. A crude pictogram of dog’s teeth has been inscribed on each one.

The Collar of Obedience is great for the plot, but not something you want in the hands of a Player Character. If Blacktail

is defeated, you should describe how the inal blow destroys the collar. This also causes Blacktail to revert to human form

and this can be a big surprise for the PCs. If a PC manages to steal or otherwise acquire the collar, you may want to tell

them it only works for Blacktail. Perhaps he knows some secret magic words or it is attuned to him in some fashion.

A bann Too Many

What Has

Adventure

You should have no dificulty involving PCs with back-

grounds anything like the default d rAGon A Ge assumption—

that the heroes are struggling adventurers looking to make a

name and some coin for themselves in a dangerous world—

in this adventure. A Bann Too Many presents opportunities

for glory and gold both; characters motivated by either have

built-in hooks.

As mentioned earlier, this adventure is perhaps best played

as a follow-on to The Dalish Curse . With the events of that

scenario wrapped up, the PCs can simply continue the jour-

ney they were already on, traveling overland to seek out the

bann spreading word of his need for adventurers. The same

circumstances can as easily apply to newly created characters

who sidestep the events of The Dalish Curse . They have heard

rumors of Bann Trumhall’s need and ind themselves en route

to learn more. In either case, the events of P Art 1 pick up when

the PCs have been on the road for a day or so.

Although it may seem tempting to say that newly created

PCs, who have not been on any adventures yet, hail from the

Ruswold, this is not the best idea. The players of such charac-

ters may feel they’ve been unfairly misled if and when they

learn of Trumhall’s treachery. Players might reasonably argue

that their characters, in their familiarity with the area, would

have known or at least suspected that something ishy was

going on. Additionally, the PCs’ existing relationships with

the major NPCs might complicate matters to the point of

making it dificult for you to keep everything straight. Finally,

it makes the PCs’ introduction to the situation, as described in

P Art 1 , P Art 2 , and P Art 3 , much more complicated to stage.

There are three particular encounters in A Bann Too Many

where mortal peril is most likely, and all three are near the

end of the adventure. The irst is when the party falls under

ambush from the outlaws in P Art 4 . The second is when the

party attacks the outlaw camp in P Art 4 . The last is in P Art

5 , if it leads the PCs to an armed confrontation with Bann

Trumhall or the apostate who dominates him.

When PCs die, try to keep the player involved in the ongoing

game, if they wish to be. That said, if the player would rather

head home, or just watch the rest of the session, there’s no

point in badgering them about it.

If you’ve chosen to use the optional subplot involving other

adventurers (see t he C omPetition ), a player whose PC is

dead can take over running all three of those NPCs, whether

they are allied with the PCs or not. (And even if you had pre-

viously decided not to use that subplot, a PCs’ death might

change your mind.)

It’s also easy to involve a new PC at just about any point in the

evolving adventure. A new PC, having heard of Trumhall’s

call for adventurers, could show up at any time and ind

common cause with the rest of the party, who, after all, have

just lost one of their number, and could probably use some

reinforcements.

The only portion of the adventure where it could prove tricky

to introduce a new PC is after the party has entered Brecilian

Forest in P Art 4 . However, since the most dangerous encoun-

ters are in or after this part, this isn’t likely to cause a big prob-

lem. That is, you can simply wait to introduce a new character

until the PCs leave the forest. However, in case it’s needed,

one clever way to introduce a new PC might be to say that

he is a captive of the bandits, ready to join in the ight against

them as soon as someone manages to free him.

There is an outside chance that an unlucky or foolish PC

might die in P Art 2 after Valdur Krole’s supply wagons

are attacked. If this seems likely to transpire, you have two

options. On one hand, you could secretly pull your punches,

fudging die rolls that would otherwise result in a PC death

to reserve real mortal danger for the more threatening

encounters to come. On the other hand, you can also simply

let the dice fall where they fall. There are two beneits to this

approach. First, it underscores the dark brutality of Thedas,

where things can go violently wrong in any circumstance.

Second, it puts the players’ collective skin in the game. The

outlaws have spilt their blood, and the surviving heroes

should ind themselves doubly motivated to end the Gore-

hand’s threat once and for all.

Optional

i ntroduCtions

If you’re beginning A Bann Too Many with brand-new PCs,

make an effort to help the players get to know each others’

PCs from the very beginning. You don’t need to take on this

task before starting to play. In the irst few encounters, simply

allow the action to unfold as slowly as it needs to. Encour-

age all of the players to describe the mundane things that

their characters do—on the road, around the campire, at

Trumhall’s encampment—in ways that give the other players

insight into their PCs’ personalities and idiosyncrasies. The

very irst encounter of the game offers an excellent opportu-

nity for this, as it begins with the PCs in their camp, simply

going about the daily chores of travel.

Encouraging good roleplaying in these quiet moments offers

a two-fold reward. First, it encourages the players to always

think about their characters’ nature and persona, and to char-

acterize all of their actions in proactive and interesting ways.

Second, it makes the players more familiar with each others’

characters, and increases their investment in banding together

against the dangers of Thedas.

Subplots

The three sections that follow outline optional subplots that

you can introduce while running A Bann Too Many . You may

choose to use none, some, or all of them.

Each is almost entirely self-contained. That is, there is little

effect on the other elements of the adventure whether you use

a given subplot or not.

It should be obvious that each subplot will make running the

scenario slightly more complicated, and increase the amount

of time that the scenario will take to play.

PC d eath

It is possible that PCs will die in the course of play. d rAGon

A Ge is a dark fantasy game, and death should stalk the PCs.

A Bann Too Many

Staging the

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