[EDIT 10/01/2022: There is now a fully revised version of this solo adventure available as a FREE PDF DOWNLOAD. Get it here on RPGGeek.com! The following is the rough and ready first draft exactly as it first appeared here on the Thaumaturgical Workshop. The revised version is better, and has pics.]
This week, free of charge, Part One of a (short) ready-to-play Solo Adventure for Talisman Adventures RPG! This will (hopefully) be a three part feature, and I will try and get the installments out as close to weekly as I can manage. I hope this will provide some interest and/or entertainment, especially for people who have just got their hands on the Talisman Adventures hardback and haven’t yet had a chance to actually play with anyone.
You will need a copy of the Talisman Adventures RPG rules to play. Page number references will be given to relevant rules sections during the adventure, though it will certainly help if you have at least a bit of an understanding of how the game works before you start playing. Skim the rules at least, then look up the relevant sections as you try and work out what to do!
It is also assumed that you have at least some familiarity with paragraph-based adventure games (in the manner of Fighting Fantasy gamebooks or Choose Your Own Adventure). If you don’t have any familiarity with paragraph-based adventure, I recommend checking out the links to (free!) Tunnels & Trolls solos in the side panel, particularly Dark Deeds & Cabbages.
The adventure is designed for a 1st level hero of any class or kindred (you could play one of the pre-generated characters from the core rulebook, or create your own), and is aimed at introducing some of the features of the game. You will be given the choice of paragraphs to read based on your decisions you make or the outcome of tests you roll. Full options have not been given for every spell or skill type - you may need to use your judgement to determine how a particular ability of your character applies in a given situation.
You start this adventure with 1 Light Fate. To keep things simple, you can play with an assumption that the GM is just hoarding their Dark Fate for retirement (i.e: just ignore Dark Fate), but if you wish and are prepared to make the effort, you can keep a track of the Virtual GM’s Fate and at your own discretion (based on what you think the GM would do)spend to trigger Enemy abilities, beef up Enemy Threat levels, or other uses (see Dark Fate, p.37).
Please feel free to ask questions, make suggestions or point out egregious errors in the Comments section below.
Now read paragraph #1!
#1
Two days ago you left the Hark to Bounder Inn, following the road north to Gladmeadow, bearing a small parcel addressed to Lady Gladden of Gladden Hall, entrusted to you by Magistrate Cannock. You are promised a modest reward for safe delivery of the package.
The road winds over a bleak desolate moor, dark clouds gather, and the wind rises. You pull your travel-worn cloak tight around your shoulders, determined to press on through these wild parts whatever the weather, as there is little in the way of shelter hereabouts and you have many miles yet to go before you reach Gladmeadow.
To see how well your hero manages to make their way over Dule Moor, you will first need to make a Guide Test. The difficulty of the test is 14, and the relevant skills are Lore (Wits) or Survival (Insight). Before you roll, check if your hero has a relevant ability or follower that might allow you to modify the result in some way. See p. 213 for more information about Exploration and the Guide Test.
If you Fail, read #2. If you achieve a Standard Success, read #3. If you achieve a Great Success, read #4. For an Extraordinary Success, read #5.
#2
You press onward through a raging storm. The road soon becomes a muddy torrent, and somewhere along the way you stray from it, and stagger through the bog in a thick fog, unsure whether you are even going up or downhill. You are hopelessly lost. You curse your misfortune, and feel ready to fling the package down the hillside... (Or perhaps you are tempted to break Magistrate Cannock's trust and open the package? If so, Read #13. If not, Read On:)
The mists are beginning to clear, but you cannot help but reflect that now you are better able to see, you are also better able to be seen...
Soaked to the skin, your character will suffer a -1 penalty to any tests/skill checks rolled until they have managed to get a good night’s sleep. Now read #6
#3
You press on towards Gladmeadow, but as the weather begins to turn foul, you are forced to take shelter from the worst of the downfall in a small grove of trees.
You have managed to find your way in the correct direction at least, but as the outcome of a Standard Success is often mixed, may suffer some negative consequence. As you are travelling alone, there was no-one to take the role of Watcher during your Exploration (see p.214), so you risk being ambushed by an Enemy. Roll 1d6. On a roll of 1-4 Read #4; on a roll of 5 or 6 Read #6
#4
You make good progress over the moor on the road to Gladmeadow. The clouds have cleared, and though the day is drawing to a close, the sky has brightened now the storms have passed, and you hope to put a few miles behind you before sunset. You are thinking about finding a good spot to make camp for the night, when something catches your eye. To the right of the road a track leads to a small copse of trees, and a thin plume of smoke rises from behind the trees. Perhaps there is a crofter’s hut hidden there, or some traveller’s encampment?
Will you investigate the plume of smoke? Read #7
Or do you prefer to avoid the risk of encountering bandits or hungry ogres, and instead find a secluded spot to encamp by yourself? Read #10
#5
Approaching you on the road ahead, you see an old woman leading a mule that is laden with all kinds of bundles, packs and tools. The old woman walks with a bow-legged gait, and puffs away on a thin clay pipe. She does not appear to pay you much regard as your paths meet, instead pressing slowly on muttering to herself (or her mule).
Perhaps you would like to try to strike up a conversation with this aged and possibly distracted traveller? If not, you may continue on your way (Read #4). If you wish to speak to the old woman, you will find her to be crotchety and uncongenial. In response to your approach, you must now determine her Attitude (ranging from Hated to Devoted and every stage in between - see p.152). She is Human, and (belying her temper) of Good alignment. Roll 3d6 and consult the Attitude Chart on p.152. After determining attitude, you may try a Persuasion (Insight) Test at Difficulty 16 to improve her Attitude (see p.154).
If the final result is Hated, read #14. If Disliked, Suspicious or Neutral, she will simply have no time for you, and you must be on your way, read #4. If Favourable or Liked, read #16. If Devoted, read #20.
#6
The distant howl of a wolf sends a shiver down your spine. To your alarm, it is answered by another cry much closer at hand. You barely have time to reach for a weapon when a dark, ferocious shape emerges from the fog and leaps at your throat!
Your character has been attacked by a wolf! Grab your dice, and refresh yourself on the combat rules (p.37-48). Read through the notes below, decide your actions, and resolve the combat.
Firstly, you will need to determine if the wolf’s attack surprises your character. Make a Notice (Wits) Test at Difficulty 14 (see Exploration Surprise p. 39) Failure or success will determine if your character is surprised (and can only take a Defence action against the enemy's attack in the first round of combat), or whether they will be able to make an attack (possibly with a penalty applied).
The Wolf has 13 Threat, 12 Life and 3 Armour; its bite inflicts 1d6+3 damage (for further details of this Enemy, see p.183).
If your hero is taking any action that doesn't target the Wolf (or wolves if more appear, see below), then remember they will also need to Defend against the wolf's attack that turn.
Having resolved the first round of combat, you should then continue to chose actions for your hero, and resolve appropriately. The Wolf will continue to fight until it is slain or otherwise defeated. If you wish to flee from the wolf at the beginning of any combat round after the fist, Read #8.
Note - the wolf special ability (summon Wolf Pack) that can be triggered by the GM spending 1 Dark Fate. For this adventure, such Enemy abilities will only occur if you roll a 1 on the Kismet die while making a test during combat with that enemy.
If the wolf's Summon Wolf Pack ability is triggered, it will only summon 1 wolf at a time (rather than 1d6) - to a maximum of 3 additional wolves.
If your character is a spell caster, you will need to use your judgement to determine the effects of the spell. Successfully casting a spell such as Barrier or Gust of Wind ought (in addition to any damage inflicted) give your hero the opportunity to escape unhindered (Read #9).
If your character is a Minstrel, you may be able to Charm the wolf (see p. 173 for details of the wolf as a Follower).
Similarly, if your character has the Animal Handling skill, they might try to pacify the wolf. Make an Animal Handling test against the Wolf's threat of 13, but with a -4 penalty to the result, as the wolf's bloodlust is up. A Standard Success will mean that the wolf is confused and doesn't attack this round: proceed to the next, trying again if you wish. a Great Success will be sufficient to pacify the wolf and allow you to escape unhindered and an Extraordinary Success not only pacifies the beast but allows you to also acquire the wolf as a Follower (see p.173).
If you can think of any suitably clever option not listed here, honestly determine the difficulty of the appropriate test (see p.35) and brag about your cleverness in the Comments section below.
If you survive the encounter with the wolf (making a note on your character sheet of any injuries sustained or wolf Follower acquired), Read #9.
If your character is reduced to unconsciousness, ravenous wolves feast on their remains, and their brief saga ends here. Not generally needing to bother with rolling for Death Tests (p.47) is one of the bonus features of solo adventuring...
#7
Instinct warns you to approach the copse of trees cautiously…
Make a Stealth Test (Agility) at Difficulty 14. Remember to apply any modifiers for special abilities or skill focuses, and remember that if you don’t have the Stealth skill, you will just be making an unmodified 3d6 roll.
If you Fail, read #15. If you achieve a Standard Success or better, read #11.
#8
In fear of your life, and in sheer desperation, you turn and flee…
If your character is a Priest, some sense of sanctity prevents the beast from pursuing you; if a Sprite you may simply fly out of harm’s way; in either case read #9. Otherwise, you must first make a Defense Test against the wolf’s Threat of 13, with a -2 applied to your roll owing to your craven flight. Failure will result in you taking 1d6 +3 damage; a standard success will result in half damage; great success no damage; an extraordinary success no damage and the wolf, snapping at your heels, breaks a tooth on a rock and flees with a yowlp of pain (read #9).
If you are not a Priest or Sprite or rolled less than an extraordinary success, you will still need to escape the wolf. If you try and outrun the creature, read #12. If you realise the folly of either choice and prefer to fight the creature, return to #6 and continue to resolve the remainder of the combat.
#9
For surviving the encounter with the Wolf, your character earns 1xp. You are fortunate to avoid any further vulpine encounters that day, but find your nerves on edge listening and looking out for fresh danger. You dare not rest until you have put many miles behind you, and evening finds you looking for somewhere to make camp out on the desolate moor. Read #10.
#10
You look for a suitable location to camp for the night - some dry hollow or curled by the roots of a stunted tree.
To determine your success, you will need to make a Survival (Insight) Test at Difficulty 12. The outcome of the test will determine whether you will pass the night safely, or whether there will be an encounter during the night - see Camping, p.214. If you fail the test, read #18.
If you a standard success or greater, you pass a restful night in deep sleep, and you will be able to recover life points, spell points, and in the morning have time to refit (but not repair) armour (Read #21).
#11
Stealthily approaching the source of the smoke, you spy three ugly little creatures with long noses, pointed ears, and dressed in green, roasting a rabbit over a campfire. One is holding a silver brooch, which the other two eye enviously, and boasts: “That dull-witted oaf didn’t even realise that I lifted it!”
Suddenly, all three look towards you with intense, scowling stares. Whether they heard or merely sensed you, you do not know, but a moment there is a squawk of alarm, and then the figures are gone. You might almost wonder if they were ever there, except that there is a campfire still burning…. If your character is a sprite, leywalker or elf, read #19. Otherwise, will you back away from this place, and find somewhere safe and secluded to camp for the night? (Read #10).
Or will you investigate the campfire? (Read #15).
#12
You simply cannot outrun a wolf on the open moor, and I don’t care what you roll. Return to #8, and make another defence test against a fresh attack.
#13
You take the package that Magistrate Cannock entrusted to you. It is small, not much larger than your hand, bound in hide, and closed with a ribbon and a wax seal. The package is quite light, though something shifts when you rattle it. If you are determined to break the seal and the Magistrate’s trust, read #17. If you think better of it, put the package away, and continue on the road to Gladmeadow, return to paragraph #2 and continue with your journey.
#14
The old woman fixes you with a gaze of singular malevolence, and makes the gesture of the Evil Eye. You sense a doom-laden curse falling upon you, and are so taken aback that she and her mule are gone before you can react.
The effect of the curse is such that the next three occasions that you roll a 6 on the Kismet die, you must reroll that die and accept the second result (though if you roll a 6 again it will use up another ‘charge’ of the curse, and you must roll again). Now continue on your way and read #4.
#15
In the midst of the copse of trees burns you find campfire, and a rabbit on a makeshift wooden spit, which looks and smells cooked to perfection. The warmth of the fire and the savoury aroma of roasted rabbit are extremely enticing after your long, wet journey. If you settle down by the fire to eat and rest, read #18. If you instead hurry away from this place and the temptations it offers, read #10.
#16
The old woman, though curmudgeonly, seems to take a liking to you. From what you can gather from her rather rambling conversation, she is some kind of geologist or prospector, out looking for obscure rocks and stones of academic rather than material value. Before you each continue on your way, she gives you a piece of iron ore, and advises you to keep it with you in these parts, especially while you sleep. With no further explanation, she chuckles and bids you farewell. Somewhat puzzled by the encounter, you continue on your way (Read #4).
#17
Inside the package is a folded letter, and a pebble with a glowing rune inscribed on it. The letter reads: Alas, if you are reading these words, it seems that I have made a grievous error of judgement! Please find yourself employment elsewhere. The Blasting Stone will destruct in approximately five seconds after you have finished reading this. C.
You note that the rune on the pebble is increasing in brightness… With a cry of alarm you hurl it from you, just before it explodes, knocking you off your feet, but luckily causing no further harm. Having failed in the task entrusted to you, and failed even to profit from breaking that trust, you had better retire from this adventure and seek your fortunes elsewhere. Take 1xp for the lesson you have learned (whatever that may be exactly). The End.
#18
Utterly exhausted, your sleep is deep and undisturbed. You awaken fully rested (restore all Life and Spell Points). If you are bearing a piece of Iron Ore, read #20. Otherwise, as you are gathering your things together, you discover to your alarm that the package entrusted to you by Magistrate Cannock is gone, as is all of your gold. Disaster! Having failed in the responsibility entrusted to you, it seems that you will have to seek your fortunes elsewhere. Take 1xp for the lesson you have learned (whatever that may be exactly). The End.
#19
You are certain that the creatures you saw were of the Dark Fae, most probably Boggarts. Wicked beings, they are known to be mischievous thieves, forever scheming to deprive honest folk of their wealth and goods. If you wish to investigate their campfire, read #15. If you prefer to find somewhere away from here to make camp for the night, read #10.
#20
Perhaps
you remind her of a favourite grandchild or long lost pet, but for
whatever reason, the old Prospector has taken quite a shine to you. She
warns you that there are Dark Fae lurking in these parts, but that a
piece of Iron Ore (which she hands to you) should ward off the wicked
creatures. Make a note of the Iron Ore on your character sheet. She also
gives you a Garnet Stone, remarking that it particularly took her eye,
but that she has no need of for it, and insisting you keep it to
remember her by (Though should you ever sell it, it is worth 10 gold).
She also gives you directions to help you find your way to Gladmeadow
(Allowing you to add +2 to any Guide Test made between here and your
destination. She pinches your cheek, and bids you a fond farewell. Gain 1
xp, and read #4.
#21
The morning sun shines clear and bright, birds sing, a pair of young rabbits hop around playfully in the morning light. The road ahead begins a long, gentle descent to Gladmeadow, and you are filled with confidence and optimism that you will soon have delivered your package and earned a reward. One of the rabbits hops right in front of your path - and then a dark-feathered hawk swoops down and snatches it away in an instant. A cloud moves across the sun, and the landscape darkens and grows chill. You hasten your stride, and cast your eyes about furtively, wondering what perils might lie in wait ahead…
Congratulations, you have successfully completed the first chapter of this adventure. Your character earns a further 1xp for managing to get the package this far. Be sure to return next week for Chapter 2
Continue your adventures here in Chapter 2!
