d20 Expeditious Retreat Press 1 on 1 Adventures 04 - The Sixth Cavalier.pdf - Expeditious Retreat Press - R5700

1 on 1 Adventures #4

The Sixth Cavalier

By Patrick Weekes

1 on 1 Adventures #4: The Sixth Cavalier

Hubrimort is a small, respectable town whose only claim to fame is a local governmental

position bestowed by i ve of the king’s chosen ofi cials, known as the Cavaliers. The position

is given to the head of one of four noble families once each decade. While competition for

the mysterious position is always i erce, this year there are rumors of underhanded deals

with criminals, rigged tournaments, and a nasty case of blackmail.Which of the ancient

families deserves ten years of power and privilege? Only the Sixth Cavalier can help the

i ve ofi cials make the right choice!

An adventure designed for 1 GM and

1 player (Level 9-11 Bard)

Requires the use of Dungeons & Dragons, Third Edition Core Books, published by

Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

This module includes 32 adventure-packed pages, complete with detailed maps and descriptions,

forming a ready-made adventure. It has been crafted for one player and one GM so even the

smallest gaming group has adventures suitable to their needs with minimal preparation time. With

some minor scaling, The Sixth Cavalier is suitable for use with a traditional four-player party.

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If you enjoy this module, look for future releases in the One on One Adventures line from

Expeditious Retreat Press.

Expeditious Retreat Press

One on one Adventures #4

the Sixth cavalier

by patrick weekes

An adventure for one bard levels 9-11

Hubrimort is a small, respectable town whose only claim to fame is a local governmental position bestowed by ive of the king’s

chosen oficials, known as the Cavaliers. The position is given to the head of one of four noble families once each decade. While

competition for the mysterious position is always ierce, this year there are rumors of underhanded deals with criminals, rigged

tournaments, and a nasty case of blackmail.Which of the ancient families deserves ten years of power and privilege? Only the

Sixth Cavalier can help the ive oficials make the right choice!

The Sixth Cavalier is a single-session adventure designed for a 10 th level bard, although a rogue or other skill-focused utility

character can also enjoy the scenario.

Credits

Table of Contents

Adventure Synopsis..............................................................page 3

Batarni’s Tavern....................................................................page 4

Lord Horin’s Estate............................................................page 11

Lord Gatha’s Estate.............................................................page 12

The Burned Estates..............................................................page 21

The Five Cavaliers..............................................................page 22

The Challenge of Arms......................................................page 25

The Appointment................................................................page 27

Epilogue...............................................................................page 28

Pre-Generated Character...................................................page 29

Author: Patrick Weekes

Cover Artist: Claudio Pozas

Artists: Ash Jackson, Maciej Zagorski—The Forge Studios

Editors: Joseph Browning and Suzi Yee

Layout: Joseph Browning and Suzi Yee

One on One Adventures are for one player and one GM.

However, they are easily modiied for a traditional party of

four players and one GM.

Welcome to the fourth 1 on 1 Adventure:

The Sixth Cavalier!

After reading through The Sixth Cavalier, you’ll also

realize that it isn’t a map based adventure and it could

easily be run without glancing at a map and simply

relying upon your descriptive power. However, we

realize most GMs ind maps useful if only for consistency

so we have included a few small layouts of the important

encounter areas. Feel free to replace them with something

more integrated with your world or take them as is and

describe around their skeletons for a great one-shot

gaming session. For areas unimportant to the plot, such

as servants quarters and much of Lord Gatha’s estate

house, feel free to create the area as you see it. Just make

sure to avoid side-tracking the Sixth Cavalier with false

leads away from the heart of the adventure.

Unlike previous 1 on 1 Adventures, the Sixth

Cavalier uses a fairly free-form style of plotting. Almost

all the encounters in The Sixth Cavalier can occur in

any order depending on where and when your player

wishes to go. This is a little bit different than most

adventures which are more location based and where

players are placed in a location-based environment.

Because of this, you as a GM will need to be thoroughly

familiar with all the material contained herein. We

recommend reading the adventure from beginning to

end at least twice: once to get a general idea of who’s

who and what’s happening and once to get down to the

details of each encounter.

Once your irst reading is done, you’ll probably

recognize that your player is, more-than-likely, going to

do something not directly addressed in the adventure.

Although we’ve tried to cover as many bases of action

as possible, if there’s one thing that’s unpredictable it

is the imagination of a gamer, and with an adventure

as free-form as The Sixth Cavalier you’ll need to be

on your toes and ready to improvise if your player

takes you off in an unexpected direction. But with

the information we’ve provided concerning the main

plots and characters of the story, such improvisation

shouldn’t prove too dificult.

The Sixth Cavalier is written with a 10th-Level Bard in

mind, and you’ll ind a pre-generated bard at the end

of the adventure, but it is also suitable for a similarly

leveled rogue who’s focused more on the social skills

than on the dungeon-diving skills. Because of this,

you’ll also ind a pre-generated rogue at the end of the

adventure as well.

Regardless of how to wish to use The Sixth Cavalier,

we’re sure you’ll ind it a great and memorable

adventure!

Adventure Synopsis:

The Sixth Cavalier inds himself in the midst of a

complicated plot to select the Keyholder from one of several

respected family lines. In the running are Lord Horin, Lord

Gatha, Lord Vyar and Lord Duralis. Lord Gatha has recently

fallen under the sway of a naga named Astalia who pretends

to be his unicorn mount and who liberally uses enchantments

to further his claim. Lord Horin has just burned (or caused

to be burned) down the estates of Lords Vyar and Duralis,

taking them out of real contention for the position in order

to focus her efforts against the current favorite, Lord Gatha.

Lord Horin has also caused several petty crimes through an

aboleth tavern keeper/crimelord named Batarni to plant some

blame at the feet of Lord Gatha. Furthermore, Lord Horin has

kidnapped the wife of one of the ive advisors and has been

keeping her secretly in the expansive gardens of Lord Gatha,

waiting for her to eventual discovery.

As you can tell, it’s quite a mess full of intrigue and double-

crosses and the Sixth Cavalier must make his way through the

net of deceptions to help determine the next Keyholder.

Political Autonomy: Hubrimort has no special standing

with the rest of the country. The Keyholder is chosen by a

group of ive respected elders of the community (still known

as the Five Cavaliers), and the position is coveted for its

prestige and for exemption from local taxes for the duration

of the appointment. Depending on the nature of the campaign

world (and given the true nature of the Keyholder’s position:

see Behind the Kitchen, page 20), the Keyholder may even be

a secret position, known only within the town.

Free Agent: The Sixth Cavalier may be an agent hired by

one of the nobles or by one of the Cavaliers, a hero who cannot

resist solving the mystery, or a manipulative schemer who

wants to modify the outcome of the appointment.

Story Arc : The adventure can be incorporated into an

existing campaign’s story arc by simple modiication of the

Keyholder position. Because the exact duties of the position

are never intended to matter onstage, the DM may freely

modify the position so that the Keyholder protects a campaign-

speciic artifact (or a piece of such an artifact) or holds a special

prophecy that the Keyholder may deliver to only one person

(giving the Sixth Cavalier an interest in making sure that

whoever is appointed believes him to be that person).

Entering Hubrimort

When decisions must be made in the king’s name but

pressing matters demand his attention elsewhere, the Five

Cavaliers are empowered to make decisions in his name.

What is less well-known is that when the king suspects

that his ive righteous and just Cavaliers are headed for

a dificult, nuanced situation, he dispatches an agent

representative to ensure that matters are handled in such

a way as to best serve the kingdom. You are this operative,

known in quiet circles as the Sixth Cavalier.

Arrival in Hubrimort:

The Sixth Cavalier (or Sixth, for short) enters Hubrimort

without incident. The town’s gates are open, and since the

town is far from external dangers, the guards are friendly

and bored. The town itself is lively and loud, and many of the

townsfolk seem concerned or anxious.

If the player wishes to roleplay discussions with

individual townsfolk, the DM may use the information in the

tables below as a basis for common discussions. Because The

Sixth Cavalier is intended to be completed in a single session,

however, the DM may feel it advantageous to make use of

social skills. Please consult the appropriate shaded text for

results to commonly asked questions.

Depending on the interests of the player and the DM,

this information can be delivered indirectly, with the DM

announcing what the Sixth discovers, or the DM may consult

the table, see what the Sixth should learn based on his roll, and

roleplay one encounter (of several that the Sixth would have in

order to gather his information) that delivers the appropriate

level of detail.

After the Sixth has interacted with citizens of Hubrimort,

the DM should secretly roll a Sense Motive check, with

possible +2 Synergy bonuses for having 5 ranks in Spellcraft

or for having a charm spell as one of his known spells (or for

using charm spells from devices on what the DM considers a

Today you ind yourself approaching the town of

Hubrimort. As is common knowledge in the area,

Hubrimort, while not large or politically powerful, is home

to a peculiar political situation. While the town mayor

holds all oficial power, the Keyholder, a noble appointed

each decade by the king (or his Cavaliers), serves as

ceremonial guardian of an ancient magical talisman, and

enjoys a decade of preferential trading rights and freedom

from taxation as compensation for this position.

The current Keyholder died of old age last month, and the

Five Cavaliers were dispatched to oversee the appointment

of the new Keyholder. Recently, the king has received

frustrated reports from the Cavaliers, complaining

of trickery and threats during the Appointment. He

dispatched you to determine what is happening and ensure

that his Cavaliers make the best possible choice.

Synergy Bonuses: Gather Information

+2 Synergy bonus regarding information relating to

the guards, the townsfolk, the Challenge of Arms, or

Cavalier Cestrin’s situation if he has 5 or more ranks in

Knowledge(Local).

Hubrimort’s gates stand open before you this morning. You

are currently dressed as beits a traveling minstrel, since

your position as the Sixth Cavalier must remain secret.

If the player does not want to play an operative of the king,

or if the DM wishes to use his own campaign world and the

political scenario is not compatible with such a world, several

alterations to this introduction are possible. These include, but

are by no means limited to the following:

+2 Synergy bonus regarding information relating

to any of the nobles if he has 5 or more ranks in

Knowledge(Nobility).

regular basis). A Sense Motive check of 25 or higher will reveal

that many citizens (but by no means all) are operating under

the effect of an enchantment.

A detect magic spell will also reveal that many citizens are

operating under the effect of an enchantment.

The Sixth can, if the player considers the option, try to

determine why certain citizens are operating under the effect

of an enchantment. Casually talking with multiple charmed

citizens and then determining similarities in their attitudes

and actions (a Gather Information check (DC 15), modiied

by Intelligence rather than Charisma) will reveal that the

charmed citizens all attended a speech given by Lord Gatha

and his unicorn, and that all the charmed citizens are vocal in

their support for Lord Gatha.

Gather Information: The Appointment

DC 10: The selection process has been thrown

into chaos. Two of the houses vying for the position of

Keyholder have been dealt a serious blow – the manors

of House Vyar and House Duralis have both burned to

the ground during the night, and members of both houses

have been killed. This effectively eliminates these houses

from the Appointment, since candidates for Keyholder

must demonstrate martial prowess and the ability to

maintain the safety of their houses and families. This turn

of events has delayed the Challenge of Arms, a test of arms

between opposing houses. While the Challenge of Arms

does not itself decide the Appointment, it weighs heavily

in the minds of the Five Cavaliers.

DC 15: As above, plus information about the two

remaining houses from any passerby on the street. House

Horin is currently ruled by Lord Sorina Horin, a young

woman who had been training at a magical academy

until the death of her father forced her to return home and

assume leadership of the family. House Gatha is currently

ruled by Lord Houstus Gatha, a respected military tactician

who wears his old combat medals proudly. Both houses

deny any knowledge of the attacks upon Vyar and Duralis.

DC 20: As above, plus deeper information, likely

obtained from conversations in Batarni’s tavern. Lord

Gatha is currently the favorite among the common folk,

both because of his experience as a military commander

and because of his mount, a unicorn named Astalia who

constantly praises Gatha’s courage and love for the people.

Lord Horin has more inluence with the town’s traders and

businessmen, but has been seen making inquiries among

visiting mercenaries about hiring a champion for the

Challenge of Arms, as her house does not have a warrior

who can reliably defeat Lord Gatha’s champion.

DC 25: As above, plus more salacious gossip, likely

obtained from merchants or traders in the back rooms, once

the Sixth ingratiates himself into their company. Young

Lord Horin is said to have contacts with Hubrimort’s

criminal background, and it is rumored that men acting in

her name have vandalized the houses of men supporting

Lord Gatha and disrupted public appearances. It is also

whispered that some of Lord Gatha’s guards have been

found dead, killed by poison, although the matter has

been hushed up. Also of interest is the fact that while four

the Cavaliers are undecided, Cavalier Cestrin, normally a

quiet, open-minded arbiter, has been vocal and adamant in

his support for Lord Gatha.

DC 30: As above, plus secret information that could

only be obtained through a trusted network of contacts or

the use of trickery to get information from a secret source.

Cavalier Cestrin’s wife Jenya evidently disappeared

from her home one week ago, around the time Cavalier

Cestrin began backing House Gatha. Cestrin has also

been receiving notes in the night. Those in the know also

suggest that Lord Gatha’s unicorn, Astalia, may be using

some form of enchantment magic on the townsfolk, who

are too uniied and too fervent in their praise for her and

Lord Gatha

encounter order

Initially, with no immediate threat, the Sixth has the

freedom to choose his next course of action. As such, the

following locations (Batarni’s Tavern, Lord Horin’s Estate,

Lord Gatha’s Estate, The Burned Estates, The Five Cavaliers)

can be visited in any order, but the Challenge of Arms and the

inal Appointment encounter are ixed.

Batarni’s Tavern

The half-elf Batarni owns the largest tavern in town, and his

status as the man behind most criminal activity in Hubrimort is

an open secret among the people (Lore or Gather Information,

DC 15). Even the upstanding members of Hubrimort who know

or suspect that Batarni is the ruler of the thieves’ guild refuse to

move against him, however. He has too many ties to powerful

merchants, and the crimes committed under his orders are

generally nonviolent, making him better than whoever would

move in to replace him should he be arrested or killed.

Upon entering the tavern, you are struck by the noise

of the crowd, the rich smells of savory food and drink, and

the mixture of common townsfolk, merchants, and minor

nobles. Games of skill and chance are played off towards

one wall, and a pair of athletic men are stripped to the waist

and wrestling in the middle of the room. A small stage marks

the spot where musical entertainers might perform, but it is

currently unoccupied.

Common Tavern Patron or Employee: Human commoner 1;

CR 1/2; Medium humanoid; HD 1d4; hp 2; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.;

AC 10, touch 10, lat-footed 10; Base Atk +0; Grp +0; Atk +0

melee (1d4/19-20, dagger); Space/Reach 5 ft./5 ft.; SA None;

SQ None; AL N; SV Fort +0, Ref +0, Will +0; Str 11, Dex 10,

Con 11, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 10.

Skills and Feats: Craft (any two) +7, Profession +4; Skill Focus

(Craft) x2

Languages: Common

Bouncer: Half-orc rogue 2; CR 2; Medium humanoid; HD

2d6+4; hp 11; Init +4; Spd 30 ft.; AC 12, touch 10, lat-footed 12;

Base Atk +1; Grp +3; Atk +3 melee (1d6+2 sap); Space/Reach

5 ft./5 ft.; SA Sneak attack +1d6; SQ Darkvision, evasion,

trapinding; AL CN; SV Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +0; Str 15, Dex 11,

Con 14, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 8.

Skills and Feats: Appraise +4, Forgery +4, Intimidate +4,

d20 Expeditious Retreat Press 1 on 1 Adventures 04 - The Sixth Cavalier.pdf

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