It's summer once again in Middle Tennessee, and that means it's time for my annual "An Introduction to Dungeons & Dragons" program at my library.
This time around seven erstwhile adventurers face of against an original composition I call The Mystery of the Old Mill.
The party, which is entirely non-human, is enlisted to rescue the missing Mrungo Millethead, a young halfling fishing enthusiast of no particular social standing or notable distinction, aside from the fact that his widowed mother is wealthy and sure to reward the heroes handsomely for his return.
Cue morning travel montage to the eponymous mill, a handsome tower structure built outside of town over a century ago, and abandoned some thirty years ago.
Arriving in the hamlet (such as it is) which still remains near this landmark, the teens of course notice the tower:
"Let's go check out the tower!" says the halfling fighter who was tasked with the mission..
"Shouldn't we ask around about the missing halfling?" asks the gnome, who was not..
"No, let's look in the tower!" replies the halfling fighter. So much for sense of community loyalty and devotion to duty.
Two nasty fights later with beasties in the mill (both involving surprised party members), they track some bootprints to a stack of barrels, behind which are a torn suit of human-sized clothes and a pair of human boots— "There better not be a naked man hiding in one of these barrels"— one of the PCs announces he's opening a barrel.
DM: "It's full of fun—"
The teens groan and all start picking up initiative dice.
DM: "—it's empty!" They glare at the DM. "Well, it was full of fun for me!"
So they muck about with the mill controls, look through a hole in the floor (near the boots), discuss various ideas and theories… and "Why are we in this tower anyway?"— the halfling fighter who had suggested it. "We need to leave and ask around about the missing halfling!" Oh, yeah. Him.
And so the day continues, including the moment where the wizard decides to throw the gnome through a broken window pane into a cottage they're "suspicious of."
Wizard: "I grab the gnome! I rolled a 19!"
Gnome: "No! You can't throw me!"
DM: "Roll a die for a Strength challenge to prevent the grapple."
Gnome: "20!"
Darn. I really wanted to figure out what happens when you go gnome bowling.
More to come!