This adventuring supplement is designed for D&D5e. On out Patreon page you can get it in PDF format (see image). The downloads include hi-res images for the maps. And there is a variant PDF version designed for Shadowdark RPG.
“I wish there was a better way. My kindred are unlikely to wait much longer. Alas, impulsiveness and lack of patience are widespread in our culture…”
Raddak, Rebel Warrior
In the southern reaches of Ghin Faradum, an impromptu goblin camp slowly grows into what may one day be a permanent settlement. Raddak, the goblin rebel, whom his kind worship and follow is here. Unfortunately, Raddak can control the growing goblin horde as much as a person can control a storm. The revolutionary movement has a soul of its own and it may well carry on with or without Raddak. The goblin leader wants a peaceful resolution to the current conflict but the sentiments of hatred and ancestral grudges against the dwarf overseers run too deep for Raddak to attempt to dispel them with words and platitudes. He remains a key figure, capable of changing the course of events, but the goblin horde, as an entity, is the determining factor in this conflict. With the characters’ aid as ambassadors, a solution that satisfies all parties remains elusive but can still be attained.
The King’s Indifference
The goblins’ boldness as they grow in numbers and power is fueled by King Thwayne’s refusal to take a side, to the chagrin of dwarf aristocrats. Lady Galladan Silverstream, the king’s consort, persuaded him to stay neutral as the goblins grow a strong position that allows for negotiation on mostly equal terms. This weakens the crown’s position in Faradak’s court; the situation shall either end up in a just deal or an all-out war.
Adventure Hooks
Ambassadors. Regri, the leader of the Freedom Assembly in Topaz Beach, begs the characters to escort him to the Goblinoid Campsite to parley with Raddak about the future and possible solutions to the current conflict. He holds Topaz Beach’s integrity above all and would like to isolate it from any armed conflicts.
Mercenaries. If the characters are neutral to the goblins’ designs, they may yet be swayed by the life-changing bounty reward that Royal Mining Co. offers for bringing the goblin rebel to Faradak for justice (5,000 gp).
Level 4 Adventure
- Danger. Unsafe. Check for a Random Event every 30 minutes and after loud noises (4-in-6 chance).
- Light. Some areas have burning braziers; the rest are in darkness. All denizens have darkvision.
- Ambiance. The goblin camp denizens work hard to build more lodgings and craft weaponry. They react aggressively if a dwarf is present with the party but allow them to pass as long as they are not from Ghin Faradum.
| RANDOM EVENTS d6 | Details |
| 1 | Six goblins and four worgs return from patrol. If they spot the characters on the road, they escort the party to area 4. |
| 2 | Two trolls from the south, attracted by the camp activity, approach to attack. To save and protect the non-combatant population, the goblins use burning arrows; they have dealt with trolls before. They are grateful to the party if they intervene to help. |
| 3 | Two dwarves, envoys of Royal Mining Co., offer goblins stable work back in the mines. They are met with disgust and shame. |
| 4 | The soil quakes as strong seismic movement assail the region. The goblin huts in areas 3 and 4 sustain a little damage from it. |
| 5 | An assassin (half HP) hired by Royal Mining Co. infiltrates the campsite and looks for a way to execute Raddak. The assassin moves across the goblin camp disguised as a bugbear mercenary, claiming loyalty to Raddak (DC 16 Insight to see the ruse). |
| 6 | The goblins gather by bonfires and smoke fungal powder on pipes to relax and spend time with their kin; a moment of serenity. |
1. Road to the Campsite
The barely-trodden trail comes from a proper road close to the dwarven settlement Sapphire Link. The goblin diaspora from all dwarven settlements has come this way searching for Raddak’s guidance. The north side of this road is flanked by a large fungal tree forest.
- Prowlers. Six panthers may attack the party (3-in-6 chance). The felines flee if reduced to half their HP.
2. Camp Fence
A 5-foot-tall fence surrounds the campsite. A tall war-tent of flowing tarps and fabrics stands in the center.
The fence is constructed from the fibrous, wood-like material of the fungal trees native to the region. The short palisade is sturdy, durable, and heat resistant. Four goblins stand by the door. They allow characters to pass but restrict access to Ghin Faradum dwarves. They claim these grounds shall not be tainted by the dwarves’ steps.
3. Fungal Huts
Goblins work tirelessly with axes and chisels to sculpt the wood-like fibers of the cap trees to build more huts. The lodgings here are a perfect mixture of practical architecture and coherence with nature. Each hut has multi-tiered hammocks to house as many newcomers as possible. As many as fifty goblins reside in each hut.
- Population. Three-hundred and sixty-two goblins currently live in the campsite (65% non-combatants), with new arrivals coming every few days from the north.
4. The Grand Tent
The war-tent is made from a strange, heavy material. Goblin seamstresses weave the long strands of fungal fibers into this resilient, fabrics. They are then cured with fire to avoid rot. Four goblin warriors loyal to Raddak, guard the tent entrance to the rebel’s abode. The warm light of burning braziers and the smell of food, drink, and goblin musk emerge from the tent entrance like mist.
5. Raddak’s Abode
A goblin sits on a stone throne. The sharp-eyed rebel wears finery. Four concubines sit on the floor by the throne, never losing sight of the renowned rebel.
Raddak (goblin, lv.-4 fighter) grants the characters and their companions an audience and hears them out. The goblin claims that all he seeks is a peaceful resolution. He seeks the foundation of a town where this campsite is and peaceful negotiations with the dwarf settlements to the north. Raddak is only influential while his goals align with the goblin horde’s (see Illusion of Peace).
- The Mage. Beside Raddak stands Jarking (goblin, lv.- 4 wizard), he learned magic from the court artificers in the Palace of Topaz, in Faradak. He has created a destructive device that can change history (see area 7). Due to its power, Raddak does not want to use it.
- The Council. The characters’ presence causes Raddak to call for a council to decide the goblins’ future. The characters’ deeds shall influence the result of this.
6. Armory
Three goblins work all day crafting crude weapons and sharpening or improving what they already have. They have a small kiln but no access to a proper forge; their results are lackluster. There are enough blades in this room to arm a fifty-strong platoon, at the most.
7. Laboratory
Three laboratory tables filled with strange glassware surround a glowing, spherical device. The sphere is filled with a mist-like vapor the color of dawn.
The strange apparatus is an explosive device of catastrophic power created by Jarkin, Raddak’s mage ally. Four goblins guard this room from trespassers. Characters forcing their way into this area and beyond earn the enmity of everyone in the Goblinoid Campsite.
- The Device. A mage who inspects this apparatus learns that its destructive power can decimate a city and kill thousands in an instant (DC 14 Intelligence). It is a marvel of clockwork machinery and clever use of magic.
8. Goblin Warrens
Each of these chambers contains several sleeping cots and wooden containers with edible items and grain. Raddak and his concubines rest in the west chamber.
9. The Warchest
The vault is unguarded. No one in the campsite would dare steal from Raddak’s treasury for the war to come.
- Treasure. The chests contain 1,300 gp, 15,600 sp, three potions of healing, and a set of mithral chainmail. A discarded efreeti bottle is hidden here too.
Illusion of Peace
Raddak is important but the will of his kindred prevails in the end, even against his wishes. He is a symbol of freedom but is inevitably tied to what the goblins want. They want war and revenge against the dwarf overseers but can still be swayed to negotiate for peace.
Leaders of many clans participate in this council, the characters must state their case to sway the goblin crows toward peace. Roll 2d6, a result of 10 or higher means the goblin horde agrees to wait and negotiate. The following factors modify this negotiation roll:
- A party member is a Ghin Faradum dwarf (-2).
- The characters restored the Dwarven Rulers and earned the title Protectors of the Dwarves (-1).
- The characters retrieved the Horned Goddess’s headpiece to the chapel in Topaz Beach (+1).
- The characters sold the Horned Goddess’s headpiece to the museum in Topaz Beach (-2).
- The characters want to give King Thwayne’s crown back to the goblins to crown Raddak (+2).
- The characters escort Regri to the camp. He leads the Freedom Assembly in Topaz Beach (+1).
- The characters help the goblins defeat the troll or stop the assassin (see Random Events, +1/+2).
Raddak’s death, regardless of the circumstances, causes the goblin horde to abandon any hope of peace and prepare for war against Ghin Faradum. If Jarkin lives, he spearheads this goal with his exploding device.
The conclusion notes and other supplementary content for the quests in Ghin Faradum are available in our compiled work Dungen Vault Magazine No. 46. Check it out!
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