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The Stag at Rest
Upon entering the Stag at Rest, read the following to the players:
| Welcome to the Stag at Rest. This tavern is apparently the hot spot in Kheldell, as it is standing room only. Noisy patrons laugh and drink and shout and push about as they forget about the pressures of their busy lives for just a little while. Two crackling fireplaces grace the interior; both surrounded by comfortable-looking, if well worn, furniture. The overworked barmaids maintain cheerful smiles as they rush about, keeping their customers happy with cold mead, fresh stew and a friendly wink. Order is maintained by the barkeep: an enormous, battle-scarred woman with a sharp tongue and a boisterous laugh. A hand carved wooden sign above the fireplace on the rear wall reads "If ya ain't enjoyin' yerself here, thar be sumthin' wrong with ya. Get out afore ya stink up my place." |
The Stag at Rest is owned and operated by Delgara "The Slim" Dauntsword. Former pirate captain of the Witch of the Waves, Delgara retired to this more respectable lifestyle. She runs a clean establishment and doesn't put up with any rabble-rousers. Delgara is still a powerful woman for her age, and at over 300 lbs., she's got the power to back up her tongue.
Delgara "The Slim" Dauntsword, female human Fighter 14/Rogue 4: CR 18; Size M (6 ft., 2 in. tall); HD 14d10+42 + 4d6+12; hp 150; Init +7 (+3 Dex, +4 Improved initiative); Spd 30 ft.; AC 13 (+3 Dex); Attack +19/+14/+9/+4 melee, or +20/+15/+10/+5 ranged; SV Fort +13, Ref +11, Will +6; AL CN; Str 15 (+2), Dex 16 (+3), Con 16 (+3), Int 12 (+1), Wis 12 (+1), Cha 11 (+0).
Languages Spoken: Common, Sylvan.
Skills and feats: Appraise +3, Balance +10, Craft +16, Escape artist +10, Heal +1.5, Hide +10, Intimidate +2, Jump +18, Knowledge (nature) +2, Listen +8.5, Move silently +3, Open lock +9, Pick pocket +9, Sense motive +7, Spellcraft +3.5, Spot +3, Swim +17; Alertness, Blind-fight, Cleave, Dodge, Endurance, Improved bull rush, Improved critical (scimitar), Improved initiative, Point blank shot, Power attack, Precise shot, Quick draw, Sunder, Two-weapon fighting, Weapon focus (battleaxe).
The Stag at Rest is a great place for the PC's to interact with the townfolk and gain information to aid them on their quest. As a central gathering place for the hardworking loggers of Kheldell, the busy tavern is also a fully functional rumor mill. With a successful Gather Information check (DC13 according to Table K-1: NPC Reactions above), the following rumors can be heard only at the Stag at Rest.
Table K-3: Stag at Rest Rumors
There have been several sightings of strange, cloaked men in the woods recently I've heard there's activity at the tower ruins to the north Several woodcutters have gone missing in the Westwood The temple clerics have been acting strange, like something's wrong Lately, it seems there's ALWAYS a storm brewing over the mountain at night. Yet the mornings always bring clear skies The elf king's sent his watcher back to our town. Something's up
At any time of day, there is also a game of daggers going on using the target on the center of the west wall. The object is very similar (OK, identical) to the American dart game of Cricket (see Appendix A: The Game of Daggers) with the exception that daggers are thrown in place of darts. Heavy wagers are placed on these games and the PC's can choose to participate if they so desire (average wager is 1d4 gp per point).
The DM can choose how to role-play these games. If a dartboard is available, the DM may wish to let the group actually play out the game. The players can move one thrown dart per turn a number of spaces closer to their actual target number equal to their character's DEX bonus to compensate for a lack of real-life skill. To exercise this privilege, the player must announce where he is aiming before the dart is thrown. The player may only move one dart toward the specified target number.
Example: Player A is aiming for the 15, but hits the 6. His DEX bonus is +2.
He may move the dart 2 spaces and place it in the 15 space. If the player specified
that he was aiming for 15 and hit the 13, he could not move his dart 2 spaces
for a hit on the 18.
As an alternative, the provided dartboard picture can be placed flat on the
playing table. The players can stand up and drop colored pencils onto the board
to simulate throws. The picture can also be laminated, and a dry-erase marker
can be used (it'll get ruined, use an old one!)
Appendix A
The Game of Daggers (American Cricket)
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1
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Play with two people or four people on two teams. |
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2
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Write the numbers 20 down to 15 vertically on each side of the scoreboard. Put a letter "B" (for "bull's-eye") below the 15, and below that write "points." |
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3
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Throw three darts at a time, alternating players. Remove the darts after your turn. |
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4
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Count any darts that land in the bull's-eye or numbers 15 through 20. Don't award points for hits on the numbers 1 through 14. |
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5
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Mark a slash on the scoreboard next to a number when you hit one. The second time you hit, make a second slash to form an X. The third time, circle the X. |
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6
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Count the number twice if a dart lands in the doubles ring (the narrow one around the outside), and count the number three times if a dart lands in the triples ring (the smaller one between the doubles ring and the bull's-eye). |
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7
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Close out a number by hitting it three times. Once an X is circled, that number is closed. |
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8
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Hit a number that you've already closed but your opponent still has open, and you get points: If you closed 15 and then hit it again, you get 15 points, which you write in the points area. If you closed the bull's-eye and then hit it again, you score 50 points. |
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9
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Total up all of the points when one player closes out all of his numbers plus the B. The person or team with the most points wins. |
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10
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Keep playing if you close all of your numbers before your opponent but are behind in total points. You can win only if you accumulate more points than your opponent before he closes out all of his numbers. |
The work contained on this page is the property and copyright of Cthulu Ftaghn and is used by Candlekeep with permission.