Druid Circle of the Moon - One Shot Adventure

Story Hook

Our hero's are almost ready to join the druid circle of the moon. Only one step remains: taking up the challenge of the forest spirit. Can our druids become the champions of the forest and earn their place under the moon?

Character Creation

Your players can be level 2 or 3 but should take 1 level in druid (Dont have access to their level 2 druid yet.) Other classes are available without restrictions.

Scene 1: Taking up the Challenge

Challenges/ Obstacles:

• There are only four displacer cat families left in the forest. If any one family is lost – there won’t be enough cat’s to propagate the next generation.

NPC’s:

Arch Druid Deatha the Known.

• “A druid forgets herself – we become not the masters of nature – but an extension of it.”

• Appearance: Fiery red hair and a passion to go with it.

• Motivation: She fights for her forest – as it’s all she can protect, but she hopes that with a true circle together they can do more.

Fox Spirit

• Appearance: A brilliant red spirit that dances against the white of the full moon. Fox is swift, sly, and fierce.

• “People look at the world past their nose. They see themself first – their problems, their wants. A druid has to see the world – not just their nose.”

Secrets/Loot:

• Herb Lore taught by Arch Druid: You learn the magic of nature expressed through plants. With the right plants you can cast simple spells. Level 1 only. Herb is consumed when the spell is cast.

• Can make a roll between scenes to gather herbs. Roll to see which spell they get access to.
  (Pull from druid spell list)

Setting the Scene

• Our hero’s make their way to the northern tip of the forest. Before they find any of the displacer cats, they run across the adventurer camp.

• There are traps set up around the perimeter – both magical and mundane. Scouts sit in tree’s looking out for monsters. Large cages are secured to wagons within the perimeter. The rest of the band are gathered around a table with a map and seem to be having an energized conversation with a haughty woman.

• The hunter’s are being told they need to capture the remaining displacer cats alive. They are protesting that it’s too dangerous – it'll be the hunters that lose their lives if they try to catch them instead of killing them.

• You haven’t been noticed... yet.

Motivation/Dramatic Question

• What will our hero’s do when they come face to face with the enemy?

Challenges/ Obstacles:

• The adventures (Hunters) are desperate: Families need the money (debts, sickness, etc)

• The adventurers are being watched by a representative business partner "Laura Toorim". If they have a bad showing in front of her they stand to lose face, and maybe future contracts.

• The adventurers are armed, seemingly well prepared for a fight, outnumber the druids 2 to 1. Adventurers have the (Tribal Warrior) stat block.

NPC’s:

• Kain Carver – Leader of the hunting party. (A Gladiator)

“You can feel bad for the animals or you can feel bad for your families. Only one of them is going to survive.”

• Appearance: Shaggy blonde hair and deeply tanned skin. Kain has the leathery hard muscles of a man used to running down game. He carries a wickedly sharp boar spear and a crossbow.

• Motivation: Kain is deeply in debt to the Toorim company. Kain borrowed from the company along with his village to buy the land from their local lord. They’re free from his despotic rule, but have to keep up with the payments or they’ll lose everything.

• Laura Toorim of the Toorim Company. (A Mage)

“The company doesn’t care about the details Mr. Carver. We care about results.”

• Appearance: Laura has dark hair that’s piled atop her head elegantly. Her arms are permanently folded across her chest and she eyes the world around her with general disdain.

• Motivation: The Toorim Company has been making displacement cloaks from the cats pelts, but with their numbers waning and demand increasing the company has sent her to make sure that any remaining cats are captured alive – so they can be bred and slaughtered appropriately to keep up with demand.

Secrets/Loot:

• Traps set up around camp that can be stolen.

• Weapons stashed inside camp (Bows and spears)

• A stash of pelts taken from slain displacer cats.

• Large cages on wagons.

• A map with the location of the remaining displacer cats in the forest.

• Some of the hunters are acting against their better nature due to desperation.

Setting the Scene

• The hunters have a plan to trap the remaining adult displacer cats. They transport their cages into the forest near the dens of the cats. Then all they have to do is set the bait.

• The hutners put their lives on the line as they cut their own flesh allowing the scent of blood to fill the air. Then they get into the cages. There seems to be an escape hatch they can go through when the cats chase them, but it’ll be a close thing even if done perfectly.

• Our druid’s know where to find the cats too. And unlike the hunters – our hero’s can speak to them.

Motivation/Dramatic Question

• Can our hero’s stop the hunters from capturing or killing any of the remaining displacer cats?

• Will our hero’s make the hunters into the hunted?

Challenges/ Obstacles:

• The cats are starving since their prey have been driven out of the area by the human activity.

• The cats are angry at their kin being killed. They are wanting to trade blood for blood.

• The hunters have the cats penned in. They will have to either fight, or break through the guards on the perimeter to get out of this alive.

NPC’s:

• Dark Moon – the Displacer Cat

“They’ve butchered our kin. They’ve come for our kits. The only RIGHT thing to do is to kill them all”.

• Appearance: Dark moon has a pure black coat except for a bright white spot on his forehead in the shape of a crescent moon.

• Motivation: The displacer cats want to live, to take back their hunting grounds, and to drive the humans out. But they are impotent to do so on their own. This makes them scared and ferally mad.

Secrets/Loot:

• Druids can bond a displacer cat. There are 4 adult Displacer Cats in this Lair along with thier 8 kits.

• While bonded you get a bonus to hide checks +5, can ride them in battle, can command them in battle as a bonus action.

• See Displacer Beast Page 81 Monster Manual

Setting the Scene

• Our druids have helped the displacer cats. Now they will see if Fox the spirit is pleased.

Motivation/Dramatic Question

• Will our druids be confirmed or rejected by the spirit?

• Will they be able to join the circle of the moon?

Challenges/ Obstacles:

• A spirit representative of both the adventurers and the displacer cats (who perished in the conflict) is brought forth to give testimony on the druids acts.

• Did they bridge the world between nature and man well, or did they sacrifice one for the sake of the other?

NPC’s:

• Arch Druid Deatha the Known

• Fox the Spirit

• Displacer cat ghost

• Hunter ghost

Secrets/Loot:

• Druids become a part of the circle and learn to change into the shape of a displacer cat.

Continued

• Dark Moon – the Displacer Cat