D&D: Episode 1: Attack on Greenest

The D&D group we put together has successfully completed our first real session! You may recall me posting to request participation from our readers, and the offer still stands. Read through a synopsis of our first session bought to you by our GM. If you’re interested in joining us, we still have room for 2 more. Visit our Tabletop Forum, post here, or email me.

greenest-dragon-attack

(The following contains spoilers for the Hoard of the Dragon Queen)

Our adventurers started their journey as guards for a merchant making his way to Greenest. A group consisting of two gnomes, one disfigured walking with a limp, one talkative with a better story than the one being told [That’s me!], a seemingly generic dwarf stout with a good heart, and a mysterious drow who stays silent but wears the robes of the faithful. Our band of unlikely heroes has been traveling for a few tendays enjoying the green fields for which this area is named. Rumors from others traveling have warned of bandits attacking travelers on the roads but so far the journey has been peaceful and calm with plenty of good song to pass the boring days.

This is the closest image I could find. Imagine him with yellowish blonde hair and instruments on his back (can someone photoshop that for me?)
This is the closest image I could find. Imagine him with yellowish blonde hair and instruments on his back (can someone photoshop that for me?)

As our adventurers topped the hill expecting to see greenest in its peaceful nature, smoke greats them. Greenest is under attack. Townsfolk can be seeing running and distant screams can be heard as a raid is just starting to take place. Flying high above a massive blue dragon towers over the town bringing with him a feeling of dread. Quickly the heroes race to the town to do what they can to save the townsfolk.

At sunset they arrive at the edge of town and as they are making their way through they stumble upon an injured man with his three children and his wife fighting off a gaggle of kobolds — small little dragonesk humanoids with wicked teeth and tiny clawed hands wielding slings and daggers.

Valorously our heroes saved the family and took them through the town facing three more groups of raiding bandits and kobolds. Our dwarf Ursus driving his war hammer through many wicked foes. The disfigured gnome “Ash” quickly dispatched foes using his bow. Inspiring his comrades and assaulting his foes with viscous insults, Keen the bard helped bring his associates to victory. While the drow, Nerubia, tended to the injured and brought radiant light to his enemies.

keen the bard playing his lute
This is pretty much me at the start of every engagement

While able to make their way through the groups of raiders it was starting to take its toll. The wounds on our heroes growing more and more threatening and a final group of a more than a half a dozen raiders lay between them and the keep. Ingeniously our heroes devised a plan. Using a recently acquired keg of strong wine they cleverly placed it with an illusion of gold piling onto it which drew in the last bandit group. The with the trap set and the bait of gold to much for the bandits to resist, the resulting explosion decimated the last standing obstacle before finally safely delivering the family into the keep.

Inside the true devastation of the raid was beginning to dawn on our heroes as they saw before them a towns people huddled in fear against a terrible dragon flying above and chaos in the streets of their fair town now being sacked for their livelihoods.

Leading the town guard and mustering a defense against the encroaching raiders is Escobart the Red, from the Iron Rust clan. Not able to make to much small talk Escobart instructs the adventurers to see Governor Nighthill the town leader. As he will make better use of their unique talents.

With our heroes already weary from several battles Governor Nighthill informs our champions that “The night has just begun.”

  • A well written summary of how your group handled the opening encounters!

    I am currrently DMing this very book and my players moved into Chapter 2 on Sunday.
    I’m going to combine C2 and C3 into one chapter as it simply makes more sense to me that way….

    Also I’ve replaced most of the Kobolds with Lizardfolk (and similar boosts) as the group is L3-5 after doing the Starter Set immediately before!

  • This will be the second time I’ve DMed this adventure. This first episode is very challenging as written. My current non-online group is working its way through part 6 currently.

  • Very enjoyable read. Stirring old memories that feel like a warm blanket on a cold snowy night.
    Please keep posting.

  • We are considering recording, streaming, or some other way of capturing our sessions. Haven’t quite nailed down what we want to do yet.

  • Have you had a look at the Critical Hit podcast, their format is fairly straightforward and works quite well.

  • I used to listen to Cirtical Hit, their podcast made me look again at 4th with new eyes and decide that while its not the version for me it is still a version of D&D that could have plenty of depth. Honestly though what really got me excited to play again was watching the Penny Arcade’s acquisitions incorporated.