This week I’m sharing this simple battlemap from a short game session for my group. It could serve in a number of possible scenarios but I will briefly explain how I used it for my game.

The Story

In the bustling city of Summerville, a wealthy merchant sought the aid of a capable party to retrieve a jeweled dagger he had recently agreed to purchase. The dagger belonged to a retired adventurer; a renowned rogue known as Alphonse “the Cat” Richter. With a bag of gold in hand for the purchase, the party embarked on a day’s journey to Richter’s modest cottage, eager to secure the prized treasure.

Unbeknownst to the party, a pack of four wererats had recently killed Richter. Led by a particularly cunning fellow named Gravik, they sought to recover the dagger for themselves. Having dispatched the rogue, they set about trying to locate the treasure with no luck.  

With two of the band keeping watch, the wererats were aware of the party’s approach. Gravik remained in the cottage (location #1) in his human form, pretending to be Richter. The others each waited for signs of trouble (at locations #2, #3, & #4 respectively) and observed from a distance.

Expecting to meet a dashing and experienced rogue, the party was taken aback when “Richter” appeared unremarkable and disinterested. Claiming to no longer desire the merchant’s payment for the dagger, Gravik nervously sent the party away without even inviting them in.

Making their way back to the bridge, doubts began to arise within the party. Two of the adventures mentioned that “Richter” seemed a bit off. Another had noticed odd tracks leading around behind the cabin.

In the meantime, Gravik decided that if he couldn’t find the dagger, he might as well end up with the bag of gold from the merchant. Before the party could act on their suspicions, Gravik transformed into his hybrid form and ran out to attack. Seeing their leader spring into action, the rest of his band joined the fray. A ferocious battle ensued, and the party fought for their lives against the lycanthropes.

The party emerged victorious from the encounter, though one of the characters suffered a concerning bite. Richter’s lifeless body was discovered beside a freshly dug burrow in the garden (location #5). A search of the flower beds to the south of the cabin (location #6) yielded the jeweled dagger, wrapped-up burlap bag.

With the mystery unraveled, the party headed back to Summerville to claim their fee from the merchant.

That is the tale that this simple map was for used for in my game. As is always the case, a number of other questions were raised. What would have happened if the party had decided to keep the dagger for themselves? Aside from being jeweled, what was so special about the dagger in the first place? Were Gravik and his band acting on their own or is there a larger pack lurking around the Summerville area? If so, will the party have a target on their back?

Closing

That’s all for this week. Still tinkering to try to find the right mix of sharing maps with just enough of a plot hook to spark ideas. Thanks for stopping by. If you would like to see some more of my maps with plot hooks you may find them here. Good gaming!