The First Adventure is Here!

Dated: 15 Aug, 2019

Don't we all love goblins?  They are a brilliant, generic monster - from Enid Blyton to the hordes of semi-orcs in the Hobbit to Gobaldigook in White Dwarf, goblins have been a main-stay of fantasy and fey literature for hundreds of years.  In FRPGs they tend to be fairly low-level monsters quickly disposed of and rarely threatening once you're past first level.

But why should this be?

In one massive dungeon hack I played there was a small goblin tribe in a dozen or so rooms.  I used a bit of cunning and set up their rooms to be more easily defended, using burning oil and barricaeds a bit.  To my surprise the party (all 4-6th level characters but fairly new players) made very heavy weather of the whole process.  They must have retreated and re-attacked three or four times before getting through and even then they skirted the main rooms to get through to the other side and on to the next part of the dungeon.  It was amazing how easy it was for low level monsters, using nothing but animal cunning and conventional weapons, to create such a problem for the players.  One player even started referring to it as the Stalingrad Level because of the unexpected and damaging resistance they encountered.

This all set me thinking:  What if the goblins built their own lair from the ground up?  Er, I mean ground down...?  They could construct corridors that suited them better, use secret passages and tricks and traps all over the place.  The main problem they will have is being able to hit the characters who will all have pretty good armour, so how could I level that playing field?  The result is the Warren.  It's a goblin lair with some bite.  In fact, if the party are careless or too over-confident this could get even a 7th or 8th level party into a TPK (Total Party Kill) situation if you're not careful...

It's a challenge to even experienced players and DMs.  Are you up tot he challenge of a few poxy goblins?  Go on - give it a go.  I DARE you...