Odd jobs 2. It gets weirder from here

I spent the last few days cranking out these sidequest so it is going to be nothing but these for a while. Each one is designed to sound mundane at first glance before one or more plot twists send it into weird territory. Where better to start than a flyer advertising a shop full of the strangest magical items imaginable, owned and operated by a senile old kook of a lich?

The Magical Bargain Depot

Bulletin Board Posting:

MAGICAL BARGAIN DEPOT – CRAZY DEALS AWAIT!

Discover the wackiest, wildest deals in Sliberberg at the Magical Bargain Depot! Our shelves are packed with magical items at prices so low, you’ll think we’re crazy! (And maybe we are!)

Look for the jolly skull and skeleton arm giving a thumbs up just off the Grand Fey Marketplace.

Setting:

The Magical Bargain Depot is a cramped, chaotic store nestled in a narrow alley just off the bustling Grand Fey Marketplace. The entrance is marked by a cartoonish sign featuring a jolly skull and a skeleton arm giving a thumbs up, surrounded by brightly colored signage proclaiming deals like “TWO FOR NONE SPECIALS” and “SALE 150% OFF”.

Store Description:

Inside, the store is a cluttered maze of shelves overflowing with bizarre and questionably useful magical items. The air is thick with the scent of dust and enchantment, and the flickering light from enchanted candles casts eerie shadows. The shelves are packed with items like:

A fishbowl that floats and follows its owner.
A +1 dagger that cannot pierce flesh.
A hat that causes speech bubbles to appear when the wearer speaks.
A ring that teleports the user to the nearest bathroom on command.

Proprietor:

The store is run by an Unseen Lich named Zilko the Bizarre. Despite the name, Unseen Liches are perfectly visible and are unique to the Märchenweltgrenze. They sustain themselves on wild magic and lack a phylactery. Zilko appears as a traditional lich but with an air of eccentricity – his robes are patched with mismatched fabrics, and his bony fingers are adorned with a variety of rings. He has a rambling, senile demeanor and often talks to “others” who aren’t visible to anyone else.

Challenges and Fun Elements:

Bargain Hunting: Players can sift through shelves to find useful (or not-so-useful) magical items, with the DM determining the effects based on random rolls.
Zilko’s Ramblings: Zilko’s conversations with invisible “others” can provide cryptic clues or misleading information, adding humor and mystery.
Haggling: Negotiating with Zilko can lead to comedic exchanges, as he might demand absurd trades or claim the item in question is actually his “old friend.”

The Vampire’s Extermination

Job Posting

Elegant Notice: In flowing elegant script, the post requests help exterminating some pests that have taken over her mansion. Inquire at the Iron Oak Inn. The request smells vaguely of lavender, myrrh, and lilac.

Encounter 1: Meeting the Client

Setting: The Iron Oak Inn, a bustling hub for adventurers and locals alike, with a cozy yet lively atmosphere.

Description: The players find the poster, a young(?) elf woman named Lady Denisa, dressed in gothic lolita style clothing complete with a veil, sipping a bloody mary (made from actual blood).

Dialogue: Lady Denisa, with an elegant and slightly haughty demeanor, says:

“Ah, you must be here about my… pest problem. I returned to my mansion after a late-night liaison to find it overrun with everything harmful to vampires. These scoundrels covered my estate with holy symbols, garlic, salt, communion wafers, and silver. I barely escaped with my life.”

If the players express hesitance to help a vampire:

“How rude! Unlike others of my kind, I have tempered my bloodlust. Besides, with my wealth and looks, I hardly need to drain men dry when I partake. Now, do you wish to earn a handsome reward or not?”

Challenges:

Convincing the players to help a vampire.
Understanding the urgency and severity of the situation.

Encounter 2: The Mansion Grounds

Setting: Lady Denisa’s mansion in Pleasant Meadows, surrounded by lush gardens now marred by defensive preparations against vampires.

Description: The mansion is occupied by rough-looking characters, currently digging moats and setting up further defenses. There are six of them out front, busy with their work.

Challenges:

Combat or stealth to handle the six rough-looking characters.
Assessing and understanding the defensive measures being put in place.

Combat Notes:

The characters are armed with basic weapons and know their job is to keep intruders away.
Players can choose to fight, sneak past, or intimidate the characters into leaving.

Encounter 3: Inside the Mansion

Setting: The interior of the mansion, elegantly furnished but now cluttered with harmful items for vampires. Five more rough-looking characters and a teenage noble, a dandy named Alistair, are inside.

Description: Alistair, who knows about Lady Denisa’s fortune, is orchestrating the takeover with the intent of claiming her wealth for herself. She appears confident and slightly vain, clearly enjoying her temporary control of the mansion.

Challenges:

Combat with the five rough-looking characters and Alistair.
Understanding Alistair’s plan and thwarting it.

Combat Notes:

Alistair has a few special tricks and spells up her sleeve, making her a slightly tougher opponent.
Players must navigate the mansion’s traps and hazards while engaging in combat.

Encounter 4: Removing the Defenses

Setting: The entire mansion and its grounds, littered with harmful items for vampires.

Description: The players must find and remove every holy symbol, garlic clove, salt pile, communion wafer, and piece of silver before Lady Denisa can safely return.

Challenges:

Using Perception and Investigation checks (DC 15-18) to locate all the harmful items.
Overcoming traps and magical wards placed around the mansion.

Completion: Once all items are removed, Lady Denisa can safely return to her mansion.

Finale: Lady Denisa’s Gratitude

Setting: Lady Denisa’s mansion, now free of harmful items and safe for her to reside in once more.

Description: Lady Denisa expresses her gratitude, offering a handsome reward and a promise of future aid if ever needed.

Reward:

50 gold pieces
A future favor from Lady Denisa, which can be called upon in later adventures

The High-Flying Delivery

Job Posting

Simple Notice: Applicants needed for a delivery job. Must be able to fly. [Smells vaguely of cinnamon]

Encounter 1: Meeting Tansy Fleetfoot

Setting: The Silver Moon Bakery Cafe, a quaint and magical bakery filled with the aroma of freshly baked pastries and enchanted breads.

Description: The players meet Tansy Fleetfoot, the owner of the bakery. She is a petite, energetic woman with a warm smile, wearing an apron dusted with flour and a hint of magical sparkle. She explains the situation involving her regular customer, Knut the storm giant hermit, and the dangerous roc that has taken up residence on the mountain.

Dialogue: Tansy, speaking quickly but warmly, says:

“Thank you for coming! I have a rather large order that needs delivering to Knut, the storm giant who lives on the mountain. He orders a few hundred pounds of magical pastries and bread every few days. Normally, my apprentice witches handle the deliveries using brooms of flying, but a roc has recently moved into the area and nearly killed them! I need you to escort the pastries and the witches up the mountain safely. Farid from the magic item shop next door has kindly lent us a pair of flying carpets for you to use.”

Challenges:

Understanding the urgency and danger of the delivery.
Planning the safe transportation of the pastries and witches.

Role-Playing Notes:

Tansy is anxious but grateful for the players’ help.
Farid briefly appears to explain the use of the flying carpets and wishes the players good luck.

Encounter 2: The Flight Up the Mountain

Setting: The skies above the mountain, offering a breathtaking view of Sliberberg and its surroundings.

Description: The players, accompanied by Tansy’s apprentice witches and carrying a massive sack of pastries, take flight on the borrowed flying carpets. The journey is initially serene and scenic, but tension builds as they approach the roc’s territory.

Challenges:

Using Perception checks (DC 15) to spot the roc early and prepare for its attack.
Maneuvering the flying carpets to avoid the roc’s strikes, requiring Dexterity checks (DC 16).

Combat Notes:

The roc is a formidable opponent, attacking fiercely to protect its territory.
Players must defend themselves and the witches while ensuring the pastries remain safe.
Use aerial combat tactics, such as evasive maneuvers and coordinated attacks.

Finale: Delivering to Knut

Setting: Knut’s castle, a grand and imposing structure built into the mountainside, with expansive courtyards and towering spires.

Description: The players successfully navigate past the roc and arrive at Knut’s castle. Knut, a towering storm giant with a gentle demeanor, greets them warmly and is delighted to receive his delivery.

Dialogue: Knut, with a deep and rumbling voice, says:

“Ah, you’ve made it! Thank you for braving the skies to deliver these. I’ve been looking forward to these pastries all week. Please, come in and rest for a moment.”

Conclusion: Knut offers the players and witches refreshments and a place to rest. He is immensely grateful for their efforts and promises to speak to Tansy about increasing the reward for their bravery.

Reward:

80 gold pieces
A magical item (such as a Bag of Holding or an Amulet of the Sky, which grants limited flight capabilities)
An invitation to return for a future feast at Knut’s castle, offering potential for future quests and alliances.

Notes for the DM:

Adjust the difficulty of the roc encounter based on the party’s level and capabilities.
Emphasize the beauty and danger of the aerial journey to create a memorable experience.
Provide opportunities for role-playing and bonding between the players, witches, and Knut.

The Fishy Debt Collection

Job Posting

Mysterious Notice: Help needed to collect a debt. Inquire for details. [The paper reeks of fish]

Encounter 1: The Smelly Stranger

Setting: A dimly lit corner of the Iron Oak Inn, where the smell of saltwater and fish pervades the air.

Description: The players find the poster, an ugly and perpetually wet man who drips salt water constantly and swills grog. His clothes are tattered and he exudes an unpleasant fishy odor.

Dialogue: The stranger, with a gruff and unappealing voice, says:

“You lot here for the job? Good. The man you’re looking for has something that belongs to my master. Take this.” (He hands them a sharkskin bag.) “You need only open it in his presence to collect what you need.”

Challenges:

Convincing the players to take on the job despite the lack of details and the unsettling nature of the stranger.
Understanding the potential risks involved.

Role-Playing Notes:

The stranger is evasive about details, only revealing that his master is “very powerful” and that the job must be completed swiftly.

Encounter 2: Traversing the Weeping Vale

Setting: The Weeping Vale, a treacherous wild magic zone and salt flat several miles inland of the Feysea, characterized by unpredictable magical phenomena and bone-dry terrain.

Description: The players must navigate the Weeping Vale to find the warlock. The area is fraught with wild magic effects, making the journey perilous and unpredictable.

Challenges:

Dealing with wild magic surges: rolling on a wild magic table every hour they spend in the Vale.
Navigating the dry and twisted landscape, using Survival or Nature checks (DC 15-18) to avoid hazards.

Wild Magic Effects (Examples):

A sudden gust of wind propels everyone 10 feet in a random direction.
Illusions of mirages confuse the players, making it harder to find the correct path.
Magical plants try to entangle and ensnare the party.

Role-Playing Notes:

Describe the eerie, shifting nature of the Vale, where reality seems fluid and uncertain.
Include encounters with magical creatures native to the area, adding to the danger and mystique.

Encounter 3: Confronting the Warlock

Setting: A hidden cave deep within the Weeping Vale, filled with arcane symbols and protective wards.

Description: The players find the warlock, a disheveled man surrounded by magical defenses. He is desperate and aware that someone has come to collect his soul.

Challenges:

Overcoming the warlock’s defenses, which include magical traps and summoned creatures.
Engaging in a battle with the warlock, who uses spells and summons to protect himself.

Combat Notes:

The warlock is a formidable spellcaster, using spells like Counterspell, Shield, and various offensive spells.
He summons water elementals or other aquatic creatures to aid him in battle.

Role-Playing Notes:

Emphasize the warlock’s desperation and fear of losing his soul.
Players may attempt to reason with him or deceive him, but ultimately a confrontation is likely inevitable.

Finale: Collecting the Debt

Setting: As the battle concludes and the warlock is defeated or incapacitated.

Description: The players use the sharkskin bag in the warlock’s presence, which magically collects his soul. Upon losing his soul, the warlock becomes mindless and begins to walk towards the sea, Mumbling about how the sea calls him all the while.

Challenges:

Dealing with any remaining threats or traps in the warlock’s lair.
Witnessing the warlock’s tragic fate as he walks towards the sea, compelled to throw himself in.

Conclusion: The players return with the collected soul, delivering it as instructed. The mysterious stranger, or a representative of the kraken, awaits them to take the bag.

Reward:

100 gold pieces
A magical item related to the sea (such as a Cloak of the Manta Ray or a Ring of Water Walking)
The unsettling knowledge of having dealt with a kraken, potentially opening up future plot hooks involving this powerful entity.

Notes for the DM:

Adjust the difficulty of navigating the Weeping Vale and the combat with the warlock based on the party’s level.
Emphasize the moral ambiguity and eerie nature of the job, providing opportunities for role-playing and ethical decisions.
Ensure the wild magic zone adds a dynamic and unpredictable element to the journey, keeping the players on their toes.

The Custody Dispute

Job Posting

Leafy Notice: Help needed to resolve a custody dispute. Muscular assistance required. [Written on a large leaf with ink that smells of blueberries]

Encounter 1: The Unicorn Mother

Setting: A serene glade just outside the bustling city, where the magical presence of unicorns feels palpable in the air.

Description: The players meet the client, a majestic female unicorn with a silvery coat and a shimmering mane. She radiates a sense of grace and desperation.

Dialogue: The unicorn, speaking telepathically with a voice full of sorrow and determination, says:

“Thank you for coming. My mate has taken our foal after a terrible argument. I need your help to convince him to return our child to me. Please, you must find him and bring my baby back.”

Challenges:

Understanding the emotional and complex nature of the dispute.
Deciding whether they are willing to intervene in a magical creature’s domestic issue.

Role-Playing Notes:

The unicorn mother is visibly distressed but composed, emphasizing the urgency of reuniting with her foal.
She explains that while she does not wish for violence, she is desperate to have her baby back and may hint at needing to use force if necessary.

Encounter 2: Tracking Down the Errant Father

Setting: Various locations around the city, each with its unique charm and challenges.

Description: The players must gather information to track down the errant unicorn father. This involves speaking with various city dwellers, each with their own perspective on the situation.

Challenges:

Performing successful Streetwise or Persuasion checks (DC 15-18) to gather clues.
Navigating through different parts of the city, from the bustling marketplaces to the quieter residential areas.

Role-Playing Notes:

Some city dwellers may have seen a unicorn, providing cryptic or humorous comments.
Players might encounter sympathetic individuals who offer assistance or magical creatures who complicate the search.

Encounter 3: Confrontation at Equinox Equestrian Emporium

Setting: Equinox Equestrian Emporium, a stable specializing in magical mounts, located in the idyllic Pleasant Meadows.

Description: The players find the errant father, a proud and protective unicorn, at the stables. The baby unicorn is clearly distressed, telepathically crying out for its mother, creating an emotionally charged atmosphere.

Dialogue: The unicorn father, with a stern and defensive telepathic voice, says:

“I won’t let her take our foal. She doesn’t understand the dangers we’re facing. Please, leave us be.”

Challenges:

De-escalating the situation without causing harm to either unicorn.
Addressing the foal’s distress and ensuring its safety.
Potentially engaging in a physical confrontation if the father refuses to cooperate.

Role-Playing Notes:

The father is motivated by fear and a sense of protection. He believes that keeping the foal away is the safest option.
Players can attempt to reason with him, appeal to his emotions, or use other tactics to resolve the dispute.

Outcome:

Non-violent Resolution: If the players successfully convince the father, he tearfully agrees to return the foal, understanding it’s in the child’s best interest.
Violent Resolution: If things turn physical, the players might need to subdue the father without causing serious harm. The mother may intervene telepathically, urging them to stop if things get out of hand.

Final Decision:

The mother unicorn arrives to take back her foal, grateful for the players’ help. She may or may not ask them to “rough up” the father depending on the players’ approach and their handling of the situation.

Conclusion

Setting: The serene glade or another peaceful location where the mother unicorn thanks the players.

Description: The mother unicorn, reunited with her foal, radiates gratitude and relief.

Dialogue: The unicorn mother, with a warm and grateful telepathic voice, says:

“Thank you for bringing my baby back to me. Your courage and kindness will not be forgotten.”

Reward:

100 gold pieces
A magical item (such as an Amulet of Protection or a Potion of Greater Healing)
A favor from the unicorn, which could include future assistance or blessings.

Notes for the DM:

Balance the emotional weight of the situation with the potential for combat.
Emphasize the magical and majestic nature of the unicorns, making the encounter feel special and otherworldly.
Allow for player creativity in resolving the dispute, rewarding peaceful and diplomatic solutions.

The Matchmaker’s Mission

Job Posting

Romantic Notice: Help needed to play matchmaker for a friend. Experience in romance preferred. [The post is written like a cheap romance novel]

Encounter 1: Meeting Bell Fountain

Setting: A charming corner of the Iron Oak Inn, where the scent of flowers and magic lingers in the air.

Description: The players find Bell Fountain, a young high fairy woman with thick glasses and black hair in a braid. She’s sipping a cocktail and has an air of whimsical determination.

Dialogue: Bell Fountain, with a soft and slightly nervous voice, says:

“Thank you for coming. I need your help to intercede on behalf of a friend. He is smitten with a girl, but circumstances keep them apart. You must help him woo her, but you cannot be seen helping. Here are some potions of invisibility and the addresses where you can find them.”

Challenges:

Understanding the covert nature of the mission.
Accepting the potions of invisibility and instructions without drawing attention.

Role-Playing Notes:

Bell Fountain is earnest and passionate about the task, hinting at a deeper personal connection to the story.

Encounter 2: Realizing the Truth

Setting: The bustling district of Wachehalten, where merchant houses stand tall and proud.

Description: As the players approach the first address, a player with a successful DC 20 Perception check notices that Bell Fountain is following them from a distance.

Revelation:

Upon closer observation, the players recognize that Bell Fountain is actually Aisling Bellefontaine, a notorious hack romance writer, in a flimsy disguise.

Description: The first address leads to a bench across the street from a mansion. A human boy sits there, sighing wistfully. Above, in a window of the mansion, a pretty teenage half-elf girl practices the violin.

Dialogue: The boy, with a dreamy and forlorn tone, says:

“Her name is Esme. Our families are rivals, and she won’t even look at me because of it. But I love her more than anything.”

Challenges:

Gathering information without alerting Esme or her family.
Formulating a plan to help the boy express his feelings despite the family feud.

Role-Playing Notes:

The boy is deeply in love but feels hopeless. He needs encouragement and a strategy.

Encounter 3: Covert Matchmaking

Setting: The mansion and surrounding area, with places to hide and observe without being seen.

Description: The players must use their skills, magic, and creativity to bring the two lovers together. Aisling Bellefontaine, disguised as Bell Fountain, is taking notes from a hidden vantage point.

Challenges:

Using potions of invisibility to remain unseen.
Utilizing role-playing, Persuasion, Deception, and magical abilities to create opportunities for the lovers to interact.
Avoiding detection by either family or any onlookers.

Possible Strategies:

Creating opportunities for the boy to serenade Esme or leave her secret love notes.
Using illusions or other spells to create romantic settings or distract family members.
Convincing neutral parties (like servants or friends) to aid in the matchmaking without revealing the players’ involvement.

Role-Playing Notes:

Emphasize the emotional stakes and the excitement of clandestine operations.
Highlight Aisling’s frantic note-taking, providing comic relief and extra pressure on the players.

Finale: Success and Rewards

Setting: A secluded spot where the lovers can meet, away from prying eyes.

Description: If the players succeed, Elara and the boy share a heartfelt moment, pledging their love despite their families’ rivalry.

Rewards:

40 gold pieces
A signed copy of the romance novel Aisling Bellefontaine writes about the adventure, featuring thinly veiled versions of the players and the lovers.
A favor from both families, now more amenable to reconciliation, which could be useful in future adventures.

Notes for the DM:

Adjust the difficulty and nature of the matchmaking tasks based on the party’s abilities and creative ideas.
Encourage players to think outside the box and use their characters’ unique skills.
Ensure the mission is filled with humorous and heartfelt moments, reflecting the tone of a romantic adventure.