Adventure for Level 3 Characters
Situation. A few weeks ago, a Red Dragon Wyrmling drove a band of kobolds out of their warren to claim the place as its lair. Now some of the kobolds are causing trouble in the Cairn Hills. They’re raiding merchants, hoping the dragon will allow them to return home as its loyal servants.
Hook. A merchant named Nondy Barducks (a Lawful Neutral, gnome Commoner) hires the characters to escort his wagon to the remote mining village of Diamond Lake, which happens to be near the dragon’s new lair. Nondy was robbed by kobolds on his last trip, and he wants protection this time. He offers to pay each character 150 GP.
The adventure consists of these encounters.
Kobold Bandits. Along the road, the wagon is surrounded by eight Kobold Warriors (Neutral) who demand that the merchant surrender his goods. In combat, the kobolds shout things like “For the Winged God!” and “Fight to reclaim our home!” If four of them fall in battle, the remaining kobolds try to flee. Any captured kobold explains the situation.
Kobold Supplicants. If the characters continue on their way without pursuing the kobolds, twelve Kobold Warriors (including any survivors of the first encounter) and six Winged Kobolds (all Neutral) approach the wagon. These kobolds humbly ask the adventurers to help them. They promise to return the goods they stole from Nondy if the adventurers drive off the dragon.
Kobold Camp. If the adventurers follow fleeing kobolds, they can find the kobolds’ camp on a nearby outcropping. The kobolds there don’t fight, though, instead begging the adventurers to help them (as in “Kobold Supplicants” above).
Dragon’s Lair. Use the Volcanic Caves map in appendix B for the dragon’s lair, but close off passages to keep the lair small. Near the entrance, the characters encounter a gang of four Magma Mephits and three Smoke Mephits, drawn to the lair by the magic of the dragon.
In the inner cave, the troublesome Red Dragon Wyrmling rests on its little hoard:
If the characters defeat or drive off the dragon, each of them earns a bonus 400 XP.