[GRR2802e] Game Masters Kit [v1.2], RPG, Dragon Age
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The
Game Master’s Kit
is here to make your job as a
Dragon Age
GM
easier
.
This handy accessory features a three-panel hardback screen
that puts all the essential game info right in front you. It also includes
a 32-page adventure by Jeff Tidball,
A Bann Too Many
, that can serve
as an introduction to the game or as a follow-up to the adventure in
the boxed set. With the
Game Master’s Kit
and Set 1 of the
Dragon Age
RPG,
you’ll be ready to kickstart your dark fantasy campaign.
Dragon Age Game Master’s Kit
is copyright © 2010
Green Ronin Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved.
Reference to other copyrighted material
in no way constitutes a challenge to the
respective copyright holders of that material.
Dragon Age
, the
Dragon Age
logo, BioWare,
and the BioWare logo are either registered trademarks or
trademarks of EA International (Studio and Publishing)
Ltd. in the United States, Canada, and other countries.
Green Ronin, Adventure Game
Engine, and their associated
logos are trademarks of
Green Ronin Publishing.
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A Bann Too Many
is an adventure for the
d
rAGon
A
Ge
tabletop roleplaying game. To
use this scenario, you must have a copy of
the
d
rAGon
A
Ge
rPG,
Set 1.
Only
d
rAGon
A
Ge
Game Masters should read
A Bann Too
Many
. If you are likely to play a character in this adventure,
stop reading now. Learning the story’s secrets in advance will
only spoil your fun and that of your friends.
A Bann Too Many
is intended to be a good follow up to
The
Dalish Curse
, the adventure in the Set 1
G
Ame
m
Aster
’
s
G
uide
.
The action here is not related to Vintiver, Mythallen, or the
Link of Rage though. It comes from the premise that led the
the PCs to be traveling near Vintiver in the irst place: that
they were following reports of a bann near Brecilian Forest
looking to hire adventurers. Given that background,
A Bann
Too Many
is suitable for any group of PCs eager for adventure,
whether they’ve taken part in
The Dalish Curse
or not.
A Bann Too Many
It’s best if you read
A Bann Too Many
in its entirety before
you run it. Don’t be afraid to use a highlighter or pen to make
marks that will help you remember key elements of the story
at the game table, when you’re under pressure to keep the
game moving. You won’t remember every detail of every
encounter, but reading the entire adventure and having made
some notes in the margins will give you a sense of where to
look for the information you need as you need it. Just before
starting to play, it may be helpful to re-read the overview
sections, and consider whether you intend to use any of the
optional subplots.
If you’re pressed for preparation time, on the other hand, read
the overview sections in their entirety, skim the summaries at
the beginning of each part, familiarize yourself with which
encounters comprise each part, look over the various “Envi-
rons” sections and their maps, and review the background
description of each of the NPCs described under
m
AJor
nPC
s
.
Skip over the
o
PtionAl
s
ubPlots
section and leave those out
of the adventure when you run it. During play, read each of
the encounters as you need them. This approach isn’t ideal,
but it will get the game going faster.
Assuming that you will play for three or four hours at a sit-
ting—an evening’s entertainment—and that your group is
closely focused on playing the game, you can expect that it
will take two or three sessions of play to make it through
A
Bann Too Many
. If the players don’t wind up being interested
in solving the mysteries behind the adventure’s most obvi-
P
reParing
for
P
lay
To use this adventure, you’ll obviously need a group of
friends, and they’ll need to create characters using the rules
in the
d
rAGon
A
Ge
P
lAyer
’
s
G
uide
.
This adventure is suitable for newly created characters, as
well as characters who’ve been through one or two adven-
tures. If the characters in your campaign are level 3 or higher,
you may need to tailor the NPC statistics and test target num-
bers to account for your group’s power level.
2
ous task, and if they don’t rise to the challenge of righting
the injustice revealed when the mystery is solved, complet-
ing the adventure will take less time. On the other hand, if
the players must create characters at the beginning of the irst
session, and are intending to learn how to play
d
rAGon
A
Ge
as they go along, you can probably expect that it will take a
solid three sessions, and perhaps even four, to inish
A Bann
Too Many
.
Every encounter begins with a short summary of the action.
These are formatted in bold italics.
Next, most encounters have read-aloud text, which is indented
slightly from each margin and in a shaded grey box. Although
this text is written so that it can simply be read aloud to the
players as that encounter begins, it’s better and more natural if
you paraphrase and embellish what’s written, using your own
words to communicate the information. This helps the play-
ers feel like
A Bann Too Many
is a unique experience for them.
Just make sure the players get all of the important pieces of
information the read-aloud text provides, and try to end your
introduction to each encounter with some question or instruc-
tion that requires the PCs to tell you what they want to do.
One word of caution: While the pre-written nature of read-
aloud text is helpful when encounters begin as expected,
it can be at odds with what’s otherwise obvious if the PCs
approach a given encounter at a different time, from a differ-
ent direction (either literally or iguratively), or in the com-
pany of different NPCs. A given passage of read-aloud text
will still give you clues about the important pieces of informa-
tion you should communicate to the players, but you’ll have
to tailor the speciics to match the circumstances.
After each encounter’s read-aloud text is the general descrip-
tion of what you, the GM, need to know about the encounter
and how the action may unfold in play. In most encounters,
this includes speciic information about tests the characters
are likely to have to make. Tests are formatted in small caps,
like this—“a
tn 13 w
illPower
(C
ourAGe
)
test
” or “an
o
PPosed
d
exterity
(s
teAlth
)
vs
. P
erCePtion
(s
eeinG
)
test
”—to make it
easier for you to spot them in the text at a glance.
Some encounters have additional passages of read-aloud
text interspersed in the general description, to be read if and
when particular conditions are met. Treat these the same way
as the read-aloud text that begins each encounter (save, obvi-
ously, that you only read them when the relevant conditions
apply).
Some encounters include a “Questions and Answers” sec-
tion. These are pairings of questions the PCs might ask with
answers the various NPCs in the encounter might give. The
questions and answers are presented in the irst person, as
those parties might ask and answer them. As with read-aloud
text, though, you are encouraged to adapt the phrasing to the
situation. And of course, the precise phrasing of the questions
is included only to help you locate the right information.
Under no circumstances should you insist that the players
use these phrasings or say these particular words. The entire
point of playing a tabletop roleplaying game (as opposed to a
computer RPG) is to let the players exercise their creativity to
do and say things just the way they want. That’s the fun!
NPC statistics are found in two different places in the adven-
ture. Stats for incidental NPCs are found in the sections where
they’re used. However, stats for important NPCs—characters
of relevance in more than once encounter—are found under
m
AJor
nPC
s
near the end of the adventure.
Finally, in addition to encounters, some parts have one or
more “Environs” sections. These are not encounters, per se.
Each of these describes an area where several of the part’s
encounters take place, and each one includes a map. They
help you understand the overall geography, and how the var-
ious encounters in the part it together in the larger world.
If You Need to Create
Characters
If this will be your group’s irst foray into Dragon Age, you’ll
obviously need to create characters before the adventure can
begin. This process is described in detail in the
Dragon Age
Player’s Guide
,
Chapter 2: Character Creation
. As always, it
helps if the players create PCs who are struggling adventur-
ers, willing and able to go out into the world to make their
names and earn their keep.
In this scenario, the PCs are tasked by the bann of the Rus-
wold Valley in southeastern Ferelden to carry out a danger-
ous task, inding and destroy a murderous gang of outlaws. If
you notice any players creating characters who’d be unlikely
to take up such a task, guide them toward character concepts
that make more sense.
r
eading
the
a
dventure
The text of
A Bann Too Many
is largely broken down into parts
and encounters (just like
The Dalish Curse
) to help you under-
stand the overall outlines of the action, and to deal with each
piece of the puzzle as you need it.
Each part is a collection of related encounters. All of the
encounters likely to take place in the village of Logerswold
comprise
P
Art
3
, for example. Each part begins with a broad
description of the part and its place in the plot. Each part
ends with a “Resolution and Troubleshooting” section that
wraps things up, details the important things the PCs should
have done or learned, and provides guidance about what
you should do if things went—or are going—wrong. The ive
parts of
A Bann Too Many
are very likely to take place in the
order in which they’re presented.
Each encounter presents a single challenge, or collection of
related challenges (such as a ight) that the PCs must deal with
or overcome. Each is classiied as either a roleplaying encoun-
ter, exploration encounter, or combat encounter. Exploration
encounters challenge the PCs to use their skills and ingenu-
ity to ind things out about the world and the story, roleplay-
ing encounters let the PCs interact with and inluence the
NPCs who are part of the adventure, and combat encounters
involve battle between the PCs and their foes. Although it’s
obviously possible to (for example) roleplay in an exploration
encounter, the generic classiication helps you know what to
expect, and understand how that encounter functions in the
larger story.
Each encounter has sections of text formatted in different
ways to help you ind the information you need right away
while you’re at the game table.
A Bann Too Many
3
Gone Before
As with most dramatic situations, the story of
A Bann Too
Many
has some dramatic history. This section describes what
has already happened, before the PCs’ story begins.
The Ruswold Valley is a region that transitions from the Ban-
norn in central Ferelden to the Brecilian Forest in the east.
The valley runs east-to-west, with the opposite ends having
notably different characteristics. The west is open, agricul-
tural land where farming is relatively easy. The east is heavily
forested, and logging is the chief industry.
The village of Logerswold is the only town of any size in the
valley. For 30 years, the villagers and surrounding freeholders
have lived and labored under the protection of Bann Valdur
Krole. Although gruff, conservative, disigured, and not partic-
ularly well-liked, Bann Krole kept them safe… until recently.
Within the last year, a band of murderous outlaws under the
leadership of Waldric the Gore-Handed beset irst the loggers
operating in the forests near Logerswold and then the villag-
ers themselves as they traveled the region. Many were killed,
the local industry was disrupted, and the region was thrown
into turmoil.
Although Bann Krole made some progress in harrying the
outlaws, Fereldan freeholders are free to elect new banns to
protect them, which is what happened in the Ruswold.
A landless lordling named Trumhall, whose family hails from
a river valley to the north of the Ruswold, gained popularity
in Logerswold when he and his retainers, including a great
Mabari mastiff, slew a group of the Gore-hand’s outlaws who
assaulted his party. Well-spoken, handsome, and dynamic,
Trumhall looked like the perfect leader. The harried Loger-
swolders held a referendum to oust Krole and replace him
with their new hero.
Krole was bitter at this reversal of his fortunes, but as an
honorable Fereldan, had no recourse but to wait for what he
felt was the sure and coming devastation of the area, given
the new bann’s inexperience. But Trumhall was successful
in spectacularly defending Logerswold against two vicious
bandit attacks that came soon thereafter. It began to look like
Bann Trumhall would stay.
The soldiers who had served Krole had little choice but to dis-
perse from Manor Krole, where some had served their bann
for more than 20 years. With his inancial support cut off, he
had no choice but to let them go. Although some found work
with Bann Trumhall, others left the area entirely, and some are
still at loose ends in the Ruswold.
Trumhall’s next move is to bring his bann’s justice out of
Logerswold and into the forest where the bandits lair, to end
their threat once and for all. But his resources are limited. He
doesn’t have enough men to search out the outlaws in the
trackless Brecilian Forest while also protecting the main road,
the village of Logerswold, and the scattered freeholders of the
Ruswold.
The clear solution was to put out the call for adventurers will-
ing to explore the forest, ind the outlaws, and put an end to
their depredations.
B
laCk
s
eCrets
What none of the villagers know is that Bann Trumhall is
secretly in league with the forest bandits. Waldric Gore-hand’s
attacks on Trumhall’s traveling party, the loggers in the for-
ests, and the village itself were all carried out with Trumhall’s
cooperation.
The nefarious scheme beneits both Trumhall and the Gore-
hand. The landless Trumhall gains a bannric, while the out-
laws gain long-term access to a “herd” of villagers upon
whom they can prey at will as long as they don’t step too far
out of line.
But this story also features wheels
within
wheels. Trumhall’s
ambitions are not his own, for he has fallen under the domi-
nation of an apostate mage who calls himself Blacktail. The
“real” Trumhall is noble and true, and would have no part in
these black schemes. But the apostate, who remains near to
the bann by assuming the form of his Mabari mastiff, dom-
inates Trumhall’s mind with a magical item, the Collar of
Obedience (see sidebar). It is Blacktail who was responsible
for the secret alliance with the outlaws, and who truly pulls
the strings.
And the mage has no interest in sharing his new hunting
grounds with the likes of common bandits. It is his intention
that the adventurers will
succeed
in eliminating the outlaws,
leaving himself—alone—at the pinnacle of the Ruswold.
[The Collar of Obedience
The Collar of Obedience is the source of the apostate Blacktail’s unusual powers. The collar has two effects. First, a human
mage wearing it can spend 5 mana points to transform into a Mabari war dog. The mage retains his intelligence but cannot
cast spells while transformed. Returning to human form also costs 5 MP. Second, the wearer of the collar can reverse the
normal master/dog relationship. This is a long process that takes many months but ultimately the transformed mage
can make a human “master” obey his wishes without the master realizing that his thoughts are no longer his own. The
enchantment is broken if the master witnesses the transformation of the mage/dog, or if the collar is removed.
Blacktail stole the collar from a crazy hermit who lives in the Brecilian Forest. He does not know its origin. The collar is
made from copper discs green with age, and each disc is backed with an unaturally viscious, sharp spike that digs into the
lesh of the wearer’s neck. A crude pictogram of dog’s teeth has been inscribed on each one.
The Collar of Obedience is great for the plot, but not something you want in the hands of a Player Character. If Blacktail
is defeated, you should describe how the inal blow destroys the collar. This also causes Blacktail to revert to human form
and this can be a big surprise for the PCs. If a PC manages to steal or otherwise acquire the collar, you may want to tell
them it only works for Blacktail. Perhaps he knows some secret magic words or it is attuned to him in some fashion.
4
A bann Too Many
What Has
Adventure
You should have no dificulty involving PCs with back-
grounds anything like the default
d
rAGon
A
Ge
assumption—
that the heroes are struggling adventurers looking to make a
name and some coin for themselves in a dangerous world—
in this adventure.
A Bann Too Many
presents opportunities
for glory and gold both; characters motivated by either have
built-in hooks.
As mentioned earlier, this adventure is perhaps best played
as a follow-on to
The Dalish Curse
. With the events of that
scenario wrapped up, the PCs can simply continue the jour-
ney they were already on, traveling overland to seek out the
bann spreading word of his need for adventurers. The same
circumstances can as easily apply to newly created characters
who sidestep the events of
The Dalish Curse
. They have heard
rumors of Bann Trumhall’s need and ind themselves en route
to learn more. In either case, the events of
P
Art
1
pick up when
the PCs have been on the road for a day or so.
Although it may seem tempting to say that newly created
PCs, who have not been on any adventures yet, hail from the
Ruswold, this is not the best idea. The players of such charac-
ters may feel they’ve been unfairly misled if and when they
learn of Trumhall’s treachery. Players might reasonably argue
that their characters, in their familiarity with the area, would
have known or at least suspected that something ishy was
going on. Additionally, the PCs’ existing relationships with
the major NPCs might complicate matters to the point of
making it dificult for you to keep everything straight. Finally,
it makes the PCs’ introduction to the situation, as described in
P
Art
1
,
P
Art
2
, and
P
Art
3
, much more complicated to stage.
There are three particular encounters in
A Bann Too Many
where mortal peril is most likely, and all three are near the
end of the adventure. The irst is when the party falls under
ambush from the outlaws in
P
Art
4
. The second is when the
party attacks the outlaw camp in
P
Art
4
. The last is in
P
Art
5
, if it leads the PCs to an armed confrontation with Bann
Trumhall or the apostate who dominates him.
When PCs die, try to keep the player involved in the ongoing
game, if they wish to be. That said, if the player would rather
head home, or just watch the rest of the session, there’s no
point in badgering them about it.
If you’ve chosen to use the optional subplot involving other
adventurers (see
t
he
C
omPetition
), a player whose PC is
dead can take over running all three of those NPCs, whether
they are allied with the PCs or not. (And even if you had pre-
viously decided not to use that subplot, a PCs’ death might
change your mind.)
It’s also easy to involve a new PC at just about any point in the
evolving adventure. A new PC, having heard of Trumhall’s
call for adventurers, could show up at any time and ind
common cause with the rest of the party, who, after all, have
just lost one of their number, and could probably use some
reinforcements.
The only portion of the adventure where it could prove tricky
to introduce a new PC is after the party has entered Brecilian
Forest in
P
Art
4
. However, since the most dangerous encoun-
ters are in or after this part, this isn’t likely to cause a big prob-
lem. That is, you can simply wait to introduce a new character
until the PCs leave the forest. However, in case it’s needed,
one clever way to introduce a new PC might be to say that
he is a captive of the bandits, ready to join in the ight against
them as soon as someone manages to free him.
There is an outside chance that an unlucky or foolish PC
might die in
P
Art
2
after Valdur Krole’s supply wagons
are attacked. If this seems likely to transpire, you have two
options. On one hand, you could secretly pull your punches,
fudging die rolls that would otherwise result in a PC death
to reserve real mortal danger for the more threatening
encounters to come. On the other hand, you can also simply
let the dice fall where they fall. There are two beneits to this
approach. First, it underscores the dark brutality of Thedas,
where things can go violently wrong in any circumstance.
Second, it puts the players’ collective skin in the game. The
outlaws have spilt their blood, and the surviving heroes
should ind themselves doubly motivated to end the Gore-
hand’s threat once and for all.
Optional
i
ntroduCtions
If you’re beginning
A Bann Too Many
with brand-new PCs,
make an effort to help the players get to know each others’
PCs from the very beginning. You don’t need to take on this
task before starting to play. In the irst few encounters, simply
allow the action to unfold as slowly as it needs to. Encour-
age all of the players to describe the mundane things that
their characters do—on the road, around the campire, at
Trumhall’s encampment—in ways that give the other players
insight into their PCs’ personalities and idiosyncrasies. The
very irst encounter of the game offers an excellent opportu-
nity for this, as it begins with the PCs in their camp, simply
going about the daily chores of travel.
Encouraging good roleplaying in these quiet moments offers
a two-fold reward. First, it encourages the players to always
think about their characters’ nature and persona, and to char-
acterize all of their actions in proactive and interesting ways.
Second, it makes the players more familiar with each others’
characters, and increases their investment in banding together
against the dangers of Thedas.
Subplots
The three sections that follow outline optional subplots that
you can introduce while running
A Bann Too Many
. You may
choose to use none, some, or all of them.
Each is almost entirely self-contained. That is, there is little
effect on the other elements of the adventure whether you use
a given subplot or not.
It should be obvious that each subplot will make running the
scenario slightly more complicated, and increase the amount
of time that the scenario will take to play.
PC d
eath
It is possible that PCs will die in the course of play.
d
rAGon
A
Ge
is a dark fantasy game, and death should stalk the PCs.
A Bann Too Many
5
Staging the
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