Your First Module

This chapter walks through the complete planning process for the first module of our tutorial campaign, The Ironhold Insurrection. We’ll create “The Brittle Steel Mystery” step-by-step, showing exactly how to build a 2-session module that integrates Session Zero results and sets up your campaign.

Why This Module Works as a First Adventure

Before we dive into planning, understand why we’re building this specific module:

It’s Short: 2 sessions lets us test and adjust quickly It’s Integrated: Uses NPCs and locations from Session Zero
It’s Flexible: Three different endings based on player choices It’s Observable: Built-in moments to learn player preferences It’s Connected: Introduces larger campaign mysteries

Module Planning Overview

Let’s build this module using the four-phase process from the Module Creation chapter, applying each step to create our 2-session mystery.

Quick Module Summary

Title: The Brittle Steel Mystery
Sessions: 2 (6-8 hours total)
Type: Mystery with combat, investigation, and social elements
Core Problem: The Royal Forge is producing brittle steel, threatening clan war
Three Possible Villains: Depending on which path players choose
Integration: Uses 3 NPCs and 2 locations from Session Zero

First Module Creation Process

Let’s create an actual first module using our tutorial campaign, The Ironhold Insurrection, to demonstrate each step.

Step 1: Review Session Zero (1 hour)

Extract actionable elements from our Session Zero:

# Session Zero Review - Ironhold Insurrection

## Character Profiles
- Sarah (Human Wizard): Studied with Deepguard, analytical
- Marcus (Human Fighter): Bodyguard, tactical, protective
- Tom (Halfling Rogue): Criminal contacts, knows underworld
- Lisa (Half-elf Cleric): Commerce deity, diplomatic

## Player-Created Elements
NPCs:
- Master Runekeeper Thorek Greystone (Sarah's sponsor)
- "Lucky" Finn Copperwhistle (Tom's contact)
- Young Dain Brightstone (nephew saved)

Locations:
- The Lucky Pickaxe (gambling den, 50gp buy-in)
- The Brass Monkey (where party stays/meets)

## Observed Interests
- Sarah: Magical mysteries, ancient knowledge
- Marcus: Protecting innocents, earning respect
- Tom: Underworld politics, making connections
- Lisa: Preventing violence, building bridges

## Campaign Tone
- Political thriller in fantasy setting
- Moral ambiguity welcomed
- Consequences matter

Step 2: Design the Problem (1 hour)

Our first module: “The Brittle Steel Mystery”

## The Problem

The Royal Forge - pride of Ironhold - has produced a batch of 
brittle steel. Weapons shatter, armor cracks, tools break.

Why This Works:
- Immediate threat (failing forges = city dies)
- Affects all clans (everyone needs steel)
- Multiple suspects (clan rivalry)
- Various solutions (investigate, negotiate, infiltrate)
- Connects to larger mystery (why are forges failing?)

The Hook:
Merchant Consortium hires party to investigate quietly.
Their last team vanished in Undertown.
1,000gp each for answers before the clan moot (3 days).

Step 3: Build Decision Points (2 hours)

Structure explicit choices throughout:

## Key Decision Points

SESSION 1 DECISIONS:
1. Opening: How to approach Torin Ironfoot?
   - Diplomatic (Lisa leads)
   - Deceptive (Tom leads)
   - Scholarly (Sarah leads)
   - Direct (Marcus leads)

2. Investigation: What to examine first?
   - The forge itself (magical/technical)
   - The workers (social/intimidation)
   - The materials (exploration/tracking)

3. Cliffhanger: Which lead to pursue?
   - Path A: Goldbeard apprentice acting suspicious
   - Path B: Deepguard mystics performing rituals
   - Path C: Strange noises from sealed tunnels

SESSION 2 DECISIONS:
4. Approach: How to handle chosen lead?
   - Confront directly
   - Investigate secretly
   - Seek allies first

5. Resolution: How to stop the threat?
   - Combat solution
   - Social solution
   - Clever solution

Step 4: Create Modular Scenes (3-4 hours)

Build flexible encounters that can be inserted based on player choices:

## Modular Scene Toolkit

### Combat Encounters
1. **Corrupted Elemental** (Medium)
   - Forge guardian driven mad
   - Screams clues in Primordial
   - Environmental hazards (heat, collapsing equipment)

2. **Cultist Ambush** (Hard)
   - 4-6 Duergar cultists
   - Darkness + poisoned weapons
   - One tries to flee with evidence

3. **Clan Thugs** (Easy)
   - 3-4 warriors from rival clan
   - Want to intimidate, not kill
   - Can be talked down

### Social Encounters
1. **Torin Ironfoot** (Master Smith)
   - Proud, devastated, defensive
   - Key info: Sabotage methods
   - Wants: Forge honor restored

2. **Dain Goldbeard** (Apprentice)
   - Nervous, eager to please
   - Key info: Strange shipments
   - Secret: In love across clans

3. **Keeper Morak** (Deepguard Mystic)
   - Whispers, quotes scripture
   - Key info: Ancient warnings
   - Agenda: Purify traditions

### Exploration Scenes
1. **Forge Investigation**
   - Find alchemical residue
   - Discover sabotage evidence
   - Elemental acts strangely

2. **Undertown Tracking**
   - Follow suspicious shipments
   - Navigate criminal territories
   - Find cult meeting place

3. **Archive Research**
   - Ancient texts about forge magic
   - Prophecies about failing metal
   - Maps of sealed tunnels

Step 5: Prepare Observation Tools (1 hour)

Create simple tracking sheets:

## Session Observation Sheet

ENGAGEMENT TRACKING:
□ Combat Scene: Low / Medium / High
□ Social Scene: Low / Medium / High  
□ Investigation: Low / Medium / High
□ Planning Time: Too Short / Just Right / Too Long

NPC REACTIONS:
□ Torin: Connected / Neutral / Rejected
□ Dain: Befriended / Suspicious / Hostile
□ Morak: Intrigued / Dismissive / Threatened

APPROACH PREFERENCES:
□ Preferred: Combat / Stealth / Diplomacy
□ Information gathering: Systematic / Chaotic
□ Problem solving: Direct / Clever / Cautious

PACING NOTES:
□ Session felt: Rushed / Balanced / Dragging
□ Players wanted: More RP / More Action / More Mystery

The Complete First Module

Here’s how all the pieces come together for “The Brittle Steel Mystery”:

Note how we’re using the Five-Room Dungeon structure for our Mystery module:

Entrance: Meeting with Thora (establishes tone)
Puzzle: Investigating the forge (non-combat challenge)
Setback: Elemental attack (complication)
Climax: Confronting the villain (varies by path)
Revelation: Truth exposed, larger threat hinted

The Mystery template tells us WHAT to include (clues, suspects, investigation), while the Five-Room structure tells us HOW to pace it dramatically.

Complete Session Notes: Session 1

# Session 1: The Investigation

## Opening Scene (30 min)
**Location**: Brass Monkey Tavern, late afternoon

*Read aloud*: 
"The Foreign Quarter reeks of coal smoke and anxiety. Inside the 
Brass Monkey, dice clatter at Lucky's table while merchants argue 
in six languages. Thora Brightstone waits in a corner booth, her 
fingers drumming against a sealed letter."

**Thora's Briefing**:
- Royal Forge produced brittle steel yesterday
- Ironfoot clan blames Goldbeard sabotage  
- Last investigation team found dead in Undertown
- 1,000gp each for answers before clan moot (3 days)
- Bonus 1,000gp each if violence prevented

**Key Information**:
- "Master Smith Torin Ironfoot runs the Royal Forge. He's... proud, traditional, but honest. He'll be devastated by this failure."
- "Tell him I sent you. He respects the Consortium, even if he doesn't like outsiders."
- "The Royal Forge is in the Ironfoot district. You can't miss it - largest chimney in the city."

**Key Responses**:
- Previous team: "Empty eyes, no wounds. Like their souls were... extracted."
- Why outsiders: "Clan investigators would start a war, not prevent one."
- Time pressure: "The moot is in three days. After that..." *shakes head*
- About Torin: "He's been Master Smith for forty years. The forge is his life."

## The Royal Forge (45 min)

**Approaching Torin Ironfoot**:
- DC 15 Persuasion: Full cooperation
- DC 10: Grudging access
- Failure: Must sneak in later

**If They Must Sneak In**:
- Wait until shift change at dusk (workers tell them)
- DC 13 Stealth to avoid guards (advantage if Tom scouts first)
- DC 10 Thieves' Tools on side entrance OR DC 15 Athletics to climb
- Inside: Same investigation opportunities but rushed
- If caught: Guards summon Torin, very suspicious (-5 to future social rolls)
- Auto-triggers elemental if approaching sacred flame (Option C)

**Investigation Opportunities** (either approach):
- DC 12 Investigation: Find alchemical residue
- DC 18 Arcana: Identify as Underdark compound
- DC 14 History: Recall forge's 800-year history
- DC 10 Perception: Notice elemental agitation

**Torin Ironfoot Roleplay**:
- Voice: Deep, slow, mournful
- Mannerism: Touches equipment like old friends
- Key phrases: "The forge never lies" / "Iron remembers"
- If asked who might know about forge magic/corruption: "Well... my daughter Thera works at the Deepguard archive. She might have seen texts about forge guardians. Though she mentioned Keeper Morak has been restricting access lately. Very strict about 'maintaining purity.' Strange behavior, even for Deepguard."

**Triggering the Elemental** (any of these):

**Option A - Torin's Assistance** (if investigation going well):
*"Let me wake the guardian to help your investigation. It's witnessed every forging for eight centuries..."*

**Option B - Time Pressure** (if investigation stalling):
*"We need to restart the forge for the afternoon shift. Let me just check with the guardian first..."*

**Option C - Failed Stealth** (if they sneak in):
The guardian automatically activates when non-dwarves approach the sacred flame without proper introduction.

**Option D - Worker Accident** (if ignoring everything):
A panicked apprentice runs in: *"Master Torin! The guardian's acting strange! It won't let us near the—"*

**The Activation**:
Regardless of trigger, the temperature spikes. The elemental emerges—but wrong. Where it should be controlled flame, it's wild, glass-edged, screaming.

*"No! What's happened to you, old friend?"* (or if Torin's not present: Workers flee screaming)

## Corrupted Elemental Attack (30 min)

**Modified Fire Elemental** (CR 5, adjusted for level 3 party)
AC: 13, HP: 75, Speed: 50 ft
Fire Form: Creatures ending turn within 5 ft take 1d10 fire damage
Multiattack: Two touch attacks, +6 to hit, 2d6 fire damage
NEW - Brittle Aura: Metal weapons hitting it must save DC 13 or crack

**Combat Dynamics**:
- Screams "POISON! BETRAYAL! THE DEEP HUNGERS!" in Primordial
- Explodes into glass shards when defeated (clue!)
- Workers to protect (failure = reputation loss)

**Environmental Hazards**:
- Extreme heat: DC 12 CON save or 1 exhaustion
- Collapsing equipment: DC 14 DEX saves
- Smoke: Heavily obscured areas

## Post-Combat Investigation (15 min)

**Immediate Aftermath**:
- Torin devastated: "The forge guardian... it protected us for centuries"
- Glass shards contain alchemical residue (same as sabotage)
- Workers whisper about "the old warnings"

**Quick Investigation Reveals**:
- DC 10 Investigation: Elemental was summoned recently, not original
- DC 12 Arcana: Corruption matches Underdark magical signatures
- DC 15 History: Similar to records of the "Deep Hunger" incidents

**Three Witnesses Approach** (separately):
- Nervous apprentice: "I saw Dain Goldbeard here at midnight..."
- Devout smith: "Keeper Morak warned this would happen if we strayed from the old ways. He's been holding purification rituals every night this week..."
- Veteran guard: "Strange sounds from the sealed tunnels for weeks..."

**Additional Path B Clues** (if witness missed):
- Glass shards have religious symbols etched in them (DC 12 Religion)
- A Deepguard acolyte was seen blessing forge tools yesterday (worker mentions)
- Sarah's sponsor Thorek arrives: "This corruption... it matches warnings in restricted Deepguard texts. What has Morak been doing?"

## Session 1 Cliffhanger (15 min)

Players must choose which lead to investigate. Present all three, then let them debate:

**Path A - Goldbeard Workshop** (Clan District):
- Lead: "Dain Goldbeard was seen at the forge at midnight, carrying strange bottles"
- Location: Goldbeard clan workshop, rival district
- Contact: The nervous apprentice offers to guide them
- Cliffhanger: Arrive to find Dain frantically destroying evidence. He sees the party, panics: "It's not what it looks like! They made me—" *CRASH* as the door splinters open...
- *End session*

**Path B - Deepguard Archive** (Temple District):
- Lead: "Keeper Morak's been performing forge purification rituals nightly"
- Location: Deepguard Archive beneath the Temple of Stone
- Contact: Thorek Greystone (Sarah's sponsor) can get them inside
- Cliffhanger: Descending into the archive, they hear chanting. Through a doorway, Morak stands before a ritual circle, raising a hammer over a forge-flame replica: "Tonight, we cleanse the corruption forever!" The hammer begins to glow...
- *End session*

**Path C - Sealed Tunnels** (Undertown):
- Lead: "Strange sounds from the sealed tunnels, like whispers in the dark"
- Location: Ancient tunnel entrance in Undertown
- Contact: Lucky Finn (Tom's contact) knows a way past the guards
- Cliffhanger: Breaking through old boards, they find the seal cracked, darkness beyond. Tom's character recognizes fresh Duergar runes. Then from the depths: "Finally... visitors. Come closer, let me see you properly..." 
- *End session*

Session 2 Preparation Notes

Session 2: Just-In-Time Creation

Based on which path the players chose, you’ll create Session 2 between games. This is intentional - don’t over-prepare what might not be used!

## Path-Specific Prep Notes

**If They Chose Path A (Goldbeard Workshop)**:
Key Elements to Develop:
- Dain's actual innocence and frame job
- Who's framing him and why
- Love story with Ironfoot daughter
- Combat encounter with real villains
- Evidence pointing to larger conspiracy

**If They Chose Path B (Deepguard Archive)**:
Key Elements to Develop:
- Morak's religious justification
- The purification ritual mechanics
- How to stop/redirect it
- Deepguard tests and puzzles
- Consequences of success/failure

**If They Chose Path C (Sealed Tunnels)**:
Key Elements to Develop:
- The Whisper Man's identity
- What's actually imprisoned
- Duergar cult motivations
- Environmental dangers in tunnels
- Long-term threat implications

## Universal Elements (Prepare Regardless)

**Resolution Mechanics**:
- How to prove innocence/guilt
- Rewards from Consortium
- Reputation changes with clans
- Seeds for next module

**Contingency Plans**:
- What if they split the party?
- What if they bring unexpected allies?
- What if they try to combine paths?
- What if they abandon the investigation?

## Between-Session Prep Time: 2-3 hours
Focus only on the chosen path plus universal elements.

Quick Reference Sheet

## NPC Quick Reference

**Thora Brightstone** (Quest Giver)
Voice: Crisp, efficient, worried
Wants: Quick, quiet resolution
"Time is gold, and we're spending both."

**Torin Ironfoot** (Master Smith)
Voice: Deep, slow, mournful
Wants: Forge honor restored
"Eight hundred years... never failed before."

**Dain Goldbeard** (Red Herring)
Voice: Young, stutters when nervous
Secret: Loves Ironfoot daughter
"I-I can explain everything!"

**Keeper Morak** (Possible Villain)
Voice: Whispers, quotes constantly
Agenda: Return to pure traditions
"As the First Smiths wrote in stone..."

**The Whisper Man** (True Threat)
Voice: Telepathic, cold, patient
Wants: Freedom from imprisonment
"Such small minds... let me in..."

## Clue Flowchart

Sabotage Confirmed →
├── Alchemical residue (Forge)
├── Torin mentions smell (Interview)
└── Elemental screams "poison" (Combat)

Method Identified →
├── Underdark compounds (Arcana check)
├── Thorek recognizes it (NPC help)
└── Shipping records (Underworld info)

Culprit Found →
├── Path A: Frame job + cultists
├── Path B: Morak's ritual  
└── Path C: Duergar breaking seals