TEXT: Dragon Age Game Master’s Kit is copyright © 2010 
  Green Ronin Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. 
  Reference to other copyrighted material  
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  Adventure desiGn: Jeff tidbAll     editinG & develoPment: Chris PrAmAs
  Art direCtion & GrAPhiC desiGn: hAl mAnGold
  interior Art: Andrew bosley    sCreen Art: frAnCisCo torres     
  CArtoGrAPhy: JAred blAndo     ProofreAdinG: Jon leitheusser, steve Kenson, And evAn sAss      
  Publisher: Chris PrAmAs
  Green ronin stAff: bill bodden, steve Kenson, Jon leitheusser,  
  niCole lindroos, hAl mAnGold, Chris PrAmAs, evAn sAss, And  
  mArC sChmAlz
  PlAytesters: niCK AGrAnoff, Josh AuerbACh, tyler CArey, riGel Cummins, brendAn dAlton, 
  mArK diPAsquAle, stePhAn edel, KristiAn hArtmAnn,  
  Peter hentGes, mArK huGo, benJAmin lAKner, Kevin mAtheny,  
  helGe müller-bunz, And JAson wAlden
  Game Master’s Kit
  An accessory for the Dragon Age RPG
  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.
  
  A Bann Too Many is an adventure for the 
  drAGon AGe tabletop roleplaying game. To 
  use this scenario, you must have a copy of 
  the drAGon AGe rPG, Set 1.
  Only drAGon AGe 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 GAme mAster’s Guide. 
  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 first 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.
  PreParing for Play
  To use this adventure, you’ll obviously need a group of 
  friends, and they’ll need to create characters using the rules 
  in the drAGon AGe PlAyer’s Guide.
  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.
  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 mAJor nPCs. 
  Skip over the oPtionAl subPlots 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-
  A Bann Too Many
  2
  
  3
  A Bann Too Many
  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 first 
  session, and are intending to learn how to play drAGon AGe 
  as they go along, you can probably expect that it will take a 
  solid three sessions, and perhaps even four, to finish A Bann 
  Too Many.
  If You Need to Create 
  Characters
  If this will be your group’s first 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, finding 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.
  reading the 
  adventure
  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 PArt 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 five 
  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 fight) that the PCs must deal with 
  or overcome. Each is classified as either a roleplaying encoun-
  ter, exploration encounter, or combat encounter. Exploration 
  encounters challenge the PCs to use their skills and ingenu-
  ity to find things out about the world and the story, roleplay-
  ing encounters let the PCs interact with and influence 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 classification 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 find the information you need right away 
  while you’re at the game table.
  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 figuratively), 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 specifics 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 specific information about tests the characters 
  are likely to have to make. Tests are formatted in small caps, 
  like this—“a tn 13 willPower (CourAGe) test” or “an oPPosed 
  dexterity (steAlth) vs. PerCePtion (seeinG) 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 first 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 
  mAJor nPCs 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 fit together in the larger world.
  
  4
  A bann Too Many
  What Has  
  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, disfigured, 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 first 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 financial 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, find the outlaws, and put an end to 
  their depredations.
  BlaCk seCrets
  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 benefits 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 
  flesh 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 final 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.
  
  5
  A Bann Too Many
  Staging the 
  Adventure
  You should have no difficulty involving PCs with back-
  grounds anything like the default drAGon AGe 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 find themselves en route 
  to learn more. In either case, the events of PArt 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 fishy was 
  going on. Additionally, the PCs’ existing relationships with 
  the major NPCs might complicate matters to the point of 
  making it difficult for you to keep everything straight. Finally, 
  it makes the PCs’ introduction to the situation, as described in 
  PArt 1, PArt 2, and PArt 3, much more complicated to stage. 
  introduCtions
  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 first 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 campfire, at 
  Trumhall’s encampment—in ways that give the other players 
  insight into their PCs’ personalities and idiosyncrasies. The 
  very first 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.
  PC death
  It is possible that PCs will die in the course of play. drAGon 
  AGe is a dark fantasy game, and death should stalk the PCs.
  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 first is when the party falls under 
  ambush from the outlaws in PArt 4. The second is when the 
  party attacks the outlaw camp in PArt 4. The last is in PArt 
  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 the ComPetition), 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 find 
  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 PArt 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 fight against 
  them as soon as someone manages to free him.
  There is an outside chance that an unlucky or foolish PC 
  might die in PArt 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 benefits 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 find themselves doubly motivated to end the Gore-
  hand’s threat once and for all.
  Optional 
  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.
  
  6
  A bann Too Many
  You don’t necessarily need to decide in advance whether to 
  incorporate any given subplot(s) into your game. There’s 
  no reason you can’t add a given subplot in the middle of 
  things, with the adventure is already underway. If it occurs 
  to you all of a sudden, while the PCs are negotiating with 
  Bann Trumhall, that it would be dramatic and challenging if 
  a different group of adventurers showed up and undercut the 
  PCs and weaken their bargaining position, then by all means 
  introduce the competing adventurers from The Competition 
  subplot right there, on the spot.
  Subplot: The Competition
  The PCs are present in the Ruswold because word has spread 
  far and wide that Bann Trumhall is in need of adventurers. 
  It stands to reason that adventurers other than the PCs have 
  also heard these rumors, and seek the same coin and renown 
  the PCs do.
  This subplot involves a group of three such NPC adventur-
  ers—a mage, a warrior, and a rogue—who arrive in the area at 
  about the same time as the PCs and with the same goal.
  Depending on the personalities of both your players and their 
  PCs, as well as the manner in which these NPCs are intro-
  duced into the story, these competitors could become either 
  obstacles or allies for the PCs. For a more unpredictable 
  story, they could move from one category to the other—and 
  perhaps back again!—over the course of play. These NPCs’ 
  personalities are purposefully neutral, in terms of their gen-
  eral friendliness or hostility, to accommodate either option. 
  That is, while each NPC has a definite personality in order to 
  seem human, these traits can all be easily interpreted as either 
  genial or hostile, as the circumstances of their introduction 
  demands.
  The statistics for the competition are presented in the Major 
  NPCs section.
  Subplot: The Star-Struck 
  Daughter
  Liwis is the owner of Logerswold’s alehouse, the Sign of the 
  Spreading Tree. He’s a prominent local citizen whose wife was 
  raped and killed by the outlaws before Bann Trumhall’s elec-
  tion. In fact, Liwis—as a highly influential Logerswolder—
  was personally instrumental in seeing the radical step of 
  Bann Trumhall’s election taken in order to bring safety back 
  the region.
  Liwis’s daughter, Dealia, in her late teens, was affected by the 
  tragedy as well. Where once she would have been content to 
  live in Logerswold forever and eventually take over running 
  the Sign, now she wants to become an adventurer in order to 
  spread justice through the land. She doesn’t want others to 
  experience the suffering she and her family had to endure. 
  Liwis, naturally, will stand for no such thing; he’s had his 
  share of tragedy already and has no interest in seeing his 
  daughter—his only remaining flesh and blood—go out into 
  dangerous places and put herself deliberately in harm’s way.
  Dealia isn’t quite brave enough—yet—to simply sneak out in 
  the night. But with a group of adventurers in town to both 
  stoke her romanticized visions and provide what might be a 
  clear route to departure… 
  Dealia’s plan, to the extent that she has one, is to attempt to 
  seduce a male PC to her bed, and then to try to convince that 
  character to take her with him when the party leaves the area. 
  Failing a male PC, a female PC will do. (That is, a female PC 
  is not Dealia’s sexual preference, but she’s willing to pretend 
  in service of her goal).
  It will be difficult enough for a seduced PC to argue with the 
  passionate Dealia when it comes to her desire to accompany 
  the party out of the Ruswold, but in the event that her father 
  finds out about any tryst, the situation will become even more 
  charged. On one hand, Liwis is desperate that the outlaws 
  be brought to justice. But on the other hand, the honor—and 
  safety!—of his daughter is at stake. Liwis is well-liked and 
  persuasive in Logerswold; other villagers are likely to rely on 
  his word and want to help him.
  Subplot: 
  The Embittered Employee
  The most successful local logger is named Trewin. Although 
  he once worked in the forests, he had a knack for business 
  that saw him succeed at more than just labor. Over time, he 
  came to be something of a logging “baron,” employing others 
  and selling the timber they harvested throughout the regions 
  surrounding the Ruswold.
  Prior to Trewin’s success, another local man, Ansel, did much 
  the same business, but less well. In time, Trewin’s business 
  eclipsed Ansel’s. Trewin, seeing that he could make a greater 
  profit from absorbing Ansel’s operation than engaging in a 
  pointless trade war, offered to buy Ansel out and employ him. 
  They adopted that arrangement a couple of years ago.
  The relatively easy life that Ansel hoped would materialize 
  never came, because that was about the same time that Gore-
  hand’s outlaws began to prey on the Ruswold. Rather than 
  seeing his life become easier under Trewin’s banner, his life 
  has become more difficult. As fewer and fewer raw materi-
  Plots Within Subplots
  If the subplot involving Dealia isn’t quite complicated 
  enough, feel free to add any of these potential flies to 
  the ointment:
  • 
  While the players might assume that an alehouse 
  proprietor’s daughter has no useful adventuring 
  skills, quite the opposite is true. In fact, she turns 
  out to be something of a skilled (1st-level) rogue, 
  albeit without any formal training.
  • 
  Dealia would be a reasonable mid-game 
  replacement character for a player whose PC dies 
  prior to PArt 3, or even in the action of PArt 4. In 
  the latter case, you can say that Dealia has been 
  stealthily following the PCs through the dark, 
  dangerous forest—effectively proving her skills as 
  a rogue!
  • 
  Even though the PCs might manage to 
  disentangle themselves from Dealia’s desires to 
  leave Logerswold with them, if one of the male 
  PCs winds up in bed with her, he may be in for 
  a shock if the party returns to Logerswold some 
  months later to find Dealia pregnant.
  
  7
  A Bann Too Many
  als could be harvested from the forest, there was less and 
  less work to be done brokering their sale. Under Trewin’s 
  shrewd but fair arrangement, Ansel is paid mostly by the 
  commercial successes of the accounts he oversees. Since 
  all accounts are down—now to nothing, given that no raw 
  materials have emerged from the forest in weeks—Ansel is 
  embittered.
  It’s obviously not fair of Ansel to blame Trewin, but he blames 
  Trewin nonetheless. Ansel will tell anyone who’ll listen that 
  he’s at a standstill and because of the shortcomings—both 
  real and imagined—of Trewin’s operation. Since there’s essen-
  tially no work for him to do until lumber once more begins to 
  emerge from the forest, he’s got plenty of time on his hands to 
  spread his distaste to anyone who’ll listen… such as the only 
  new people in town, the PCs.
  The real problem is that Ansel can be persuasive. His lies 
  seem plausible, especially to newcomers. Ansel’s goal is to 
  get Trewin to let him out of the deal they made, so he’ll be on 
  his own again. It’s shortsighted, but it’s what he wants none-
  theless.
  Ansel wants to convince the PCs to take up his cause and argue 
  it before Bann Trumhall, in hopes that the bann will step in and 
  nullify the deal. Although doing such a thing is not technically 
  within a bann’s power—in Ferelden, a bann’s authority ends 
  with the protection of the local freeholders—Ansel feels that 
  the bann’s moral standing as a community leader will give 
  Trewin no choice but to annul the relationship.
  If you use this subplot, you can play Ansel anywhere on the 
  range from devious but ineffective to cunning and malicious. 
  He might be an annoying fount of misinformation, or a dan-
  gerous saboteur who blackmails the PCs into “testifying” 
  about Trewin’s “bad judgment” before the bann.
  The only place Ansel stops short is in causing outright physi-
  cal harm to any of the Logerswolders. As embittered and dis-
  tasteful as he is, he won’t stoop to trying to hire the adventur-
  ers to murder Trewin, for example.
  Be flexiBle  
  and resPonsive
  One last word of overall advice: As you run A Bann Too Many, 
  it’s important to be responsive to what the players want to do. 
  The best tabletop roleplaying experiences feel more like an 
  open field than a railroad. Think about it. From the center of 
  an open field, the players can do what they want and explore 
  the things that interest them. But as passengers on a railroad, 
  they can only go where the tracks lead, with no opportunity 
  to skip over the things they’re not interested in or detour for 
  fun sidelines.
  In concrete terms, this means that there’s no reason for you to 
  try to make sure that the PCs explore every nook, cranny, and 
  nuance of each and every encounter. Instead, let the players 
  take the lead. When they’re ready to move on, move on! They 
  can always come back if later experiences make them think 
  that they missed something important. Similarly, there’s no 
  reason for you to force the PCs to experience every single 
  encounter described, or to encounter them all in order.
  Remember: As long as the players are having fun, and as long 
  as you’re having fun, you’re doing it right.
  PART 1: 
  Charged with 
  the Task
  PArt 1 begins with the PCs on the road, having just entered 
  the Ruswold Valley and thus finally nearing their destination. 
  They are spied on while they camp and likely encounter a 
  trio of men-at-arms once in the employ of Valdur Krole, now 
  embittered and at loose ends. One of them imagines some 
  slight and challenges a PC to a duel.
  The next day, as the adventurers approach Logerswold, 
  they’re met by a patrol of Bann Trumhall’s men. These men 
  tell them about the local situation while they ride together 
  to Trumhall’s encampment. Finally, the PCs come before the 
  bann, who charges them with the task of finding and rooting 
  out Gore-hand’s outlaws.
  Environs: The Ruswold Valley
  The Ruswold Valley, also know more simply as “the Ruswold,” 
  is good farmland in the west and deep forest in the east. The 
  edge of Brecilian Forest crosses the valley from north to south.
  The Ruswold is crossed by a well-maintained and well-
  patrolled main road that brings good timber out of the forest 
  to the greater Bannorn in the east. The valley is also criss-
  crossed by a great many tracks and trails used by local travel-
  ers on foot, mule, horse, and wagon.
  The major water route in the region passes from the northeast 
  to the southwest, eventually emptying into a lowland swamp 
  inside the forest. Bann Trumhall has set up his encampment 
  on this river, which also flows through Logerswold.
  Logerswold is the only significant population center in the 
  Ruswold. It is the chief staging ground for the timber that 
  comes out of the forest before it heads east. It is also where the 
  region’s farmers gather for their weekly market.
  Valdur Krole, the ousted bann, has a manor stronghold on 
  defensible land roughly south of Logerswold.
  1. WatChed in the night
  EXPLORATION ENCOUNTER
  While the PCs are encamped for the night, three men-
  at-arms formerly in Valdur Krole’s employ approach 
  their campsite, looking for trouble.
  You’ve been traveling together across open Fereldan 
  countryside for some days. You’ve heard news that 
  the bann who protects the Ruswold Valley needs 
  keen eyes and strong swords to deal with some threat 
  that has emerged from Brecilian Forest of late. You’ve 
  just entered the Ruswold proper, but it seems clear 
  that you will not arrive in the local village tonight no 
  matter how hard you press on, so you’ve stopped to 
  make camp on a hillock next to the main road.
  How do you arrange your camp, and what do 
  you do?
  
  8
  A bann Too Many
  Unless the PCs wish to avoid main roads, they find them-
  selves camped near that of the Ruswold, as described in the 
  read aloud text. The weather is mild, but nights have been 
  getting colder lately.
  Ask the players to describe the layout of their camp, and 
  sketch it if they wish. Do they light a fire for cooking or 
  warmth? Scout the area? Post watches overnight? Keep the 
  particulars in mind as you stage the rest of this encounter and 
  the next.
  Allow the PCs to interact with one another, especially if this 
  is the group’s first adventure. Try to help the players incorpo-
  rate their characters’ backgrounds and quirks into the camp 
  routines. Characters of certain backgrounds (like the Circle) 
  are probably not practiced at camp chores (if they’re even 
  willing to carry any of them out), characters who cook well 
  are probably lauded for it, and so on.
  Near dusk, three men-at-arms formerly in the employ of 
  Valdur Krole approach the camp. Although they don’t take 
  pains to remain hidden, neither do they announce their pres-
  ence. If any of the PCs leave the camp for any reason—to 
  hunt, for example, or get water—you may choose to initiate 
  this encounter while they are away. The advantage of doing 
  so would be to make the encounter seem more dangerous, 
  with the PCs’ numbers reduced. The disadvantage would be 
  that some players will have nothing to do while the encounter 
  plays out.
  When the men-at-arms approach, call for opposed  perception 
  (seeing or Hearing) vs. dexterity (stealtH) tests. Roll for all 
  three men-at-arms as one, with a single throw of the dice, but 
  allow each PC a separate Perception roll.
  If any PCs beat the men-at-arms, the degree of their suc-
  cess—as represented by their Dragon Die result—tells how 
  close the men-at-arms are to the camp when first spotted. 
  A low result like one or two indicates that they are practi-
  cally on top of the camp, while a high result like five or six 
  suggests that the interlopers are spotted or heard at some 
  distance.
  If the PCs fail to notice the approach, then the men-at-arms 
  observe the PCs long enough to confirm their (accurate) 
  suspicions that the PCs are adventurers come to take Bann 
  Trumhall up on the task he has been advertising. They then 
  emerge into the PCs’ camp.
  The men-at-arms do not have a specific goal in interacting 
  with the PCs. Their general intention is to give vent to their 
  bitterness at being out of work and low on funds. In the truest 
  sense of the phrase, they are looking for trouble.
  If the PCs spotted the men-at-arms and called them out for 
  sneaking around, the men-at-arms take offense, as surely 
  men such as them do not “sneak.” Unless the players take 
  extreme care to avoid giving further offense, the men-at-arms 
  continue looking for opportunities to take offense, until one 
  of them has the opportunity to challenge one of the PCs to a 
  fight in defense of his honor.
  If the men-at-arms were not spotted before entering the 
  camp, or the PCs were friendly to them upon spotting them, 
  
  9
  A Bann Too Many
  then the adventurers may be able to get some useful conver-
  sation from the men-at-arms, who know most of the area’s 
  recent history. Naturally, these men have a negative spin on 
  Trumhall’s recent appearance, and have a good many excuses 
  for why Krole and those in his employ were unable to rid the 
  area of Gore-hand’s outlaws when Krole was bann and they 
  were the ones charged with the Ruswold’s safety. If any of 
  these excuses are challenged, or the men-at-arms feel that 
  their honor or proficiency is called into question, one of them 
  challenges the offending PC to a fight.
  If the PCs are exceptionally courteous or show exceptional 
  restrained when baited, they might manage to gain the men-
  at-arms grudging respect. Although the men-at-arms aren’t 
  interested in sharing the PCs’ camp for the night (they have 
  their own camp nearby, where they’ve stayed for a week or 
  more), a positive interaction with these men could help the 
  PCs when they interact with Krole’s men in PArt 2.
  2. an affront to honor
  COMBAT ENCOUNTER
  One of the PCs must fight a combative man-at-arms 
  who wishes to defend his honor.
  Assuming that one of the men-at arms who approached the 
  PCs’ camp was successful in baiting one or more PCs, or if 
  the PCs were combative without any need for baiting, this 
  encounters involves (at least) a duel between one of the men-
  at-arms and one of the PCs.
  If you staged the previous encounter when one or more 
  PCs were away from camp, the preparation for this duel—
  excess gear being thrown aside, a ring of open ground being 
  cleared—is a fine time for them to return.
  Before the fight begins, be crystal clear with the players that none 
  of the men-at-arms intends for anyone to die in this confronta-
  tion. New roleplayers sometimes get the idea that all combat 
  encounters inevitably end in death for one side or the other. 
  Here, however, everything the PCs know abut life in Ferelden 
  suggests that this duel will be fought to the first blood.
  One way to introduce this bit of information would be to call 
  for one or more PCs to make a tn9 cunning (cultural lore) 
  test before the taunting stage is over and the duel begins. 
  Alternately, you can work related dialog into the issuance of 
  the challenge itself. For example, if a man-at-arms shouts out 
  a challenge, and then a PC responds with something like “I 
  accept!” then the man-at-arms can shout back something like, 
  “To the blood, then!”
  Make sure to wring the full measure of drama from the prepa-
  ratory portions of this encounter. Although both you and the 
  challenged PCs’ player may be eager to throw initiative dice 
  and get started, you can heighten the drama of the situation 
  by putting that roll off as long as possible while buckles are 
  tightened, boasts exchanged, and seconds nominated. Make 
  sure to inquire about any preparations the PCs wish to make. 
  Don’t overdo it, of course. You don’t want to delay the inevi-
  table to the point that no one finds it exciting when it finally 
  comes.
  Unless one of the PCs plans some kind of skullduggery, only 
  the pair of characters actually involved in the fight need to 
  roll initiative.
  Even if you typically use a battle map, there should be little 
  need for such elaborate staging here.
  Unless the circumstances dictate otherwise, the combatants 
  begin the fight with any weapon or weapons of their choice in 
  hand, at a distance that would make it possible for the charac-
  ter who acts first to use a Charge action to begin the fight—4 
  yards, say.
  The duelists fight according to the regular combat rules, 
  trading blows back and forth until one inflicts a wound 
  sufficient to draw blood. Any attack that does at least five 
  points of damage (after accounting for the target’s armor) 
  does the trick. 
  A character may use the special First Blood stunt to inflict no 
  damage but still draw blood, and in some humiliating fash-
  ion, such as by dealing a long cut across the cheek. This both 
  makes that character the clear victor and also humbles his 
  opponent. 
  New Stunt
  sP
  stunt
  4
  first blood: The character draws blood in a 
  humiliating fashion but without dealing any 
  actual damage.
  MEN-AT-ARMS 
  Three Fereldan men-at-arms called Bron, Lervis, and Roth, 
  former retainers of Valdur Krole.
  abilities (Focuses)
  –1
  communication
  2
  constitution (stamina)
  0
  cunning (natural lore)
  0
  dexterity (stealtH)
  –1
  magic
  0
  perception (seeing)
  2
  strengtH (Heavy blades)
  1
  WillpoWer
  CombAt rAtinGs
  sPeed
  heAlth
  defense
  Armor rAtinG
  8 (10)*
  25
  12 (10)**
  4
  AttACKs
  weAPon
  AttACK roll
  dAmAGe
  Fist
  +0
  1d3+2
  long sWord
  +4
  2d6+2
  Powers
  fAvored stunts: Disarm and First Blood (see this page, below).
  tAlents: Armor Training (Journeyman), Two-Hander Style (Novice), 
  and Weapon and Shield Style (Novice).
  weAPon GrouPs: Axes, Brawling, Heavy Blades, and Spears.
  *WitHout armor **WitHout sHield
  equipment
  ligHt mail, long sWord, dagger.
  
  10
  A bann Too Many
  Ranged attacks are frowned upon in a duel; a tn9 cunning 
  (cultural lore) test reveals as much to any PC. Drawing 
  first blood in this way earns the scorn of the defeated man-at-
  arms, at the very least, and may gain the “winner” a trouble-
  some reputation in the local area as news spreads. None of the 
  men-at-arms launches a ranged attack in this fight.
  If a PC wins a duel fair and square, the men-at-arms are none 
  too thrilled, but they do not respond dishonorably. The three 
  gather their things and leave the PCs’ camp.
  If a PC wins by suspect means, the men-at-arms also retreat 
  from the PCs camp, but amid insults involving the PCs’ lin-
  eage and perhaps even threats of later retaliation.
  If a man-at-arms wins, he expects the bested PC to make right 
  the offense that led to the duel, by taking back whatever insult 
  or apologizing for whatever slight. A PC unwilling to do so 
  earns the men-at-arms’ insults and threats.
  However the duel turns out, the men-at-arms eventually 
  leave the PCs’ camp for the night, returning to their own.
  If Things Go Wrong
  If the PCs go off the reservation—attacking and killing all 
  three men-at-arms, for example—use your judgment about 
  what happens next.
  Even assuming that the PCs are not observed in the act of 
  murder, the main road is patrolled daily, and the bodies are 
  likely to be found eventually. Although these men-at-arms 
  are not exactly model citizens of the Ruswold, they remain 
  Fereldan freemen all the same, and the local lord—Bann 
  Trumhall, in this case—is obliged to pursue justice against 
  criminals.
  The PCs may have luck blaming things on the outlaws, 
  depending on the circumstances.
  3. the Bann’s men
  ROLEPLAYING ENCOUNTER
  Before they arrive in the village of Logerswold, the 
  PCs are accosted by Bann Trumhall’s men.
  After striking your camp in the morning, you pro-
  ceed along the main road, which winds down toward 
  the valley floor. As you travel, solitary trees join into 
  copses that become more and more dense the further 
  east you go.
  It’s still morning when you hear horses approach-
  ing, perhaps a half-dozen, most likely coming up the 
  trail toward you.
  You don’t see the riders yet. What do you want to do?
  The riders are Bann Thumhall’s men, policing the main Rus-
  wold road as part of their daily patrol of the area. They aren’t 
  doing anything to hide their presence. In fact, part of the point 
  of their daily ride is to make sure that all those who live in the 
  area feel safe and secure.
  The bulk of this encounter should amount to a roleplaying 
  encounter between the PCs and the bann’s men. The bann’s 
  men are a reasonable lot, neither overly suspicious nor dupes. 
  They hail the PCs and ask them reasonable questions about 
  their travels and intentions. They are fairly skilled at making 
  correct conclusions about travelers given their armament and 
  accoutrements, and their goal is to make sure that no one trav-
  eling on the road represents a threat to the area.
  If the bann’s men learn that the PCs are responding to their 
  lord’s call for support in dealing with the problems in the Bre-
  cilian Forest, they cut short their patrol in favor of escorting 
  the adventurers to meet with Trumhall at his compound. This 
  saves the PCs some time, since otherwise, they’d likely go to 
  Logerswold first, and only there learn where Bann Trumhall 
  has set up his encampment.
  If the PCs lie to the bann’s men about their background or 
  intentions, call for an opposed communication (deception) vs. 
  communication (investigation) test between the most commu-
  nicative PC and a representative of the bann’s men to see if 
  they are found out. The bann’s men have no bonus to their 
  roll, having Communication 0 and lacking the Investigation 
  focus.
  If lying PCs are found out then the bann’s men insist on 
  escorting the PCs to Trumhall’s encampment for a more thor-
  ough questioning.
  If lying PCs are not found out, or if the PCs insist that they 
  would rather travel alone, they can get directions to Bann 
  Trumhall’s compound without difficulty.
  THE BANN’S MEN 
  Five Frereldan soldiers in the employ of Bann Trumhall: Yorle, 
  Ulruch, Ir, Ward, and Pepyn. Two are from the local area, two 
  came with Trumhall from his ancestral lands, and one is a 
  former retainer of Valdur Krole’s who nevertheless supported 
  Krole’s ouster.
  abilities (Focuses)
  0
  communication
  0
  constitution
  0
  cunning
  1
  dexterity (riding)
  0
  magic
  1
  perception (seeing)
  2
  strengtH (spears)
  0
  WillpoWer
  CombAt rAtinGs
  sPeed
  heAlth
  defense
  Armor rAtinG
  9 (11)*
  33
  11
  5
  AttACKs
  weAPon
  AttACK roll
  dAmAGe
  Fist
  +1
  1d3+2
  tWo-Handed spear
  +4
  2d6+2
  Powers
  fAvored stunts: Disarm and Knock Prone.
  tAlents: Armor Training (Novice) and Two-Hander Style (Novice).
  weAPon GrouPs: Brawling, Heavy Blades, and Spears.
  *WitHout armor
  equipment
  ligHt mail armor, riding Horse, and spear.
  
  11
  A Bann Too Many
  If the PCs hide from the bann’s men, call 
  for an opposed dexterity (stealtH) vs. per-
  ception (seeing) test. Each PC must make 
  a separate roll, but roll just once for the 
  bann’s men as a group. Then bann’s men 
  add +3 to their roll, as they have Percep-
  tion 1 and the Seeing focus.
  If the PCs hide and the bann’s men pass, 
  the PCs are on their own in continuing 
  to travel. They’ll likely end up in Loger-
  swold before the Bann’s encampment, in 
  which case, skip to PArt 3: the villAGe of 
  loGerswold.
  If the PCs hide and are seen, then the 
  bann’s men begin their interactions with 
  the adventurers in a suspicious mode.
  If the adventurers wind up traveling 
  with the bann’s men to Trumhall’s com-
  pound, the men are more than willing 
  to tell the PCs anything that is common 
  knowledge about the recent history of 
  the area. These men believe Trumhall’s 
  election to protect the local area was a 
  good decision on the part of the local 
  freeholders.
  Although the men are leery of actively disrespecting Valdur 
  Krole, it should be clear to the PCs from their subtext that he’s 
  a hard man to like—he’s gruff, conservative, and demand-
  ing—and that he hasn’t done the local freeholders any favors 
  since they elected Trumhall to replace him. For example, 
  rather than open the doors of his stout manor to Trumhall, 
  he’s essentially closed the shutters and left all those outside to 
  fend for themselves.
  Environs: Trumhall’s Encampment
  As a recent transplant Bann Trumhall has only just begun 
  building what he hopes will be a long-term holding in the 
  area. His choice of site is good, a hillock that overlooks broad 
  fields on every side, and near to fresh water. On one side of 
  the hill, rocky ground provides both stone for permanent 
  buildings and a defensible approach.
  Although Trumhall has grand plans, there is no encircling 
  wall of any kind built yet. Most “buildings” of the encamp-
  ment are, for the moment, tents. One completed wooden 
  building houses the relatively small number of retain-
  ers Trumhall can currently afford to employ. The fact that 
  Trumhall has given more priority to housing his men than 
  housing himself has been a major factor in the high morale 
  among his followers.
  Bann Trumhall himself lives in a campaign tent. It is well-
  made, has been partitioned into two different area—a sleep-
  ing room and an audience room—and contains plenty of 
  sturdy wooden furniture.
  There is a wooden pen for the encampment’s domestic ani-
  mals, including a few cows, several goats, and a plethora of 
  chickens. The bann’s followers tasked with maintaining the 
  household live in a series of tents near this area.
  During most days, there is much activity at the encampment. 
  In addition to a crew of workers digging holes for the very 
  beginnings of a palisade wall, servants take care of animals, 
  haul supplies, and see to the household’s needs. In the eve-
  nings, a prudent number of the bann’s men stand guard and 
  walk the encampment’s perimeter.
  4. Charged With the 
  Bann’s JustiCe
  ROLEPLAYING ENCOUNTER
  The PCs meet Bann Trumhall, are tasked with find-
  ing and defeating the Gore-hand’s outlaws, and dis-
  cuss the particulars of the job.
  You emerge from the treeline into a broad lowland 
  field with a hillock at the center. Bann Trumhall’s 
  encampment is clearly a work in progress, with no 
  fortifications to speak of and many more tents than 
  permanent buildings. Even so, you get a sense of the 
  area’s vibrancy. Servants are tending to animals, work-
  men are digging what look like the beginnings of a 
  palisade, and men-at-arms are drilling in the field.
  As you cross the field, one of the bann’s men turns 
  to you. “Is there anything you’d like to do before we 
  bring you to Bann Trumhall?
  Give the PCs the opportunity to do anything reasonable, such 
  as water their horses (if they have any), clean themselves up, 
  change their clothing, or similar. Once such tasks are taken 
  care of:
  You’re surprised when the bann’s men bring you not 
  to the single wooden structure on the hillock to meet 
  Bann Trumhall, but instead to a large canvas tent. 
  One of the men exchanges words with the guard at 
  the main entrance, then holds the flap aside.
  
  12
  A bann Too Many
  The interior is dim, and filled with carpets and 
  solid wooden furniture. At the head of a large table, 
  a lean, raven-haired man stands as you enter. “Wel-
  come and well-met!” he booms. “I am Bann Trumhall, 
  lord-protector of the Ruswold Valley.”
  How do you respond?
  This encounter should be relatively straightforward roleplay-
  ing between Trumhall and the PCs.
  Shortly after their discussion begins, wine and meat are 
  brought in. Both are quite fine and a welcome break from trail 
  rations and campfire cookery.
  In the course of the conversation, Trumhall communicates 
  following points (assuming the PCs do not ask about them 
  first):
  •	
  A band of outlaws led by the infamous Waldric the 
  Gore-hand lives in Brecilian Forest somewhere in or 
  near the Ruswold Valley. No one knows where their 
  headquarters is hidden.
  •	
  Outlaws have preyed on the loggers who operate in 
  the Ruswold before, but never with the tenacity and 
  violence Gore-hand’s men have shown of late.
  •	
  The outlaws’ raids have not followed any predictable 
  pattern.
  •	
  Trumhall’s resources—specifically, his financial ability 
  to hire fighters—are stretched too thin for him to send a 
  mass of men into the forest after the outlaws. He needs 
  adventurers, who can travel lightly, are willing to take 
  their reward from among the outlaws’ plunder, and 
  who won’t leave local families without hands to feed 
  them in the event that the worst happens.
  •	
  Freeholders from all around the valley have been 
  harassed by the outlaws’ depredations. Many families, 
  especially in the eastern part of the Ruswold, have 
  temporarily relocated to Logerswold for safety. Many of 
  these are staying in what has nearly become a refugee 
  camp in Trewin the Logger’s compound (see Part	3:	3.	
  trewin	the	Logger).
  •	
  All of the local loggers suspended their operations 
  about a month ago when the attacks were at their 
  worst. However, a group of the bravest ones, their 
  families nearly starving due to their breadwinners’ 
  enforced idleness, returned to the main logging camp 
  in the forest about a week ago, over the objections of 
  both Trumhall and Trewin. Trumhall knew—and said 
  flat-out—that he would not be able to protect these 
  men, and urged them to wait for adventurers  to arrive, 
  who could at the very least use the logging camp as 
  a base of operations in tracking the outlaws, and add 
  their sword arms in the event that the camp fell under 
  attack. However, for many of the loggers, it was work 
  or starve to death, so they took what arms they had 
  and returned to their camp. Nothing has been heard 
  from these loggers since. Trumhall doesn’t know if 
  they’re dead or not, but fears the worst.
  •	
  The loggers’ camp would be a good place to start 
  looking for clues as to the outlaws’ whereabouts.
  
  13
  A Bann Too Many
  • 
  The adventurers will almost certainly find comfort—if 
  not aid—in Logerswold among the freeholders.
  If the players seem to be on the fence about whether to accept 
  this charge given either the meager support Trumhall is offer-
  ing, or the unknown reward to come, he goes out of his way to 
  offer them the comforts and resources of his camp, both now 
  and in the future. His craftsmen can repair their equipment, 
  provide food and wine, and so forth. He also argues convinc-
  ingly that he will not always be a new bann with a camp of 
  tents and just the beginnings of a wall. Certainly, he argues, it 
  is easy to imagine a future in which it is beneficial for the PCs 
  to have a powerful connection in the Ruswold. If he can think 
  of no other way to seal the deal, he offers to pay the PCs up 
  to 80 silver pieces each in one year’s time (although he starts 
  bargaining below this value).
  This encounter is a good place to introduce either rumors 
  of—or the fact of—the Competition subplot. The other adven-
  turers may show up in the middle of the PCs’ audience with 
  Trumhall. Alternately, one of Trumhall’s workers might men-
  tion to the PCs that another group of adventurers passed 
  through the camp recently. If you introduce it here, though, 
  make sure you use this subplot to spur the PCs to action (“If 
  we want our fair share of the outlaws’ treasure, we’ll have to 
  hurry!”) rather than to drive them away from it (“Let’s just 
  leave—those other adventurers will save these guys.”).
  At some point in the encounter, Bann Trumhall’s Mabari mas-
  tiff, Blacktail, emerges from the tent’s sleeping room. Call for 
  an opposed perception (Hearing) vs. dexterity (stealtH) test a 
  few exchanges before then. Blacktail has +5 on this roll, from 
  Dexterity 3 and the Stealth focus. It is highly likely that none 
  will prevail against the dog’s great capacity to move unheard. 
  This is desirable; the PCs complete surprise should both put 
  them a bit off-guard as well as suggest that Bann Trumhall 
  has a few tricks up his sleeves.
  For all that, Blacktail does nothing nefarious past startling the 
  PCs with his appearance (assuming that none of them hears 
  him). He simply looks the PCs over, perhaps sniffs at one or 
  two of them if their appearance is strange or alarming, and 
  then pads over to Trumhall and sits down next to him to listen 
  to the remainder of the conversation. For his part, Trumhall is 
  amused by any PCs’ surprise, and explains that Blacktail has 
  been his companion for some time.
  (Of course, Blacktail is in fact the shape-changed form of the 
  apostate mage who dominates Trumhall’s mind and actions. 
  He’s listening now to understand the PCs’ plans, so he can 
  assist them—if necessary—in getting rid of the outlaws now 
  that he has no further need of them.)
  Statistics for Bann Trumhall and Blacktail can be found in the 
  mAJor nPCs section.
  Questions and Answers
  Bann Trumhall is willing to answer the following sorts of ques-
  tions, but doesn’t bring these subjects up if the PCs don’t.
  “we heAr thAt you’re new to the ruswold.”
  It’s true, my family’s holding are some days from the Ruswold. As my 
  mother’s fourth son, it fell to me to seek my own place in the world. I 
  heard of the need for strong swords here in the valley and came to see 
  if I could contribute. Fate seemed to have a place waiting for me.
  “whAt do you hAve AGAinst Krole?”
  Nothing at all. The freeholders of Logerswold decided who would be 
  best to defend and protect them, not me. That said, I must admit that 
  my only interaction with him was rather unpleasant, and it would 
  certainly have been nice if he had allowed my men and I to lodge at 
  his manor, at least for a little while.
  “isn’t it your Job to Get rid of these bAndits?”
  Of course! (He laughs.) Why do you suppose I spread word of my 
  need across the land, and am treating with you even now?
  “why don’t you Assemble All of your men And ride into the 
  woods After these outlAws?”
  The woods are the Gore-hand’s home turf. We have too few men to 
  cover that ground, and doing it would leave the village and the main 
  road unprotected. What if we were lured into a trap? The woman 
  and children of Logerswold would be slaughtered.
   “CAn you send A few men with us, now?”
  I wish I could. We are simply too few.
  “whAt CAn you PAy us, Aside from the sPoils?”
  The glory of serving the cause of justice in Ferelden!
  “will you send more men onCe we find the outlAws?”
  Find them, and then I’ll decide. But keep this in mind: Any men I 
  send will want equal shares of the spoils. But if you deal with the 
  bandits on your own, all the rewards will go to you.
  Ferreting Secrets  
  Too Early
  Make sure that you don’t give the PCs the opportunity to ferret 
  out the secret of Bann Trumhall’s corruption or Blacktail’s 
  true nature the first time they meet the bann. Unless they’re 
  extremely paranoid, and you feel agile enough to adjudicate 
  the rest of the adventure freeform, it’s best to let the clues and 
  their suspicions build through the encounters to come.
  It’s entirely possible that canny players asking the age-old 
  question “Who benefits?” will begin to suspect some kind 
  of alliance between Trumhall and the bandits. You obviously 
  can’t quash their speculation, so don’t try. Simply remain 
  silent as the players debate this possibility with one another.
  Others in the Camp
  If the PCs want to talk to others in the camp, here’s 
  a short list of names and character sketches you can 
  appropriate as needed.
  root: A bright-eyed scullery boy, eager to help (within 
  his meager means) for a tale.
  boder: A laborer with a bad cold, interested in shirking 
  his work.
  tryshe: A woman who cares for Trumhall’s tent and 
  belongings.
  
  14
  A bann Too Many
  Part 1 Resolution and 
  Troubleshooting
  By the end of PArt 1, the PCs should have met Bann Trumhall 
  and know exactly what they’re trying to do in this adventure: 
  Enter Brecilian Forest, find Waldric Gore-hand and his band 
  of outlaws, and do what’s necessary to eliminate their threat.
  The encounters leading up to the PCs meeting the bann are 
  straightforward. Even though different outcomes are possible 
  (for example, the PCs might not fight Krole’s former men-
  at-arms), as long as the adventurers wind up meeting Bann 
  Trumhall and accepting his task, the route they take isn’t all 
  that important.
  If the PCs hide from the bann’s men in encounter 3, they 
  might find Bann Trumhall’s encampment on their own, per-
  haps requiring a tn11 perception (tracking) test to spot the 
  correct trail leading north from the main road. Alternately, 
  they might follow the main road to Logerswold first. In the 
  latter case, skip ahead to PArt 3: the villAGe of loGerswold 
  returning to PArt 1 to run the meeting with the bann. Keep 
  in mind that you should be aiming for the PCs to meet Bann 
  Trumhall before they head into the forest, and that nearly 
  anyone in the village is able to tell them where Trumhall’s 
  encampment can be found.
  If you use the optional subplot the ComPetition, the latter 
  encounters of PArt 1 are a good time to plant the seeds of 
  their involvement. The bann’s men might mention and Bann 
  Trumhall confirm that at least three other adventurers have 
  already gone into the forest. This should give the PCs a sense 
  of urgency. Alternately, if the PCs show signs that they’re 
  thinking about turning down the mission out of concern for 
  the danger, the other adventurers might show up and offer to 
  combine forces for equal shares of loot. On the other hand, if 
  the scenario to this point has seemed too easy or free of con-
  flict, the other adventurers might show up at Bann Trumhall’s 
  camp at more or less the same time as the PCs, receive the 
  same briefing—perhaps at the same time—and quickly hustle 
  out to find the outlaws on their own. This, again, should light 
  a fire under the PCs to get their show on the road.
  As discussed at the end of encounter 4, the only unexpected 
  events that can really throw the adventure for a loop in PArt 1 
  is if, by some unfounded or unexpected logic, the PCs decide 
  that Trumhall is suspect and approach him with hostility or 
  violence. Exert what influence you can to convince suspi-
  cious PCs that Trumhall is trustworthy and true. Any or all of 
  Trumhall’s key supporters from Logerswold—Trewin, Liwis, 
  and Sister Pliacinth—could be introduced at the bann’s camp 
  rather than in PArt 3 and attest to his good character. Your 
  other option is to simply let them do what they wish to do 
  and carry on with a poker face. Even if the PCs slay Bann 
  Trumhall and burn his tents to the ground (unlikely, if they’re 
  remotely heroic!), the fact remains that there are outlaws in 
  the forest and if the PCs can rid the world of their threat, the 
  spoils will be theirs for the taking.
  If you and the players are new to drAGon AGe, and this is 
  your first adventure begun in a session where you also cre-
  ated characters, the end of PArt 1 is a good time to break 
  between sessions.
  PART 2
  Krole Beset
  In PArt 2, the PCs are accosted by emissaries of the old Rus-
  wold bann, Valdur Krole, who wants to talk to them. While on 
  this sideline (or while they ignore it), Krole’s supply wagons 
  are attacked by the Gore-hand’s outlaws.
  1. emissaries from  
  the old Bann
  ROLEPLAYING ENCOUNTER
  While in the middle of something else, the PCs are 
  accosted by a few servants of former-bann Krole, 
  who wants to meet with them.
  A pair of sober commoners approach you, and after 
  they waiting patiently for you to finish your conversa-
  tion [or saddle your horses, or whatever], they speak.
  “We are servants of Valdur Krole, once the lord-pro-
  tector of these lands. Our master would have a word 
  with you. Will you accompany us to his manor?”
  You can stage this encounter in roughly three different ways.
  • 
  First, the servants may approach the PC after they 
  meet with Bann Trumhall but before they leave his 
  encampment. In this case, ask the PCs to make a tn 13 
  perception (seeing) test to notice that Krole’s servants 
  are subtly shunned by Trumhall’s servants as they 
  approach the PCs.
  • 
  Second, the servants may approach the PCs on the road 
  after they’ve left Bann Trumhall’s outpost.
  • 
  Finally, the servants may approach the PCs in 
  Logerswold, between any of the encounters in PArt 3. 
  (In this case, you will obviously have skipped over the 
  events of PArt 2 in order to interweave them with the 
  Logerswold encounters of PArt 3.)
  In all of these three cases, the servants’ question—“Will you 
  accompany us to his manor?”—both sets the scene and estab-
  lishes the servants’ goal.
  The servants are honest and persuasive, with no hint of guile. 
  If the PCs are suspicious—which is entirely reasonable, con-
  sidering their encounter with Krole’s former men-at-arms—
  encourage them to make perception (empatHy) or communi-
  cation (investigation) tests, and roll a few dice of your own 
  behind your screen. This isn’t a legitimate opposed test, since 
  there’s no lie to see through. Simply roll your dice and tell the 
  players that their characters aren’t able to detect any decep-
  tion on the servants’ part.
  The servants don’t know what Krole wants to talk to the PCs 
  about. He didn’t offer, they didn’t ask, and they have no wish 
  to speculate. The PCs may get the sense that Krole is a hard 
  master who brooks little questioning.
  These two have been Krole’s servants for many years, and at 
  present are working without pay because they don’t know 
  
  15
  A Bann Too Many
  where else they’d go. They have some bitterness about their 
  master’s ouster, but there’s nothing they can do about it. They 
  don’t offer this information.
  If the PCs simply agree to accompany the servants, this 
  encounter is quite short, and the servants travel to Manor 
  Krole with the adventurers. Proceed to 2. Krole, below.
  It is also possible that the adventurers will not agree to 
  accompany them. The servants do their best to persuade the 
  PCs, but if it becomes clear that they cannot, they make sure 
  that the PCs know how to get to Manor Krole if they change 
  their mind later, and take their leave. The PCs are free to 
  continue on in whatever way they wish, either heading into 
  Logerswold (in which case skip ahead to PArt 3: the villAGe 
  of loGerswold) or heading directly into the forest after the 
  outlaws (PArt 4: into the forest).
  If the PCs refuse to come with Krole’s servants but then follow 
  them in secret, they return to Manor Krole straightaway, as 
  might be expected. The PCs, then, are faced with essentially 
  the same choice about how to proceed as if they had not fol-
  lowed at all.
  Full statistics should not be needed for these servants. If you 
  require more information than the abbreviated stat block on 
  this page provides, improvise statistics that seem reasonable.
  2. krole
  ROLEPLAYING ENCOUNTER
  The PCs are brought before Valdur Krole, who apolo-
  gizes for the way the men-at-arms once in his employ 
  treated them on the road.
  Manor Krole is an imposing structure behind a 
  wooden palisade at the foot of a tall bluff, with a 
  watchtower at its summit. In that prominent posi-
  tion, the watchtower commands a broad view, and 
  you can see it long before you approach the wall’s 
  stone gatehouse.
  The main gate opens at your arrival, and the ser-
  vants lead you directly to the main manor building, 
  an edifice of stone built against—and perhaps into—
  the rock bluff behind it.
  The rooms within are dim and dank, and there are 
  few people—either servants or guards— in evidence. 
  One of the servants peels away from your party, leav-
  ing you in the care of the other, who leads the way 
  up a spiral staircase. At the top of the stairs is a stout 
  wooden door, upon which the servant knocks.
  “Come,” issues a voice from within.
  The servant opens the door and stands aside, 
  motioning for you to enter.
  Inside his study, Valdur Krole, an exceedingly ugly individ-
  ual with a lumpy face and pockmarks, sits alone in a chair 
  behind a great wooden desk. The servant follows the PCs 
  in and stands available just inside the door, which he closes 
  behind them.
  Each PC may make a tn11 perception (seeing) test. Anyone 
  who is successful realizes that Krole is missing one of his legs, 
  although is attempting to avoid having this be noticed by sit-
  ting behind the table with a blanket in his lap. To be clear, 
  he’s not engaging in active subterfuge. He’s simply sitting in 
  a way that will encourage the PCs not to notice.
  Once the PCs are arrayed before the former bann, he intro-
  duces himself—as Valdur Krole, without fanfare or title—and 
  gruffly asks whether the PCs are the ones who were accosted 
  on the road last night by the soldiers formerly in his employ.
  KROLE’S SERVANTS 
  Oluvur and Vims, Fereldan freemen and servants of Valdur 
  Krole. 
  abilities (Focuses)
  1 
  communication (etiquette)
  0
  constitution
  1
  cunning
  0
  dexterity
  -1
  magic
  1
  perception (empatHy, Hearing)
  0
  strengtH
  0
  WillpoWer
  
  16
  A bann Too Many
  If they answer affirmatively, he says:
  Although it is not my duty to do it, I apologize to you 
  for their behavior. Times are hard for those who once 
  called me lord. This is no excuse for their actions, but 
  an apology even so.
  With that, he nods brusquely to the servant, indicating that 
  the PCs should be shown out.
  The PCs are likely to want to speak further with Krole. He is not 
  particularly excited to talk to them, but neither will he have them 
  thrown out without answering their questions. However, if the 
  PCs draw out the encounter, he eventually cuts one of them off 
  in mid-sentence, asserts that he has other matters to attend to, 
  and nods for the servant to show them out of his study.
  Full statistics for Valdur Krole can be found in the mAJor 
  nPCs section.
  Questions and Answers
  “how did you find out whAt hAPPened between your men-At-
  Arms And us?”
  Word travels, and I still have the respect of some in the Ruswold.
  “Are you AnGry with the freeholders for eleCtinG trumhAll 
  As their new lord-ProteCtor?”
  It is their right to do it.
  “do you beAr trumhAll ill will?”
  I wish him no harm.
  “why Prevent trumhAll from tAKinG over this mAnor?”
  It has belonged to my family in three ages. Why should I turn it 
  over to him?
  “whAt About the outlAws?”
  They are the concern of others, now.
  “bAnn trumhAll hAs hired us to find the 
  outlAws, And eliminAte them.”
  (He grunts.)
  “Are you willinG to helP us find the 
  outlAws And eliminAte their threAt?”
  As you can see, I no longer command men I 
  could lend to such a cause.
   “how did you lose your leG?”
  Protecting the Ruswold from harm, as was 
  my duty.
  Environs: 
  Manor Krole
  The surroundings of Manor Krole are 
  exactly as described in the read-aloud 
  text of PArt 2: 2. Krole.
  A trail wide enough for wagon traffic leads from the main 
  road south and uphill, through mixed trees. The manor is set 
  against a bluff, with a palisade wall half-ringing the manor 
  house, which lies almost directly below a wooden watch-
  tower at the top of the bluff. There are a few additional out-
  buildings—most now empty—within the palisade, and also a 
  well that provides the manor’s water supply.
  3. attaCked!
  COMBAT ENCOUNTER
  Supply wagons coming up the trail to Manor Krole fall 
  under outlaw attack.
  There aren’t enough residents at Manor Krole for 
  what’s happening to truly be called a commotion, but 
  you hear running feet, and then someone call out: “The 
  wagons! They’re attacking the supply wagons!”
  It’s relatively easy for the PCs to get the rest of the story by 
  questioning a running servant or one of the few remaining 
  guards. The lone lookout in the watchtower at the top of 
  the bluff saw, just moments ago, the monthly pair of supply 
  wagons coming up the trail from the main road fall under 
  attack from horsemen. Everyone assumes the attackers are 
  Gore-hand’s outlaws. It goes without saying unless the PCs 
  think to ask.
  In point of fact, these are Gore-hand’s outlaws, though this is 
  not a random attack. Gore-hand has sent eight men, in collu-
  sion with Trumhall, to strike at the resource-poor Krole where 
  it will hurt him most. The hope is that this might drive him 
  from the Ruswold for good.
  Any guards the PCs find are hurrying to don their armor and 
  rush to the wagons’ aid, their demeanor is grim. They don’t 
  expect to find any survivors.
  
  17
  A Bann Too Many
  And indeed, no matter how fast the PCs respond to the hue-
  and-cry, as they approach the thin column of smoke rising 
  from the now-burning wagons, they can see from several 
  hundred yards’ distance that there is no one standing at the 
  scene of the scuffle.
  It may or may not be worthwhile to draw the encounter out on 
  a battle map. On one hand, fighting will not take place at the 
  wagons themselves. On the other hand, having a concrete map 
  to refer to so the players understand the tactical situation—
  where they’re being ambushed from (see the paragraphs that 
  follow)—may help avoid any misunderstandings.
  As the PCs approach the site, they must make TN 15 percep-
  tion (seeing) tests. Allow the players to assume that they are 
  trying to discern something about the scene of the attack. In 
  actuality, the test is to see if they detect the outlaws who are 
  still hidden in a pair of groves about 50 yards on either side of 
  the ambush site, waiting to attack those who rush forth from 
  the manor. What the PCs detect and when they detect it are 
  determined by the result of the Dragon Die on a successful 
  test. If all the PCs fail the test, they walk right into the ambush 
  and are surprised when the arrows start flying.
  Outlaw Ambush
  drAGon die
  PerCePtion test result
  1-2
  The character detects one group of outlaws 
  but not until the party is within long bow 
  range (52 yards).
  3-4
  The character detects both groups of 
  outlaws but not until the party is within 
  long bow range (52 yards).
  5-6
  The character detects both groups of 
  outlaws before the party is within long 
  bow range.
  Presumably, combat ensues. The outlaws’ goal is very simple: 
  to kill as many people as the can before escaping back into 
  Brecilian Forest.
  Each group has four horses hidden in the trees and bushes 
  near them. If either group is about to fall under a determined 
  hand-to-hand assault, they flee rather than stand and fight, as 
  Waldric has instructed them.
  Each group of four outlaws comprises two archers with long 
  bows and two with short bows. The former are able to rain 
  fire as far away as the ambush site (which is 50 yards distant 
  from each group’s hiding spot), while the latter can increase 
  the number of arrows in the air for a round or two if the PCs 
  charge them and close the distance. The outlaws with short 
  bows can also harry any pursuers once they take to horse-
  back. (Firing a long bow from horseback is not possible.)
  The outlaws are not willing to commit suicide in order to 
  avoid capture, but neither do they have any illusions. That 
  is, they know that if they’re captured, they may be executed 
  for their crimes, and that their fellows won’t waste any time 
  trying to rescue them from the freeholders’ justice. So to the 
  extent that any opportunity to escape pursuing PCs presents 
  itself, they are willing to try it, the potential for death or griev-
  ous injury be damned.
  Use the statistics for rank-and-file outlaws in the mAJor nPCs 
  section to represent all eight ambushers.
  Giving Chase
  Mounted heroes may stand a chance of running one or more 
  outlaws to ground. (PCs on foot simply do not. They can’t 
  keep up with horsemen no matter what.)
  Each chase should be handled as an advanced test. It is 
  unlikely but possible that PCs will end up chasing outlaws 
  from both groups, who naturally flee in opposite directions. 
  If that happens, you’ll have to run separate tests concurrently, 
  or simplify it for yourself by saying the outlaws from one 
  group just had too much of a head start to catch. 
  Participants in the chase must make a TN11 dexterity 
  (riding) test each round. Racing through the forest in this 
  way requires both a major action and a minor action. A char-
  acter that only uses a major action takes a -2 penalty on the 
  test that round, but can then use a minor action for some-
  thing else. The success threshold for the advanced test is 10. 
  Any outlaw that reaches it first disappears into the forest 
  and escapes. If the PCs reach it first, they catch up to the 
  outlaws, who surrender. 
  The outlaws do not have the Riding focus, so their basic roll 
  is equal to their Dexterity of +2. On top of this, however, they 
  get a further +1 bonus due to their familiarity with the local 
  area, so their total is +3. The PCs can earn bonuses on their 
  rolls with clever tactics at your discretion. 
  The PCs’ ultimate goal in this chase is presumably to cap-
  ture one or more outlaws in order to interrogate them about 
  Gore-hand’s location and operations. The encounter has been 
  arranged to make this difficult but not impossible.
  Running a chase with an advanced test is different than 
  using the normal movement rules. You won’t be measur-
  ing distance down to the yard but rather interpreting the 
  Dragon Die results as they relate to the success threshold 
  to narrate the action. If a PC succeeded at a test and got a 
  Dragon Die result of 5 while on the same round the outlaw 
  she was chasing failed her test, you could say, “The outlaw’s 
  horse stumbles and he almost falls, but your mount makes 
  a spectacular leap over a dry riverbed and you continue to 
  close the distance between you.” 
  Those who participate in the chase have basically removed 
  themselves from the action back at the ambush site by dash-
  ing off into the woods. Unless the chasing PCs catch their 
  quarry very quickly indeed, they won’t return to site until 
  after the combat is over. 
  Others at the Manor
  If the PCs want to talk to others around the manor, 
  here’s a short list of names and character sketches you 
  can appropriate as needed.
  frederiCK: Krole’s chamberlain, a smart man with smart 
  ideas.
  oberwAlder: An old man-at-arms, nearly past all use, 
  but with nowhere to go.
  ister: A young, widowed mother, always looking for ways 
  to protect and take care of her three young children.
  
  18
  A bann Too Many
  4. Questions of imPort
  ROLEPLAYING ENCOUNTER
  The PCs interrogate one or more captured outlaws.
  The villain before you is dirty from a hard life in the 
  woods, and sweaty from his flight. Even so, he looks 
  you defiantly in the eye—no cowering here.
  What now?
  Any outlaws the PCs manage to capture are tough nuts. Each 
  remains silent through any questions posed to him unless the 
  PCs take extraordinary measures.
  The PCs’ first option is an opposed strengtH (intimidation) 
  vs. WillpoWer (selF-discipline) test. Each outlaw adds +1 to 
  such rolls, from his Willpower 1. A PC who wins such a test 
  gets one answer to one question from one outlaw. Additional 
  answers require additional tests. To make matters worse, 
  answers are not guaranteed to be truthful. See the following 
  questions And Answers section for the kind of answers the 
  outlaws give. Spotting a lie requires an opposed communica-
  tion (investigation) vs. communication (deception) test; the 
  outlaws’ rolls should always be made in secret so as to keep 
  the players guessing. The outlaws have no bonus to these 
  rolls, as they have Communication 0 and lack the relevant 
  focus.
  Torture is the second option. Using physical violence to elicit 
  an answer requires the same opposed test as above, but gives 
  the PC a +2 bonus on his roll. The downsides are twofold. 
  First is the potential fallout—from uncomfortably zealous 
  encouragement to quiet horror—among those who witness 
  the brutality. Second is that all responses elicited by torture in 
  this circumstance are lies. Use the same opposed test as above 
  to recognize lies.
  One final, potentially fruitful option is the promise of freedom 
  in exchange for cooperation. No roll to determine whether an 
  answer is forthcoming is required. An outlaw answers or not 
  depending on how likely he thinks it is that he will actually be 
  freed for cooperating. He lies or not depending on whether he 
  thinks he can get away with it. Under no circumstances will 
  an outlaw divulge any information before being set free, or, 
  at the very least, being guaranteed that he will be set free by 
  a PC who seems trustworthy. That is, an outlaw will not spill 
  the beans about the hideout’s location if he’s going to have to 
  stick around in captivity to see whether he’ll be freed based 
  on whether the PCs find Gore-hand.
  A captured outlaw forced to lead the PCs to the outlaws’ camp 
  leads them into the outlaws’ ambush (PArt 4: 2. Ambushed) 
  instead. To make matters worse, this trek requires at least one 
  overnight with a captive who’ll take every opportunity to try 
  to escape.
  Questions and Answers
  “Are you PArt of wAldriC Gore-hAnd’s bAnd?”
  The scourge of Ruswold Valley? Indeed I am, pissant! Unbind my 
  hands or my fellows will string your entrails from tree to tree!
  “hAve the outlAws Killed the loGGers from loGerswold thAt 
  hAve Gone missinG in breCiliAn forest?”
  (Cruel laughter.) Of course.
  “tell us where Gore-hAnd’s bAnd hides out.”
  I’d sooner stab yonder sword into my own guts. If I don’t do it, the 
  Gore-hand will do it for me, Maker be certain.
  What Rank-and-File 
  Outlaws Know
  Even given the difficulty of getting answers and the potential 
  for lies, here are the basic pieces of information that these rank-
  and-file outlaws know, and could conceivably tell the PCs.
  • 
  They know that Waldric Gore-hand is a highly effective, 
  and highly ruthless, leader. His followers are well-
  fed, well-trained, and make good money under his 
  leadership. Some of these men have experience with 
  other bands of robbers and brigands, but never have 
  they been more successful.
  • 
  They know the true location of their hideout, deep in 
  the forest. They can describe the route they take to get 
  there, but aren’t able to locate that place on a map, if one 
  is placed before them. It’s simply too well hidden, too 
  hard to find.
  • 
  They know roughly how many outlaws are in their 
  band (which is five times the number of PCs, minus any 
  bowmen killed in the previous encounter, plus Waldric 
  himself).
  • 
  Each knows, in what is obviously great detail, their own 
  personal histories: how they were driven to brigandage 
  by circumstances beyond their control, how they came 
  to join Waldric’s band, and so on.
  • 
  They do not know that Waldric is in league with Bann 
  Trumhall, or that Blacktail is anything other than a 
  frighteningly large dog.
  • 
  They do not know anything about recent events among 
  the Ruswold Valley’s freeholders (since they spend all 
  of their time removed from civilization in their forest 
  hideout).
  Part 2 Resolution and 
  Troubleshooting
  If the PCs’ encounter with Krole’s men-at-arms in PArt 1: 1. 
  wAtChed in the niGht went differently than expected—if 
  the PCs didn’t wind up at odds with the men-at-arms—then 
  Krole has nothing to apologize for, and no cause to summon 
  the PCs.
  If that happened, you have three basic options. First, you can 
  simply skip PArt 2, and assume that the attack on Krole’s supply 
  wagons happens, but “off screen.” Second, you can assume that 
  Krole hears through the grapevine that adventurers have finally 
  responded to Trumhall’s call and he wants to warn them not to 
  trust the new bann, in which case PArt 2 proceeds essentially as 
  written. Finally, you can decide that that Krole doesn’t summon 
  the PCs at all, but that the attack on his supply wagons happens 
  somewhere near to where the PCs otherwise find themselves, 
  
  19
  A Bann Too Many
  such as while they’re traveling on the main road between Bann 
  Trumhall’s encampment and Logerswold.  
  If, for whatever reason, the PCs are not nearby when the out-
  laws attack Krole’s supply wagons, arrange for one of the 
  locals to mention it to them. Travelers met on the main road 
  might have heard this gossip, for example, and everyone in 
  Logerswold will know about it soon enough. Of course, by 
  that time, there will be nothing for the PCs to do but curse 
  their luck at the missed opportunity.
  If the PCs don’t manage to track down any of the outlaws to 
  interrogate, simply skip Encounter 4. This isn’t a derail-the-
  adventure problem at all; they’ll have other opportunities to 
  find the outlaws later.
  If the PCs take an active role in trying to get Trumhall to deal 
  with the attack on Krole’s wagons, it may wind up being their 
  first indication that Trumhall is less than entirely responsive to 
  the needs of the Ruswolders. That is, even though the answer 
  is that yes, absolutely, it is Trumhall’s responsibility to protect 
  Ruswold freeholder Krole from the outlaws, Trumhall does 
  next to nothing to indicate that he takes that responsibility 
  seriously. Of course, others will argue that Krole is perfectly 
  capable of taking care of himself, and anyway, Trumhall can 
  only be expected to put himself out so far to take care of the 
  former bann who wouldn’t do him any favors, either. If the 
  argument comes up, make sure it’s an interesting one.
  PART 3
  The Village of 
  Logerswold
  In PArt 3, the PCs pass through the village of Logerswold, 
  taking as much or as little time as they want to interact with 
  the villagers before heading into Brecilian Forest.
  If the PCs interact with the locals, there are many interest-
  ing things they can learn in Logerswold. However, any of the 
  encounters in PArt 3 can be skipped without any great damage 
  to the overall story, so if the players are eager for more physi-
  cal action, or if the pacing of the adventure is flagging, you 
  needn’t encourage the adventurers to tarry in Logerswold 
  before proceeding to PArt 4: into the forest.
  Environs: Logerswold
  Logerswold exists almost entirely to support the logging 
  industry that brings lumber out of Brecilian Forest and trans-
  ports it west into the flat, open, tree-poor Bannorn.
  Only a few dozen families—perhaps 200 souls—call Loger-
  swold home. More Ruswold freeholders live in the surround-
  ing area as farmers and craftsmen of various types. Although 
  hardy Fereldans all, they are not a particularly martial 
  people, and the recent outlaw attacks have devastated both 
  their morale and their numbers (although, truth be told, their 
  morale is in the worse shape of the two at the moment).
  Logerswold buildings of note are the Sign of the Spreading 
  Tree, which is the local alehouse; the compound belonging to 
  Trewin the Logger, where most of the local industry is cen-
  tered; and the local Chantry, where Sister Pliacinth tends to 
  the community’s spiritual needs.
  The PCs are able to find most services they might require in 
  town, save perhaps high-end armor- or weapon-smithing. 
  This isn’t to say that there aren’t blacksmiths among the 
  craftsmen of Logerswold, but simply that they are much more 
  accustomed to building wagon wheels, shoeing horses, and 
  forging working axes than making or repairing long swords 
  or breastplates.
  No map is provided for Logerswold; none should be needed. 
  If the relationships between the various town locations 
  become important, improvise as necessary.
  1. the sign of the 
  sPreading tree
  ROLEPLAYING ENCOUNTER
  The PCs visit the local alehouse and meet its proprietor.
  The Sign of the Spreading Tree looks to have been 
  built from the same template as every other Fereldan 
  village alehouse you’ve seen in your lives: A wooden 
  building with a wood-shingled roof and a stone 
  chimney, with friendly smoke rising from the latter.
  Service in the alehouse is speedy and proper. The place’s food 
  and drink are more than adequate in warmth, taste, and nour-
  ishment.
  Lodging is available as well as food and drink, although there 
  are no private rooms. A clear spot on the main room’s floor is 
  all that’s available and all that most Fereldans expect from a 
  public house.
  The only thing the Sign of the Spreading Tree lacks is an ale-
  wife, and the reason she is lacking is part of the reason why 
  the Sign’s proprietor, Liwis, threw the weight of his consider-
  able local reputation behind the election of Bann Trumhall: 
  Gore-hand and his outlaws raped and killed her just a few 
  months ago. (As the PCs may eventually discover, she was 
  the target of this injustice in the precise hopes that they would 
  help trigger such events.)
  If the PCs enter his alehouse, Liwis has heard that they’re 
  coming through the local rumor mill, and is more than 
  enthusiastic to offer them all the hospitality of his house free 
  of charge, assuming that they’ve taken on—or plan to take 
  on—Bann Trumhall’s charge of finding and eliminating Gore-
  hand’s outlaws.
  Others in Logerswold
  If the PCs want to talk to others around town, here’s 
  a short list of names and character sketches you can 
  appropriate as needed.
  horis: An old man, looking for a place to take a nap, 
  complaining loudly.
  riK: A seven-year-old boy who knows the best places to 
  hide and wants to have a knife.
  seyth: A young girl who lies about everything.
  
  20
  A bann Too Many
  Liwis is a strong supporter of Bann Trumhall, and although 
  he’s loathe to badmouth anyone—not good for his business—
  he had never felt particularly comfortable with the conserva-
  tive and difficult Valdur Krole.
  Liwis is more than happy to arrange introductions to any of the 
  other freeholders in the village, all of whom know and like him.
  Although Liwis doesn’t volunteer the events of his wife’s 
  death, knowledge of them is widespread enough that the PCs 
  are likely to hear the story from someone before they leave 
  Logerswold.
  The remainder of Liwis’s family consists of his teenage 
  daughter Dealia, who helps him run the alehouse. See the 
  stAr-struCK dAuGhter, under oPtionAl subPlots, for more 
  information.
  An abbreviated stat block is provided here for Liwis; impro-
  vise any missing stats in the unlikely event that they’re 
  needed. Full stats for Dealia are provided in the mAJor nPCs 
  section.
  2. the staBlehand
  ROLEPLAYING ENCOUNTER
  The PCs meet a former retainer of Valdur Krole, rel-
  egated to mucking the alehouse’s stables to keep his 
  family fed.
  You come around the corner of the alehouse and hear 
  the man before you see him.
  “You’re the ones hired by this new bann to clean 
  up the forest, eh? Interesting how the great new pro-
  tector hasn’t done a thing to get rid of the bandits he 
  was elected to save us from.”
  He grunts and shovels a few more road apples off 
  of the path that leads to the alehouse’s stables.
  “Good luck to you,” he adds. “You’ll probably 
  need it.”
  Ridyk was a soldier in the employ of Bann Krole before the 
  winds of change left him without a job. With a family to 
  take care of and few other options given that his conscience 
  wouldn’t allow him to take a job with Trumhall, who he views 
  as an opportunist, he considers himself lucky to have man-
  aged to get work from Liwis in the alehouse’s stables.
  Although he couldn’t disagree more strongly with Liwis 
  about the wisdom of replacing Krole with Trumhall, his dis-
  agreement didn’t prevent him from taking a job he needed. 
  Although he’s frustrated with how things have gone, he’s 
  also trustworthy and honorable.
  Ridyk can tell the PCs about Krole’s strategies for dealing 
  with the outlaws, which were—and he’ll be the first to admit 
  it—very conservative. He knows the forest reasonably well, 
  but has no idea where the outlaws might be found. He’d be 
  willing to accept a share of the spoils to join the PCs in bring-
  ing the fight to the outlaws if they ask him to—he could use 
  the money—but he doesn’t suggest it himself.
  This encounter is designed to begin or continue suggesting to 
  the PCs that the local situation may not be everything that it 
  appears to be.
  If you need stats for Ridyk, use the stat blocks for Krole’s 
  former men-at-arms found in PArt 1: 1. wAtChed in the 
  niGht.  He once held the same job for Krole that they did.
  3. treWin the logger
  ROLEPLAYING ENCOUNTER
  The PCs meet the local captain of industry.
  The tallest building in Logerswold is a three-story 
  frame house with a fenced-in courtyard and gates 
  wide enough to admit stout, lumber-hauling carts. It 
  looks like a working compound, and you’d guess it 
  was the center of the local logging trade… at least, it 
  would be if anyone here was working.
  But as you come closer, you can see into the court-
  yard through the open gates, where the tents, ani-
  mals, and maybe as many as a dozen families are 
  camped out, cooking meager meals over fires and 
  playing games to pass the time.
  Trewin the Logger, who owns the house, compound, and 
  every idle tool inside it, is the paymaster for almost every 
  logging man who works in the Ruswold Valley. He earned 
  his position by the sweat of his own brow and labor of his 
  own brawny muscles, spending countless years in the forest 
  sawing, hauling, and selling. A shrewd businessman as well 
  as a tireless worker, he spent more and more time arranging 
  business and less and less time wielding tools, hiring more 
  and more men to work for him. Everyone profited, and even 
  Bann Krole could find little that was curmudgeonly to say 
  about either Trewin or the business he ran.
  Now, of course, the Gore-hand’s outlaws have demolished 
  the local industry, killing outright a great many of the men 
  who used to work for Trewin. Far from encouraging his men 
  to get back to work in the dangerous environment, Trewin 
  was so concerned for their safety that he tried to forbid the 
  last group of loggers to head into the forest. Just as he feared, 
  those men haven’t been heard from since.
  The families living in Trewin’s compound are refugees from 
  the surrounding areas. He has opened the protection of his 
  walls to any freeholders too frightened to remain in their 
  homes while the outlaws—and Waldric Gore-hand, specifi-
  cally—remain at large. Many of them are the families of log-
  LIWIS 
  Alehouse proprietor and grieving husband.
  abilities (Focuses)
  2
  communication (bargaining, persuasion)
  0
  constitution
  1
  cunning (cultural lore)
  -1
  dexterity
  0
  magic
  2
  perception (empatHy)
  0
  strengtH 
  1
  WillpoWer
  
  21
  A Bann Too Many
  gers who went back into the forest to work, and whose hus-
  bands and fathers are now presumed dead. The air of both 
  desperation and poverty is palpable, but that doesn’t prevent 
  the wives and children—and a few men—here from cheer-
  ing the adventurers when they arrive, and offering food and 
  comfort to those who many of these people believe are their 
  last hope.
  Trewin supported replacing Bann Krole with Trumhall, 
  because he believed at the time—and still does, although his 
  conviction has flagged somewhat—that Krole was too conser-
  vative about running the bandits to ground.
  Trewin wishes the adventurers all the success in the world. 
  He can provide them with detailed directions about how to 
  get to the camp that the most recent loggers to go into the 
  forest intended to work from, and can give them maps of 
  the logging trails his men have used. (Sketch maps from the 
  information shown in the Ruswold Valley map, being careful 
  not to accidentally include any secret information, such as the 
  location of the outlaws’ camp!)
  Trewin doesn’t know anything about the outlaws’ operations 
  or hiding place. The PCs would have to be very convincing 
  (on the order of a tn 15 communication (leadersHip) test) to 
  lure him into accompanying them into the forest. Even if they 
  do, he makes it clear that he’s no adventurer. Although he’s 
  hauled a great many logs and swung an axe thousands of 
  times, he’s neither stealthy nor very good in a fight. His gift, 
  he’s very willing to admit, is business. And he’s not nearly as 
  young as he once was.
  TREWIN 
  Fereldan freeman, merchant, and logger.
  abilities (Focuses)
  3
  communication (bargaining)
  1
  constitution 
  1
  cunning (evaluation)
  -1
  dexterity
  -2
  magic
  1
  perception (Hearing)
  1
  strengtH
  3
  WillpoWer (selF-discipline)
  ANSEL 
  Embittered factor and general disgrace to Ferelden’s honor.
  abilities (Focuses)
  1
  communication (persuasion)
  0
  constitution
  1
  cunning
  0
  dexterity
  -2
  magic
  1
  perception (Hearing)
  1
  strengtH
  0
  WillpoWer
  The overall feeling of this encounter should be one of quiet 
  resignation, and barely concealed desperation. The freehold-
  ers’ pride is the only thing that keeps them from flat-out beg-
  ging the adventurers to deliver them from the outlaws.
  The only exception—if you use the optional subplot the 
  embittered emPloyee—is Trewin’s factor Ansel, who goes 
  out of his way to tell the PCs about how Trewin’s cowardice, 
  Krole’s stupidity, Trumhall’s arrogance, and the shortcomings 
  of every other freeholder in the Ruswold have conspired to 
  ruin his life. See the oPtionAl subPlots section for more infor-
  mation about this unpleasant man.
  Abbreviated stat blocks are provided for both Trewin and 
  Ansel. Improvise other stats if they’re needed, as well as any 
  statistics required for the refugees housed here.
  4. the Chantry
  ROLEPLAYING ENCOUNTER
  The PCs meet Sister Pliacinth, the Chantry’s repre-
  sentative to the Ruswold.
  The only building in town made from stone, the 
  Chantry is obviously a religious edifice. As you 
  approach, a younger woman wearing religious garb 
  appears in the doorway.
  “Maker’s blessings upon you!” she calls to you.
  
  22
  A bann Too Many
  The village chantry in Logerswold has much in common with 
  every other village chantry in Ferelden. It’s a dark building 
  made of stone, with small windows, and containing nearly no 
  furniture (freemen worship while standing). Sister Pliacinth 
  lives in a small alcove in the rear of the building.
  The story of the Chantry in Logerswold is likewise the 
  same as its story elsewhere, of an organization desperate 
  to recover and increase its political heft in Ferelden after its 
  disastrous alliance to the Usurper from Orlais in the time 
  of the Rebel Queen. After years of being rebuffed by the 
  brusque Bann Krole, Pliacinth needed none of the tragedy 
  that befell Logerswold’s other leading citizens—Liwis and 
  Trewin—to agitate among her flock for the ouster of Krole 
  and election of Trumhall as bann, especially when Trumhall 
  promised her that he would respect the proper place of the 
  Chantry in the community. Thus, the sister speaks glow-
  ingly of Trumhall (almost to the point that it’s suspicious), 
  hails the adventurers as true heroes, and offers prayers to 
  the Maker on their behalf. Canny adventurers may make a 
  tn 13 perception (empatHy) or cunning (religious lore) test 
  to get an accurate sense of the sister’s true motivations in 
  supporting Trumhall.
  In truth, Trumhall hasn’t been exactly the dedicated religious 
  man she hoped, but on the other hand, it hasn’t been very 
  long since his election, and surely the bann has had other 
  important matters on his mind. Sister Pliacinth is sure the 
  influence of the Chantry in Logerswold is still in its ascen-
  dance.
  In addition to her prayers and chants, the sister offers her 
  (mundane) healing capabilities to the adventurers. They will 
  have to bring their wounds to her, though; she is not willing 
  to head into the forest herself unless the PCs bring absolutely 
  inexorable arguments to bear.
  Abbreviated stats for the sister are provided. Improvise other 
  statistics if they are needed.
  Part 3 Resolution and 
  Troubleshooting
  PArt 3 draws to a close when the PCs leave Logerswold and 
  head into Brecilian Forest after the outlaws. Given that none 
  of the encounters in PArt 3 are strictly necessary to move the 
  plot forward, and none are likely to provoke unforeseen tan-
  gents, little troubleshooting should be needed for PArt 3.
  The chief gameplay danger is that the pace of the adventure 
  may slacken if the PCs dither in Logerswold in order to talk 
  to all the townsfolk they can find. If any of the players seem 
  to be getting bored, do what you can to move things forward 
  more quickly.
  The secondary danger is that the PCs may avoid or ignore the 
  mounting clues that Bann Trumhall is not entirely the selfless 
  savior they may have believed at first. Try to hit this point in 
  at least one interaction in the village.
  PART 4
  Into the Forest
  PArt 4 is the true meat and gristle of A Bann Too Many. Here, 
  the PCs enter the dark Brecilian Forest to find and do battle 
  with the scenario’s obvious enemy, the band of outlaws led by 
  the infamous Waldric Gore-hand.
  Environs: Brecilian Forest
  The forest environs—particularly the location of the main 
  trail, a few minor trails, the loggers’ camp, and the outlaws’ 
  hideout—are shown in the Ruswold Valley area map on 
  page 8.
  When you describe the Brecilian Forest, far more important 
  than the relationships of its locations to one another is the 
  mood of the place. Although tree cover slowly builds up the 
  further east the players travel upon entering the valley, at some 
  point, they should be presented with a sudden realization 
  that they have left open land behind and entered something 
  different entirely. That is, the Brecilian Forest is an imposing 
  woodland with a nigh-impenetrable canopy, densely packed 
  trees, and thick undergrowth. Daylight filters to the ground 
  poorly, where it filters at all. The calls of birds are lonely and 
  forlorn rather than frequent and cheerful.
  Although the main path is relatively well traveled and 
  wide enough for a wagon to pass, the undergrowth seems 
  hungry to reclaim the narrow ribbon, and branches reach 
  out for those walking down the trail. The side trails used for 
  logging in the past are already reverting to forest. It’s easy, 
  standing amid the trees, to understand how even a large 
  band out outlaws could hide within its precincts as long as 
  they wished.
  1. WatChed
  EXPLORATION ENCOUNTER
  As the PCs travel the main trail toward the logging 
  camp, they are watched—and perhaps followed—by 
  Gore-hand’s men.
  It’s been hours since you looked up and realized that 
  you were within the forest proper, with nothing to see 
  but trees and foliage as far as your eyes can penetrate 
  in every direction. Even the sun is an infrequent sight 
  through the dense canopy overhead.
  In addition to being dark, the wood is silent… 
  mostly. From time to time, a lonely bird calls. A lone 
  SISTER PLIACINTH 
  Sister of the Chantry.
  abilities (Focuses)
  1
  communication 
  -1
  constitution
  1
  cunning (Healing, religious lore)
  0
  dexterity
  1
  magic
  1
  perception (empatHy)
  0
  strengtH
  0
  WillpoWer 
  
  23
  A Bann Too Many
  squirrel scuttles across a tree limb. Everything smells 
  damp.
  You know that there are outlaws—and perhaps 
  worse—concealed in the forest, and it would be hard 
  to imagine an easier environment for them to hide in.
  You hear a noise—or think you do—out in the 
  woods, away from the trail. Make a PerCePtion 
  (heArinG) test.
  The PCs are, indeed, being stalked by one of the outlaws. Wal-
  dric Gore-hand always has one or two of his bandits tasked 
  with watching the main trail leading from Logerswold into 
  the forest. Advance eyes and ears to help him know what the 
  villagers are up to.
  The PCs are making an opposed perception (Hearing) vs. dex-
  terity (stealtH) test against a single outlaw, who is match-
  ing their pace about 30 yards into the forest to the north of 
  them. The outlaw has a +4 to his roll from his Dexterity 2 
  and Stealth focus. Due to the favorability of his surround-
  ings, the outlaw receives a further +3 situational bonus to 
  his roll, for a total of +7.
  If the PCs hear, and then rush into forest after the outlaw, you 
  can use an advanced test as described in PArt 2: 3. AttACKed 
  (the chase scene in the aftermath of the supply wagon attack), 
  save that this is a foot chase rather than a mounted chase. (It 
  is essentially impossible to travel anywhere other than on the 
  path on horseback.) You can run the test as described in the 
  previous encounter, but this time participants should make 
  constitution (running) tests.
  The scout’s goal is to learn as much as he can about what the 
  adventurers are up to and communicate this back to Waldric 
  at the outlaws’ hideout. When in doubt, the bandit errs on 
  the side of caution. Better to escape and learn more later than 
  watch for too long and get caught.
  The dramatic goal of this encounter is to give the PCs a 
  concrete sense that they are now in danger. The best thing 
  that could happen is for the PCs to hear the outlaw in the 
  woods, chase after him, and lose him almost immediately in 
  the underbrush… only to hear him again a 
  few moments later, in a completely unex-
  pected direction.
  Unless strange luck conspires such that 
  it would destroy the adventure’s cred-
  ibility, the PCs should not catch their 
  watcher in this encounter, unless he 
  dies trying to escape. If his capture is 
  unavoidable, the scout knows the same 
  things that captured outlaws from PArt 
  2: 3. AttACKed  do (see whAt rAnK-And-
  file outlAws Know). He is equally dif-
  ficult to interrogate.
  This encounter can be used more than 
  once, essentially at any time in PArt 4 
  when you want to remind the PCs that 
  they’ll be in constant peril for as long as 
  they remain in the forest.
  The outlaw has the regular statistics for 
  outlaws presented in the mAJor nPCs 
  section.
  2. amBushed
  COMBAT ENCOUNTER
  The PCs are ambushed by outlaws.
  If the PCs ran the scout in the previous encounter to ground 
  and either killed or captured him, skip this encounter; the 
  outlaws don’t know about the PCs in time to set an ambush if 
  their lookout hasn’t told them.
  You’ve marched on in the forest’s oppressive quiet 
  for some time when you realize, as you make your 
  way along a narrow part of the trail where a ravine 
  rises to your left and falls to your right, that the past 
  few moments haven’t just been quiet, but silent.
  Surely something’s wrong… make PerCePtion 
  (seeinG or heArinG) rolls.
  The PCs are about to walk into an ambush. Four outlaws with 
  long bows are hidden in the bushes at the top of the ravine, 
  while six skirmishers with short swords wait ahead in the 
  clearing to charge as soon as the adventurers fall under fire 
  from the bowmen. The steep downward slope away from the 
  bowmen leaves only a perilous route of retreat.
  The bandits’ strategy is straightforward. Once the PCs are in 
  the clear below them, the bowmen open fire on the members 
  of the party at the rear of their line. The next round, the skir-
  mishers rush out and attack the front of the line. The ban-
  dits’ goal is also straightforward: To kill the PCs and any who 
  accompany them.
  The outlaws are very well hidden. It requires a TN 16 per-
  ception (seeing or Hearing) test to spot some of the bowmen 
  before blundering into the ravine kill zone. PCs that fail the 
  test are surprised, which means they do not get to act on the 
  first round of the combat. 
  You may, at your option, offer extremely paranoid PCs who 
  succeed very well (with a 5+ on their Dragon Die) at their ini-
  tial Perception text the opportunity to turn the tables on their 
  
  24
  A bann Too Many
  attackers by spotting the excellent ambush site from far enough 
  in advance to allow them to circle above the bowmen.
  The only thing the PCs have going for them is that the outlaws 
  are not used to encountering stiff opposition. Given their easy 
  successes in recent weeks and months, it is relatively easy to 
  rout them. The bandits must make individual tn 11 WillpoWer 
  (morale) tests to avoid fleeing as safe opportunities for flight 
  present themselves once four of their number have fallen, and 
  if fewer than three bandits ever remain in the fight, these must 
  make a group tn17 WillpoWer (morale) test or throw down 
  their weapons and sprint off into the forest. The bandits add 
  only +1, from their Willpower 1 stat, to these rolls.
  The sheer ravine is difficult to either ascend or descend safely 
  and a character’s Speed is halved when trying to do so. 
  Descending without regard for safety allows normal move-
  ment, but requires a tn13 strengtH (climbing) or dexterity 
  (acrobatics) test. Those that fail the test take 1d6 penetrating 
  damage and end their movement prone. The Skirmish stunt 
  has its normal effect in the ravine. However, any character 
  sent downhill by use of the Skirmish stunt must make the test 
  or take damage as just described. In this case the attacker is 
  basically forcing the defender downhill. 
  With the number of bandits present in this encounter, and 
  their close proximity to the PCs at the start of the fight, the 
  adventurers have an excellent chance to capture one or more 
  of their enemies. These outlaws have the same basic knowl-
  edge and disinclination to talk as bandits encountered pre-
  viously (see PArt 2: 3. AttACKed ). However, the PCs gain a 
  +2 bonus on their rolls when interrogating any bandits ques-
  tioned in the aftermath of a fight that the PCs won handily. It 
  is also possible to force these bandits to lead the PCs to their 
  hideout (which was not possible with the bandits captured 
  previously) if the PCs roll well or are particularly persuasive.
  These outlaws have the regular statistics for bandits presented 
  in the mAJor nPCs section.
  Given the effectiveness of the ambush that the outlaws have 
  set, unfortunate (for the PCs) outcomes of the fight are entirely 
  possible. That is, this is an intentionally dangerous encoun-
  ter, and adventurers who don’t take decisive action or work 
  together could easily be slain to a man. The world of drAGon 
  AGe is dark and dangerous, and death’s door is never far away. 
  That said, avoid a total party kill if the players’ main failing is 
  simple bad luck with the dice. But making an example of one 
  or two foolish PCs is not a bad decision, especially if it commu-
  nicates the nature of the world to the players.
  If you want your game to be less fatal—as some GMs prefer—
  it’s better to reduce the number of outlaws present than to 
  have them behave like buffoons, or for you to fudge roll after 
  roll in order to keep the heroes alive. Those strategies are a 
  recipe for the players to stop taking the dangers of your cam-
  paign seriously, however.
  The aftermath of this encounter is a good place to break 
  between sessions, if it happens to come near a time when 
  you’d be thinking about doing so.
  3. the loggers’ CamP
  EXPLORATION ENCOUNTER
  The PCs arrive at the loggers’ camp to see their worst 
  fears realized—all present have been gruesomely 
  slain.
  You pick up the scent of rotting flesh at almost exactly 
  the same moment that one of you notices, and points 
  out to the others, a buzzard circling above through a 
  break in the trees.
  Then you come around a bend in the trail and a 
  whole flock of carrion birds take flight. Ahead of you 
  lies the largest clearing you’ve seen since you entered 
  the forest near Logerswold. 
  Three men hang from a broad oak, two hung by 
  the neck and the third crucified.
  Blacktail in the Forest
  Blacktail, the apostate sorcerer who dominates Bann 
  Trumhall’s mind and actions, and who has taken the 
  form of Trumhall’s Mabari mastiff companion, is espe-
  cially interested in seeing Waldric and his outlaws 
  eliminated from the local equation. Although it was 
  by his machinations that Trumhall became allied with 
  Waldric, now that the bandits’ utility has run its course 
  in seeing Trumhall elected to the local bannric, it is also 
  Blacktail’s design that the adventurers should rid the 
  Ruswold of this destabilizing element.
  Blacktail (alone) shadows the PCs as they depart Loger-
  swold, while they move through the forest. In the event 
  that the PCs fall into extreme danger from the outlaws’ 
  ambush in Encounter 2, or during the PCs’ attack on the 
  outlaw camp, Blacktail may rush from the forest to join 
  in the battle against the bandits.
  Likewise, if the PCs have completely lost the trail that 
  leads to the outlaws’ camp, Blacktail may surrepti-
  tiously help them. For example, if the PCs have diffi-
  culty finding the track where the stolen horses were led 
  away from the loggers’ camp, Blacktail might bark or 
  howl from the head of the track, disappearing into the 
  forest when the PCs approach, but having led them to 
  the place they needed to find.
  You don’t want Blacktail showing up all the time, but he 
  should appear at least once (the fight with Waldric is a 
  good choice if he hasn’t been needed previously). When 
  he appears, try to keep his goals in mind. Remember 
  that his first aim is to get rid of the outlaws, and his 
  second is to preserve the secrecy of his identity.
  If he appears to help the PCs, he doesn’t stick around 
  once he’s given enough help to get the PCs moving in 
  the right direction, or overcome their enemies. Even the 
  most alert and tenacious PCs are not successful in fol-
  lowing the agile, dusky creature through the depths of 
  the forest. However, the PCs should be allowed to take 
  a tn 9 perception (seeing) test. Any character that suc-
  ceeds notices the unusual collar the dog is wearing (it’s 
  made of copper discs green with age) and remembers 
  seeing it on Bann Trumhall’s dog. They may wonder, 
  quite reasonably, why the bann’s war dog is in the 
  forest by himself. 
  
  25
  A Bann Too Many
  Although these three command your immediate 
  attention, a glance around the clearing shows that 
  many other bodies lay where they fell, some hacked 
  limb from limb, some pierced with arrows, some 
  bludgeoned to death as they tried to crawl away.
  The PCs will probably want to establish that the clearing is 
  not being watched by bandits; allow them the full measure 
  of their paranoia, calling for Perception tests as appropriate, 
  rolling dice of your own in secret behind your screen. In real-
  ity, though, there are no outlaws here.
  The heroes can learn the following by searching this area.
  • 
  All of the bodies present seem to belong to the loggers; 
  there are no apparent outlaw bodies here.
  • 
  If they investigate the bodies, a tn 11 cunning 
  (Healing) or perception (searcHing) test suggests that 
  these men were killed about a week ago, probably the 
  day after they left Logerswold. The causes of death are 
  easy to determine in each case. All are battle-related 
  (save the hung and crucified victims, who were slain 
  immediately after the battle).
  • 
  The loggers seem to have been working, either earlier in 
  the day or while they were attacked. Recently felled logs 
  are stacked near a pair of carts, for example.
  • 
  There are no horses or other draft animals present here.
  • 
  A tn13 perception (tracking) test suggests that the 
  loggers were attacked from all sides at once, and that 
  the battle was a wide-ranging and chaotic melee. There 
  is little evidence that the loggers ever stood a chance.
  • 
  A tn 13 perception (tracking) test allows a PC to find 
  any number of tracks that lead off into the woods, but 
  all are nearly a week old, and most peter out within 100 
  yards.
  • 
  A tn 17 perception (tracking) test allows a diligent 
  PC—one who spends several hours following bad trails 
  and false starts—to find a trail with promise. This one 
  begins nearly 100 yards further up one of the logging 
  trails that spiders out from this site. This seems to be the 
  place where the outlaws led the draft animals that they 
  stole from the site before leading them off into the woods. 
  This is the track described in the encounter that follows.
  The animal trail is the PCs’ best lead in making forward 
  progress in finding the outlaws’ hideout, if they haven’t yet 
  had any luck in forcing a captured outlaw to give them that 
  intelligence. However, the test to find the animal trail is dif-
  ficult, and you don’t want the scenario to dead-end if the PCs 
  aren’t able to succeed at making it. You essentially have three 
  options for dealing with an apparent dead end to the PCs’ 
  progress. First, you can allow their test to find the animal trail 
  to succeed regardless of their dice results. Second, you can 
  allow them to stumble upon the animal trail as they leave the 
  massacre site to head in whichever direction they otherwise 
  elect to go. Perhaps they spot horse dung just off the trail, 
  or perhaps one of the horses died just off the path, having 
  broken its leg in the dense undergrowth, and was left behind 
  by the bandits. Finally, you can have Blacktail intervene as 
  described in the sidebar blACKtAil in the forest.
  4. folloWing the trail
  EXPLORATION ENCOUNTER
  The PCs follow the trail through the forest that the 
  outlaws made while leading the draft animals they 
  stole from the loggers.
  You’ve never been so happy to find shit on the 
  ground as when you discover a lump of the stuff left 
  behind by what looks like a draft horse, on an other-
  wise overgrown trail about 100 yards past the camp, 
  leading off into the woods.
  In this encounter, the PCs follow the trail left by the outlaws as 
  they led the stolen draft animals through the woods. Eventu-
  ally, the tracks lead to a narrow, seldom-traveled smugglers’ 
  footpath, which the outlaws then followed for a time. This 
  path eventually crosses a stream, where the tracks disappear. 
  It becomes clear that the outlaws and animals left the footpath 
  there to walk in the shallow stream. It isn’t immediately clear 
  whether they went upstream or down.
  Call for a perception (tracking) test where the track meets the 
  footpath, and again where the footpath meets the stream. This 
  is a TN 7 test, so only a miserable failure will throw the PCs 
  off the track. Allow the players to correct miserable failure by 
  suffering inconvenience—the trail is lost and finding it again 
  takes many hours, cherished equipment is destroyed in freak 
  accidents, and so on. You can also make use of Blacktail here.
  Rather than concentrating in this encounter on the success or 
  failure of the tracking, focus the players’ attention on the pre-
  cautions they take for their safety as the move through the 
  forest—after all, they’ve already been ambushed once. So, for 
  example, require the players to write down the order in which 
  their characters are moving down the trail, and request that 
  they make perception (seeing or Hearing) tests from time to 
  time, also rolling dice in secret behind your screen.
  The simple purpose of this encounter is to heighten the play-
  ers’ anticipation of finding the outlaws’ camp, which occurs 
  in the next encounter. As soon as the anticipation stops build-
  ing tension and being fun, the characters arrive in the vicinity 
  of Gore-hand’s camp.
  5: the outlaW CamP
  EXPLORATION AND COMBAT ENCOUNTER
  The PCs find the hidden camp of Waldric the Gore-hand 
  and his outlaws, and must eliminate their threat.
  After interminable trudging through dark forests and 
  cold streams you spy it: a thin wisp of smoke rising 
  from a campfire. It can only mean people, and likely, 
  your quarry.
  The shallow stream you’ve been walking in cuts 
  through a rise ahead, the gash overgrown with shrubs 
  and tree roots. The hill is relatively steep. From the 
  smoke, you guess that the camp lies in a depression 
  beyond it.
  
  26
  A bann Too Many
  It occurs to you that the outlaws would be unlikely 
  place their camp behind a knoll without setting a 
  watch to keep an eye on the most obvious avenue of 
  approach—that being the stream you’re standing in 
  right now.
  Are you being observed, even now?
  Call for a tn 13 perception (seeing) test to spot lone outlaw on 
  sentry duty, who is hidden away in a tree on the knoll ridge. 
  If the PCs spot the lookout, a further tn11 perception (seeing) 
  test reveals their good fortune: the guard is sleeping peace-
  fully in the tree-bough.
  The players have been given the truth of the matter. The out-
  laws’ camp lies behind the ridge in a depression ringed on all 
  sides by steep hills that make it impossible to see the camp 
  from any direction. The stream cuts through the hill-ring once 
  to enter the depression and again to leave it. No paths lead 
  in or out; the outlaws always follow the stream to disguise 
  their tracks. As with all of the surroundings, the entire area is 
  blanketed with dense tree-cover.
  To determine how many outlaws are present in the camp, use 
  the following math: Assume that the band originally com-
  prised five outlaws per Player Character, plus Waldric. Sub-
  tract from that number all of the outlaws killed or captured in 
  the PCs’ encounters with them to date.
  Having discovered the outlaws’ hideout, and assuming 
  that they remain undiscovered, the PCs have a near-infinite 
  number of options.
  Observing the Camp
  If the PCs are wise and scout the area thoroughly, they can 
  learn the following over time. Call for tests to sneak and per-
  ceive as appropriate as they move and look around.
  • 
  There are two lookouts in the trees at any given time, 
  one (theoretically) watching each stream approach. 
  These guards are changed irregularly, with shifts that 
  last from one to six hours. Shifts are not the same at both 
  watch-posts. Rather, they correspond to the fortunes of 
  the dice games that are the bandits’ main pastime. From 
  time to time, one—or even, occasionally, both—watch-
  posts are empty as their current occupants descend their 
  trees and head back into the camp to complain that it’s 
  someone else’s turn for lookout.
  • 
  Waldric is relatively easy to spot, given any effort to 
  single him out. He remains apart from his rank-and-file, 
  spending a lot of time just outside his tent, writing in a 
  book while seated at a sturdy wooden table. Whenever 
  he realizes that either of the watch-posts it empty, 
  physical punishments are meted out with a short but 
  stout wooden stick he keeps handy. Its business end is 
  stained brown with blood.
  • 
  There are about 18 horses—a mix of draft and animals 
  and riding horses—in the crude horse pen. They are 
  neither particularly calm nor particularly skittish.
  • 
  The outlaws spend most of their time playing dice, 
  gambling their ill-gotten spoils amongst each other. 
  There is exultation at victory and anger at defeat. Fights 
  frequently come to the verge of breaking out, but never 
  quite do. Perceptive watchers might notice outlaws 
  looking to Waldric’s vicinity whenever the outlaws 
  threaten one another seriously; he clearly brooks no 
  physical violence among the band.
  • 
  Once a day in the early morning, one or two outlaws 
  arrive and depart. These are the watchmen assigned 
  to the main trail that leads into the forest. Each gives a 
  report to Waldric before attending to the dice.
  • 
  Most of the outlaws play dice well into the night, and 
  sleep well past dawn. However, enough go to bed and 
  get up earlier that there are only about three hours in 
  the middle of the night when the camp is truly quiet.
  Obviously, the PCs must remain stealthy to learn these things 
  without being spotted. In the event that they are insufficiently 
  careful—or have a run of back luck—they could easily be 
  found out, and find themselves under attack by the full mass 
  of surviving outlaws without the opportunity to choose for 
  themselves the time and circumstances of battle. This, need-
  less to say, could be disastrous, and could easily lead to the 
  deaths of the entire party. Because of the grim consequences, 
  give the PCs the benefit of the doubt, and opportunities to get 
  away silently even if they’re spotted by an outlaw on watch, 
  or if something similar goes wrong.
  Reinforcements
  The PCs may wish to retreat back to Logerswold, Manor Krole, 
  or Trumhall’s encampment hoping to find allies to attack the 
  hideout, once they know where it is. Roleplay such encounters 
  as seems best, keeping in mind that the men of Logerswold who 
  were notably brave are already dead (these are the ones who 
  were massacred in the forest), that the mass of Krole’s soldiers 
  and men-at-arms have long since departed his service for lack 
  of pay, and that Trumhall’s entire purpose in seeking adventur-
  ers is to have people not in his employ deal with the outlaws.
  One potential source of allies may be the adventuring party 
  described in the optional subplot the ComPetition. Even if 
  not introduced yet, you may introduce these three as latecom-
  ers to the Ruswold who the PCs meet in Logerswold upon 
  leaving the forest to seek allies.
  In the end, the PCs may be able to wrangle an additional half-
  dozen fighting me to help them. However, don’t make this easy. 
  All of these allies should have outsized demands about the 
  share of spoils they’ll be entitled to, should grumble and com-
  plain about the dangers of the role they’re assigned to play in the 
  attack, and so forth. In no circumstances will either Krole (due 
  to his disability) or Trumhall (he must remain to protect those 
  who elected him) accompany the PCs on their attack. Your goal, 
  in essence, is to force the PCs to do the heavy lifting.
  The Attack
  Eventually, the PCs must attack the outlaws’ camp. Unless they 
  botch their surveillance, the timing of the attack is entirely up 
  to them, and thus, they should be able to at least neutralize—
  and perhaps reverse—the outlaws’ advantage of numbers.
  The options available for an attack are too numerous to detail 
  here. Simply use what you know about the outlaws day-to-
  day behavior to determine their reaction to whatever thrust 
  of attack the heroes devise. However, make sure that they 
  behave intelligently. Rather than all rushing toward the 
  
  27
  A Bann Too Many
  attacking heroes to be slaughtered, some 
  should use bows to strike from a distance, 
  different groups should try to attack from 
  different sides, and so forth.
  Keep in mind the unique props and condi-
  tions of the area. Even if the PCs don’t make 
  use of the trees, ground cover, stream, hill-
  sides, tents, campfires, and so on that mark 
  the battlefield, make sure that the outlaws 
  do. As you make use of the scenery, the 
  players are likely to follow your example.
  If things are going particularly badly for 
  the PCs, remember that Blacktail is watch-
  ing. Even if things are not going badly for 
  the PCs, if it looks like the adventurers are 
  likely to capture Waldric rather than kill 
  him, Blacktail leaps from the forest and 
  tries to make sure the Gore-hand is killed. 
  Blacktail doesn’t want the bandit leader to 
  implicate Trumhall as his co-conspirator. 
  He wants the bandit leader dead.
  While Waldric is known to them to be 
  alive—even if he is a captive—any given 
  cluster of outlaws fights until about two-
  thirds of their number are slain before they must make a tn 
  13 WillpoWer (morale) test to avoid fleeing from battle into 
  the forest. The outlaws add +1 to their rolls, from their Will-
  power 1. If Waldric is known to be dead, the fraction that trig-
  gers a test drops to one-third.
  Waldric has no interest in dying. He surrenders (no test) if 
  things look bad for him personally. He does his best to pre-
  serve the lives of the outlaws, not out of any love for them as 
  human beings, but because they are a resource to him. But he 
  has no compunctions about spending their lives if it gives him 
  advantage, or might help him escape death or capture.
  6. silent and still
  EXPLORATION ENCOUNTER
  After battling the outlaws, the adventurers investi-
  gate—and loot—the camp.
  The deed is done; the outlaws are defeated. The dead 
  lie around the battlefield as they fell.
  To the victors—as they say—go the spoils.
  There are two basic areas of interest for the PCs in the after-
  math of the battle: treasure and information.
  Treasure is to be found around the camp. The outlaws have 
  been quite successful in pillaging the surroundings for weeks 
  on end. Assuming that the PCs are able to spend an hour or 
  two searching the outlaws’ tents, lean-tos, and bodies, they 
  manage to assemble 175 silver pieces per Player Character 
  worth of mixed coin of various types and denominations, as 
  well as jewelry, heirlooms, tools, and petty valuables. (Do 
  the math yourself and present the players with a single sum, 
  though, so they can divide things up differently, if they wish.) 
  Each outlaw who flees the scene depletes this sum by 2d6 sp. 
  The lion’s share of the treasure is found in a locked chest in 
  Waldric’s tent. Waldric has the key or it can be opened with a 
  tn 11 dexterity (lock picking) test.
  To the extent that you wish, you can allow the PCs to simply 
  track this treasure as raw cash in silver pieces on their character 
  sheets. However, more interesting is to stipulate the form and 
  functions of the various loot. Although all that they recover 
  is their legitimate payment—per Trumhall, anyway—most of 
  the spoils obviously belong to people, many of whom the PCs 
  have met in the course of the adventure. It serves the drAGon 
  AGe theme of moral decision-making to make the players real-
  ize that by keeping all these spoils, they, too, are depriving the 
  rightful owners. If you wish to complicate the looting segment 
  of the scenario in this way, the sidebar has some suggestions 
  about the physical forms of the treasures the PCs find.
  The horses from the horse pen also represent significant value, 
  although in order to capture those spoils, the PCs will have to 
  lead the horses out of the forest and probably bring all or some 
  of them out of the Ruswold, since none of the locals are well-off 
  enough to pay anything approaching the market rate. Trewin 
  is able to pay about 25% of the regular values for the draft ani-
  mals, but has no interest in the riding horses. He’s willing to 
  write an IOU for up to 60% of the draft animals’ value if the PCs 
  are willing to come back in two years to claim their money.
  In terms of information, either Waldric (if taken alive) or his 
  ledger provides the true treasure trove. The link between Wal-
  dric and Trumhall is plain from either. Specifically, the PCs 
  can learn that Waldric followed Trumhall’s direction, broadly 
  speaking, in attacking the local freeholders, including target-
  ing Liwis’s family and Trewin’s business operation for direct 
  attention. The attack on Krole’s supply wagons was also a 
  directive from Trumhall.
  Waldric is more than willing to confess his arrangement 
  with Trumhall in exchange for his life given that, by the PCs’ 
  attack, Trumhall has clearly sold him out. The arrangement 
  is also well-documented in Trumhall’s book, which registers 
  the spoils of his depredations in detail as well as serving as a 
  record of his larcenous and brutal future plans. However, if 
  
  28
  A bann Too Many
  Waldric escapes and manages to take his book with him, it’s 
  likely that the PCs will never uncover the link between Bann 
  Trumhall and the outlaws.
  Any captured rank-and-file outlaws can also be questioned. 
  Their knowledge is as documented in earlier encounters (see 
  PArt 2: 3. AttACKed).
  Stats for the outlaws and Waldric can be found in the mAJor 
  nPCs section.
  Part 4 Resolution and 
  Troubleshooting
  There are two general obstacles to the successful completion 
  of PArt 4: finding the camp and defeating the outlaws.
  If the PCs do not find the camp, the adventure cannot be com-
  pleted. As this part’s encounters suggest, you should avoid 
  allowing failed die rolls to bring the adventure to a stand-
  still. Although you should preserve the illusion that the PCs’ 
  searching and tracking is a critical element in moving the 
  adventure forward, in point of fact, you should ensure that 
  the plot can move forward.
  Defeating the outlaws is a difficult task, but not an insurmount-
  able one. If the PCs blunder over the hill with swords drawn and 
  shouting battle cries immediately upon discovering the camp, 
  of course, you should feel no remorse about slaying them to a 
  man. Perhaps the players’ next set of characters will be wiser 
  for their experience. But if the PCs are clever—if they attack in 
  the night, use surprise to their advantage, recruit  allies, and 
  so on—they should be able to overcome their adversaries with 
  few, if any, casualties among their own number. Their success 
  or failure is essentially up to them, as it should be.
  How Many Secrets 
  Revealed?
  As PArt 4 ends, there is the question of how much the PCs 
  discover about the secret alliance between Trumhall and Wal-
  dric, and how much they discover about Blacktail.
  It is relatively likely that the PCs will discover the alliance. 
  There are two sources of this information: Waldric and his 
  book. Although Blacktail tries to prevent Waldric from spilling 
  the information, even he doesn’t know that it’s also recorded 
  in the book.
  It is relatively unlikely that the PCs will learn anything about 
  Blacktail’s true nature. In order for that to happen, they’d have 
  to either run with wild speculations about Blacktail’s motiva-
  tions in attacking Waldric (if such an event even transpires), 
  or Blacktail would have to be slain in the fight and revert to 
  his human form. The latter is dramatic, surely, but probably 
  not satisfying for your players, as the secret would have been 
  revealed through no actions of their own. 
  PART 5
  Justice…?
  PArt 5 of A Bann Too Many is not structured as the first four 
  parts of this adventure are. It does not consist of a series of 
  encounters. Rather, it is open-ended. What the PCs do depends 
  entirely on what they’ve learned, and where their consciences 
  lead them. You will have to improvise the individual encoun-
  ters that make up PArt 5, but it won’t be hard, as you already 
  have experience with all of the NPCs and locations you’ll 
  need, and you already know what everyone wants.
  The significant decision the PCs must make—assuming that 
  they learn of Trumhall’s perfidy—is what to do about it.
  Clearly a bann in alliance with outlaws should be no bann at 
  all. Although Krole could be recruited as a replacement, the 
  power to re-elect him to the official position of the Ruswold’s 
  It Belongs to Someone…
  At your option, the following items—or some of them—
  are found among the loot the PCs recover from the out-
  laws’ camp. The value in silver pieces you should sub-
  tract from the overall treasure value is listed in each case, 
  as are a few notes about to whom the items belong, or 
  might belong. If you include all of these items among the 
  mass of loot, the total value is 345 silver pieces, which 
  you should subtract from the 175 sp per player total.
  Feel free to improvise additional backstory for these 
  items, or to invent and include your own additional 
  items, especially to serve as adventure hooks for future 
  scenarios of your own design.
  • 
  A silver brooch with a rose design (30 sp). This 
  belonged to Liwis’s wife, and is a family heirloom.
  • 
  An extremely fine hammer (15 sp). Belongs to an 
  elderly carpenter who has taken up service with 
  Bann Trumhall, whose workshop was looted by 
  the outlaws while he was away.
  • 
  A half-dozen silver bracelets, identical in design 
  (10 sp each). These belonged to a deceased 
  blacksmith whose family now resides in Trewin’s 
  refugee camp, their homestead having been 
  burned to the ground many weeks ago. They are 
  slowly starving to death.
  • 
  A jeweled dagger (100 sp). This once belonged to 
  Valdur Krole. He gave it to his chamberlain to sell 
  in order to keep the household functioning as long 
  as possible, once Bann Trumhall was elected and 
  Krole stopped receiving taxes from the freeholders 
  as part of his role as their lord-protector. The 
  dagger technically belongs to Trewin (who bought 
  it). The outlaws have it because Trewin pressed 
  the weapon into the hands of one of the massacred 
  loggers, to use in self-defense if it came to it, when 
  they went into the forest.
  • 
  A fine hat (15 sp). Made of luxurious fabric, sewn 
  by a true master of the craft. No rightful owner can 
  be found, although many locals feel as though they 
  should be able to remember something about it.
  • 
  Four pearls (20 sp each). The treasure of a local 
  miller, whose entire family was slaughtered.
  • 
  A signet ring (45 sp). This bears heraldry of 
  a noble house quite some distance from the 
  Ruswold. This can be used an adventure seed; 
  Waldric stole is from a traveler, who had it for 
  reasons unknown.
  
  29
  A Bann Too Many
  bann lies not with the PCs, but with the local freeholders. 
  Liwis, Trewin, and Sister Pliacinth should be obvious to the 
  PCs as the keys to local freeholder opinion.
  Complications to Trumhall’s removal—in favor of Krole or 
  anyone else—include the depletion of fighting men among 
  the freeholders. If it came to a fight between the citizens of 
  Logerwsold and the men-at-arms in Trumhall’s employ, it 
  would be a close fight and the PCs—not to mention Krole, or 
  the town’s leading residents—may not want to risk it.
  Exposing Trumhall’s treachery to those in his camp is likely 
  to result in a great deal of confusion and horror. Those who 
  follow Trumhall believe in him. Although it is possible to 
  sway them with proof, none is eager to believe that their 
  master is a blackguard. This is especially true of the few sol-
  diers who came with Trumhall from his homeland, who have 
  known him for years to be a true and noble man. They, of 
  course, have this opinion of their leader from before he was 
  corrupted by Blacktail’s magic.
  If confronted with his own crimes, Trumhall denies them until 
  it becomes clear that there’s nothing further to be gained from 
  doing so. Even at that point, he makes no apologies and offers 
  no explanations, even upon being tried and put to death. Such 
  is Blacktail’s grip.
  Trumhall is not himself aware he is being influenced by super-
  natural forces. If the domination ends (if Blacktail is killed in the 
  fight at the outlaws’ camp, for example), Trumhall is very hazy 
  about everything that has happened in the months since he fell 
  under the apostate’s sway. He doesn’t think he’d ally himself 
  with outlaws, but he can’t swear that he didn’t. It’s impossible 
  to verify the haziness of his memories, of course, and unless the 
  PCs manage to capture Blacktail or otherwise verify his influ-
  ence over the bann, it’s likely that the freeholders will want to 
  put Trumhall to death whether he truly deserves it or not. It’s 
  up to the PCs whether they want to take any action to prevent 
  this, or even whether it would be just to do so.
  The situation with Trumhall is not, strictly speaking, the PCs’ 
  problem. Although it grows out of the problem they came to 
  solve, it is not that problem, per se. However, if they leave 
  the area simply looking the other way, make sure the players 
  realize that they’re turning their back on the opportunity to 
  see justice done—an opportunity far too rare in the Ferelden 
  in these dark times.
  At the bottom of it all is the problem of Blacktail. As discussed 
  in PArt 4 resolution And troubleshootinG, the PCs may not 
  learn anything substantial about Blacktail, and if they don’t, 
  that’s just fine. A Bann Too Many should end satisfactorily 
  with decisions—and actions—that deal with Trumhall. There 
  are two things the PCs ought to know after the showdown 
  with Waldric, however. First, that Blacktail shadowed them. 
  Second, that the dog wears an unusual collar.
  These are both things that the PCs can investigate. They might 
  assume, for example, that Bann Trumhall sent Blacktail to aid 
  them in the forest. Should they thank him for the assistance, 
  the confused bann relates that he did no such thing. Why then 
  would a war dog decide on his own to shadow the party? 
  They might also become interested in the collar and try to get 
  a closer look. This Blacktail will not allow and he growls and 
  barks aggressively at anyone who tries to examine the collar 
  closely. A character can use the Disarm stunt to try to tear 
  the collar off Blacktail. If this happens, the dog transforms 
  into the mage in front of stunned onlookers and the hold over 
  Trumhall is broken. 
  One thing to keep in mind, however, is that Blacktail’s sur-
  vival may be much more interesting in the long run, if you 
  intend to continue the PCs’ drAGon AGe adventures in a 
  long-term campaign. Blacktail then becomes that most infu-
  riating villain: the one who duped the PCs into doing evil on 
  his behalf. When, someday, the PCs learn—in a scenario of 
  your devising—how they were played for fools in the Rus-
  wold, their desire for vengeance will burn brighter than any 
  torch a hastily sewn backstory might ignite.
  Part 5 Resolution and 
  Troubleshooting
  The final part of A Bann Too Many may be the trickiest bit of 
  the adventure. If you are new to game mastering, you may 
  be nervous that the adventure has no more set encounters 
  to guide you. You will have to think on your feet but that’s 
  part of your role anyway. What you need to do is first find 
  out what the PCs want to do, and then decide how the NPCs 
  react. By now you have a lot of ready information to make the 
  latter easier. You know the back story of the adventure, the 
  environs, the NPCs and their motivations, and the events of 
  the adventure so far. Based on this information, you should 
  be able to figure out the likely responses to any PC actions. 
  You should try to make the final ending a satisfying one for 
  the players, but if they make poor choices, there should (as 
  always) be consequences. And even if they think that every-
  thing worked out nicely in the end, Blacktail may be along 
  later to disabuse them of that notion. 
  
  30
  A bann Too Many
  Major NPCs
  The sections that follow provide statistics for major NPCs 
  who appear in several different encounters.
  the ComPetition
  In addition to the major characters of A Bann Too Many, there 
  are statistics for the three adventurers (Shadow, Hocke and 
  Pyrft) that can be used with the optional subplot The Compe-
  tition (see the section by that name on page 6).
  BAN TRUMHALL 
  A charismatic Fereldan noble under the domination of an apos-
  tate sorcerer, in alliance with an infamous outlaw.
  abilities (Focuses)
  3
  communication (leadersHip, persuasion)
  1
  constitution
  2
  cunning (cultural lore)
  1
  dexterity (riding)
  0
  magic
  1
  perception (empatHy)
  1
  strengtH (Heavy blades)
  0
  WillpoWer (morale)
  CombAt rAtinGs
  sPeed
  heAlth
  defense
  Armor rAtinG
  8 (11)*
  32
  13 (11)**
  5
  AttACKs
  weAPon
  AttACK roll
  dAmAGe
  Fist
  +1
  1d3+1
  long sWord
  +3
  2d6+1
  Powers
  fAvored stunts: Mighty Blow.
  tAlents: Archery Style (Novice), Armor Training (Journeyman), Com-
  mand (Journeyman), and Weapon and Shield Style (Journeyman).
  weAPon GrouPs: Bows, Brawling, and Heavy Blades.
  *WitHout armor **WitHout sHield
  equipment
  Heavy mail, medium sHield, lesser Healing potion, and long sWord.
  BLACKTAIL 
  APOSTATE MAGE 5
  An apostate Fereldan mage with the ability to take on the form 
  of a Mabari, Blacktail is the power behind Bann Trumhall’s 
  ascendance. Two sets of stats are provided. The first is Blacktail 
  in human form and the second in Mabari form. 
  If Blacktail dies while transformed, he reverts to his human 
  form—that of a scruffy Fereldan clad in a loincloth made from 
  a dog’s fur pelt with arcane tattoos over his body. Blacktail’s 
  death also breaks the power of his spell that dominates Bann 
  Trumhall’s mind. Remember that Blacktail cannot cast spells 
  while in Mabari form.
  abilities (Focuses)
  3
  communication (deception, persuasion)
  1 /2* 
  constitution (running*)
  3
  cunning (arcane lore, natural lore)
  2 / 3*
  dexterity (acrobatics*, bite*, stealtH*)
  4
  magic (entropy)
  2
  perception (empatHy, smelling*, tracking*)
  0 / 4*
  strengtH (Jumping*)
  3
  WillpoWer 
  CombAt rAtinGs
  sPeed
  heAlth
  defense
  Armor rAtinG
  12 / 16*
  35 / 55*
  12 / 13*
  0
  AttACKs
  weAPon
  AttACK roll
  dAmAGe
  rAnGe
  arcane lance
  —
  1d6+3
  16 yards
  Fist
  –1
  1d3–1
  —
  quarterstaFF
  –1
  1d6
  —
  bite*
  +5
  1d6+6
  —
  Powers
  sPellPower: 14 (16 for Entropy spElls)   mAnA: 44
  fAvored stunts: Mana Shield, Mighty Spell, and Spell Lance.
  sPells: Daze, Drain Life, Shock, Walking Bomb, Weakness
  tAlents: Chirurgy (Novice), Entropy Magic (Novice), and Horseman-
  ship (Novice). 
  *fAvored stunts (mAbAri form): Knock Prone and Mighty Blow.
  *feArsome Growl (mAbAri form): Blacktail can perform Fearsome 
  Growl as a special stunt costing 3 SP. Enemies within 6 yards of the 
  Mabari must pass a tn 11 WillpoWEr (sElf-DisciplinE) tEst or suffer a 
  -1 penalty to Defense until the end of Blacktail’s next turn.
  weAPon GrouPs: Brawling and Staves.
  *mabari Form only
  equipment
  collar oF obedience, lesser lyrium potion, and Wand.
  DELIA 
  Alehouse daughter and surprisingly effective rogue.
  abilities (Focuses)
  2
  communication
  0
  constitution (drinking)
  1
  cunning (cultural lore)
  3
  dexterity (acrobatics, ligHt blades)
  –2
  magic
  1
  perception
  –1
  strengtH
  0
  WillpoWer
  CombAt rAtinGs
  sPeed
  heAlth
  defense
  Armor rAtinG
  13
  23
  13
  0
  AttACKs
  weAPon
  AttACK roll
  dAmAGe
  dagger
  +5
  1d6
  Fist
  +3
  1d3–1
  tHroWing kniFe
  +5
  1d6–1
  Powers
  fAvored stunts: Lightning Attack.
  tAlents: Dual Weapon Style (Novice) and Thievery (Novice).
  weAPon GrouPs: Brawling, Light Blades.
  equipment
  dagger and tWo tHroWing knives. 
  
  31
  A Bann Too Many
  VALUDUR KROLE 
  Ousted bann of the Ruswold, and a gruff, conservative cripple.  
  Krole is essentially a non-combatant in the context of this adven-
  ture. Although he can fight from horseback, he has not for many 
  years, and will only do so in dire need.
  abilities (Focuses)
  –1
  communication
  –1
  constitution
  3
  cunning (military lore, natural lore)
  –2
  dexterity (riding)
  1
  magic
  3
  perception (Hearing, seeing, searcHing)
  2
  strengtH (bludgeons, intimidation)
  3
  WillpoWer (selF-discipline)
  CombAt rAtinGs
  sPeed
  heAlth
  defense
  Armor rAtinG
  3
  45
  8
  0
  AttACKs
  weAPon
  AttACK roll
  dAmAGe
  Fist
  +2
  1d3+2
  tWo-Handed maul
  +4
  2d6+5
  Powers
  fAvored stunts: Knock Prone and Seize the Initiative.
  tAlents: Armor Training (Journeyman), Command (Journeyman), and 
  Two-Hander Style (Journeyman).
  weAPon GrouPs: Bludgeons, Brawling, Light Blades, and Heavy Blades
  equipment
  ligHt leatHer armor and tWo-Handed maul.
  WALDRIC THE GORE-HAND 
  A vicious and infamous outlaw captain.
  abilities (Focuses)
  2
  communication (deception)
  1
  constitution
  4
  cunning (evaluation, natural lore)
  2
  dexterity (ligHt blades, stealtH)
  0
  magic
  3
  perception (empatHy, tracking)
  4
  strengtH (intimidation)
  2
  WillpoWer (morale)
  CombAt rAtinGs
  sPeed
  heAlth
  defense
  Armor rAtinG
  12
  44
  12
  3
  AttACKs
  weAPon
  AttACK roll
  dAmAGe
  Fist
  +1
  1d3+4
  sHort boW
  +2
  1d6+4
  sHort sWord
  +4
  1d6+6
  Powers
  fAvored stunts: Defensive Stance and Seize the Initiative.
  tAlents: Armor Training (Novice), Dual Weapon Style (Journeyman), 
  and Scouting (Journeyman).
  weAPon GrouPs: Bows, Brawling, and Light Blades.
  equipment
  boots oF tHe outlaW, ligHt leatHer armor, sHort boW, and tWo 
  sHort sWords.
  OUTLAWS 
  Bandit followers of Waldric the Gore-hand, human Fereldans 
  gone bad.
  abilities (Focuses)
  0
  communication
  0
  constitution
  1
  cunning
  2
  dexterity (boWs, stealtH)
  -1
  magic
  0
  perception
  1
  strengtH
  1
  WillpoWer
  CombAt rAtinGs
  sPeed
  heAlth
  defense
  Armor rAtinG
  12
  20
  12
  3
  AttACKs
  weAPon
  AttACK roll
  dAmAGe
  rAnGe
  sHort boW
  +4
  1d6+1
  16 yds/36 yds
  long boW
  +4
  1d6+3
  26 yds/52 yds
  sHort sWord
  +2
  1d6+3
  —
  Powers
  fAvored stunts: Rapid Reload, Lightning Attack.
  tAlents: Archery Style (Novice) and Armor Training (Novice).
  weAPon GrouPs: Bows, Brawling, and Light Blades.
  equipment
  longboW or sHort boW, sHort sWord, and ligHt leatHer armor. 
  SHADOW 
  AVVARIAN HILLSWOMAN ROGUE 1
  Shadow is quick to laugh, although often to herself, and almost 
  always in sarcastic mockery of foolishness and idiocy.
  abilities (Focuses)
  1
  communication
  2
  constitution
  2
  cunning
  3
  dexterity (stealtH)
  –2
  magic
  1
  perception
  1
  strengtH (climbing, migHt)
  –1
  WillpoWer
  CombAt rAtinGs
  sPeed
  heAlth
  defense
  Armor rAtinG
  13
  26
  13
  3
  AttACKs
  weAPon
  AttACK roll
  dAmAGe
  rAnGe
  long boW
  +3
  1d6+4
  26 yds/52 yds
  sHort sWord
  +3
  1d6+3
  —
  Powers
  fAvored stunts: Rapid Reload, Lightning Attack, and Pierce Armor.
  tAlents: Armor Training (Novice) and Scouting (Novice).
  weAPon GrouPs: Bows, Brawling, Light Blades, and Staves.
  equipment
  ligHt leatHer armor, longboW (20 arroWs), and sHort sWord.
  
  32
  A bann Too Many
  HOCKE 
  FERELDAN FREEMAN WARRIOR 1
  A laconic fighter who doesn’t like to be surprised—by anything.
  abilities (Focuses)
  –2
  communication
  2
  constitution
  0
  cunning
  1
  dexterity (riding)
  –1
  magic
  0
  perception
  4
  strengtH
  2
  WillpoWer (courage)
  CombAt rAtinGs
  sPeed
  heAlth
  defense
  Armor rAtinG
  11 (10*)
  38
  13 (11**)
  4
  AttACKs
  weAPon
  AttACK roll
  dAmAGe
  Fist
  +1
  1d3+4
  long boW
  +1
  1d6+3
  long sWord
  +4
  2d6+4
  Powers
  fAvored stunts: Mighty Blow.
  tAlents: Archery Style (Novice), Armor Training (Novice), and Weapon 
  and Shield Style (Novice). 
  weAPon GrouPs: Brawling, Bows, Heavy Blades, and Spears.
  * WitHout armor **WitHout sHield
  equipment
  Heavy leatHer armor, long boW (20 arroWs), long sWord, and 
  medium sHield.
  PRYFT 
  HUMAN APOSTATE MAGE 2
  Pryft is reserved and secretive. He avoids the attention of those 
  with an obvious enthusiasm for either the Chantry or the king’s 
  justice, given his status as an illegal wizard.
  abilities (Focuses)
  2
  communication
  1
  constitution
  3
  cunning (Healing)
  1
  dexterity
  3
  magic
  2
  perception
  –1
  strengtH
  1
  WillpoWer (concentration, selF-discipline)
  CombAt rAtinGs
  sPeed
  heAlth
  defense
  Armor rAtinG
  11
  30
  11
  0
  AttACKs
  weAPon
  AttACK roll
  dAmAGe
  rAnGe
  arcane lance
  —
  1d6+3
  16 yards
  Fist
  –1
  1d3–1
  —
  quarterstaFF
  –1
  1d6
  —
  Powers
  sPellPower: 13 mAnA: 26
  fAvored stunts: Mana Shield and Mighty Spell.
  sPells: Drain Life, Glyph of Paralysis, Mind Blast, and Spell Shield.
  tAlents: Chirurgy (Novice).
  equipment
  quarterstaFF and Wand.
  Adventures are the heart of any roleplaying game 
  but GMs on the go don’t always have time to 
  create their own. Blood in Ferelden contains three 
  full-length adventures for the Dragon Age RPG, as 
  well as three adventure outlines whose bare bones 
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  characters will visit savage borderlands like the 
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  facing foes of a different sort in Ferelden’s capital 
  of Denerim. The adventures in Blood in Ferelden 
  are suitable for characters of level 1-5 and add a 
  wealth of detail to any Dragon Age campaign. But 
  be warned: there will be blood!
  formAt: 128 pages, black and white, softback
  msrP: $24.95        ProduCt Code: GRR2803
  isbn-10: 1-934547-33-6 
  isbn-13: 978-1-934547-33-5
  Coming soon!
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dragon Age [multi]/Dragon Age (AGE)/Dragon Age - A Bann Too Many {GRR2802c}.pdf