Beginner tabletop space
Everything needed for session one is here: visuals, prebuilt heroes, read-aloud story text, scene flow, and guided prompts for young players.
For full scene-by-scene version, open Get Started.
Mossbrook Square: Bright market, worried mayor, empty lantern stand.
Whispertrail Woods: Tracks, bridge crossing, and playful mystery clues.
Glowmoss Cave: Rune door puzzle and final moral choice.
Festival Return: The town relights lanterns and celebrates teamwork.
Use these on a device or print character-only packets.
Backstory: Borin once guarded caravans, but one stormy night he lost supplies meant for Mossbrook families. He stayed in town to make things right, helping rebuild walls and teaching kids to stand brave when things go wrong.
Roleplay line: "No one gets hurt while I am standing."
Creative spotlight: Use Borin to block danger, lift heavy obstacles, and keep tense scenes calm.
Backstory: Pip grew up delivering messages between villages and learned to spot clues people miss. Pip secretly maps every hidden path around Mossbrook and dreams of becoming a legendary explorer.
Roleplay line: "Give me ten seconds and I will find the trail."
Creative spotlight: Scout ahead, decode symbols, distract foes, and create clever shortcuts.
Backstory: Sera's grandmother was keeper of the old festival lights. After she passed, Sera promised to carry light to people in fear and to solve conflict before swords come out.
Roleplay line: "We can be brave and kind at the same time."
Creative spotlight: Guide peace talks, protect teammates, and inspire hopeful decisions.
Backstory: Rowan left a strict academy to test magic in real life. Rowan believes knowledge should help regular people and takes notes on every strange rune, creature, and weather pattern.
Roleplay line: "Let me think this through. There is always another way."
Creative spotlight: Use spells for puzzles, crowd control, and unusual solutions.
| Character Type | Discussion Prompts (DM asks) | Creative Moves to Encourage |
|---|---|---|
| Fighter (Borin) | "Who do you protect first?" "What is your safest plan?" | Use cover, hold doorways, carry teammates or NPCs, shield others. |
| Rogue (Pip) | "What clue do you notice?" "How can you trick the guard?" | Scout routes, stealth around threats, improvise tools from items. |
| Cleric (Sera) | "How can we solve this kindly?" "Who needs help now?" | Negotiate peace, heal at key moments, keep team focused. |
| Wizard (Rowan) | "What is another way to use this spell?" "What do the runes mean?" | Solve puzzles, control the field, create non-combat answers. |
"Festival ribbons dance in the wind, but the great lantern stand is empty. Mayor Elira turns to you with worried eyes. 'Without that lantern, the whole town will lose heart tonight.'"
"The trail narrows under whispering trees. Tiny glowing footprints skip across a creek, then vanish near carved arrows in old bark."
"At the cave mouth, three symbols glow: star, moon, sun. From inside, you hear small voices arguing and one nervous scout whispering, 'Keep the light safe!'"
"The goblin scout lowers his weapon. 'Our cave is black at night. We only wanted one warm light.' The village lantern glows between both groups as everyone waits for your decision."
Description: A nervous cave scout guarding younger goblin kids. Mudfoot is jumpy, loud, and defensive, but not cruel. This encounter works best when it begins as a warning scene and can become a negotiation.
How to run: Start with shouted commands and one warning attack. If players respond with empathy or practical offers, lower aggression and shift to dialogue quickly.
Roleplay cue: \"We are not raiders. We are trying to keep them from the dark.\"
Description: A startled cloud of cave bats, drawn by sudden noise or bright movement. This is a pressure encounter, not a boss fight, and it should feel chaotic but survivable.
How to run: Trigger when players force the cave entry or make loud noise. Let creative solutions end it fast: smoke, rhythmic sound, or calm movement.
Roleplay cue: \"A rush of wings explodes from the ceiling and spins around your lanterns.\"
Description: A territorial forest wolf that warns intruders away from its den. Use this when you want a short action beat in the woods without turning the story darker.
How to run: The wolf circles and growls first. Give players a chance to calm it before initiative. Reward patient choices and food offerings.
Roleplay cue: \"The wolf steps sideways, watching your hands, waiting to see if you attack.\"
Description: This is the emotional payoff card. Present it dramatically at the end so kids feel their choices mattered, especially if they solved the conflict peacefully.
How to run: Have each hero step forward, receive a medal, and say one sentence about what they learned. Keep this short and celebratory.
Follow-up: Open `get-started.html` for session-two roadmap ideas.
| Situation | Suggested DC | If They Fail |
|---|---|---|
| Simple clue finding or obvious action | 10 | Give clue anyway, but they lose time. |
| Risky jump, stealth past guard, puzzle hint | 13 | Small complication (noise, scratch, separated item). |
| Heroic stunt, hard social turn, creative spell trick | 16 | Partial success with consequence instead of dead-end. |
| Great teamwork and roleplay | Lower by 2 | Reward the team for collaboration and story thinking. |
Tip: with first-time 11-year-old players, keep turns quick and celebrate creative ideas more than exact rule precision.