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Harry Potter D&D one-shot 3 (Preview) – The next Marauders

    What do you need to know about Harry Potter?

    Knowledge of the Harry Potter universe is not required, but does gives color to the world through references to known locations and characters.

    What do you need to know about Dungeons & Dragons?

    You or part of your group need a base understanding of the game and one needs to be able to be the Dungeon Master.

    Available character options

    All characters are 5th level and 11 years old.

    For this adventure to fit into the narrative the PC classes are restricted to:
    – Bard
    – Cleric
    – Druid
    – Sorcerer
    – Warlock
    – Wizard
    For the same reason the Race choices are:
    – Human
    – Centaur
    – Half-Veela (re-skinning of the High-Elf)
    – House elf (re-skinning of the Gnome)
    – Goblin (re-skinning of the Dwarf)
    – Merperson (re-skinning of the Triton that walks and speaks with the help of magic)
    – Half-Giant (re-skinning of the Half-Orc)

    Available items
    – Black robes and protective clothing of dragon hide for an armour rating of 12
    – Wands as substitute for all spell casting aids

    Tips for getting started

    – Turn on a Harry Potter music playlist
    – Decide when you change a human as race if you are pureblood, halfblood or mugleborn
    – Give the half-veela (re-skinning of the High-Elf) the cantrip “Friends” for that Veela charm
    – Change the Goblin’s (re-skinning of the Dwarf) stonecunning to the ability to evaluate gems and gold
    – Make the verbal component of spells Latin. Change them to actual Harry Potter spells when possible.

    Introduction

    This one-shot adventure is set in a alternative version of the Harry Potter universe. The players are 11 year old magical kids. They earned a place in Hogwarts and have started their first schoolyear.

    Running this one shot

    Although this one shot covers a lot that might happen during this adventure and goes into detail how the locations the players come across look and feel. Despite that, players tent to do stuff, meet people and go to places they are not supposed to. It is your job as the Dungeon Master to fill in gaps where necessary and steer them back towards the main plot.

    Text in boxes can be read out loud to the players when the conditions in them are met.

    The other students can be everywhere the players go. Some will be nervous and have little magic experience. Others are a bit more advanced and may be smug about it, challenging others to dares or showing off. Roleplay these as you like.

    The DM should read the full adventure before playing, to be aware of plot points and the available spells and prepare accordingly.

    Enjoying this preview?

    The full Harry Potter D&D one-shot 3 package includes printable documents of:
    – An easy access, print ready version of this Harry Potter Dungeons & Dragons one shot
    – 13 designs of the playable races
    – 3 designs of the creatures in this adventure
    – 3 battle maps (print-ready and digital for online play)
    – 7 Quick start character sheets
    – 8 Quick start character backgrounds
    All stats, attacks and any further mechanics of this one-shot are available in the product.

    You finally got sorted into your houses and started the first year of your studies at Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry. Here you are getting taught by the best of the best, and you and your classmates all slowly become more skilled in your respective magics. Month after month go by without any more crazy adventures with Giant Spiders or destroyed magic hats. Which house(s) are you sorted into and how do you spend your first half year at Hogwarts?
    It is busy in the Great hall as you all sit down together for dinner. The tables are laden with food and there is the sound of the other students eating, talking and laughing until suddenly there is no sound at all. You look around and everyone is frozen in place except for you. The only other thing you can see that moves is a Phoenix that flies in from a high window. It swoops down, drops a letter between you and flies off. The letter starts moving and folds itself open and into the shape of a face that starts talking.

    “Dear [PC’s names], It is my honor and privilege to invite you to step into our notorious footsteps and become the new Marauders of Hogwarts. If you are ready to embrace this destiny then prove your courage by going to the Hogwarts entrance hall tonight and challenging the schools motto. Good Luck. Kind regards, Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs.”

    After these final words the letter burns up and everyone around you starts talking and moving again like nothing happened.

    A lot of the students and all teachers know that the schools motto is “Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus” and that it means “Never tickle a sleeping dragon”. The PC’s might already know it or roll a DC 10 History check to find this out. On the entrance hall floor is a moving mosaic of a dragon which is always active during the day. The PC’s are able to make preparations if they want to but anything illegal has a very high DC check and a failure will result in getting detention later in the week.

    As you move from your common room(s) to the entrance hall you don’t come across anyone. As you arrive in the hall you see by the moon- and torchlight that all is quiet. Harnesses and statues of knights stand in their places. The people in the paintings are either sleeping or gone and on the floor the mosaic of the dragon, which is normally always moving, is sound asleep.
    As you tickle the mosaic of the sleeping dragon it’s eyes open and it immediately breathes fire in your direction in 2D. The tiles depicting flames suddenly fall away deeper into the ground and they leave a hole in the ground with a steep staircase leading down.
    Following the steps all the way down you eventually arrive in a very long and straight tunnel, about 15 feet wide (4,5 meter). At the beginning of this tunnel you find yourselves on a tiny sand beach which gives way to water after 5 feet. The tunnel goes on as far as you can see but there is a light at the end of it. The ceiling is 20 feet (6 meter) from the ground and on the wall beside the entrance hang broomsticks. There are different types of brooms for every type of race.
    You get on your brooms and start flying over the water. After a couple of feet the water behind you explodes and you see huge tentacles coming out of the water and coming after you. Roll for initiative.

    Giant squid

    Enemy stats, attacks and further mechanics are available in the full one-shot.

    When they flee
    As the last of you flies away from the water you see that the Giant Squid backs away and disappears below the surface. As you look around you find yourself on the edge of a grassy plain, despite the fact that you are still in a cave. It is featureless except for the lush looking tree against the far wall. In the trunk of the tree you see an opening through which you can see light shining. The opening looks big enough for you to squeeze through.
    As you step closer to the tree a bunch of Bowtruckles jump out of the branches and start running towards you, ready to gouge at your eyes with their long, sharp fingers. Roll for initiative!

    Bowtruckles

    Enemy stats, attacks and further mechanics are available in the full one-shot.

    Enjoying this preview?

    The full Harry Potter D&D one-shot 3 package includes printable documents of:
    – An easy access, print ready version of this Harry Potter Dungeons & Dragons one shot
    – 13 designs of the playable races
    – 3 designs of the creatures in this adventure
    – 3 battle maps (print-ready and digital for online play)
    – 7 Quick start character sheets
    – 8 Quick start character backgrounds
    All stats, attacks and any further mechanics of this one-shot are available in the product.

    As you all crawl through the hole in the tree you come out the other end into a well lit hallway. At it’s end is a black steel door on which glowing letter appear that read:
    “What are the words the Marauder live by?”

    Puzzle details and mechanics are available in the full one-shot.

    You step inside and see a large, fancy room. A fire is crackling in the fireplace with chairs and a couch around it. There is also a dining room table with three golden goblets on it. The wall panelling and furniture are made of a dark lacquered wood. There are two door labeled “bedroom” and “bathroom” and there is a huge vault door with “Heart of Hogwarts” inscribed on it. All around the room hang large, moving paintings in fancy frames. In each painting you see a different group of students and you see that in the one nearest you a boy waves you all over.
    The painting is of four smiling boys and is labeled with a small, golden placard on which it says: “The Marauders”. “Yep,” the boy says, “that’s us, let me introduce you to Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Petigrew, and I am James Potter. We welcome you to the Headquarters of the Defenders of Hogwarts.” The boy named Sirius continues “We were the previous Defenders of Hogwarts when the school was in danger and the school has chosen you to be the next. Help keep the school safe and the rewards shall be worth it. Can we count on you?”.
    Lupin says: “Okay, so here is what is happening. There is an extreme amount of raw magic in this school, all centered on the hidden Heart of Hogwarts. That is what makes Hogwarts come alive, that is what moves the staircases, sustains the ghosts and protects it from the outside world. But that raw magic comes with side effects. Around every 50 years an outburst of magic summons dark forces. To stop it from harming the school and it’s students Hogwarts itself chooses it’s next Defenders. You have been chosen to stop whatever is summoned from leaving that room, growing stronger and causing the end of Hogwarts.”
    When asked/warned about their lives after Hogwarts
    Sirius says: “Stop. We don’t know and don’t care about the real world versions of us. All we care about is that in here, in this painting, we are, and will forever be, four best friends.”
    When asked about the rewards
    James says: “To prepare you and reward you in advance for accepting the challenge you shall each receive a powerful gift. If you have no further questions and accept the challenge, than we can get on to the bestowing of the gifts.”
    If they have no further questions
    Peter says: “No more questions? OK, to help you in this challenge, each of you may choose one of three gifts. Choose between the gift of Skill, Defence or Luck by drinking from either one of the goblets on the table”. On the table behind you you see three golden goblets and an empty piece of parchment. The goblets are engraved with the words “Gift of skill”, “Gift of Defence” and “Gift of Luck”.

    Puzzle details and mechanics are available in the full one-shot.

    After receiving the gifts
    James says: “Now you must rest, you can sleep if you want, for tomorrow you need all the strength you have when you go to the Heart of Hogwarts. Teamwork will be key because you will be legends, just like us Marauders. What will your teamname be?”
    Other paintings are of similar (human) teams like the marauders, each with names like “The Fighters”, “The Warriors” and “The Chudley Cannons”. Each team defended Hogwarts by fighting a different dark creature like Acromantulas, Fire Salamanders or Doxy’s. They all kept the “Heart of Hogwarts” a secret because it’s power might be abused by a dark witch or wizard.
    When they go to the “Heart of Hogwarts”
    As you step through the vault door you enter huge cavern, bursting with color and life. It’s only about 70 feet (21 meter) across, but the ceiling is at least 150 feet (45 meter) up. Everywhere you look are huge, colorful plants and mushrooms, small animals like rabbits and squirrels are roaming around and a waterfall comes from above and ends as a creek that crosses the floor. What catches your attention though is the 5-foot, brightly glowing, 12-sided shape that is levitating at the other end of the room.
    When you are halfway across the room you hear a low, pulsing sound coming from the 12-sided shape. As you look into it’s warm light you see that a swirl of something black is moving through it. The blackness starts to come together, grow larger and split into [number of player divided by 2 (rounded up)]. Those shapes float to the surface and out of it. They keep growing and growing and moulding into shape until [number of shapes] huge Dementors are floating in the air. You feel a chill go through you and you suddenly feel like you will never be happy ever again. As you look around you see that the water is frozen, most of the plants have died and the animals have retreated into their hiding spots. The Dementors turn and start floating towards you with withered hands outstretched. Roll for initiative!

    Dementors

    Enemy stats, attacks and further mechanics are available in the full one-shot.

    As the last Dementor is defeated and dissolves into nothingness you instantly feel better. The chill goes away, the plants around you regain their color and the animals pop out of their hiding places. As you make your way back into the room with the paintings you hear clapping from every frame as they shout “You did it!”, “Well done!” and “All hail the [Teamname]”. Once it finally dies down a little James calls you over and says “You have done a great service to the school. If they had gotten out and multiplied the school would have been in big trouble. As a final reward we bestow upon the [Teamname], an artifact of our own making.. The Marauders Map! It will reveal all of Hogwarts secrets and shall never lead you astray. Use it wisely.

    The parchment is a Marauders map which activates by saying “I solemnly swear that I am up to no good” and deactivates by saying “Mischief managed”.

    Enjoying this preview?

    The full Harry Potter D&D one-shot 3 package includes printable documents of:
    – An easy access, print ready version of this Harry Potter Dungeons & Dragons one shot
    – 13 designs of the playable races
    – 3 designs of the creatures in this adventure
    – 3 battle maps (print-ready and digital for online play)
    – 7 Quick start character sheets
    – 8 Quick start character backgrounds
    All stats, attacks and any further mechanics of this one-shot are available in the product.

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