Introduction
The Alice in Wonderland book came out about 160 years ago in 1865 and is now one of the best-known works of literature because of it’s fantastic, impossible, yet gripping story that makes you feel like that mad world might actually be real. Too bad you can’t be there, but have to endure another long lecture from your least favorite teacher that seems to drag on forever.. or do you?
What do you need to know about Alice in Wonderland?
Knowledge of the Alice in Wonderland books or movies is not required, but does gives color to the world through references to known 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
The characters are 3 – 6 school classmates and are normal humans until they gain their level 3 class features during an event in the game. During this event they also each obtain armor with a value of max 400 gp that would give them the highest available AC. Prepare these as you would for any other character sheet. Alternatively they can choose their Class during play, but this would require more preparation during gameplay.
All classes are available, but the race is restricted to Human.
Quick start character sheets are included in the product.
Decide before playing which age the players start as and in which school year and -class. Recommended is about 13-14 years old and in their 8th grade.
Running this one shot
This one shot covers a lot that might happen during this adventure and goes into detail about how the locations look and feel. Despite that, players tent to do stuff, interact 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 story.
The DM should read the full adventure before playing, to be aware of plot points, obstacles and the available spells and prepare accordingly.
Text in colored boxes can be read out loud to the players when the conditions in or above them are met.
Turn on a whimsical background music playlist and let the adventure begin!
Enjoying this preview of the Alice in Wonderland D&D one-shot?
Find the full adventure in the shop. It includes printable documents of:
– An easy access, print ready version of this adventure
– 12 designs of the playable characters
– Designs of the creatures in this adventure
– 2 battlemaps
– 12 Quick start character sheets
Adventure start (Preview)
It’s the second week after the summer vacation and the sun is beating down on you all through the window that has you locked us here in the back row of the classroom. You are sitting through another long lecture from your least favorite teacher.
Ask the players to introduce their characters and their relationship to each other.
As you are all sitting in the back in the heat of the sun, the teachers voice seems even more monotone as time slowly drags on. After a while it gets even more drawling and dragging by the second until it gets stuck on a single syllable that eventually falls quiet. As you look around you see all movement has halted as well. The teacher is standing stock still instead of pacing back and forth up front, the quivering hand of the nerd in the front seat is pointing straight up and the girl who is always brushing her hair with any stationery she has on hand is frozen halfway through rolling a lock around a multicolored pen. As you are trying to process any of this, a vent cover comes flying off the wall with a “BANG” and in a blur a white rabbit in a waistcoat comes hopping out and leaves through the door to the hallway.
As you follow the rabbit into and through the hallway you don’t really seem to catch up. As you keep going down the hallway first seems to elongate, then get rounder and earthier the further you get through until it suddenly tilts downward, turning it from a hallway into what seems like an endless rabbit-hole that you start falling down. [Wait for reaction] As you are falling through this earthy hole you see that there is no end in sight. There are however several falling objects you are catching up with. Among the random assortment of cabinets, mirrors and hatstands you feel yourself drawn to a collection of faintly glowing objects and you each get a strange urge to take one.
Players can either “feel drawn” to the object that is linked to the class of their choice or pick at random. Either way they gain three levels in the corresponding class.
Barbarian (no armor): Bear’s head hood
Bard: Strange instrument
Cleric: Glowing pendant
Druid: White rose
Fighter: Metal bracers
Monk (no armor): Wooden staff
Paladin: White breastplate
Ranger: Green cloak
Rogue: Black dagger
Sorcerer (no armor): Dragon pendant
Warlock: Black paper contract
Wizard (no armor): “Magic 101” book
As soon you grab your objects you feel complete, like you’ve unlocked some part of yourself that’s been hidden away. Energy and power flows through you and armor forms around you (depending on Class). Although you feel great about this new power, it feels rather short-lived as you see that you are fast approaching a solid looking black-and-white tiled floor. You expect to come down fatally hard but during the last couple feet your clothes seem to catch in the rushing winds and you all softly parachute to the ground. Upon getting your bearings you see you are in a curving hallway that seems to go in a circle. On the inner wall hang a bunch of different medieval weapons, on the outer wall are neon arrows pointing towards a very, very tiny door.
As you start walking through the hallway you are approached from both ends by armored, walking, talking playing-cards. The 3 [only 1 if there are 4 or 5 PC’s] coming from the right (clockwise) is about your size, but the 1 [or 2 if there are 6+ PC’s] on the left (counter-clockwise) tower[s] over you. They all have their spears ready and are coming at you fast. Roll for initiative!
Playing Cards (medium construct)
Hit Points: 15
Armor Class: 12
Speed: 30 ft.
STR: +0
DEX: +1
CON: +1
INT: +0
WIS: +0
CHA: +0
Damage Vulnerabilities: Fire
Spear: Melee Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) piercing damage.
Large Playing Cards (large construct)
Hit Points: 30
Armor Class: 15
Speed: 30 ft.
STR: +2
DEX: +2
CON: +3
INT: +0
WIS: +0
CHA: +0
Damage Vulnerabilities: Fire
Swipe: Melee Attack: +2 to hit, reach 10 ft., two targets within range. Hit: 10 (2d6+4) slashing damage.
At the start the PC’s are 2 sizes larger that the door, the same size as the medium card(s) and a size smaller than the other card(s). Every circle a PC goes through the hallway makes them a size smaller when they go clockwise or a size larger when they go anti-clockwise. The small door is locked, but it can be kicked in with a DC of 20 when they are the same size as it. The DC lowers by 5 for each size they are bigger than the door.
As you step through the door you enter a huge open landscape near a small creek and at the edge of the woods. Behind the door frame you came out of you see no wall or building, but only a wide open horizon with hilltops in beautiful colors. This would be a peaceful and lovely scenery were it not for the wide cracks that seem to break the world apart and a dark smoke cloud darkening the sky. You see that the blackness is originating as a black plume of smoke from a point about an hour walk into the woods. In front of this apocalyptic view you see the white rabbit in a waistcoat. He now seems about the same size as you, or you might be the same size as him. As the rabbit hears you open the door you see him turn towards you in surprise, approach you slowly and say in a nervous voice: “You.. you made it in. Then there might be hope after all.” For a moment he seems lost in thought, but then he composes himself, straightens up and says: “I’m guessing you heard all about this place and Alice’s adventures. I’m sorry you have to see it in this state. Wonderland is falling apart.. (in breaking voice) it’s dying. The sky is blackening and the ground is breaking. I fear the end is near, but I am powerless to stop it. But I hope that you are the change needed to cure Wonderland, to set things right. It was written that when one human marks the downfall of Wonderland, only others have the hope of setting things right. Will you be our heroes in our time of need?
You can find the rest of this one-shot including printable mini’s, character sheets and maps in the shop.
Enjoying this preview of the Alice in Wonderland D&D one-shot?
Find the full adventure in the shop. It includes printable documents of:
– An easy access, print ready version of this adventure
– 12 designs of the playable characters
– Designs of the creatures in this adventure
– 2 battlemaps
– 12 Quick start character sheets
Disclaimer: This D&D adventure is an original work by my making. I do not own the rights to either ‘Alice in Wonderland’ or ‘Dungeons & Dragons’.