Lost in the Woods

Player Information

introduction

This game is designed to be played with a GM and 1- 4 players. It is set in a medieval fantasy world, and has a comedic and whimsical tone. You all play Goblins that have manged to become lost in an enchanted forest, though your memories of precisely how you arrived here are fuzzy. None of you can remember where you were going before you got here either, only that it was important you got there.

How To Play

To play you will need 2 six sided dice, although you can use one and just roll it twice if you don't have two. Whenever your Goblin does something where the outcome is uncertain, roll the dice to determine whether they succeed or fail. Roll 2d6, apply any appropriate TAGS, and if the result is 8 or higher then your Goblin succeeds. If your Goblin fails the GM will decide the outcome and any consequences.

Create your Goblin

To create your Goblin just follow these few simple steps. There are no stats or anything to worry about,

Name: Give your Goblin a name.

Why are you here?: Your Goblin is running away or escaping from something, or someone. What is it?

What are you good at?: Give your Goblins two skills they are proficient in. These can be anything from sneaking, to telling jokes, to dancing or acrobatics. Note these two things down, they are your SKILL TAGS.

What do you have?: You seem to have lost many of your belongings on the way here, but you do have a few items left. Clothing appropriate to tavelling, a simple weapon, a useful piece of equipment, a trinket of sentimental value, your favourite snack.

Goblin Traits

This is a pool of TAGS available to the whole party. They can only be used once and then they are burned. Be inventive in their use, they can be interpreted in many ways and have been left a bit vague on purpose, to increase versatility.

Wild dance moves

small and sneaky

good at pranks

shinies are good

pointy end first

don't crowd me

easier with friends

act with confidence

call their bluff

GM Information

DO NOT READ FURTHER IF YOU ARE A PLAYER!

Introduction

Lay out the scene for the goblins at the beginning of play, describe the forest around them and describe how their most recent memories of arriving in the forest are very hazy. Let them know that they feel a strong urge to be somewhere, though they aren't sure where, but its imperative that they get out of this forest so they can get there.

The Goblins are currently undergoing a trial to be accepted into the Weasel Clan, and are actually having a shared dream. While their minds are in the forest, their bodies are safely slumbering around a campfire, under the watchful eye of the Weasel Clan Elders. The Shaman of the clan is also in the dream with the goblins, but she is acting as the Forest Guide that the Goblins encounter in the "Dream". She is there to watch, and assess the goblins actions during the encounters.

The set up

The Shaman, under the guise of The Guardian of the Forest will appear to the Goblins. Feel free to make up the form she takes, but here a few examples in case you get stuck: Dryad, a forest animal, an elderly druid, a swarm of bees. let your imagination run wild. She will explain that the Goblins have to collect enough shinies to satisfy the forest before they can leave.

The Forest demands tribute before you may leave. Collect enough shiny objects to appease the Forest and the way out will be revealed

If pressed for exactly how many shinies, she will simply shrug and smile and say.

That depends on you. Remain true to what you are and the way forward will be clearer

The Adventure

The shiny objects can be anything, the only rule is that they must shine. The object itself isn't important, its how the goblins go about retrieving it that matters. Whenever a Goblins uses one of the TRAIT TAGS during an encounter to retrieve a shiny, and succeeds at their roll, cross it off on the TRAIT CARD. It is the number of these successes that determine how quickly the goblins get out of the Forest, NOT the number of Shinies they collect. But the players do not know this, only you. The number of successes required depends on the size of the Goblin party, but between 3 and 6 should be a fair range. Determine this number before start of play and stick to it.

Below is a table conatining twenty suggested scenarios in which the Goblins can obtain a shiny object. You can roll on this table to make the encounters purely random, or choose ones which you feel are interesting or more suited to your players playstyle. You are also free to make up your own encounters as you see fit. Make them as strange or wacky as you like, this is a magical, enchanted forest after all.

They players are free to use whichever tags they like when making a roll. The TRAIT TAGS can only be used be used once and then they are burned. If they use a TRAIT TAG successfully in an encounter, make the outcome a bit more favourable: have an NPC aid them in some way, give them a small magical item, or a useful piece of equipment.

The Outcome

Once the Goblins have acheived the required number of successes have the Shaman approach the party again, still in her Forest Guide form. She will inform them that the forest is satisfied, and point them towards a path which appears to have opened up in the forest.

Follow this path until you reach a wall of mist. At its base, lay down the objects you collected and the mist will part to let you through. Then you will find that which you were seeking

Once the Goblins step through the mist, have everything fade around them as they experience a moment of dizziness. They will then wake up around a cosy campfire,with a feeling of safety surrounding them. The Shaman will already be awake and will address the players as soon as she notices they have also returned.

Welcome Home. You have proven yourselves to be true Goblins in the eyes of the Weasel Clan, and we welcome you into the family. May you always find a home among us.

The Goblin's memories will now come flooding back to them. They had each been trying to gain acceptance into the Weasel Clan, as a way to escape from wherever they had been before. This test had been a way to judge that they Goblined in a way that would fit in with the Clan's ways. Every Goblin Clan Goblins in their own unique way, and they need to be sure that newcomers are compatible with their own way of Goblining.

TAGS

Tags are modifiers which adjust your roll in a positive or negative way. Each Tag gives either a +1 or -1 to your roll. Tags fall under four categories.

SKILL TAGS - These are the skills you chose during character creation. They are not burned upon use, and can be used as many times as your Goblin wants during the course of the adventure.

TRAIT TAGS - These are the nine Goblin traits you are given during caharcter creation. These traits can only be used once during gameplayer. Once a Goblin uses it, it becomes unavailable for anyone else to use during the game

ENVIRONMENTAL TAGS - These relate to the environment around your players: is it dark, is the sun very bright, is it cold, is it raining? Environmental factors which could impact what your Goblin is trying to do in a negative or positive way. They tend to be one off tags, but they can be ongoing across an encounter.

SITUATIONAL TAGS - These relate to circumstances that are going on around your Goblin that may impact what they are trying to do: someone is distracting them, they are under the effects of a spell, they have the right equipment for the job, someone is helping them, etc. They tend to be one off tags, but they can be ongoing across an encounter.

Sample Goblins

Name: Gethren
Why are you here?: My mum wanted to marry me off to Hildra. I really don't get along with her though, so I ran awy from home to find a new Clan
What are you good at?: I have been told I am a great singer, and I'm not too bad when it comes to carpentry
What have you got?: I manged to keep hold of my dagger, that should come in handy. I never go anywhere without some good rope, and a pouch full of licorice root. I am relieved to find that the book of poetry my gran gave me is still intact, its all I have to remind me of her.

Name: Jinnx
Why are you here?: I escaped from an evil wizard who had captured me for goodness knows what evil experiments. I'm not sure where I'm going, but anywhere has to be better than there.
What are you good at?: I'm pretty good at making up stories, and have a passion for fishing
What have you got?: A flint tipped spear is such a useful tool. You need a tinder box in order to cook your fish. My pocket is always full of smoked fish strips. I still carry the small wooden whistle which my brother made for me.