The Lazy Dungeon Master's Checklist example

From Sly Flourish's Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master by Michael E. Shea.

"Prepare what benefits your game, and omit what does not."

The Scourge of Volixus

During the last great trade-day before witner falls upon the village of Whitesparrow, an iron-armored caravan filled with hooded hobgoblins attacks the bazaar. Their goal is to steal weapons and armorêaswell as an old book possessed by Paula Dustyfingers, the curio vendor.

Investigate the armored caravan.
Talk to Paula Dustyfingers the curio seller about the book the hobgoblins wanted.
Talk to the archivist Aluvena the Keeper, the custodian of Whitesparrow history.
Find Littletoes, a goblin who escaped from the battle.
Follow the hobgoblins' trail back to the Watchtower of Set.
Travel through the goblin warrens beneath the tower.
Sneak into the inner keep of Grayspire, the hobgoblins' mountain fortress.
Face the hobgoblin leader Volixus in the throne room.

The hobgoblins are building a terrible city-destroying war machine in the western mountains.
The war machine was forged in the fires of the Nine Hells centuries ago, and was lost in a great battle.
The hobgoblins have gnome tinkerers and alchemists working on the war machine, but it isn't clear whether those are prisoners or allies.
A hobgoblin half-dragon veteran known as Volixus the Burning Rage leads the hobgoblins.
In addition to his goblin and hobgoblin army, Volixus has hired a band of ogre mercenaries known as the Bonemashers.
The hobgoblins have taken over a ruined mountain fortress known as Grayspire.
Centuries past, Grayspire served as the fortress headquarters of High Lord Grandel Whitesparrow, but it fell into ruin long ago.
A nearly limitless series of sewers and catacombs spreads out beneath Grayspire—including some caverns and ancient ruins said to predate the construction of the citadel.
Wraiths haunt the old Watchtower of Set, which sits above tunnels connecting it to the lower levels of Grayspire.
The library of Lord Whitesparrow might hold old maps or clues t onavigating the sewers and tunnels beneath Grayspire.

Watchtower of Set: Narrow goat-path leads to a ruined watchtower; shattered and crumbling stone covered in strange black oil; collapsed floor leads one hundred feet down into tunnels below the mountains
Goblin Hovels: Network of caves beneath Grayspire; shrine to a goblin god of servitutde called Irons; cascades of oily black water
Courtyard of Bones: Ruined courtyard filled with the bones and rusted armor of the dead; bones of devils rumored to growl in anger; great spiked wheels from the remnants of shattered infernal war machines
War Engine: Juggernaut set with black iron skull; huge spiked wheels in the front; vast burning engine of glowing green hellfire
Molten Keep: Keep of granite half-melted by intense otherworldly heat; petrified bodies reaching out from the molten walls; throne of iron and steel flanked by huge black-armored statues

Paula Dustyfingers: Seller of old curios and relics. Marcus Brody from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
Volixus the Burning Rage: Leader of the hobgoblins. Bane from Batman.
Littletoes: Goblin escapee from the hovels beneath Grayspire. Gollum from the Lord of the Rings.
Aluvena the Keeper: Elven archivist of the Whitesparrow familly. Sarah O'Briend from Downton Abbey.

Volixus carries Stonehewer, a greatsword of sharpness forged for High Lord Grandel Whitesparrow some four hundred years ago.
He also wears a pair of gauntlets of ogre power.

Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild