```metadata
title: 'ADVENTURE: The Goblins of Grim Hollow'
description: ''
tags: []
systems: []
renderer: V3
theme: 5ePHB
```
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# The Goblins of Grim Hollow
###
There have always been Goblins in Grim Hollow. And they have always been a problem for the locals. The Grim Hollow Clan grows, causes trouble, and is then chased from the area by the local militia, only to return some time later. It's been the same cycle for decades. That is until recently. Something has changed. This time the Goblins put up a fierce defense and many locals were wounded. And so the towns have turned to Adventurers.
}}
{{toc,
- ## TABLE OF CONTENTS
- #### [{{ SETUP INFORMATION}}{{ 2}}](#p3)
- #### [{{ ACT 1: Town Meeting}}{{ 3}}](#p4)
- #### [{{ ACT 2: Grim Hollow}}{{ 4}}](#p5)
- #### [{{ ACT 3: The Goblin Hole}}{{ 5}}](#p6)
- #### [{{ ACT 4: Nilbog}}{{ 6}}](#p7)
- #### [{{ CLOSING}}{{ 7}}](#p8)
- #### [{{ OTHER LINKS}}{{ 8}}](#p9)
- #### [{{ LORE AND MORE}}{{ 9}}](#p10)
- #### [{{ MAPS}}{{ 10}}](#p11)
}}
:
### ADVENTURE MECHANICS
- Target Party: 4 Level 2 Adventures
- Difficulty: Standard
- Expected Playtime: 3 Hours
- Tone: Monster Elimination
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### STYLE "Quick Shot"
A Quick Shot is designed to give the GM an outline of what is going on inside of the adventure. It is mostly just ideas. The Story is fleshed out, and likely includes basic Location and NPC descriptions, but is far more conceptual regarding things like encounters, rewards, and hazards. The Quick Shot gives all the basics most GMs require to lead a fantastic game.
:
### PLAYING A.O.G. ADVENTURES
AOG adventures are written and designed to be system neutral to avoid Copyright and IP conflicts or issues. They will lean toward a d20 system, particularly D&D, but language referencing specific creature types, treasures, and environments may be more generic or cast in my Homebrew World. All of which should be easily imported into any system of your choosing. I also write and do a lot of things in my own style. There is a simple breakdown of these things at the end, and this link leads to an [Appendices](https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/mycj8rDJGKXG) of notes and my thoughts on mechanics to help GMs and Players understand what I may mean by certain phrases and ideas, as well as helpful links to our own source materials.
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## What is The AOG?
It started 40ish years ago. I still remember the day my cousin brought out this thin blue book with a white sketched dragon on its cover and a pile of strange dice. He told eight year old me that we were going to play a game where I could be anything I wanted (as long as it was an elf, dwarf, human, or halfling). I immediately developed that love of bringing people along on journey after journey, and through all the moments and four decades of playing, the trip has never lost its wonder.
Now, my son and I run Amplus Ordo Games as armchair content creators who donate our work to the hobby at large. We host a Patreon which runs like a D&D Magazine, posting mostly Maps and Full Adventures. We do dabble into other areas like stories, and thoughts on the game. My son helps write our “Year One” series which are adventures designed for entry level DMs and players, and we use that content to run the after school Jr High Group.
Any donations are used to fund an afterschool TTRPG Club, our own hobbies, and of course pizza. If you would like to make some requests or support the work you can check us out at [AOG](https://www.patreon.com/amplusordogames). The site has over 2 year's worth of work and there are no paywalls. 50+ Adventures, Hundreds of maps, and a lot of support content.
On the purely Social Media side. We're active on Reddit Subs and our Discord, where we host games, fulfill requests for our supporters, and a smidge of commission work. I coach many of our subscribers regularly on DMing and fantasy cartography.
:
### Contact us
:
[PATREON](https://www.patreon.com/amplusordogames) Amplus Ordo Games
[DISCORD](https://discord.gg/GDp7a3CFtA) Join the Network
[REDDIT](https://www.reddit.com/r/amplusordogames/) Our Sub in Reddit (Not super active)
[FACEBOOK](https://www.facebook.com/Amplusordogames) Yeah we know... Facebook...
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## ADVENTURE BRIEFING
### Story Flow
There have always been Goblins in Grim Hollow. And they have always been a problem for the locals. The Grim Hollow Clan grows, causes trouble, and is then chased from the area by the local militia, only to return some time later. It's been the same cycle for decades. That is until recently. Something has changed. This time the Goblins put up a fierce defense and many locals were wounded. And so the towns have turned to Adventurers. They have turned to you.
The players witness a town meeting out in the square. The local villagers are angry. The Goblins are becoming a real problem. There are a lot of threats lobbed at the elders and magistrates. THey want something done and they want it done now. The players are called upon to take up this challenge and put an end to the threat. They will be well compensated. However, once they’re neck deep in goblins they’re going to find out the problem is a bit more complicated.
There is a Nilbog in charge of the clan now, and as anyone who has dealt with one of these creatures knows, the Nilbog does not die easily. They’ll have to corner it, capture it, and take it someplace else. Why? Well, because every time it dies, the spirit possessing it simply leaps into another nearby Goblin. The only way to end it is to remove it from the area, and hopefully end it with no other Goblins in the area.
### Game Opening and Hooks
This adventure shouldn't be difficult to get the players into. They're low level and usually don't get too far off books this early in a campaign.
- **Just Arriving to Town:** The players are traveling and arrive to town just as the Town Meeting starts up.
- **Road Ambush:** The players are attacked on the road by a Goblin ambush. They'll certainly want to deal with the problem afterward.
- **Job Board:** The locals have put up fliers for the job to deal withe the goblins and for the Town Meeting.
### Using Monster Minions
I highly recommend using Minions in this adventure. Minions are nearly identical to their normal counterparts, except for one important distinction. They have only 1 hp, and maybe a lower AC, which makes them easy to eliminate but still dangerous. This mechanic was introduced in 4E D&D, and used to add a great number of enemy combatants to the field.
### Tier of Play
The adventure is designed for level two adventurers. It is obviously Goblin centered and the players will know this very early on, and they will likely not think much of it. Take advantage of this and attempt to build a strong feeling of "Did we bit of more than we can chew?"
### Locations
#### Forest Village
There isn't much need for an elaborate location for this adventure. A large village or small town will do nicely. It should be just big enough to have basic shops and maybe one kind of "specialty" business.
### NPCs
#### Mayor Figure
The adventure we will need a town leader. Call them whatever you want - Mayor, Magister, Elder, Etc... The leader should be worried about the situation, but more worried about how the locals are dealing with it. They're concerned about the Goblins, but even more concerned with their position and keeping the status-quo.
#### Town Rabble Rouser
Another figure you may want to consider is the individual who started the protest. An angry farmer or a local merchant would do nicely. Maybe someone who wants to be the next Mayor.
#### Militia Captain
Seeing as how the Militia has attempted already to deal with the problem, and it didn't go so well. The players may want to find them and get some information about the Goblins before heading out.
## OPENING CUT-SCENE
{{monster,frame
### Scene Title
##### The Goblins dance around the fire, screeching, and howling with madness and glee. A charring humanoid corpse cooks over the flames. They won a battle, took captives, and are eating man flesh! Their shaman comes forward and shakes a skull full of small stones. The others immediately quiet. "Magubliet's Chosen has led us to victory!" The Goblins cheer again. She lets them have a moment and then shakes the skull. A small vicious looking Goblin steps forward, a predatory smile on its lips. The Shaman steps aside and the others cower in reverence. "Grim Hollow prepare yourselves. I am yours and you are mine. Given to us by our god! And soon all will know our wrath!" He raises a bloody sword above his head and the Goblins burst into a frenzy tearing into the cooking meat and even into one another. There is madness here, even for goblins, and the Chose loves every moment of it.
}}
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## ACT 1
### Town Meeting
A local farmer came to town complaining about the Grim Hollow Goblins raiding livestock from his farm, and has gathered a crowd. This is not the first raid recently. In fact the Goblins are a long running problem, one that the towns in the area usually deal with, but something has been different this time. The raids have become really frequent, and been far more organized than those of the past. And the people are very upset. The local Militia members have been unsuccessful in dislodging the Goblins. So the towns call upon the Adventurers to help them deal with the threat.
You’ll need a “Mayor” figure, and a couple of local farmers who have been attacked recently in the crowd. The Militia Captain makes sense as well. The meeting is on the verge of becoming a riot. This makes a great opening skill challenge or two. They can make checks to see things like... *Emotions on the verge of boiling over. A young man picks up a rock. Whispers in the crowd of rushing the mayor. Picking up and the general anger of the people present.*
A lot of different checks can cover these type of things. The Mayor is also seeing this. Just before, or maybe just after, things go poorly; they will make an effort to hire the Adventurers to deal with the problem, and offer a substantial reward for doing so. They should get some *Healing Potions* and at least 1 scroll of *Lesser Fireball (Same size but does 2d6 Fire Damage)* to help them clear out any large Goblin Groups.
## ACT 2
### Grim Hollow
Once they’ve accepted the job the local officials will point them in the direction of an area known as Grim Hollow. This is a large valley deep in the forest that has long been the home to the Grim Hollow Goblins. The trip there shouldn’t be overly difficult, I suggest even having a river for them to follow right to Grim Hollow. I would place it far enough away that they’ll need to camp once during the trip. THis creates a great opportunity for a Random Encounter with a forest creature. Maybe a bear or some wolves.
Grim Hollow itself should reflect the residents. A dark gnarled forest with large thickets and painful briar patches. There should also be Goblin made border markers and warning totems covered in blood, animal skulls, and even some humanoid remains. The ground is rocky and uneven bordering on it being Difficult Terrain rules wise. There should be ample cover for small creatures as well. Large fallen tree trunks and tumbled boulders are common. There even may be some old ruins or an abandoned homestead that could be hiding dangers.
The environment becomes the perfect place for a Goblin ambush, and you should carry one out here. You’re players won’t want the Goblins knowing that they are coming, so an ambush creates a panic point for them. Do their enemies already know? Or was this a chance encounter and they must eliminate the threat to keep things quiet? They’ll ask all these questions during combat. It creates a lot of opportunity for you as a DM to work them over.
:
{{note
### EVENT: Goblin Ambush
Goblins aren’t complicated. They like to be sneaky and they run once they’ve lost the upper hand. Now, I recommend using Goblin Minions (1hp low AC and damage monsters) to add a lot of enemies to the field without upping the danger level too much. Also players love slicing through enemies.
#### Description
*The only clue you have to the danger you find yourselves in is the ominous lack of sound in the area. The arrows come zinging in as the war cries rise up all around you. The Goblins have come.*
#### Combat Encounter
I reccomend 3 Goblins for each player. 1 Standard 2 Minions.
}}
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## ACT 3
### Goblin Hole
Eventually they’ll find the Goblin’s cavern. The cavern is a three chamber location with a small network of passages. The goblins will use these passages to subvert, flank, and flee from the Adventurers. Now depending on what they’ve already done, the Goblins may or may not be ready for them. That detail will frame a lot of how the rest of this goes. Either way there should be guards and lookouts at the entrance of the cavern. They will also meet for the first time the Nilbog, who will mock and taunt them, claiming to have “ascended” to become The Chosen of Magubliet! Soon after, whether the players start it or the Goblins do, a fight will break out. The Nilbog should be killed during this confrontation, but it doesn’t mind. The nature of this kind of creature is that it simply jumps to another available Goblin in range.
{{monster,frame
### The Goblin Hole
##### There is a foul odor coming from this cavern. It smells of rotting meat, wet animal, and filth. Bones and totems adorn the entrance. A clear warning to trespassers that danger wait inside for them. There is also a strange feel to the air, as if something is "wrong" here.
}}
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{{note
### EVENT: Goblin Guards
The gates are guarded by a small force which should include the Nilbog. The players should be somewhat surrounded here, but near the mouth of the cavern so they could retreat for some cover if they need to.
#### Description
*As you approach the entrance, a small wicked looking Goblin walks out of the darkness. "You're tough, I'll give you that. But you are not welcome here. This is Grim Hollow territory. Turn back or die. I won't give you another chance."*
#### Likely Player Actions
- **Attack**: Always the strongest possibility.
- **Talk it Out:** The Nilbog is only interested in talking if the players are willing to uphold its claim to all of Grim Hollow and nearby areas. It will also taunt the players.
- **Leave:** I suppose it could happen... it wont. If they do the Goblins will track them and ambush them at a good opportunity and throw everything they have at them! This would replace the "end" fight.
#### Combat Encounter
This shouldn't be a hard fight. The Nilbog actually wants them to kill it. That way it can jump into another Goblin and freak them out. I would use maybe 4 Goblins and the Nilbog.
}}
{{note
### EVENT: Didn't We Kill You?
Soon after entering the cavern they’ll encounter a much larger group of Goblins, many of whom are hiding out of sight. Here they’ll meet the Nilbog again! It should make it abundantly clear that it is the same entity. This fight should be a bit tougher than the other fight.
##### Description
*You begin to get that feeling of being watched again. Rocks skitter nearby. You know the Goblins are close and preparing to attack. It is then you hear a whisper from the darkness. "I told you I wouldn't give you another chance to leave. But oh no you had to go try and kill me. Now it's my turn."*
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#### Combat Encounter
While this isn't the final encounter with the Nilbog and the Goblins, this should be a tougher one. I would runs this in waves with a lot of minions. If you're using the provided maps you want this to ideally take place at the Wolf Pens and let them loose during the fight as well.
During this fight the Nilbog should be killed and jump to another Goblin still nearby. Have them "see" the Nilbog Spirit actually do this. The newly possessed Nilbog will then flee the battlefield deeper into the cavern. You may have to do this more than once depending on initiative order.
}}
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## ACT 4
### Nilbog
Now begins their chase through the tunnels. If they missed it during the last fight, we will have to clue the players in to what is actually happening. Perhaps they catch it alone and have the Nilbog tell them as it kills itself to jump again. Maybe another fight? Or maybe some crude cave paintings detailing the story of the Grim Hollow Goblins somehow releasing the Nilbog from some sort of prison. A Jar, Box, Magic Lamp. Just about anything really. Once they’re aware of what’s happening they’ll have to figure out how to best end the problem. Eliminate every Goblin in the area? Or capture the Nilbog and take it someplace it can’t cause problems? This is one of those player moments where they may come up with something really bonkers. Whatever they decide they’re now headed toward the final encounter.
They will eventually find their way into the main chamber of the Grim Hollow Clan. The Nilbog should at this point have possessed yet another Goblin. And it is also becoming agitated with how things are going. So rather than possess a tougher goblin, let’s have it possess a Goblin Booyagh! A little one, Booyagh’s can be really dangerous and our fairly fresh adventurers won’t be ready for that. What I love about Booyagh’s is that every time they cast a spell a Wild Magic surge happens. Which can be an absolute blast… literally.
{{note
### EVENT: Can We Talk?
Once here have the Nilbog offer them a "fair" fight. It and his best warriors against the players. If the players win it surrenders. The Nilbog has no intention of fighting fair. Once a fight starts all the Goblins will attack.
#### Description
*As you enter into the chamber you find goblins cowering in fear before you. The Chosen One stands up on a ledge flanked by torches. "Wait! We will kill you, but not before many more of my people die. I propose this instead. Our champions fight you to the death. If you win I will surrender.*
#### Likely Player Actions
- **Kill Them All:** This is what they almost certainly do.
- **Negotiate:** This could help them as the Goblin Champions will all gather in the same spot and not be spread out.
- **Turn the Tables:** They may try and do a fake out. Agree and then launch a "surprise" attack. Let them roll this out.
#### Combat Encounter
The encounter concept here is a large mob of enemies surging down on them. They should be surrounded by minions with both ranged and melee attacks. The Nilbog will use its magic without regard for the other goblins' lives. Hopefully they saved their scrolls.
- Use as many minions as you need here.
- As for the Champions: 1 Lesser Booyah (Nilbog), 2 Bugbears, 1 Goblin Boss.
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## CLOSING
Once they’ve killed the Nilbog or captured the Nilbog’s last host, they can head home. Now there area a few scenarios we should discuss. First let’s talk about capture. I rarely hit my players with a random encounter at the close of the adventure, but if I was going to this may be the spot. Why? Because if the players get into a tussle while transporting a captive, that prisoner is likely going to attempt to escape. And that can lead to more adventures and mayhem. If that Nilbog gets away (and it should) you can bet your bottom dollar that it will return later to cause them trouble. The same goes with our other option, they killed it. This wiley little creature surely had a back up host waiting somewhere nearby, which means no matter how they resolved the fight, this is far from over. And that, my friends, is a wonderful thing. For now though, no matter how they ended it, they get to go home and collect the promised reward.
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## REWARDS
Your players were promised a reward, now I don't know what you have planned, but I like non traditional rewards. Of course I give my players "gold" and "treasures" but I also like to toss in some things that add some "local flavor" to the mix.
In this case, since we're dealing with farming villages, I think a cow, a small flock of sheep or a herd of chickens would do quite nicely. What will your players do with such a mighty gift? Who knows but it always fun for you as the DM to watch them figure things like that out.
And I would also probably give them something useful as well. They're probably pretty interested in those *Lesser Fireball* scrolls. Which aren't produced locally, but maybe they get a voucher to go get more? Or maybe a locally made cart or vardo to have the new cow pull? They'll love that!Its like having their own camper!
*That's it for this Adventure! See you next time!*
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::
# The End
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# THANKS FOR PLAYING
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**I do want to take one last moment to sincerely thank you for playing an AOG Adventure. It means a lot to me as a creator. If you enjoyed it please leave me some comments on wherever you found this adventure. You can support more content like this by subscribing to our Patreon. [AMPLUS ORDO GAMES](https://www.patreon.com/amplusordogames)**
:::::
### ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
To the Long History of Open Gaming that allows our adventures to be written system neutral.
The folks at WotC, Paizo, Kobold Press, and others publishing with Creative Commons and Open Licenses.
Original story written by Amplus Ordo Games
All Maps and Handouts were done by Designers at AOG using Inkarnate
PDF Formatting done using The Homebrewery
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# MAPS,LORE, AND MORE
## Notes, Lore, Stories, Handouts, Maps, & Statblocks
:
D&D is a complicated dance of information and imagination. I've often found a lot of trouble seeing someone else's vision in what they have written. Having put out dozens of adventures now, we at the AOG have figured out that what we see isn't always what you see. And while that is absolutely wonderful when it spawns creativity... it is absolutely tragic when it breeds confusion.
We understand that we have a specific and sometimes unique way of presenting infgormation, and so we've included the following items to help clear up some of that confusion.
You probably won't find sections like these in our "Year One" or "Quick Shot" Adventures, as those are designed to flow without a lot of extra information. But when it comes to our Bigger Releases we'll typically include quite a bit of extra information to bring some clarity to our thinking, to further expand on our vision, and hopefully add fuel to your own.
I think that's about all you need to know about this section.
And as always Thank You for playing with us!
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# Grim Hollow Forest
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##### NOTES
It's a forest...
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# Grim Hollow Forest: Cavern Entrance
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##### NOTES
It's a forest... BUT there is a small ravine with a cavern at one end of it. This is the entrance to the Goblins' lair.
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# Grim Hollow Cavern: Entrance
###
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1) ##### Entrance
The Entrance is adorned with bones and totems warning those who trespass to stay away. Guards can hide just around the corner to spy on and ambush those who dare approach.
2) ##### Guard Room
The entrance Guards camp here in this little side chamber. They don't keep much in the way of loot but there would be some supplies.
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3) ##### Stagnant Pools
This lower area floods during rains. It might be interesting to have it raining when the players arrive. A flash flood could be a great hazard.
4) ##### The Wolf Pens
The Goblins keep some wolves in the pen here, which sits higher than the rest of this area. The Goblins love feeding living creatures to the wolves for sport. They will also release the wolves if they cavern is invaded. The release mechanism is off to the side.
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# Grim Hollow Cavern: Deep Caves
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1) ##### The Prison Pit
Goblin's Keep their captives here, the pit is 40' deep. A watchtower keeps an eye on the prisoners below.
2) ##### Storage Room
The Goblins keeps some basic supplies and goods tucked away here.
3) ##### Storage Room
The Goblins keeps some basic supplies and goods tucked away here. There shouldn't be much of value.
4) ##### Common Quarters
The Goblin rabble sleeps in this little community
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4) ##### Common Quarters
The Goblin rabble sleeps in this little community
5) ##### The Central Fire
This larger area serves as a gathering space
6) ##### The Captains' Tunnel
The strongest members of the Grim Hollow Clan are allowed to live in this side tunnel
6) ##### The Chief's Ledge
The Goblin Chief and Shaman live up here above the rest of the clan. The Chief keeps the Clan's Treasures in their tent.
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## PLAYING AN AOG ADVENTURE: THE BASICS
#### Homebrewed World
First off, almost all my adventures are set in my Homebrew World of Taalist, particularly the Continent of Krenshad. Which the majority of has a very Gothic Art and Renaissance Period cultural feel to it. With some Greek and Middle Eastern Culture from various time periods thrown in there for flavor. That said… Almost all of my Adventures can be easily ported into your location of choice. If you would like to play in Taalist my Campaign Guide (All 150+ Pages of it) can be accessed on our Discord.
#### The Lay Out
I divide my adventures into “Acts”. An Act doesn’t necessarily reflect an amount of time, but more of an important series of events or locations. Some Acts may take 5 minutes, some 5 hours. Why? I dunno, ask the players who over complicate simple matters and simplify the overly complex.
#### Skill Check DCs
I don’t spend a lot of time defining DCs as I play with a bit wider scale of success and failures. What does that mean? For reference the DC scale in 5E looks like this.... Very Easy DC 5, Easy DC 10, Medium DC 15, Hard DC 20, Very Hard DC 25, Nearly Impossible DC 30. When I list a DC, I will tell you it is Hard. But Hard for one party may be easy for another so I leave the actual number value up to you. I also play with a “Success but with Consequences” mentality. That means if they get close they still accomplish their goal, but there is a “but” to that success. An Example? Hard Stealth DC is 20, they roll an 18, I tell them “You sneak past the guard you see, but the guard you didn’t see heard something and is headed your way.” I think it adds more to the story that way.
#### Search Checks
I often reference Search Checks. What is a Search Check? When the players want to “search” something or for something I let them use either Investigation or Perception. I know that isn’t RAW but it just makes things so much easier. I got real tired of explaining to players who have been playing with me for years the difference between the two… just let them look for stuff!
#### Treasure Sizes
Every game is different. So I do not *usually* list out treasures. Instead I use the following terms to assign value not size to the treasure Petty, Small, Medium, Large, Huge. Often I will use a combination of them. You can decide how best to fulfill that for your party.
#### Identify Rules
I use a different style of Identify. Items in my world have a Knowledge DC on them (Arcana, Religion, History, and Nature). I allow the player to use an appropriate Check on an item to identify it. The Identify Spell adds a +10 to this. It can be upcast for additional +5 bonuses. Depending on the score of the Check I give them different information. Some information is extremely hard to obtain, for example Curses are well hidden behind DCs that are at least DC 30, often much higher.
#### Opening Cutscene
I like to start my games with an Opening Cutscene which is read before anything else happens. These are usually really vague bits of information that give a glimpse into something that will maybe happen later, happened before the adventure, or is story adjacent to it. I have found these to be great tools to set the mood and create a little mystery.
#### Setting, Background Info, and Hooks
These portions can be used as you see fit. Each one is a little different, so it is hard for me to say how best to use them. Some will play better if you can get them into the hands of the players before the game. Others may have better influence when read just after the Cutscene. Some are really only relevant to moments in the story. But as in all things you do what is best for your game! That is always the way to go.
#### Skill Challenges
I use the idea of Skill Challenges a lot. What is that? It is an event in the game that isn’t quite an encounter and it isn’t a simple skill check. It is a problem they solve with their whole skill set. Typically they must get three successes before three failures in order to succeed in a skill check. The thing about a Skill challenge is they’re are vague on purpose to allow players to be creative in solving a problem. An example may help here.
> - DM says “Your Boat is taking on water. What would you like to do?”
> - Player 1 responds with “I use my carpentry tools to fix the hole” and they make a Tool Check. But they roll a 2 so they fail. Too much water.
> - Player 2 says “ wants to row harder with the crew to get us toward shore faster” They make an Athletics Check and roll an 18. So that is a success.
> - Player 3 “I use Destroy Water to get water out” OK, well it only destroys 10 gallons so it isn’t super helpful, but the momentary reprieve allows a little drywork to happen and allow player 1 to reroll.
}}