Get That Chicken!

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Hey there reader, this is a stand alone adventure designed for 2-4 players. My personal attempt at a one page adventure with a self contained ruleset so no need to understand the rules of Dungeons & Drgaons or anything like that. I plan to keep adding bits to spruce the article up but here are bare bones. Anyway enough ramblig from me, hope you enjoy :)

For years there has been rumours of a magical and mystical zoo hidden in the northern mountains with all kinds of weird and wonderful extinct animals. From the fire horses of the jungles to the giant flying manta rays that dart around at the speed of sound. And the most fantastical of them all is one very special chicken. And tonight, you will get that chicken! You and a team of whoever you could pull together at the local tavern devise a plan to sneak into the zoo and claim the chicken for yourselves. The plan is simple. Step 1, get in. Step 2, find the chicken. Step 3, get out. Couldn’t be easier. But what complications will you find along the way…

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The Rules!

Characters:

Each character gets a special trait which helps them with obstacles they may encounter. These traits give characters a +2 when attempting an action. Along with the traits, each character has 2 spells listed down below.

The Drunk
Very good at distractions, very good actually

The Mythologist
Very good at recalling historical facts, boring but true

The Potion Farmer
Very good with plants and what not

The Thief
Very good at sleight of hand, like a magician only more greedy

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Spells:

Each character can choose upto 2 spells for the mission or roll a d12 to select at random. Each spell is a one time use but do not require a roll to succeed.

1. Disguise – you transform into something that blends into your surroundings and for once you look somewhat normal
2. Bouncy – an item of your choosing gets covered in a substance that makes trampolines look rather pathetic
3. Fireball – it’s a fireball… what were you expecting
4. Animal Tongue – something finally clicks in your brain and you can now ask the animal before you that weird thought you had in the shower
5. Translate – symbols before you rearrange themselves like a scrabble board until it begins to make sense
6. Magic Key – opens anything you try attempt to get into. A door, a window that strange glowing box on the floor. Anything
7. Not The Bees – why would you summon a swarm of bees? Why!
8. Bucket Full – get the watering can ready cause you’re about to make a litre of water
9. Mirage – no you’re not tripping, you just made an illusion that looks awfully real
10. Peep – like our good friend Tom you can look through a solid object and see what’s on the other side
11. Aging – time flies when you throw enough magical energy at it, turning it into a pile of very old ash and dust
12. Luck of the Gods – it’s almost impossible to do whatever it is you’re about to do. And yet, somehow it works

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Actions:

When an outcome is uncertain, roll 2d6. If the score is equal or higher than the stat your rolling against you succeed. If the score is lower, you fail. If you are using a character trait, you gain a +2 to the score.

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Stats:

Actions can fall into one of three categories which are:

Forceful
Anything that requires you to be big, strong and tough

Sneaky
Anything that requires to be quiet or use a delicate touch

Thinking
Anything that requires you to use your brain

All stats start with a score of 7 and change throughout the night by rolling double 6s or double 1s. If you roll a double 6, you lose a point on that stat (making the next roll easier). If you roll a double 1, you gain a point on that stat. If any of your stat scores reach 12, you are exposed and caught by the zookeepers.

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GM! Yes you. This next bit is for you, a sort of guide to help you expand on each step of the plan if you are struggling for ideas for each step of the plan. So I suggest you read it, or don’t. I’m not your mother...

Step 1: Get In

By Air

The magical menagerie of mythical beasts is located in the mountains, it would be quite a trek for you to go on foot. Luckily you have found a hot air balloon to navigate the skies. The warm glow of something over the horizon is a good indicator of where you need to be heading. Finally, you come across a large glass dome structure plopped on the scenery below. It would almost be lovely to look at if it were not for the fact there is a dozen black towers leading towards the zoo. Each one aiming a giant ray of light in the sky, you might want to avoid that. If you do, the dome has a nice flat surface to safely land on (How convenient).
Obstacle: Watch towers leading towards the zoo
Goal: Reach the zoo undetected

By Sewers

For a zoo as big as this one, there must be some kind of sewers right? Right. And that is exactly where you are heading. A big, smelly pipe is sticking out of the rocks that leads into the running stream through the mountains (Well they aren’t very environmentally friendly). Anyway the pipe is large enough to fit through and so you do. Only to find a maze of tunnels sprawling out in all directions. What’s worse is that all this gunk and wastage has come to life. In the form of slimes splashing around in dirty puddles. Maybe they are protecting the maintenance ladder that leads into the zoo? Or maybe they just want to splash around in dirty puddles. (Honestly it’s fifty fifty at this point).
Obstacle: A maze with wondering slimes
Goal: Find the ladder into the zoo

By the Side

You were able to ‘borrow’ of couple of O-Sillo from the local tavern. These goat-like creatures love to go for a run. So much that they completely ran past where you needed to be and you ended up jumping off to avoid being completely lost in the mountains. Now you are stood at the base of the zoo. With a massive wall that stands in your way, where the bricks seem to have a life of their own. Pushing in and out, occasionally pausing to contemplate the meaning of life for a stone brick. Doesn’t seem like anyone is at the top watching, so how they heck are you going to get up?
Obstacle: A very tall and wide moving wall
Goal: Find a way over the wall

By the Front Door

Whilst in the tavern you had a genius idea! Why not try the front door? Luckily there is a late-night cart service called Cart N Cart that wants to test out their new teleporting carriage. Get’s you there in a flash. The same can’t be said for the carriage or the driver (Poor bloke, legs aren’t meant to face that way). Now you have arrived a little way before the entrance and you can see a very large door that would be too heavy to move alone and two guards looking all serious. They don’t look like they are taking tickets.
Obstacle: Security Guards at the door
Goal: Get passed the guards

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Step 2: Locate

Desert Enclosure

There seems to be a drop into one of the enclosures that has a lot of sand. Not like the fun kind of sand on a beach and volleyball, but the kind of sand that is coarse and rough and irritating and gets everywhere. But hey, at least you haven’t fallen in and your chicken could be inside that giant sand pit. It best to investigate to be on the safe side. Once inside you find there is all sorts of rubbish poking out. Peanut shells, bags of half-eaten chips and other loose objects. Perhaps there is something to help you navigate the place?

GM: Ho-Na-Lah, imagine a horse. But the horse is on fire and it quite enjoys it. With a mane made of pure flame and a short horn on its snout that makes you think it shares ancestry with a unicorn. Yes majestic creatures with a love for burning things, not eating things like most beasts. Instead it prefers the taste of ash that crackles in their mouth. No one knows quite how they became endangered in the jungles but whenever anyone tries to ask the locals they just shrug.

Obstacle: Zookeepers are searching for you in the desert
Goal: Find some way to navigate the zoo

Fog Enclosure

After popping into a doorway without thinking too much about it. you turn to find it is awfully hard to see. There is this pale blue tinted fog in your way and circling around your feet as you shuffle forwards. After feeling around for little while, you stub your toe on something hard. It glints like a crystal because it is in fact, a crystal. A giant one in the shape of a screaming victim. And covered in something slimy? Whatever lives in here, it is best not to find out.

GM: Mounskum, slugs the size of a dog move at an incredibly slow pace. With not one but two sets of eyes at the end of their antennas with a stare so deadly it turns anyone who makes direct eye contact into a crystalized statue. Then break down the crystal with mucus to absorb the nutrients. Historians say they went extinct for no other reason than they weren’t fast enough to chase their victims, who simply walked away. The zookeepers don’t like entering this enclosure at all, they pump it full of fog and haphazardly throw animals in one a month and hopes that enough to keep the slimy beasts alive. The addition of a maze was a nice touch too, quite impressive if you could see it.

Obstacle: Mounskum wondering around in the fog that can petrify you
Goal: Escape the maze

Tree Canopy Enclosure

Racing around the corridors to avoid the glance of zookeepers, you end up on a balcony overlooking canopy of trees taller than any building you’ve seen before. Leaves all bunched at the top with bare and skinny trunks descending to the ground. Various wooden platforms stick out the trunks attached with rope bridges to walk across. You hear the sound of footsteps behind you and decide its best to enter the enclosure.

GM: White Writers, manta rays that took to the sky with long thin beaks. Extremely fast, often leaving a stream of wind and cloud behind them. We hope its clouds. Now hundreds of years ago they use to be all over the plateau but Necromancers being the no gooders that they are thought it was a good idea to start hunting them. Over decades they eventually dwindled the numbers down a couple dozen which is when the zoo stepped in to keep them safe. Friendly enough animals if you know where their food is, they might even let you hitch a ride.

Obstacle: A broken bridge is in the way of the exit
Goal: Reach the other side of the enclosure

Lush Fields Enclosure

You have come across slippery mud hills, frosty igloo hideouts and even a tight spaced cave. But now you come to a rather relaxing space, green grass that sways even though there isn’t a breeze, bunches of flowers giving off a pleasant smell and a small wooden shack that is the perfect size for a chicken sized bird. Finally, you have found your chicken but what is this on all the door and windows? Some kind of barrier? Why is it locked? And where is the key?

GM: Luskin, feathered obsession of the century. A Luskin looked like any other chicken, sounded like any other chicken and even felt like any other chicken. The only difference was the trance they put people in. One touch of this animal and people became infatuated with it. Uncontrollable hunger led people to consume it without hesitation. The obsession drove people insane and the Luskin were so desired by people there is no wonder they vanished off the face of the planet. Well, all except one. That’s what the zookeepers think anyway.

Obstacle: A chicken coop that is locked on all sides
Goal: Free the chicken

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Step 3: Escape

Releasing the chicken triggered an alarm putting the whole zoo on high alert. Bells ringing off in the distance, magical defence protocols activated and every zookeeper and guard heading for your general direction. Better get out whilst you can.
By Air – Scrambling higher and higher up stairwells and ladders you reach the top of the building. A walkway that circles the entire perimeter of the zoo. In the distance is some kind of flying machine that looks in good condition. Only problem is, there is a lot of guards in your way. Don’t suppose anyone can grow wings?
Obstacle: Guards in your way
Goal: Escape the zoo
Underground – The best way not to be seen is to get out of the open. You find a service hatch in the ground and it opens with ease. Heading down into the tunnels with various rails going in all sorts of directions. Must be some form of transport system for the copious amounts of animal feed. Perhaps if you follow them you might find a cart, a trolley or even the way out? But better hurry as the sound of guards echo in the distance getting closer and closer.
Obstacle: Lost in the tunnels
Goal: Escape the zoo
Riding – Through all the chaos of avoiding security you safely make your way to the outer edge of the zoo. Lights blazing and wildly searching around all over and guards jogging around with wands at the ready. But you happen to notice a group of creatures on the main road, just outside of the main entrance. O-Sillo, goat like creatures that love to go for a run and could make for a quick getaway. Could be a bit tricky to get to from here but if you do, then you're laughing. Let's hope the have saddles though because chafing is no joke.
Obstacle: Guards are in the way
Goal: Escape the zoo
Waystone – As adrenaline kicks in and the hangover starts to kick in, you remember something about a portal. Yeah, a conversation with an oversharing guard at the tavern revealed they have a portal somewhere in the zoo. If only you kept them talking long enough to give you the location of it. No matter, I’m sure if you just run aimlessly around long enough you can find it? If not, the guards certainly will and I don’t think they are in the mood for polite conversation.
Obstacle: Don’t know the location of the waystone
Goal: Escape the zoo

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Hi there, hope you enjoyed playing this game. If you're curious about the inspiration of any of the animals or how it links to the wider world of Violem, check out all the articles down below :)