As the party sits at the local tavern (preferably in a coastal town), a woman walks up to the table. She is middle-aged and has a concerned and apologetic look on her face.
“Excuse me, but I was wondering if you might be able to help me with something. My husband…he, uh, he needs some help.” Clearly slightly embarrassed but also a bit sheepish, she continues. “He was once a great pirate and traveled every sea the realm had to offer. He has since retired, but can’t seem to shake the sea life.”
The woman is Esperanza Tresruedas, the local seamstress. Her husband, Handsome Jimmy, is having a bit of trouble acclimating to his land legs.
“He didn’t bring much back with him for his life on land, which is plenty for me, but he has one final thing that’s getting in the way of our relationship. He traded his boat in for a nice wagon, but he kept one thing from his ship. His wheel.”
She pulls out a small portrait that was done of the couple and says, “I love the man, but this damn wheel is ruining our marriage.”
“He takes it everywhere and sometimes stands in the water, just staring out into nothingness and turning the wheel. He even has a belt with a smaller wheel on there!” Exasperated, Esperanza composes herself and pleads with the party. “Will you help me? I’ve got an idea of how we might rid him of this wheel, but it could be dangerous.”
She’s tried everything from interventions to hiding the wheel, but none of it has helped. She asks the party if they’ll try some unconventional methods in the hopes that Handsome Jimmy will finally see life on land is just as exciting.
A Dinner To Die For
Esperanza’s first idea is for an upcoming dinner. She and Jimmy will be going to dinner at Le Bernarrrrdin Restaurant, a local establishment that specializes in pirate delicacies (elevated hardtack, salt beef, old cheese, etc). Her request is for the party to stage a robbery and attempt to steal his wheel, but they must speak like pirates the entire time, otherwise “it wouldn’t make sense”. She expects Jimmy will fight to protect her and the wheel, so they’ll need to fight, but also put on a good performance and “die.”
Sure enough, at the agreed-upon time, Handsome Jimmy and Esperanza come down the road to the restaurant, Jimmy with his gigantic captain’s wheel in tow.
As Esperanza sits, Jimmy rests his wheel against a wall close to them and whispers something to it as he gently pats it. He sits and lovingly looks at his wife. The two begin to enjoy their dinner and from here it is up to the party how they proceed.
Things to know:
- The restaurant is only half-full, but the other patrons do not look formidable. They will likely flee if any chaos starts.
- The chef is not in on the charade and is likely to join the fight after the third round (plenty of time to hear the commotion)
- The party should not use lethal force, but should aim to destroy or steal the wheel (leverage grappling mechanics and treat the wheel as a medium-sized object)
- If the party kills Handsome Jimmy, they will be labeled as outlaws and everyone remaining will attempt to kill them. If they flee, the town militia will ensue.
- If the party destroys the wheel, Handsome Jimmy will go into a rage for two rounds similar to a Barbarian
- The party could also put on more of a show instead of fighting, which will require a series of Performance and Persuasion checks to convince Jimmy that he should let the wheel go
- Use the “Pirate Captain” stat block below for Handsome Jimmy
Resolution
However the scene at the restaurant plays out, Handsome Jimmy will thank the party. He is slightly embarrassed his wife put the party through this but sees how his attachment to the wheel was unhealthy. “I have everything I need right here on dry land.”
He offers the party his Captain’s Belt as a reward, along with a bag of whatever the DM feels is useful.
Captain’s Belt – Rare Item
- It’s drivin’ me nuts! The wearer is driven into a state of madness equivalent to the length in which they decide to don the belt. If only for a battle, roll on the short-term table. If for a day+ roll on the long-term. If the wearer decides it’s now a part of their personality, roll on the indefinite madness table.
- +2 Charisma when wearing the belt because it is both fashionable and commanding.
- Leadership Ability (single use per long rest if worn for more than a day). For 1 minute, the wearer can utter a special command or warning whenever a nonhostile creature that it can see within 30 feet of it makes an attack roll or a saving throw. The creature can add a d4 to its roll provided it can hear and understand the commander. A creature can benefit from only one Leadership die at a time. This effect ends if the wearer is incapacitated.
How do you think your party would manage with this one? What tweaks would you make? Let us know below!
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