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The Dockmaster's Ledger

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Roleplay EncounterDND5E 2024Party L4 · 4 PCs

The Dockmaster's Ledger

Read Aloud

The dock office stinks of wet rope and lamp oil. Marta Venn has one hand on a ledger, one on the crate seal, and two men outside the door arguing about whose money is real. She looks up and says, 'If you want this crate, talk fast. I am already out of patience.'

The Scene

NEUTRALNEGOTIATIONBase DC 14

Stakes If the party loses the crate, the people named inside the ledgers can be paid off, silenced, or framed before dawn.

15 to 30 minutes

NPC Goal

Protect her job, keep the crate from vanishing, and avoid being the one blamed when the reeve asks questions.

Leverage

She needs a clean decision before the next bell and she hates being caught between thieves and officials.

Player Approaches
  • Mention the reeve's audit and her missing shipment form
  • Offer to escort the crate to the reeve yourself
  • Name the rival buyers and the clerk they paid
  • Show proof that the seal was tampered with
  • Promise silence about her delay if she helps now
NPC Gambits
  • Ask for a private word away from the dockhands
  • Offer a practical trade instead of a plea
  • Press on duty, not greed
  • Use a local name or favor to prove you know the harbor
  • Let Marta save face by framing the handoff as her idea
NPC Reactions
  • Sharp, tired, and suspicious of smooth talk
  • Respects direct answers and visible proof
  • Snaps at anyone who wastes her time
  • Softens if the party treats her like a working woman, not a pawn

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Connections