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Secure Halli's Orders Before the Patrol Finds Him - AI-generated fantasy Encounter

Secure Halli's Orders Before the Patrol Finds Him

Encounters
A tense negotiation during a dangerous passage · Low · 6 players, level 19

Secure Halli's Orders Before the Patrol Finds Him

Halli's copied orders could expose the court's actions, but his discovery or death risks alerting the patrol and destroys any chance of Vigdis's forgiveness.

Run the talk

Successes
0/4
Failures
0/2

Starts Neutral

Base DC 22

Success Halli hands over the copied court orders and leads the party directly to the dissidents' safe house

Failure After two failures

Party 6 players, level 19

System D&D 2024

Cheat sheet

The party wants

Win Halli's trust, obtain the court orders, and reach the dissidents' safe house without alerting the patrol.

Success

Halli hands over the copied court orders and leads the party directly to the dissidents' safe house, provided they agree to protect him along the way.

Failure

After two failures, Halli slips away into the dark and raises the alarm.
Clock
4 / 2
successes / failures
Base DC
22
Starts
Neutral

Read aloud

Say this

Your boots find the first steps by feel, while the black ice steals the little light behind you. A reflection glides along the gallery wall, then vanishes around the bend. From the dark comes a careful breath and the faint scratch of a pen case against stone.

Who says what

They wantHalli wants to escape Halvren's reach with his copied orders intact, and will risk leading the party to the dissidents only if he believes they will protect him.

LeverageOffer Halli protection from Halvren's people, or show that the party can get him safely to the dissidents. The copied orders are his bargaining chip.

  • Halli

    If offered protection, Halli asks, 'From whom, and where do we go after this?'

  • If the party threatens him, he grips his pen case and says, 'You already have soldiers. Why do you need a scribe?'

  • If they promise to protect him but name no plan, he answers, 'That is a sentence, not a route.'

  • Halli

    If the party kills Halli, the clock advances by 1 and Vigdis will not forgive them.

Maneuvers

DC 20Cold Stair: , 22, or 24 Wisdom (Survival) to find the route without light. On failure, each exposed character makes a Constitution save or gains 1 level of Exhaustion.
DC 20Mirror Gallery: , 22, or 24 Dexterity (Stealth) to cross without making a reflection. On failure, a patrol notices and the clock advances by 1.
DC 22Footsteps: Wisdom (Perception) or Dexterity (Stealth) to catch Halli following. On failure, he is lost in the dark and raises the alarm.
DC 22Rim Door: Dexterity check with thieves' tools or smith's tools to open the dissidents' rigged door. On failure, it freezes shut for an hour.
DC 22When the party catches Halli, let each character contribute through a distinct approach; resolve each meaningful attempt with a ability check.

What the party can use

Offer a specific safe route or a credible escort instead of a vague promise.
Let Halli hear the party discussing what they will do with the copied orders.
A character who speaks quietly and gives Halli room to choose can try to earn his trust.
For six characters, assign separate roles: scout the stair, mask reflections, listen for Halli, and work the door. Resolve each stage with a group check or the relevant character's check.
Use the listed passage DCs by tier: Easy 20, Moderate 22, Hard 24. The Footsteps and Rim Door use DC 22.

What happens

30–45 minutes
  1. ·

    After the party completes the Mirror Gallery challenge.

    A patrol's lantern slides across the mirror ice. If the party was noticed, the patrol calls for a search.

  2. ·

    When the party fails a passage challenge before catching Halli.

    Halli loses his footing on the stair and catches himself against the ice with a sharp scrape.

  3. ·

    If the party fails the door-opening challenge.

    The rim door's mechanism locks solid with a brittle crack; it will not open for an hour unless the party finds another way through.

The battlefield

Zones

  1. 1

    Cold Stair25 ft

    A steep, unlit stair descends between ice walls. Frost hides shallow footholds.

  2. 2

    Mirror Gallery25 ft

    Polished ice throws back even a dim glow. A patrol passes beyond the far wall.

  3. 3

    Footsteps25 ft

    A narrow passage bends twice; muffled footsteps arrive from behind, then stop.

What the party can use

Black ice carries sound; a dropped tool can betray the party's position.
A hooded lantern turned toward the Mirror Gallery gives Halli a clear reflection to follow.
The rim door's exposed catch can be warmed, but heat makes a faint hiss audible down the corridor.

Treasure

Halli carries copied orders from the court ledger in a waxed pen case.

Media

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