Bokkenrijders

A ghastly creature streaks across the night sky, riding a fire-breathing demon goat and leaving behind the withered husk of a fresh kill. The citizens of Harbintown are beset by bandits, a ruthless lord, and the bokkenrijder. But something connects them all. Can a party of intrepid adventurers solve the mystery and save the village?

This Fifth Edition adventure is designed for three to six 5th - 7th level characters and is optimized for four characters with an average party level (APL) of 6.

Includes 2 NEW MONSTERS!

Adventure Background

Two years ago, a swindler named Crowder and his partner Inaayat came upon a riverside settlement named Harbintown. Crowder bore a remarkable resemblance to the local lord, Everton Harbin. They conspired to kill Harbin and take his place.

But things went wrong. They were discovered and eventually surrounded. Running out of options, Crowder took out the cursed idol he had stolen from his mentor and smashed it on the ground, even though he had no idea what it would do. A devil emerged from the smoke, riding on a giant, fire-breathing, fiendish goat. In desperation, Crowder made a deal with the creature. The lord’s mansion burned down, killing Everton, his family, and everyone inside it.

Crowder took Everton’s place, rebuilt the mansion (partially), and hired new guards, including a sassy, fast-talking rogue named Ramsey.

The devil’s influence began to change Crowder. He enacted brutal laws and levied punishing taxes. Many villagers were forced to leave and resorted to banditry in order to survive. In addition, the goat-riding devil killed villagers at regular intervals. That was the price to be paid. To protect his secret, Crowder blamed the bandits, claiming that they summoned the bokkenrijder from the depths of hell and unleashed it upon the populace. The common folk now toil and suffer under the ruthless rule of Crowder and the ever-present threat of the bokkenrijder...

Adventure Summary

This adventure is divided into three parts:

Part 1. The adventurers reach Harbintown, fighting off a gang of bandits on the way. At the local tavern, they are met by Inaayat and Ramsey. The bokkenrijder claims another victim as they speak. The adventurers are contracted by Crowder to find the bandits he says are responsible for the attack and eliminate them.

Part 2. It begins with a search for the bandit hideout. Once there, the adventurers discover that these are merely displaced villagers and have nothing to do with the bokkenrijder. However, Inaayat and Ramsey have been trailing the adventurers and show up behind them. The adventurers can try and convince the duo to spare the villagers or fight them to the death. They learn that Crowder isn’t who he claims to be and is definitely connected with the monster.

Part 3. The adventurers go to the manor to confront Crowder, where he has a surprise planned for them. The bokkenrijder shows up and attacks the adventurers. When they are at their weakest, Crowder joins in. Can the adventurers take down their combined forces? Or perhaps Crowder can yet be redeemed?

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This adventure was produced under the Kabouter Games Creator Assistance Program.

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About Kabouter Games

Kabouter Games is a pico-publisher of tabletop role-playing games and adventures.

We're the brains behind Spears & Spells, a streamlined, OSR-ish tabletop roleplaying game designed to get you telling fantastic stories with your friends in no time. It's easy to play, easy to run, and suitable for any fantasy setting, from heroic to gritty. 

We also created Toxandria, the FIRST complete game released under Chaosium Inc's Basic Roleplaying OGL! 

Kabouter Games creates adventures, GM support materials, stuff for players, and more, all for a variety of RPG systems - click here or the logo for our DriveThruRPG store (opens in new window).

Chief Kabouter R P Davis is a veteran RPG freelancer who's written and edited for a passel of pico-publishers, as well as bigger names like Kobold Press, Cubicle 7, Loresmyth, Onyx Path, and Wizards of the Coast. It was only a matter of time before he started his own thing.

Check out more Kabouter Games 5th Edition content on DMs Guild.