Expedition Into the Halno Woods

Introducing Expedition Into the Halno Woods, an entry-level adventure module for 1d4chan’s The Legend of Zelda role-playing game. Now you too can embark on the adventure first featured in our TBC Table-Top podcast. How will your own party of heroes fair on their quest to save the river? Will you triumph, or find yourselves up the creek without a paddle?

Download the PDF here!

In addition to the adventure itself, you can click here to download a supplement pack containing high-resolution maps, battle maps, and useful cheat sheets.

This module is compatible with the 1d4chan The Legend of Zelda R.P.G., the rules for which can be found here.

About This Module

This module aims to introduce players and Sages (i.e. game masters) to The Legend of Zelda R.P.G. It features a small, sandbox-styled adventure in which players can explore, fight monsters, and solve puzzles. It provides many scenarios to help sages learn and demonstrate many of the game’s rules and even includes examples of some of the game’s more abstract concepts, such as minigames. Moreover, the adventure is written to capture the feeling of playing a chapter of a Zelda game, following the recognizable formula of a town that’s in trouble, a task to reach the source of the problem, and finally a dungeon to test the players’ mettle. As such, this module focuses more on gameplay, allowing for sages to fill in the details of the story as they see fit.

The Story

The humble logging town of Addalet is in trouble. The river on which the village’s livelihood depends is drying up. Now the players must travel through the mysterious Halno Woods to the river’s source to uncover the cause of the town’s troubles.

Features

  • Two dungeons
  • A town full of lively characters
  • Ten side quests
  • A sprawling countryside with 17 unique locations
  • Stats for 18 different types of enemies
  • New survival rules for roughing it in the wild
  • New alternate navigation rules
  • Alternate potion brewing rules
  • Five pre-made characters

Advice for Running This Campaign

As a bonus, here are some tips for running this campaign and The Legend of Zelda R.P.G. in general:

  • This is a Zelda game: If you’ve played pen-and-paper R.P.G.s before, you probably know The Legend of Zelda has a very different tone and internal logic from games like Dungeons & Dragons. For instance, enemies drop items when defeated, and players can find money by cutting grass. While I encourage players and sages to take advantage of the additional freedom afforded by pen-and-paper R.P.G.s, players and sages should remember that this module was written using “Zelda logic” and that keeping that in mind will enhance your group’s enjoyment of the campaign.
  • Keep the monster stats on standby: For the sake of brevity, I put many of the monster stats in the appendices in the back of the module. I recommend printing these out and keeping them off to the side while running the game so you can quickly reference them.
  • Use battle maps and miniatures for combat: Combat in The Legend of Zelda R.P.G. is very heavily based on positioning and movement. As such, it’s critical that everyone can easily track what’s going on. I’ve tried running this game’s combat using “theater of the mind” and seen others attempt it, and it simply does not work.
  • Be open minded: Part of the fun of running an R.P.G. is seeing what wild and creative solutions the players come up with. If the players come up with an inventive solution to a puzzle that logically should work but isn’t mentioned in the module, then go ahead and let the party do it.

If you have any questions, comments, or corrections (rules, spelling, grammar, etc.) contact me at glen@twobuttoncrew.com.

TBC Table-Top: Episode 04 A Zelda Table-Top R.P.G. Adventure

Play

Join Scott, Simeon, Glen, and Nathan Blake of Nathan Blake Games on an adventure through the backwoods of Hyrule as the crew plays a table-top R.P.G. inspired by The Legend of Zelda.

After losing their way in the woods, our heroes run afoul of a band of bokoblin bandits.  Will the might of their arms be enough to fend off their assailants?

Read more TBC Table-Top: Episode 04 A Zelda Table-Top R.P.G. Adventure

TBC Table-Top: Episode 03 A Zelda Table-Top R.P.G. Adventure

Play

Join Scott, Simeon, Glen, and Nathan Blake of Nathan Blake Games on an adventure through the backwoods of Hyrule as the crew plays a table-top R.P.G. inspired by The Legend of Zelda.

After making their preparations, our heroes relax with a little arm-wrestling before venture into the woods.  Who or what will they encounter in the forest? Read more TBC Table-Top: Episode 03 A Zelda Table-Top R.P.G. Adventure