The American War for Independence D&D Style

Happy 4th of July to all you Americans out there today!  I thought I would take a few minutes and share some of the American Revolution adventure seeds I have been working on for my campaign that could be adapted to historical fantasy settings in general or to Colonial Gothic in particular.

It is the time of the American War for Independence on Earth-218.  The party, in addition to serving as couriers, soldiers, spies, and saboteurs, come to discover that supernatural creatures and magic still exist.

• First Continental Congress

05 Sep – 26 Oct 1774

The First Continental Congress meets in Philadelphia.

Peyton Randolph, the Congress President falls ill and is replaced by Henry Middleton.  Foul play is suspected and the group is asked to investigate.  They learn that Randolph has been poisoned (or cursed) by a British sympathizer who seeks to keep the Colonies divided.

• Werewolf in Boston

The siege of Boston in well underway and a stalemate has been reached between the British troops and American Revolutionists.  An officer, seeking a way to break the siege, makes contact with a Scandinavian immigrant and convinces him to make a wolf-pelt belt.  When worn, this belt allows the user to transform into a wolf while retaining his full intelligence.  The belt allows the officer to make several crippling attacks on the opposing force but it has a corrupting influence, slowly driving him to madness.  Can the player characters find the officer and relieve him of the belt before it is too late?

• Valley Forge Wendigo

Starving Continental troops resort to cannibalism at Valley Forge.

They are cursed and now hunger for human flesh.  As more soldiers are lost to starvation, harsh winter conditions, and now Wendigo attacks, morale begins to fail and the odds for mutiny begin to mount.  Can the adventurers stop the Wendigo(s) before the Army breaks?

• Beast of Bladenboro

A black panther comes down from the mountains to hunt the local population.

The panther seems to be smarter than normal leading some to believe it is in league with the Devil.  Hunters try to catch or kill the beast but it evades them.  The group is dispatched to stop the beast.

• The Pine Barrens

A supply ship has run aground near Leeds Point in New Jersey.

A salvage team was sent to either free the ship from the bottom of rescue the cargo but has not been heard from.  The group is sent to investigate and discovers the savaged remains of the first rescue party.  They reach the ship and discover the crew has fallen victim to a similar fate.  There is some circumstantial evidence that seems to indicate an Indian attack but as the group begins working to free the ship, the Leeds Devil makes an appearance.

• The Headless Horseman

A Hessain mercenary loses his head to a cannonball and rises from the grave to search for it, leaving a path of destruction in his wake.  The group must find a way to stop the marauding spirit.

• Blackbeard’s Treasure

Rumors that Blackbeard’s legendary treasure hoard has been found begin to circulate.  The group is dispatched to see if they can find it before the British do as the money would go a long way toward funding the Rebellion.