Framed and Forgotten
The party has each been arrested for separate crimes, but all evidence points to a shared lie. They awaken in adjacent cells and must uncover why the lord wanted them removed.
Campaign Overview
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The Prison Break
The characters begin chained in a filthy dungeon beneath a local lord’s keep. Each has been arrested for crimes they did not commit, and the only certainty is that the cells are weakening, the guard is careless, and the city above is dangerous.
This free preview covers the opening act of a larger intrigue campaign: escape the prison, recover confiscated gear, and vanish into the streets before the lord’s agents can erase the evidence.
Tone
- Claustrophobic, tense, and suspicious
- Stealth-first with moments of desperate action
- Focused on teamwork, improvisation, and clues
What the party must do
- Get out of their cells
- Deal with the guard quietly or cleverly
- Recover gear from the armory
- Leave the dungeon unseen and survive the streets above
Player Handout
You wake in damp stone cells beneath a lord’s keep. Your possessions are gone, your names are mud, and the last thing you remember is a false accusation and iron shackles. Somewhere above, a corrupt ruler sleeps comfortably behind lawful lies.
Your first challenge is simple to say and hard to do: escape quietly.
If you can silence the guard, open the old locks, and reclaim your gear, you may yet clear your names. But once you reach the city streets, you will need more than steel. You will need caution, allies, and proof.
Free Act I Preview
The Prison Break
Act I is a tightly scoped prison escape. Start with the party already imprisoned and under-equipped. Let them solve the cell escape through stealth, tools, or improvised coordination rather than combat. The lone guard should feel vulnerable, but not foolish; his whistle, keys, and patrol route matter. The armory offers both temptation and risk. End the act when the party reaches the city streets with proof that their arrest was fabricated or at least suspicious, setting up the larger campaign.
Adventure Hooks
Marked for Silence
One character recognizes the prison as a place where inconvenient witnesses disappear. The only way to survive is to escape before the lord’s enforcers come below.
Act Structure
Act I: Chains Below the Keep
Recommended level: 1-2The party begins imprisoned beneath a corrupt lord’s keep and must escape without raising an alarm. This act centers on quiet teamwork, recovering confiscated gear, and slipping into the city before the hunt fully begins.
Objectives
- Escape the dungeon cells
- Neutralize or bypass the lone guard
- Recover confiscated equipment from the armory
- Reach the city streets unseen
Wake in the Cells
Water drips in the dark, iron bites your wrists, and the keep above you feels heavy enough to crush hope.
Open with no combat and limited gear. Let the players compare notes, test bars, whisper to each other, and plan. Reward patience and table talk.
Checks
- DC 10 Dexterity check with thieves’ tools to work a rusted lock
- DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) to spot the guard’s patrol rhythm
- DC 12 Charisma (Deception) to lure the guard closer
Clues
- The prison is understaffed.
- The guard is alone for long stretches.
- The locks are old and poorly maintained.
Transitions
- A successful escape leads to the guard encounter.
- A failed attempt increases suspicion but still allows a second plan.
The Quiet Guard
A lantern gutters beside a desk, and the guard’s breathing is slow enough to count.
Use this scene to decide whether the party sneaks, distracts, or attacks. The guard should feel beatable, but his whistle and keys matter more than his statistics.
Checks
- DC 11 Dexterity (Stealth) to move past him unseen
- DC 11 Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) to steal keys
- DC 12 Strength (Athletics) to restrain him quietly
Clues
- The armory lies beyond a barred passage.
- The guard carries an inventory slip tied to confiscated gear.
- A key on the ring opens a service door to the upper level.
Transitions
- Keys or silence open the way to the armory.
- An alarm shifts the act into a brief pursuit.
Gear and Exit
Steel gleams in rows, and your own belongings sit on a shelf like evidence waiting to be reclaimed.
Let the party retrieve gear, search ledgers, and choose between the obvious exit and a hidden drainage route. This is the act’s payoff scene.
Checks
- DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation) to find the confiscation ledger
- DC 12 Dexterity (Stealth) to avoid attention while arming up
- DC 11 Wisdom (Survival) to follow the service tunnel
Clues
- The lord’s office authorized the seizure.
- A clerk’s mark appears on the ledger pages.
- The service tunnel exits near a back alley in the city.
Transitions
- Success carries the party into the city escape encounter.
- If they linger, patrols begin to converge.
Milestone: The party reaches level 2 after escaping the dungeon and securing proof of corruption.
Villain Character Sheets
Lord Caldor Vane
Completed
Lord Caldor Vane is the sort of villain who makes oppression sound like housekeeping. He speaks politely, dresses impeccably, and delivers …
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Lord Caldor Vane Character Sheet
Motivation
Caldor wants to keep his unlawful control over the city, erase witnesses, and maintain the illusion that his justice is clean. The party was imprisoned because they became inconvenient to his schemes.
Personality
Polite in public, cold in private, and always speaking as if his cruelty is simply administration. He never raises his voice unless he is losing control.
Resources
- City watch captains loyal by bribe or fear
- Clerks who alter records and confiscation logs
- A private dungeon beneath the keep
- Informants in the market district
- Legal authority that silences objections
Battle Plan
Caldor avoids direct conflict early. He uses arrest warrants, patrols, and hired enforcers to isolate the party. If forced into a fight later, he relies on bodyguards, terrain, and escape routes rather than personal bravery.
Defeat or Redemption
He can be exposed, arrested, or forced to flee once the party reveals his record tampering and false imprisonment. Redemption is only possible if he fully confesses and relinquishes power, which should be rare and difficult.
Running Notes
Recommended party: 3-5 players
Session Zero
Establish that the campaign begins in captivity, so confirm player comfort with confinement, false accusation, and prison imagery. Use lines and veils for abuse, torture, and coercive interrogation. Tell players ahead of time that the opening rewards stealth, cooperation, and escape planning, not an unwinnable fight. Make sure each character has a reason to survive together.
Scaling Guidance
For a smaller or newer party, remove one enemy from each encounter and emphasize stealth over combat. For a stronger group, add an extra Guard only after an alarm or in the street pursuit. Keep the prison guard alone until the party proves it needs to be harder. The goal is tension, not attrition.
DM Advice
Keep scenes short and pressured. Offer multiple solutions for every obstacle. Track noise and suspicion as a simple clock if helpful. The act works best when the players feel clever for outthinking the prison, not lucky for surviving it.
Secrets & Clues
- The arrests were ordered by Lord Caldor Vane, not ordinary city law.
- The confiscation ledger proves the prison is part of a larger laundering scheme.
- A hidden service route lets the party leave the keep without using the front gate.
- One prisoner may have been targeted for knowledge rather than a crime.
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Encounters
The Lone Prison Guard
Encounter Builder
Moderate
Suggested Level: 1
A sleepy but wary guard patrols the cell block with keys, a whistle, and a cudgel. He is strongest when alerted, but easy to outmaneuver if the party acts together and stays quiet.
Creatures
Terrain Features
- Narrow cell corridor
- Iron bars and locked doors
- Torch alcove with poor cover
- Key ring on the guard belt
Treasure
Keys to the cells, a whistle, and a clue scratched on a duty slate.
DM Notes
If the party is smart, this should be a stealth scene first and a fight second. Increase pressure with sound, timing, and the risk of an alarm rather than extra enemies.
Armory Retrieval
Encounter Builder
Moderate
Suggested Level: 1
The confiscated gear is stored in a cramped armory behind a barred door, watched by a kennel and a distracted laborer. The party must choose speed, silence, or force to reclaim what was taken.
Creatures
Terrain Features
- Weapon racks
- Locked storeroom
- Bales of old cloth for hiding
- Kennel chain and water bucket
Treasure
Recovered gear, 2 potions of healing, and a sealed inventory slip naming the lord’s clerk.
DM Notes
The mastiff can be distracted, calmed, or avoided. Use this encounter to reward creative planning and to reveal the corruption trail through confiscation records.
Street-Level Pursuit
Encounter Builder
High
Suggested Level: 1-2
After the escape, the party crosses moonlit streets while searchers fan out from the keep. They must use shadows, rooftops, and timing to avoid being identified before reaching cover.
Creatures
Terrain Features
- Narrow alleys
- Rain-slick cobblestones
- Rooftops and low ledges
- Closed shutters and market carts
Treasure
A dropped badge from a pursuer and a whispered rumor about who issued the arrests.
DM Notes
Run as a chase or skill challenge with a brief combat only if the party is cornered. Reduce difficulty by removing the mastiff; increase it by adding another guard patrol.
Magic Items
Rustwarden Key
Completed
Rustwarden Key
Common
A bent iron key from the dungeon cell block. It unlocks old locks with surprising ease and bears a tiny stamped mark matching the prison’s original builder.
Location
Act I, dungeon cell block
Attunement
False
Ledger-Seal Ring
Completed
Ledger-Seal Ring
Uncommon
A plain brass ring engraved with a magistrate’s mark. While carried, it helps identify forged confiscation records and hidden official seals linked to the prison’s corruption.
Location
Act I, prison armory
Attunement
False
Boots of Quiet Steps
Completed
Boots of Quiet Steps
Uncommon
Soft leather boots lined with felt. They were confiscated from an unknown prisoner and make careful movement through stone halls noticeably easier.
Location
Act I, armory or city escape
Attunement
False
Player Characters
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