D&D Miniatures Mini Quests Solitaire Scenarios By Greyhaze

First and foremost I would like to thank Steve Winter for writing the original Solitaire Scenario, I have taken the liberty of expanding on this article to create this, and to thank the wotc team for creating the DDMs and Tiles we have all come to enjoy.

Mini Quests are solitaire scenarios for D&D Miniatures. That's right, it's a way to play the skirmish game when no one else is available to play (or you are just feeling anti-social). Because you set up the quests, by default you will be drawing from your pool of minis and as a result will not have to buy an extra supply. You will, however, require Dungeon Tiles in order to set up the quests in step 4.

Number of Players: One.

Step 1 - Determine the Game Point Value (GPV):
Decide how many game points you will give to the enemy and how many you will get for your warband. 30pts is good for beginners and if you've played before 60pts makes a good starting point.

Step 2 - The Adventurering Party:
Your warband is the questing force, come to complete the quest. Select any figures you want with a total point cost no higher than the Game Point Value. The only restrictions are that all of them must share an alignment (lawful, chaotic, good, or evil) and no figure can cost more than one-half the cost of the Game Point Value, rounded up. For example, CE and CG creatures could be included in the warband. If the GPV is 55pts, then no figure in your warband can cost more than 28 pts. You may add 5pts to give your warband +1 Morale/Rally, but it can still not exceed the GPV and only +1 can be gained in this way. Treat all characters as Independant. Below are three examples;

Chart 1: Adventuring Party (sample) Regdar, Adventurer (20pts) Dwarf Wizard (21pts) Halfling Wizard (19pts) Half-Orc Fighter (21pts) Half-Orc Monk (17pts) Half-Orc Barbarian (12pts) Goblin Adept (10pts) Deepshadow Elf (22pts) Graycloak Ranger (15pts), Wolf (minion) Daring Rogue (14pts) Lidda, Halfling Rogue (4pts) +5pts for +1 Morale/Rally
Adventuring Party: Level Completed: 1 [] 2 [] 3 [] 4 [] 5 [] VPs Spent: VPs Earned:   +1 Morale [] Character: Items:

Step 3 - Choose the Main Monster(s):
Select any combination of figures to be the monster(s), one of which should be 50%+ of the GPV (but does not necessarily have to be). Large figures and figures costing 30pts or more work best. Spend as much of the points as possible. To keep it simple, try to keep the number of Monsters to a single unit until you get the hang of the game. Prepare any Summonables/Minions when you make your list. Create a list of 3, 6, or 12 groups of Monsters to roll randomly from, for example (from upto 60pts), each group has been given a name to give it a certain flavor;

Step 3.1 - Wandering Monsters:
Select any combination of figures to be the wandering monsters with a total of 1/4 of the Main Monsters points rounded up 11x and 1x with a total of 1/2 of the Main Monsters points rounded up. Create these 12 Wandering Monster Encounters for each of your listed Main Monsters. Once each of these encounters are used, do not use them again. Place the 1/2pts Wandering Monsters in the 12th place (as shown). For example (using the example above, this batch would contain monsters of no more than 15/30pts);

Step 3.2 - Dungeon Levels 1-5:
What you have done thus far is created encounters for level 1, now continue to make level 2 adding 10pts to the GPV for Monsters when you do so, but do not change your Adventuring Party. The Adventuring Party progresses on its own. Remember, you do not have to make 12 Main Monster sets, but you do need to have 12 Wandering Monster encounters for each Main Monster you make; it just depends how much work you want to do, and how much vareity/surprise you like to have when you play (it's hard not to get carried away). Then proceed to make level 3 with an additional 10pts to the GPV and so on. Using our example above, level 1 should have a GPV of 60, level 2 should have a GPV of 70, level 3 should have a GPV of 80, level 4 should have a GPV of 90 and level 5 should have a GPV of 100.

Step 4.0 - Dungeon Setup:
No matter the quest, you find yourself at the entrance to a dungeon, and this is where the Dungeon Setup begins, and the secrets are revealed. Take the stairwell and put it in to play. Place your figures anywhere on the starting stairs. The edge of the stairwell that is the bottom will be treated as the north direction (for easier set up). Then follow the processes below.

Step 4.1 - Create Dungeon Tile Pools: Create 3 "pools" from your available tiles that fall in to the following 3 categories; corridors, rooms (3x3 squares and larger) and portals as shown in Charts 3.0-3.2. Try to get as many tiles in to each pool as you can. Each of these pools will be used to randomly generate each dungeon. Since many tiles have 2 sides (one with features and one without), you will have to decide which pool you would like to place that particular tile in (keep in mind that some tiles present seemingly impossible barriers). Always place a stairwell in the portal tiles pool. Remember if you do not defeat the Main Monsters of each level you can not collect VPs for your party from that level (see Step 7 for details).

Below are pools based on the 3 first Tile Sets released (Dungeon Tiles, Arcane Corridors & Hidden Crypts). Feel free to swap out and attribute your own attributes to feature rooms or corridors that are not listed here.

Step 4.12 - Number of Dungeon Tiles in a Section: Roll to see how many of these tiles will combine to make up the section you are about to place. Add each tile individually, determine which edge of that tile will then touch the corresponding doorway by designating an edge as north and then rolling on Chart 3.3 to determine the contact edge (if not square). Then place the tile centered against the door. Any additional tiles are then rolled for orientation, and then placed centered and adjacent to the last tile.

Step 4.3 - Creating Portals: Roll a d20 to determine the number of portals found there on Chart 3.6 (add +2 to this roll for each section beyond the first, eventually you hit a lot of dead ends) and then roll without modifiers to consult Chart 3.2 for the size and type of portals they are. Then roll for which edge orientation the portals will be found on and center it against that edge. If there is not enough space or a portal already exists there, re-roll for a new edge. Only if there is 8+ squares along the edge of the tile can you place 2 portals along the same edge, space them at equal distances away from the tiles corner. *If there are no more doors available to open, and the MMC has not been found, there will be at least one door minimum found in each Section.

Step 4.4 - Finding the Main Monster's Chamber: Just before you roll for a New Section (starting on the 2nd Section for each level) add +2 to the roll, if the total roll equals 36+ the Section found is the Main Monster's Chamber. Otherwise ignore the pluses and consult Chart 3.3 to resume exploration. This means there will be a minimum of 9 Sections to check, and a maximum of 19 before finding the Main Monster of each level. Always end with +1 feature tile Room for the MMC (move up list until feature tile is found).

The Main Monster's Chamber has the big boss for this level (and their minions). Roll for the result of this encounter after destroying the main monster.

Step 5.0 - Creature Setup:
For each Section brought in to play roll a d20 to see if there is a Wandering Monster encounter on it; a 1-5 on a d20 means that there is a Wandering Monster(s), add +1 for each section you have not had an encounter in. There are only a total of 12 Wandering Monster encounters to be placed, once they are used up do not use that encounter again. Roll for each encounter randomly taking lower numbered encounters if the one rolled for has already been played.

Step 5.1 - Wandering Monster Placement: Determine a number for each tile in each section. Roll for which tile the Monster will be placed on. Then roll to see which square the monster will be placed on. If the character does not fit, place the character as close as possible to that square. Use Chart 3.7 as most tiles do not have more than 10 squares along one edge.

Step 6.0 - Game Play

*Initiative: Assume that the adventurers win initiative and go first every turn. Position them at each door that is being opened, exactly as you want them to be when they bust in. Activate all of your figures and then activate each monster, repeat. Hey, you're bustin in to their lairs, we'll say you got the drop on them.

*LOS (Line of Sight): Only check for LOS on the creatures turn. This allows you to move from cover to cover crossing a monsters LOS and ending that activation hidden without making the monsters Aware, but once they are Aware may be irrelevant.

*Difficult/Wild Creatures: If the monster has a Difficult rating, it must make a save DC = to its Difficulty rating to not attack the last creature that damaged it for the most damage total - even if it means taking an AoO. Wild has a flat DC10 check for the same. Also remember that these creatures do not gain the benefits of Commander Effects or Commander Ratings without appropriate commanders.

Step 6.1 - Monster Awareness: The first thing to determine, when the monster activates on its turn, is whether it is Aware or Unaware of the intruders' presence.

1. If the monster has LOS to an intruder or has taken damage, it is Aware of their presence. Skip to the AWARE section.

2. If the monster has no LOS to any intruder and has not taken damage, it is Unaware. Skip to the UNAWARE section.

3. If an intruder is within 6 of the monster (count around corners, but ignore difficult terrain), the monster gains +5 to their Awareness Check which stacks with the +5 of monsters within 6 that have become Aware.

4. Monsters within 6 of another monster that has become Aware, gains a +5 to their Awareness Check, unless they "Require Commander" in which case they do not gain +5.

Step 6.2 - Unaware Monster: If the monster is not aware of the intruders, then roll 1d20, add the monster's level, and find the result below.

1. A roll of "1" results in the Monster single moving away from the adventurers.

2. Rolling a 2+ that does not meet or exceed a result of "20" means that the character does nothing.

3. If the roll plus their level equals 20 or higher, then the monster hears, smells, or otherwise senses your approach and becomes Curious single moving towards the closest intruder. If it gains LOS, it will become Aware and can act accordingly on its next turn. If it does not become Aware, treat this character as Unaware.

Step 6.3 - Aware Monster: Once a monster has become Aware it will remain so until the end of the game. The monster follows a simple set of priorities, depending on how aware it is of the enemy's presence. Lower-numbered responses take priority over higher-numbered ones.

1. If the monster is adjacent to more than one enemy, it attacks the figure with 1) the lowest AC or 2) the lowest current HPs. If the monster is mainly a spell caster, it will attempt to move away (taking the AoOs, unless it can not survive the POTENTIAL normal damage - damage potential is equal to or higher than current HPs not including critical damage) to cast a spell. *Check for Difficult/Wild first.

2. If the monster is adjacent to one enemy figure, it attacks that figure. If the monster is mainly a spell caster, it will attempt to move away (taking the AoOs, unless it can not survive the POTENTIAL normal damage - damage potential is equal to or higher than current HPs not including critical damage) to cast a spell. *Check for Difficult/Wild first.

3. If the monster is adjacent to no enemy figures but at least one enemy figure is within its melee reach, it attacks that figure.

4. If the monster is adjacent to no enemy figures but has line-of-sight to an enemy figure, it will use a ranged attack, special ability, or highest available spell in preference to charging or rushing. If it is too far from the enemy to use a ranged attack, special ability, or spell, but it can move into range with its normal move, it will do that and then attack. Use your best judgment when selecting the monster's attack -- which spell, ranged attack, or special ability are you most afraid of? Be honest! That's the one the monster will use. *If this attack exhausts the monster's store of ranged attacks, spells, or special abilities, then it will use a move action to get closer to the enemy. *If it still has ranged capability, it will use a move action to gain cover. *If it can summon it will do this first, with the summons between them and the intruders. *If it has defensive capabilities (like the Red Wizard's "Mage Armour" it will cast this when it first becomes Aware).

5. If the monster is not adjacent to an enemy it will cast any boosting spells or use any boosting special abilities it has.

6. If the monster can charge an enemy figure, it will do so.

7. If the monster can reach an enemy figure with a single move action, it will move to attack, selecting the enemy with 1) the lowest AC or 2) the lowest current HPs.

8. If the monster can't charge and can't reach an enemy figure with a single move action, it will use two move actions to rush with its full movement toward the enemy figure with 1) the lowest AC or 2) the lowest current HPs.

9. If the monster does not have LOS to something that has attacked it (via Invisibility, Ride by Attack or Hide). It will still become Aware and will double move at its printed Speed in the direction of the last attacker provided it has LOS to nothing else.

Step 6.4 - If the Monster Routs: The monster can rout, but it gets to make Rally attempts every turn until it reaches the stairwell or closest portal. Monsters within LOS or within 6 of the Main Monsters gain +4 to their Rally attempts until the end of the game as MM gain +8 to their Rally attempts. This is in addition to any commander ratings the Monsters may already have. Remember that any Aware Monsters within LOS of a second Monster gives a +5 bonus to the second Monsters Awareness Check.

Step 7.0 - Winning & Losing:
Victory is completing all 5 levels. At the end of each level you will be given the opportunity to rest after you defeat the MM and your quest may change slightly, but most importantly you will more than likely progress to the next Level (from the 60pt GPV to the 70pt GPV). Now the monsters you face will be more challenging. Resting restores all of your abilities and spells, and removes all penalties (including poisons and diseases) and bonuses.

Fortunately or unfortunately, any characters lost in battle or routed can be restored for 5pts, they will have no abilities or spells and will be at half hps until they rest again.

Characters can purchase from the Shop in Chart 4.1 when they rest.

Step 7.1 - Levels & Advancement: Should you defeat a MM add 5VPs to your warband, then "find" new adventurers to join in your quest (above's example would now be 65pts, with 16pt wandering encounters and 32pt maximum intruders). Admittedly a new 5pt figure may not help much, but in 1 more level the Caravan Guard can be advanced to a Stalwart Paladin or Royal Guard. See how long original characters last, or how far you can go before you lose to a monster. Or, upgrade your adventurers but make sure they are of the same or relatively close to their character class in their new form.

Notes: The monsters have a big advantage because they have excellent Rally bonuses, but you have a big advantage because you control the way the fight develops. If you're patient, you can lure the monster into a poor position and then ambush it.

If you find the battle too easy to win, reduce your warband to 80% of the monster's point value, or restrict your spending on a single figure to just one-third of the monster's cost.

If you lose too often, first try improving your technique (luring the monster off its assembly tile, coordinating your attacks). If that still doesn't work, boost the size of your warband to 120% of the monster's value while still spending no more than half the monster's cost on any single figure.

Finally, this is a solo game, so no one but you cares whether you win or lose. Have fun with your warbands -- design around a theme or use those figures that never come out during tournaments. Each monster presents its own puzzle. You will find that certain warbands have an easy time defeating certain monsters and vice versa. The good news is, there are tons of foes to experiment with.

Good luck and have fun!