Two Player D&D Module
Are you interested in DMing but are afraid of doing your first attempt in front of a group? Maybe you have a friend that you think might be interested in D&D and are looking for a way to introduce them to the game. A two player module may be just what you need, all you need is a friend to play. One of you plays the role of the DM while the other is a player. Make sure to read over the basic rules first, and have the player make a level 2 character. We're doing level 2 to give you a chance to try out some of your more iconic abilities.
If you're just reading this aloud, you should at least wait for the player's action or reaction before continuing on to the next paragraph. D&D is an improv game, so don't be afraid to go off script and interact more between steps. Pausing and waiting for what your player does will also encourage them to interact more and get into character. If they do something unexpected, roll with it! You can gently guide them back on course with your own improv, or keep doing what you're doing if you're both having fun.
What is your destination? Describe your character and what their motivation is.
You're on the road, traveling to your next destination. It's mid-to-late afternoon, and the day is warm with a slight breeze. The road curves around a large volcano, it hasn't erupted in several generations, but there's enough obsidian landslides that the road gives it a wide bank. The volcanic ash has made the land especially fertile and there's a large jungle that wraps around this half of the volcano.
You think you'll have enough rations for your journey, but you've had luck on previous days hunting wild game to supplement it. They're quite plentiful here.
If the player decides to hunt more game, have them make a survival check followed possibly by an attack roll. Have them describe what exactly they do. Go over their inventory with them and make sure they're happy with their load-out. When they decide to just keep walking for the rest of the day, move on to the next part.
You travel for a few more hours. As you walk you see a tiny figure up ahead, just off the road. As you get closer you can make out a bit more clearly, there's a man lying on the ground. On top of him is lying a horse, trapping him beneath it.
The horse is dead and covered in stab wounds. The man is crushed underneath the horse in a similar condition. His arm has been cut off and is bleeding profusely. His eyes are black and swollen, and his leather armor has a couple bloodied stab holes.
The man coughs up blood, which dribbles out the side of his mouth as he speaks in a hoarse and weak voice. “Please... orcs... they took... a missive for... Queen.” He hacks and shudders, barely able to speak. “Will stop... the war... fled... jungle...” His final words are barely audible before he stops speaking.
The man is dead and will no longer speak or move. There are no supplies or loot to be found on him, already taken by the orcs.
Ironbark Jungle
You enter into the jungle. Immediately you notice the trees, they're large and very thick around. The bark is a brownish-gray, and almost looks like iron. Touching the trees you can feel how durable the bark is, and recognize these as Ironbark trees. They're difficult to harvest, but the trees are almost as hard and sturdy as forged iron. Green vines wrap around the trees and most everything else in this jungle. The air is damp and humid, making you realize how much hotter the day is without the cool breeze.
Animals and plants seem plentiful here, and you can hear the chirping of exotic birds. After another hour of traveling you stop to wipe sweat from your brow, and as you do you see a pixie sitting on a nearby branch looking at you. (Note: the pixie can only speak Sylvan.)
The pixie giggles and disappears. A moment later another one appears on a rock a few feet in front of you.
The pixie tilts her head to the side as she stares at you. She says something in Sylvan (“do you have human food?”), never taking her eyes off yours.
There are a group of 5 pixies here that will appear and disappear in different places as the player interacts with them. Pixies absolutely love human food, and seeing a humanoid in the forest has made them excited about the prospect of getting some. The pixies can only speak Sylvan, so you may end up spending a lot of time just trying to understand each other. The pixies are patient and love playing charades, but they're not going to want the player to leave without giving them some real food. They're not interested in hunted game or foraged berries, but some of their rations will be good enough.
If the player gives them some rations they'll be delighted and all appear to eat it, snatching pieces from their outstretched hand to flutter away and eat on a branch. Once they're done they'll beckon the player to follow, making sure to wait and double back so they're never out of the player's sight.
If the player refuses to give them any food or is unable to figure out that's what they want, the pixies will steal some from them instead (in addition to any interesting looking items they have on their person). They'll use invisibility and distractions to draw the player's focus while another swoops in to snatch something. They'll flicker in and out of visibility, giggling and tossing the stolen goods between them as they fly away. The player can chase after them, and the pixies will drop their goods before the river.
Water: A Toll
You follow the pixies some time before you come to a wide river. At its sight the pixies all panic, (dropping your loot) and disperse as they quickly disappear. The river is about 100 feet across and is deep enough that you can't wade through. You can hear the rapid currents of the water as they flow by, and the spray of mist is refreshing on your face.
If the player looks around for a way to cross they'll see a bridge of spaced out stones poking out of the water. If they cross, they'll get about 3 stones out before a water elemental appears.
You step carefully onto the stone, taking care to step on the parts that are out of the water. You hop from one stone to the next, and you get about 3 stones out before you see a swirling vortex form in the water.
The water in the vortex bubbles and bulges and lifts upwards, forming a mound of water that protrudes up from the river. As it slowly forms a head and arms, you realize you're looking at a water elemental.
The water elemental will first speak in Aquan, and if the player doesn't understand it will switch to common.
“Halt, intruder. This river is my domain, and you do not have permission to cross.”
The water elemental wants them to drop a coin in the water as tribute. If they refuse or attack, the water elemental will merge back with the water and disappear. A swell of water will spill over the rocks, making them all slick and slippery. To cross the slippery rocks requires a DC 25 Balance check to avoid falling in, otherwise if they pay then the DC is 10.
If the player falls into the water they'll be completely soaked, along with their posessions. They can try to swim to the other shore, which is a distance away based on how badly they failed the skill check. The current is strong and will constantly pull them down stream and underwater, so you may want them to make some Athletics checks as well. Anyone in chain mail or heavier armor (or carrying heavy gear) will be pulled down more (and will sink after falling in). If the player drowns or is unable to get across during this part, they'll end up on the shore much further downstream.
By now it will be night (and pretty late / wet if they fell in and had troubles) and they'll need to make camp. If they push on through the night they'll have to make a DC 10 CON save to avoid exhaustion.
Ask your player how they set up their camp and what they do, describing what they use for a tent (if any), how they do their bedroll, etc. They may need to dry their clothes, and attempting to sleep in heavy armor imposes penalties and makes for less restful sleep after hours of uncomfortable tossing and turning (Xanathar's pg 77). This is important to figure out both to get them immersed and engaging more, and also because it's about to be important.
How ever the player decides to arrange their camp, they'll be attacked by two jungle orcs in the night. If you think they'll have a really hard time with two (they have no darkvision and are reliant on heavy armor) then you can make it just one orc. If they do a particularly good job of concealing their camp they'll be able to get the jump on the orcs, otherwise the orcs will get the jump on them. These orcs are a bit smaller than usual, but are adapted to life in jungle with advantage being stealthy in jungle terrain and a strong sense of smell, which they used to discover the player's camp. You can use Bullywugs (Monster Manual pg 35) for their statblock, but reskin them as orcs.
If the orcs manage to kill the player, they'll be captured and taken to their fort (the first kitchen room in the dungeon below). You can play out an encounter where the player needs to escape using improvised items. Otherwise if the orcs are defeated they can be questioned for the fort's location if kept alive, or follow their tracks if killed.
The Abandoned Fort
The old fort used to serve as a military base, but has long since been abandoned and overgrown by the jungle. The orcs now use this old fort as their hideout and haven't been doing the best job maintaining it.
The kitchen at (1) is the main entrance to the fort. The door to the south is locked, with the key on the Orc (Monster Manual pg 246) in the den at (2). There's a green slime on the ceiling in the study at (3) which will fall onto the player if they go for the healing potion. It's a DC 10 DEX save to avoid it, otherwise they'll take 1d10 acid damage per round the slime is on them. Sunlight, cold, and fire will destroy the slime, but the slime melts any wood or metal it touches including any tools used to remove it.
The half-ogre (Monster Manual pg 238) in the old barracks at (5) has the courier's arm and missive. He's not interested in giving it up to tiny humanoids that talk too much.
If the player successfully recovers the missive they can bring it to the Queen for a large reward, averting war and saving thousands of lives.
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