TTRPGs for Kids - How I Do It

⚔️ Session Name: The Crown of Rotwood Keep

🌍 Setting:

The cursed borderlands of Rotwood, a dead forest surrounding the crumbling ruins of an ancient keep. Here, the bones of kings whisper, the trees bleed sap like tar, and old magic seeps from the ground like smoke from a dying fire.

📅 Time:

During the Long Dusk, when the sun hangs low for three days and evil things crawl from their holes to stretch and scheme.

📜 Adventure Premise

The Crown of the Ember King — a relic of light and order — has been stolen from its resting place in Rotwood Keep, deep within the Witherlands.

Now, the land is beginning to rot from the inside out: crops have withered, wolves speak in riddles, and the shadows under your bed watch you back.

The players are newly inducted members of the Order of the Ashen Sigil, a band of brave (and slightly reckless) squires sent to retrieve the crown before the Midnight Bell tolls three times, or darkness will swallow the kingdom forever.

🎭 The Call to Adventure

Standing before you in the flickering torchlight of the Order’s great hall is Commander Brightshield, a tall woman with silver-streaked hair and armor that gleams like starlight. Her voice carries the weight of mountains as she addresses you:

“Young squires of the Ashen Sigil, lean close and listen well. The darkness grows bold, and we grow desperate.

Three nights past, thieves of shadow stole into Rotwood Keep and took the Crown of the Ember King — a relic that has kept the balance between light and dark since the Age of Whispers. Already the land sickens. Already the shadows lengthen.

Why do I choose you for this quest? Because the mightiest heroes often come in the most unexpected packages. Because evil trembles before the pure and untainted spirit of adventure that burns in young hearts.

Your task is simple, though not easy: Enter Rotwood Keep. Retrieve the Crown. Return before the Midnight Bell tolls thrice.

🗺️ Act 1: Roleplay – The Town of Grin’s Hollow

The kids arrive in Grin’s Hollow, a mud-soaked outpost ruled by a jittery mayor and haunted by rumors of shadows that steal names.

Town Description

The town of Grin’s Hollow squats in the muck like a toad waiting for flies. Wooden buildings lean against each other for support, their windows glowing with sickly yellow light. The streets are more mud than stone, and strange symbols are carved into doorframes to keep the shadows at bay.

In the town square, a crooked well holds water that tastes like old pennies. Old Maev sits nearby on a rickety stool, her milky eyes seeing nothing but her gnarled fingers constantly moving through a pile of crow bones, reading fortunes that nobody wants to hear. “The bones,” she whispers to passersby, “they’re singing tonight.”

The town hall is the tallest building, though it looks ready to topple at any moment. Inside, Mayor Gristle paces endlessly, his pockets jingling with the nails he nervously chewed. Dark circles under his eyes suggest he hasn’t slept in nearly two weeks, and he jumps at every creaking floorboard.

At the edge of town, a colorful wagon decorated with questionable charms serves as Hob the Goblin’s trading post. The green-skinned merchant grins too widely, showing far too many teeth, while his bat “Lunch” hangs upside down from his hat brim. “Welcome, welcome!” he cackles. “I trade in treasures and trinkets, but I don’t take gold – only the finest lies will do!”

The air smells of wet wood and something sweeter, like rotting fruit. And if you listen carefully, you might hear the shadows whispering your name.

Roleplay opportunities include

• Questioning the one-eyed herbalist who claims the “bones whisper at night.”
• Trading with a shifty goblin merchant (Hob the Goblin) who only accepts “interesting lies” as payment.
• Convincing the Blacksmith’s golem (named Clinker) to give them a rusted sword with a soul inside it.

🎭 Notable NPCs

• Old Maev, a blind herbalist who uses crow bones to read fate.
  • “The bones speak of iron chains that dance in moonlight. Mind your steps in the shifting woods, or forever walk in circles.”
  • “Three black birds perch on destiny’s branch - one speaks truth, one speaks lies, and one holds its tongue. Their riddle guards the path ahead.”
  • “The flames of fate burn darkest when fed with laughter, secrets, and the remnants of what once lived. Light them well, young heroes.”
  • “Beware the hollow knight who wears a crown of rust and shadow. He dreams a false dream of kingship.”
  • “The bones whisper of crossroads yet to come—a crown’s touch can heal or shatter the world. When the shadows close in, speak this to break their grip: ‘Where shadow clings, let memory blaze.’”
• Mayor Gristle, who hasn’t slept in 12 days and chews on nails (literally).
  • Clinker, a golem made of scrap metal who guards a magical sword and will only give it up if someone tells him the secret of why the Boneborn Knights are trapped in their endless loop (they forgot their own names when the shadows stole them).
• Hob the Goblin, a trader in cursed junk with a pet bat named “Lunch.”
  • The Danger Dowsing Rod - A Y-shaped stick that vibrates more intensely the closer you get to monsters or traps.
  • Bottled Moonbeam - A glass vial containing what appears to be actual moonlight. Hob claims it came from “last Tuesday’s moon.”
  • The Un-compass - A brass compass that points to where you shouldn’t go. Surprisingly useful, according to Hob.
  • Shadow Soap - A bar of pitch-black soap that, when rubbed on your eyes, lets you see invisible things. “Side effects may include temporary purple polka-dot vision,” Hob warns.
  • The Snack of Second Chances - A single, suspiciously green cookie wrapped in wax paper. If eaten after failing at something (like picking a lock or making a jump), it lets you try again as if nothing happened. Tastes faintly of pickles and hope.

🧩 Act 2: Puzzle – The Chained Woods

• To reach the keep, the adventurers must pass through The Chained Woods, where trees are wrapped in iron and the forest shifts when you’re not looking.

Woods Description

The Chained Woods are a twisted forest where ancient oaks and black-needled pines are bound in thick, rusty chains. The trees groan and shift when no one is looking, their roots writhing beneath the mossy ground. Silver mist clings to the air, muffling sound and making it hard to tell which way is forward. Every so often, a heavy iron bell tolls somewhere deep within, and the whole forest seems to shudder.

Moonlight filters through the tangled branches, casting strange, moving shadows that sometimes look like reaching hands or watchful eyes. Some trees have faces—knots and bark forming grimaces or sly grins. Crows perch on the chains, cawing riddles and warnings, while ghostly lanterns swing from the branches, lighting paths that may or may not be real.

The ground is littered with broken manacles, lost boots, and the occasional forgotten household item. If you listen closely, you might hear the faint clinking of chains, or the echo of laughter that isn’t yours. The deeper you go, the more the woods seem to rearrange themselves, daring you to find the one true path to Rotwood Keep.

• Puzzle challenges:

  • Navigate a rotating forest path that shifts with moonlight (players must map the moves or risk walking in circles).
    • As you step into the heart of the Chained Woods, you notice the path ahead splits and twists, with silvery moonbeams shining down in shifting patterns. Every time you look away, the trees seem to move, and the trail behind you is never quite the same. The crows caw, “Round and round, the woods will spin—find the path, or start again!” To escape, you must pay close attention to the way the moonlight falls and remember your steps, or risk wandering in circles forever.
  • Unlock a tree prison by solving the riddle of the three crows (“Speak only truth, lie, or silence”).

    • The three crows sit atop the chained tree, each with a different colored feather: one black, one white, one gray. They caw in unison:

      “Three crows perch, a secret to keep— One tells truth, one lies deep, One stays silent, secrets to reap. Ask us your question, but choose with care, For only one answer is honest and fair. To open the lock and set the prisoner free, Find which crow is which—then speak to me.”

    • Answer: The black crow always lies, the white crow always tells the truth, and the gray crow remains silent. To solve the riddle, the players must correctly identify which crow is which by asking questions and paying attention to their answers (or silence). Once they declare:

      • “The black crow is the liar, the white crow is truthful, and the gray crow is silent,” the lock opens and the prisoner is freed.

    • What’s inside the tree prison? Inside the tree prison is a small, shivering fey creature called a Mossling—a child-sized being made of tangled roots, moss, and glowing mushrooms. The Mossling was once a playful forest spirit, but was trapped by the Boneborn Knights for trying to help lost travelers. When freed, the Mossling gratefully offers the party a handful of Luminous Spores (which can light up dark places or reveal hidden things) and whispers a secret shortcut through the shifting woods. The Mossling is timid but friendly, and may follow the party for a while, offering cryptic advice and giggling at their jokes.

  • Work together to light a brazier of black flame, but it requires fuel from 3 different creepy sources: a bone, a secret, and a laugh.
    • Puzzle: Lighting the Brazier of Black Flame
      • As the party ventures deeper into the Chained Woods, they come upon a clearing where a large, ancient brazier sits cold and empty. Strange runes are carved around its base, and three empty slots are visible: one shaped like a bone, one like a whispering mouth, and one like a laughing face.
      • A faded inscription reads:

        “To light the flame that shows the way, Bring bone, bring secret, bring laughter’s play.”

      • How to Run This as DM:
        • Tell the players: “You see the brazier and the three oddly-shaped slots. The inscription hints at what you need. What do you do?”
        • Let them brainstorm what items or actions might fit each slot. Encourage creative thinking!
        • If they get stuck, offer hints:
          • For the bone: “You remember seeing old bones scattered on the forest floor, or perhaps you have one in your pack.”
          • For the secret: “Maybe someone can whisper a secret into the mouth-shaped slot. It doesn’t have to be a big secret—just something true and hidden.”
          • For the laugh: “The woods are eerily quiet, but maybe a real laugh—joke, funny story, or even a silly noise—would work for the last slot.”
        • If they try something close, reward their effort and nudge them: “The brazier glows faintly, as if it’s almost ready, but something’s missing…”
        • When all three are provided, describe the black flame roaring to life and a hidden path revealing itself.
      • Extra DM Tips:
        • If the group is shy, you can have an NPC (like the Mossling) giggle or whisper a silly secret to demonstrate.
        • Make the puzzle about teamwork—maybe each player provides one ingredient.
        • Celebrate their success with a cool description: “The black flame flickers with shadows and moonlight, and the chains on the trees rattle as a new path opens before you!”

🐉 Act 3: Combat – Showdown at Rotwood Keep

Keep Description

Rotwood Keep looms at the heart of the Chained Woods, its crumbling towers and twisted battlements shrouded in perpetual mist. Once a proud fortress, it is now overgrown with black ivy and fungus, its stones slick with rot and shadow. The air is thick with the scent of damp earth and old secrets. Crows circle the broken spires, and the moonlight barely pierces the tangled branches overhead.

The main gate hangs askew, chained shut but easy to slip through for the brave (or reckless). Inside, the halls echo with the clatter of unseen armor and the distant, hollow laughter of the Boneborn. Flickering torches cast long, dancing shadows, and the walls are carved with ancient runes—some glowing faintly, others scratched out in haste.

At the heart of the keep lies the Throne Room, where the Rotwood Crown rests atop a throne of twisted roots and bone. The path to the throne is fraught with traps, secret doors, and the restless dead.

Map

First Floor

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        [Broken Wall]
             ||
     ________________            _______
    |                |          | Webbed|
    |  🦴 Bone Pile  |--------->| Crypt | <- [Sarcophagus with Drider]
    |________________|           ‾‾‾|‾‾‾‾
         ||    ||                 |
     ____||____||_______      ____|____
    |                   |    |         |
    |     Central       |----| Stairway|
    |     Chamber       |    |   Down  |
    |    (Boneborn)     |    |_________|
    |___________________|
          ||    ||
     _____||____||_______
    |                   |
    | Collapsed Hallway | <- [Loose stones, trap tiles]
    |___________________|
        ||       ||
  [Entry from Chained Woods]
        ||
     [Twisted Iron Gate]

Second Floor

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       [Stairway Up]
             ||
     ________________
    |                |
    | Forgotten Jail |  <- Rusted cages, broken manacles
    |________________|
             ||
     ________||_________
    |                    |
    |   Hall of Chains   | <- Swinging chains, echoing steps
    |    (Trap Hallway)  |
    |____________________|
             ||
     ________||_________
    |                    |
    |   Antechamber of   | <- Broken banners, cracked mosaics
    |     the Crown      |    (Boss teases party here)
    |____________________|
             ||
     ________||_________
    |                    |
    |     THRONE ROOM    | <- Massive cracked throne, glowing runes
    |____________________|
     /        ||        \
 [Balcony1] [Center]  [Balcony] <- (Hollow Duke)

• The boss teleports between throne and balconies • Rune-etched pillars empower the crown • Shadows creep from the edges—mobs can spawn

• Inside the crumbling keep, they face off against:

  • The Boneborn, skeletal knights half-raised from the grave and stuck in loops of forgotten duty.
    • The Boneborn are skeletal knights clad in mismatched, rusted armor, their bones bound together by scraps of faded banners and flickering ghostly light. They endlessly patrol the halls, muttering fragments of ancient oaths, and sometimes repeat the same actions over and over—saluting invisible kings, or trying to open doors that no longer exist. Though their eyes glow with a pale blue fire, they seem confused and lost, attacking only when the party disturbs their routines or threatens the keep.
      • HP: ❤️❤️❤️ (3 each)
  • Silken, the Weaver of Whispers, a drider who guards the upper levels of the keep.
    • From the ceilings of the Crypt, Silken descends — a terrifying fusion of a drow woman and a giant spider. Her upper torso is that of a pale-skinned elf with long, white hair, while her lower body is a monstrous black spider, its legs clicking on the stone. She spins webs of shadow-stuff that can trap intruders or create illusions of their worst fears. Silken serves the Hollow Duke as his spymaster and assassin, her whispers carrying threats and secrets through the keep. She scuttles along walls and ceilings, striking from unexpected angles with a poisoned spear.
      • HP: ❤️❤️❤️❤️ (4)
      • Skill: Threadswap Ambush (2/encounter)
        • Silken snaps her fingers and vanishes in a blur of silk, instantly swapping places with any two heroes on the battlefield—no matter how far apart they are! The sudden switch leaves the party disoriented: each swapped hero must make a quick saving throw or drop what they’re holding, stumble into a trap, or end up tangled in sticky webs.
        • Silken can use this to split up the group, drop someone into danger, or put herself in the perfect spot for a sneak attack.
        • The party will have to think fast and work together to recover their positions before Silken strikes again!
  • The Hollow Duke, a shadow-wrapped knight in rusted armor who believes he is the true king.
    • The Hollow Duke stands tall and imposing, his form wrapped in swirling shadows that never quite settle. Rusted armor clings to his body, etched with runes that pulse with a sickly light. Where his face should be, only darkness peers out from beneath a battered crown. His voice echoes through the throne room, regal but hollow, as he proclaims himself the true king of Rotwood. He moves with eerie grace, sometimes vanishing in a swirl of mist to reappear atop a balcony or beside the throne. The air chills as he moves, and his sword leaves trails of shadow that writhe on the ground. The Hollow Duke challenges the party with riddles and boasts, daring them to prove their worth—or be lost to the darkness forever.
      • HP: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ (5)
      • Spell: Shadow Court’s Judgement (1/encounter)
        • Once during the battle, the Hollow Duke slams his sword into the ground, and the throne room is plunged into swirling darkness. Ghostly figures—ancient kings and knights—rise from the shadows, circling the party and chanting in hollow voices.
        • Each hero must face a vision of their greatest fear or regret (the DM describes something spooky or challenging for each character—like a shadowy doppelganger, a wall of grasping hands, or a memory of failure).
        • To break free, each player must succeed on a simple challenge (like a saving throw, a clever idea, or a teamwork moment). If they fail, shadowy chains lash out, holding them in place for a turn and draining a heart (❤️) of HP.
        • While the spell is active, the Hollow Duke is shielded by the shadows and can’t be harmed until at least half the party breaks free.
        • When the spell ends, the shadows explode outward, knocking everyone back and scattering the battlefield!
    • The Rotwood Crown, corrupted with dark energy. Removing it safely requires clever tactics or a powerful item gathered earlier.
      • The final challenge: The party must figure out how to safely remove the Rotwood Crown from the Hollow Duke’s head. If they simply grabbed it, the crown lashed out with shadowy roots, threatening to corrupt whoever touched it! To succeed, the heroes must use an item or knowledge gained earlier (like the Shadow Soap to see the true crown, or a riddle from Old Maev) or work together to distract the Duke and weaken the crown’s magic. If they’re clever, they can purify the crown and restore its light—if not, the darkness tries to claim a new king!

🧙‍♂️ Pre-Gen Characters

1. Thorn the Skullborn Barbarian – Big axe, bigger yelling, hates books.

   • HP: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ (5)
   • Armor: 🛡️ Medium
   • Weapon: Giant obsidian axe
   • Skills:
     • Charge! (Movement): Rush across the battlefield to reach an enemy or escape danger.
     • Skullsplitter Swing (Attack): Smash foes with a mighty axe attack.
     • Rage Roar (Special, 2-turn cooldown): Shout so loud it scares enemies, making them less likely to hit you or your friends for a round.

2. Nyx Ironcloak, Dwarf Knight – Wields a gleaming mythril hammer of JUSTICE!

   • HP: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ (6)
   • Armor: 🛡️🛡️ Heavy (Hard to hit!)
   • Weapon: Mythril two handed hammer
   • Skills:
     • Stone Step (Movement): Move steadily through rough terrain or push through obstacles.
     • Hammer Slam (Attack): Bring down the giant hammer for a crushing blow.
     • Ironclad Shield (Special, 3-turn cooldown): Raise your shield to block all damage from one attack.

3. Grimble the Hexbound – Casts spells from a book wrapped in chains - very emo.

   • HP: ❤️❤️❤️ (3)
   • Armor: 🛡️ Light (Easy to hit)
   • Weapon: Spellbook (chained, creepy)
   • Shadow Slip (Movement): Teleport a short distance to dodge danger or reach a new spot.
   • Chainfire Bolt (Attack): Hurl a bolt of cursed fire at an enemy.
   • Hex of Binding (Special, 2-turn cooldown): Trap an enemy in magical chains, stopping them from moving for a turn.

4. Snaggle the Goblin Ranger – Ye of few words. Pet: Skeletal ferret.

   • HP: ❤️❤️❤️❤️ (4)
   • Armor: 🛡️ Medium
   • Weapon: Bonebow & Skeletal Ferret (Named “Bitey”)
   • Skills:
     • Quick Scurry (Movement): Dash quickly and hide behind cover or leap over traps.
     • Bonebow Shot (Attack): Fire a sharp arrow at a foe.
     • Ferret Frenzy (Special, 2-turn cooldown): Send your skeletal ferret to distract and bite an enemy, lowering their defense for a turn.

5. Finn of the Ember Sigil (Cleric) – Has a shield made from a saint’s ribcage. Weird.

   • HP: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ (5)
   • Armor: 🛡️ Medium
   • Weapon: Flaming mace & ribcage shield
   • Skills:
     • Radiant Rush (Movement): Slide across the ground on a wave of holy light to reach an ally or enemy.
     • Blazing Smite (Attack): Strike with a glowing weapon that burns undead.
     • Saint’s Blessing (Special, 3-turn cooldown): Heal yourself or a friend for a big chunk of health.

6. Vex Quickhands – Sneaks like a shadow, stabs like a rumor, steals your lunch (and your heart).

   • HP: ❤️❤️❤️❤️ (4)
   • Armor: 🛡️ Light (Easy to hit)
   • Weapon: Daggers (Lots of ’em)
   • Skills:
     • Shadowstep (Movement): Slip into the shadows and reappear somewhere else nearby.
     • Dagger Flurry (Attack): Throw or stab with a flurry of daggers.
     • Ghostwalk (Special, 2-turn cooldown): Become invisible for one turn, making your next attack extra strong.

🎉 Ending Options

• If they succeed: The kingdom is restored, and the players are knighted in a grimy feast hall where the food fights are legendary.
• If they fail: The darkness spreads… but maybe they get a sequel adventure as ghost knights of the fallen order.

Download the Character Sheets as PDF