DM’s Journal – Session 1: The Adventure Begins

For Session 1, I wanted to move beyond the usual tavern introduction. I adapted some player story hooks from the source material and also created original hooks to encourage interaction between characters, see how they handle conflict, and observe group dynamics in combat, exploration, and decision-making.

adventurers-caravan-jon-pintar — Image credit: Jon Pintar / ArtStation

Meet the Party

Introducing the heroes of our Sunless Citadel campaign and their personalities, motivations, and the story hooks that drive them forward.

Elvin Ventura — Edgy Elven Rogue

Quiet, precise, and always observing, Elvin strikes from the shadows with calculated skill. He prides himself on doing things the “right” way, which makes obstacles and faulty tools especially frustrating.

Hook — The Blighted Fruit

Someone close to him fell victim to a magical fruit rumored to grant vitality. Instead, it drained their life, leaving only a withered body. Tracing rumors to Oakhurst, Elvin sets out to uncover the source and prevent the same fate from claiming anyone else.

Chichi Alluri — The Wannabe Peaceful Sorcerer

Chichi Alluri — Wannabe Peaceful Sorcerer

A hopeful and peace-loving sorcerer experiencing real adventure for the first time, Chichi prefers diplomacy over destruction though she’s slowly getting more comfortable casting Fire Bolt when needed. Easily charmed by local shops, snacks, and curious trinkets, she brings warmth and enthusiasm wherever the party travels.

Hook — The Solstice Fruit

Someone Chichi loves was slowly dying from an illness no healer could cure. With prayers unanswered and remedies failing, she turned to a desperate rumor: a magical fruit said to cure any sickness. The fruit was believed to appear only once a year during the summer solstice, in a place many considered a myth. With time running out, she set out to find the fruit before the solstice passed… and before it was too late.

Xellios — 'Chris Pine' Wannabe Bard

With a theatrical “helloooo” and the confidence of a stage-born performer, Xellios makes every entrance feel like a show. Curious and eager to investigate, he’s always drawn to places with hidden histories.

Hook — The Sunless Song

Taken in by a small church as a lost child, Xellios learned to weave magic through music. One night, a hooded stranger gifted him a strange set of foreign bagpipes and vanished. Since then, the instrument reacted to ancient ruins and dark, forgotten places, humming melodies older and more unsettling than anything he’d learned. To uncover the truth behind the pipes and their haunting song, Xellios followed their call into the depths, where the light did not reach.

Chloroform Bastille - Emotionally Distant Fighter

A quiet, emotionally distant warrior, Chloroform lets his actions speak louder than words. He prefers direct solutions, facing enemies head-on and hitting hard when it counts. Speaking about himself in the third person (“Chloroform likes to smash”), he’s simple, blunt, and built for the front line.

Hook — Rescue Mission

A month ago, Talgen and Sharwyn Hucrele vanished while exploring the Sunless Citadel. Chloroform knew them well, Talgen a dependable comrade, Sharwyn a sharp and driven seeker of knowledge. They never returned. Whatever lay within the Citadel had already taken people Chloroform cared about. Now, he was determined to go inside, uncover what happened, and bring them back… or make sure something answered for their fate.

Sebastian Moonhopper - Happy Go Lucky Tiefling

A happy-go-lucky tiefling with a talent for deception and stealth, Sebastian spent his younger years pulling off robberies and working with shady contacts and corrupt merchants to fund a comfortable, carefree lifestyle. Charming and opportunistic, he tends to treat danger like just another adventure.

Hook — The Captive Opportunist (Joined on session 3)

Sebastian originally came to the Sunless Citadel for a paid job: rescue the missing Hucrele siblings. Unfortunately, his search ended early when goblins captured him and locked him in a dungeon cell. When the party later stormed the Citadel and freed him, Sebastian gladly joined their ranks, still interested in the reward, but now also invested in surviving the dungeon and seeing the job through.

Key Moments

Snapshots of the party’s first adventures, from combat triumphs to crucial discoveries.

The party’s first fight! Chloroform’s axes swing, Xellios strikes with his dagger, Chichi casts her first Fire Bolt, and Elvin lands a precise sneak attack. Twig Blights defeated, the adventure has begun!

DM Notes — Session 1

Rather than the typical tavern introduction, the party began as hired guards on a caravan to Oakhurst, allowing them to interact naturally and reveal story hooks. I introduced combat early with Twig Blights, which bled a violet sap, (a subtle foreshadowing of the main story) and to gauge their combat styles and teamwork.

After the encounter, the party rested in a tavern, gathering information and receiving a contract from Kerowyn Hucrele to rescue her children or recover their signet rings.

The party then explored the Ravine where the Sunless Citadel is located, encountering some low CR creatures, traps and environmental challenges. This allowed me to observe their investigative behavior, caution, and problem-solving. They cleared a small portion of the citadel, demonstrating teamwork, attention to detail, and creativity. Insights that will guide my planning for future sessions.

Takeaways:

Early combat reveals player styles and teamwork.
Environmental details (like violet sap) foreshadow future plot points.
Observing investigative behavior informs encounter design and pacing.
NPC interactions provide insight into motivations and potential side quests.

This journal is a personal, non-commercial reinterpretation focused on play experience and system design. Dungeons & Dragons, Wizards of the Coast, and all related trademarks are property of Wizards of the Coast.