The Krooked Kraken Tavern
You enter through the large oak door of The Krooked Kraken, an old tavern that wears its age proudly. Creaking floorboards, coils of rope, and rusted lanterns give the tavern the feel of a ship that never left port. The air carries a faint smell of chimney smoke and spilled ale that seems to have soaked into the timber over long decades.
Adorning the walls are framed paintings, letters, and sea shanties - each one a piece of the long, strange history of the port town of Saltmarsh - and the story from which the Krooked Kraken gets its name.
As a member of the Purrge resistance, you're well-known at The Krooked Kraken. You nod to the bartender as you pass, making your way to the back room for the resistance's weekly secret meeting. Your eyes scan the room for suspicious characters - no one catches your attention.
You knock three times on the sturdy but splintered door leading to the back room. Out of habit, you pull out your pocket watch to check how late you are, only to be reminded - again - that it stopped ticking about a week ago. Fittingly, this frozen timepiece is the very reason you're late in the first place.
A familiar voice speaks from the other side of the door. "Why does the kraken swim crooked?" the voice asks. You recognize the grizzled voice of an old dwarf named Torrin, an early member of the Purrge resistance.
The correct response lets him know you can be trusted... but the passphrase changes too often for you to remember.
"It's me, old man," you whisper as you lean into the door. "Let me in. I'm already late for the meeting."
"Anyone can fake a voice, lad. The Meowssiah uses all kinds of trickery. Answer the question!" Torrin repeats himself. "Why does the kraken swim crooked?"
The stubborn dwarf is a stickler for the rules!
You recall the response has something to do with the kraken messing with... ah... rats! You can't quite remember the rest. Suddenly, you recall that the answer is somewhere in this tavern! Maybe you should look around. Or... maybe you should try to weasel your way in somehow.
Whatever you choose to do, you have to be careful! The door is protected by a Glyph of Warding. It was your idea originally when the Purrge was created, and now... you're starting to regret it. Any wrong answer - or any haphazard attempt to bypass it - could result in a Ray of Frost erupting from the door. Nothing deadly, but it hurts like the Nine Hells.
The answer to "Why does the kraken swim crooked?" lies somewhere within the tavern. Solve the puzzle to progress through the experience. An incorrect answer to a puzzle, or failing a skill check, will often result in your character taking damage. This means that you reduce your character's HIT POINTS (HP), which you track on your CHARACTER SHEET. If your HP falls to zero, you die. But don't worry, there is a way to be resurrected, though it will come at a cost!
Sometimes you will be asked to make a SKILL CHECK. There will be a virtual D20 DICE ROLLER on your screen whenever a skill check is required. Skill checks will ask you to include a skill modifier listed on your character sheet. For example, if you are making a CHARISMA Check, roll the D20 and add the plus or minus modifier listed on your character sheet for that stat. Then, enter the final result to see if you succeed or fail.
(Hint: Each class has its pros and cons. Consider your character and skills before choosing your approach to each situation. Or don't... throw caution to the wind! Who cares? Have fun with it!)