Lydia's Weirde Shoppe - 1-Hour D&D Test Module

Created: 2025-12-20 19:49:01 | Last updated: 2025-12-20 19:49:01 | Status: Public

Players: 2 kids (ages 9-11)
Duration: 60 minutes
Level: 1

What You Need

3 sets of dice: one for you (DM), one per kid
Each set needs: d20, d8, d6
Character sheets: Kids are rolling their own level 1 characters
Timer: Phone or tablet to track puzzle time
Paper: Track goblin HP (starts at 7)

Timeline

Scene-Setting: 5-10 minutes
Puzzle: 10-15 minutes
Battle + Loot: 35-40 minutes

Scene-Setting (5-10 minutes)

Opening Scene - Read Aloud:

“It’s a beautiful late July afternoon in the town of Bree. You’re walking along the cobblestone streets after having lunch with your cousins, talking about the awesome pie you just ate.”

“Suddenly, the sky turns dark and angry—like someone tripped and spilled a bucket of cold ash across the clouds. A freezing cold rain mixed with chunks of hail starts HAMMERING down on the tin roofs all around you. CLANG! BANG! CRASH! Shopkeepers scramble to slam their shutters closed.”

“You’re getting soaked! The hail stings when it hits you! Through the fog and rain, you spot a warm, welcoming light coming from a shop with a crooked wooden sign that says ‘Lydia’s Weirde Shoppe.’”

“You run inside and see a cluttered store filled with strange trinkets, dusty books, glowing jars, and glittering boxes stacked everywhere.”

The Kids Help Lydia:

Lydia (a plump woman with wild gray hair and round spectacles) shouts over the noise:

“Quick! Help me shutter the door and windows! This storm is trying to tear my shop apart!”

Let the kids describe helping (pushing the door closed, latching shutters, etc.). Make it dramatic—wind howling, things rattling.

Lydia’s Request - Read Aloud:

Once everything is secured, Lydia catches her breath:

“Thank you! You saved my shop! But listen—this weather isn’t natural. Something’s wrong. I have an ancient Weather Stone that can fix this, but a nasty little goblin broke in last night and STOLE it! I saw the filthy thing run into my back room, but I’m too old and too slow to chase it down.”

“If you two can get my Weather Stone back, I’ll reward you handsomely!”

She gives each kid one healing potion (a small glowing vial—restores 1d8+2 HP when drunk).

She points a shaking finger toward a door behind her counter that leads to the back room.

Outside, the demonic storm continues to pound the shop.

The Puzzle (10-15 minutes)

Back Room - Read Aloud:

“You push open the creaky door to the back room. It’s dimly lit by a single flickering candle. The room is a mess—broken boxes, scattered papers, and three large wooden chests sitting against the far wall.”

The three chests are:
- Red Chest (left) - carved with flames
- Blue Chest (middle) - carved with waves
- Green Chest (right) - carved with leaves

On the wall above the chests, a torn piece of parchment is nailed crookedly. It says:

“The sneaky thief hides where water sleeps.”

Chest Contents:

Blue Chest: When opened, the goblin JUMPS OUT screeching! (Start battle)
Red Chest: Empty, filled with fake cobwebs and a rubber spider
Green Chest: Empty, with a dead mouse (harmless but gross)

If Kids Are Stuck (7 minutes):

Hint: “You look at the note again. It says ‘where water sleeps.’ What color is water? Which chest has waves carved on it?”

DM Note:

No investigation rolls needed. If they ask to search, just describe what they see. You’re managing time, not dice rolls.

Battle (35-40 minutes)

Goblin Appears - Read Aloud:

“The blue chest lid SLAMS open and an ugly green goblin leaps out! It has pointed ears, yellow eyes, and nasty sharp teeth. In one hand it waves a rusty, jagged sword. In the other hand, it’s clutching a glowing emerald green stone—Lydia’s Weather Stone!”

“The goblin hisses at you: ‘MINE! Not for you! Me keep shiny!’”

Goblin Stats:

HP: 7 (track on paper, tally damage as it comes)
Armor Class (AC): 13
Attack Bonus: +4 to hit
Damage: 1d6 (no bonus)
Tactics: Attacks whoever hit it last

Combat Rules Quick Reference

Initiative (Turn Order):

Pre-decide this before the session to save time. Suggested order:
1. First kid’s character
2. Goblin
3. Second kid’s character

On Each Player’s Turn:

Step 1: Player declares what they’re doing
- “I attack with my sword!”
- “I drink my healing potion!”
- “I stab it with my dagger!”

Step 2: Attack Roll (if attacking)
- Player rolls d20
- Player adds their attack bonus from character sheet
- Example: Roll 11 + (their attack bonus) = total
- Did they hit?
- Total 13 or higher = HIT
- Total 12 or lower = MISS

Step 3: Damage Roll (only if they hit)
- Roll the weapon’s damage die (no bonus added to damage)
- Longsword: 1d8 damage
- Dagger: 1d6 damage
- Subtract that damage from goblin’s HP
- Example: “You rolled 5 damage! The goblin now has 2 HP left.”

On Goblin’s Turn:

Step 1: You pick a target
- Attack whoever hit it last turn

Step 2: You roll to hit
- Roll d20 + 4
- Did you hit?
- Check the kid’s AC (Armor Class) on their character sheet
- If your total equals or beats their AC = HIT
- If your total is lower than their AC = MISS

Step 3: Roll damage (only if you hit)
- Roll 1d6 damage (no bonus)
- Kid subtracts that from their HP
- Example: “The goblin slashes you for 4 damage!”

Special Rules:

If a kid drops to 0 HP:
- They’re knocked out but stable
- They wake up after battle with 1 HP
- Don’t make this scary, just: “You get knocked down hard, but you’ll be okay!”

Healing Potion:
- Takes their whole turn to drink
- Roll 1d8 + 2, heal that much HP
- Can’t go above their maximum HP

Goblin Trash Talk (optional but fun):
- “You hit like baby!”
- “Ha! Goblin too fast!”
- “Me smarter than you!”

When Goblin Dies - Read Aloud:

“The goblin squeals and collapses in a heap! The Weather Stone rolls across the floor, still glowing bright green. You also see a small leather pouch tied to the goblin’s belt.”

Loot & Wrap-Up

Loot from Goblin:

Lydia’s Weather Stone (a smooth emerald green stone that glows and feels warm)
5 gold pieces per kid (in the leather pouch)

The kids return to the front of the shop with the Weather Stone.

Lydia’s Reaction - Read Aloud:

“You come back into the shop and Lydia’s eyes light up when she sees the Weather Stone. She gasps and quickly moves her hands in a magical flourish. The stone gently rises into the air and flies across the room into her hands. Immediately, the horrible pounding storm outside starts to quiet down. The hail stops. The wind dies. Warm sunlight begins to stream through the cracks in the shutters.”

“You saved my shop AND the whole town! You’re real heroes!”

She gives them:
- 10 more gold pieces each (total 15 gold with goblin loot)
- Each kid picks ONE magical item from the shop:
- Everlight Sword - glows softly in the dark (same damage, looks cool)
- Frost Dagger - always feels cold to the touch, leaves frost trails when swung (same damage, looks cool)
- Cloak of Billowing - dramatically billows and flaps even when there’s no wind (just looks awesome)

Ending - Read Aloud:

“Lydia opens the door and you step outside. The street is wet and there are chunks of rapidly melting hail everywhere, but the sky is clear and blue again. Birds sing with joy! The other shopkeepers are opening their shutters and waving to you. Lydia shouts: ‘These brave adventurers saved us all!’”

THE END

DM Tips for Your First Session

Before the Session:

Decide turn order (initiative) beforehand - saves 2-3 minutes
Optional: Pre-roll 10 goblin attack rolls and write them down (+4 to each roll)
Example list: 15, 8, 19, 12, 7, 16, 11, 20, 9, 14
Cross them off as you use them

During the Session:

Let the kids help you with rules - they know D&D, they’ll correct you
Don’t sweat perfect rules - if something is confusing, just make a call and move on
Use the timer for the puzzle - keeps things moving
If combat drags past 25 minutes: Have the goblin miss its next 2 attacks to speed things up

Pacing Safety Valve:

If you’re running long, you can:
- Skip one empty chest in the puzzle
- Give the puzzle hint at 5 minutes instead of 7
- Have the goblin only have 5 HP instead of 7

Your Goal:

Can you keep two kids engaged and on-track for one hour? If yes, you’re ready for longer games.

Success Criteria

Finished in roughly 60 minutes? ✓
Kids had fun? ✓
You didn’t lose your mind? ✓

You’re ready for the next adventure!