Encounters are like chapters in a book or scenes in a movie. During an Encounter, the character might explore the ruins of an ancient fortress in search of treasure, visit a bustling marketplace to buy supplies for an upcoming expedition, or attend a lavish ball at the palace AS part of an espionage operation. Every Encounter includes a mix of roleplaying opportunities and Challenges. The decisions the players make during the Encounter and the outcome of the Challenges they face determine what happens next in the Adventure.
Non-Player Character vs. Adversary #
Every character controlled by the Adventure Guide is a Non-Player Character (NPC). This includes helpful innkeepers, backstabbing thieves, and even wild animals. Non-Player Characters who want to harm the Player Characters or obstruct their goals are called Adversaries. When the term Adversary is used in these rules, it refers to antagonistic Non-Player Characters—those who are working against the Player Characters. If a Non-Player Character is friendly or neutral toward the characters, they are simply referred to AS an NPC.
Theater of the Mind #
Open Adventure Encounters take place in the Theater of the Mind. This means that rather than using maps and miniatures to simulate where the characters are compared to one another, how far they may move, and what objects and obstacles are around them, Encounters are played out entirely in the players’ imaginations. The Adventure Guide describes the scene, the players describe the heroic Actions their characters perform, dice are rolled, and an exciting adventure story unfolds out of this creative collaboration. The players may even help to define the setting by offering ideas for what the world around them looks like and what is happening during the Encounter.
After a wild pursuit through the halls of the castle, the characters have cornered the evil viscount in the castle’s kitchen. The Adventure Guide says, “The kitchen is a large, almost cavernous, room with a gigantic hearth big enough to roast a whole cow over. Long tables run down the center of the room, covered with half-prepared meals, kitchen utensils, and other cooking paraphernalia. In the far corner of the room is a well, the kitchen’s source of fresh water. The viscount stands with his blade at the ready, clearly planning to fight to the death.”Warheart, who came directly from the king’s audience chamber and is thus unarmed says, “Since this is a kitchen, I’m sure there is a large cast iron frying pan within Reach. I Grab it and get ready to fight.”The Adventure Guide agrees that yes, there is a large frying pan the character can Grab.Maps and Miniatures #
If you still want to use maps and miniatures, go for it! Open Adventure leaves a lot of room for creative interpretation and improvisation, but sometimes it’s nice to see where everyone is during an Encounter. Even if precision measurements are not used, some players find moving a miniature Across the Room toward an Adversary makes the Encounter easier to imagine and more fun to play. Also, many gamers have invested heavily in miniatures, props, and maps, and it’s a shame to let them sit unused. If that’s you and your group, then pull out those minis!
Measuring Time #
Time in Encounters is measured in Rounds. In one Round, each Player Character, NPC, and Adversary gets one Turn to act. On their Turn, each participant may take one Minor Action and one Major Action. Minor Actions are simple, unobstructed Actions, like walking across an empty room or taking a potion out of a backpack. Major Actions are any Action requiring an Action Check, like striking an enemy with a weapon or leaping over a pit. Even if an Action does not require an Action Check, if the Action is particularly involved or complex the Adventure Guide may rule that it is a Major Action. More information about Actions and Action Checks is found in Chapter 10: Actions.
Round Length #
The length of a Round in game time (that is to say, time AS perceived by the characters) is up to the Adventure Guide and depends greatly on what is happening in the Encounter. If the characters are embroiled in combat, the Adventure Guide might call for short Rounds lasting around six seconds each. At other times, however, the Adventure Guide might decide a Round lasts a minute, an hour, or even a few hours. The Adventure Guide will let the players know how Long a Round is at the beginning of the Encounter or if the length of the Round changes during the Encounter.
Actions and Round Length
Open Adventure is not intended to create a precise simulation of reality, but rather to serve AS a tool to let you and your friends take part in incredible Action-adventure stories. To that end, Round length provides players with a rough sense of what Actions their character might realistically accomplish on their Turn. If Rounds are six seconds Long, common sense suggests an appropriate Action for a character might be to move Across the Room and swing their sword at an Adversary. If Rounds are an hour Long, a character’s Action could involve quite a bit more activity, such AS searching a dilapidated house for secret doors or constructing a makeshift defensive structure before the enemy attacks.
The Adventure Guide should select an appropriate Round Length from the Time Chart.
| TIME CHART |
| 6 seconds |
| 1 minute |
| 15 minutes |
| 1 hour |
| 12 hours |
| 1 day |
| 1 week |
| 1 month |
Depending on the flow of the Action and the choices the players make, the Adventure Guide may change the Round Length during the Encounter.
Short Actions and Long Rounds
When playing an Encounter with Long Rounds, most of the Challenges characters face will call for Long Actions. For instance, an Encounter with one-hour Rounds might include Challenges like “Prepare Defenses for the Enemy Attack.” In this case, players should select Actions that fit the pace of the Encounter. So instead of an Action like “my character barricades the north door,” the player would declare an Action like “my character barricades all the outer doors.” Whatever Action the player selects, the character only gets one Minor Action and one Major Action—even if the player selects an Action the character can finish in less time than the current Round length.
Measuring Distance #
Open Adventure uses an abstract system for describing distances. This approach lets the players and the Adventure Guide imagine the distances between characters or objects without getting bogged down in precision measurements or counting squares of movement.
The Distance increments are:
Self: Self includes the character’s body and anything they are wearing or carrying.
Reach: Reach is anything the character can Reach and touch without moving more than a step or two.
Across the Room: Across the Room represents distances of roughly the width of a large room or small building. Examples of Across the Room distances include the common room of a tavern, a small storage building, or the length of a hallway.
Stone Throw: If an average Human picked up a small stone and threw it AS far AS they can, that’s about how far away a Stone Throw is. A Stone Throw could indicate something down the street, across the river, or at the top of a small hill.
Bow Shot: Bow Shot represents a Distance of 150 to 200 yards. It’s farther than most people can throw, and a character needs to exert some serious energy to move this Distance quickly.
Within View: This represents anything beyond Bow Shot where the subject can still be clearly seen.
Distance and Round Length #
The Distance Increments described above are primarily for Rounds of 1 minute or less. In Rounds of 15 minutes or greater, a character can easily move to Bow Shot or beyond in a single Round. This makes even abstract measurements relatively unimportant. Even if the player wants their character to make a Ranged Attack Check using a weapon with a limited Range, the character can easily get to any Range they like in a 15-minute Round.
Changing Position #
Characters must expend a Minor Action to significantly change position or move during their Turn. If the movement requires an Action Check, the character must expend a Major Action instead. In addition, the Adventure Guide may declare that movement through certain environmental conditions, such AS knee-deep water or thick undergrowth, costs a Major Action, even if an Action Check is not required. In Rounds of 1 minute or less, a character may move up to Across the Room AS a Minor Action. Moving farther than this requires the character to expend their Major Action AS well.
Guidance for Guides: Why, not Where #
One way to make sure the game doesn’t get bogged down with worries about exact distances is to have the players explain why their character is moving, not just where. Where a character is standing might be good to know in terms of imagining the scene, but why they are there is even more important. Did they move there to ensure the enemy can’t escape through the only door? Are they moving to take cover behind some barrels to avoid the enemy’s arrows? Or are they trying to position themselves to get off a clear shot at an Adversary? The “why” of the movement matters more than the “where” in terms of the game rules and the story.
Encounters: Step-by-Step #
This step-by-step breakdown describes how to play an Encounter. Detailed descriptions of each step are provided after the summary.
- Set the Stage: The Adventure Guide describes where the Encounter takes place, tells the players which NPCs and Adversaries are present, identifies the Challenges (at least those the characters are aware of), and explains the objectives for the Encounter. They also set the Round length.
- Declare Starting Positions: The players describe where their characters are when the Encounter begins, what they are doing, and what gear they are carrying. The Adventure Guide lets the players know the location of important NPCs and Adversaries.
- Determine Turn Order: Each player makes a Reaction Check for their character and notes the result. For NPCs and Adversaries, the Adventure Guide uses the Reaction score listed in their statblock AS their result. No roll is necessary. The characters, NPCs, and Adversaries act in the order of their Reaction results, with the highest result first, the next highest second, and so forth until every participant in the Encounter has taken a Turn.
- Taking a Turn: Each character, NPC, and Adversary participating in the Encounter performs one Minor Action and one Major Action on their Turn.
- End of Round: The Round ends once every character, NPC, and Adversary have taken a Turn.
- Check for Victory: If the characters have overcome, avoided, or failed all the Challenges, or if all the characters Withdraw from the Encounter, the Encounter ends. Go to Step 10. Otherwise, continue to Step 7.
- Escalating Challenge Points: If the Encounter has any Challenges with the Escalating trait, the Adventure Guide increases the Challenge Points for those Challenges.
- End of Round Trigger Events: Any End of Round triggers are executed.
- Repeat: Go back to Step 4 and repeat until the characters have overcome all the Challenges, have all withdrawn from the Encounter, are all defeated, or have otherwise concluded the Encounter.
- End of Encounter: The Encounter ends and the Adventure Guide describes the outcome.
Step 1: Set the Stage #
At the beginning of the Encounter, the Adventure Guide sets the stage by describing where the Encounter takes place, what NPCs or Adversaries are present, and any potential threats. They also set the starting Round Length.
The Adventure Guide does not need to describe everything, but they do need to provide enough information that the players can easily choose relevant Actions for their characters. Examples of details the Adventure Guide might include are the time of day, the weather (especially if the Encounter takes place outdoors), what objects are nearby, notable sounds or smells, and the appearance and activities of NPCs and Adversaries.
Player Questions #
During this step, players may ask the Adventure Guide to provide more information about the scene, such AS the demeanor of the NPCs or details about a particular object. If the questions go on for too Long, or if discovering these details is part of the Encounter, the Adventure Guide may choose to start the Encounter, allowing the characters to use their Turns to gather additional information.
Objectives and Challenges #
Before finishing Step 1, the Adventure Guide explains the Encounter’s objectives and describes any obvious Challenges the characters must overcome. If appropriate, the Adventure Guide may also share the possible rewards and consequences for success or failure.
Step 2: Declare Starting Positions #
The players decide where their characters are at the start of the Encounter, what they are doing, and what equipment they have at the ready. For most Encounters, the players get to make these choices, but in some cases, the Encounter or Adventure Guide dictates where the characters are when the Encounter begins or even what equipment they have available.
Step 3: Determine Turn Order #
The order in which the characters, NPCs, and Adversaries take their Turns is determined by their Reaction score. Each player makes a Reaction Check for their character and records the result. For NPCs and Adversaries, the Adventure Guide uses their Reaction score AS their result. No roll is necessary. The characters, NPCs, and Adversaries take their Turns in the order of the results, with the highest result first, the next highest second, and so forth, until every participant in the Encounter has taken a Turn.
Step 4: Taking a Turn #
On their Turn, a character, NPC, or Adversary may take one Major Action and one Minor Action in whatever order the person controlling the participant chooses.
Minor Actions include Changing Position, drawing a blade, moving a short Distance, removing an easily accessible item from a pack, or opening a door.
Major Actions include casting a spell, attacking an enemy, or searching for a secret door. AS a rule of thumb, if the Action requires an Action Check, it is a Major Action.
For more about Actions, see Chapter 10: Actions.
Round Length and Actions #
The Major and Minor Action examples provided above are appropriate for short Rounds, like the 6-second Rounds commonly used for combat. What constitutes an appropriate Action for an Encounter, however, depends entirely on the length of the Round. For instance, if the Rounds are 1 hour Long, traveling to the other side of the city might be a Minor Action, but if the Round is six seconds Long, it might take a Minor Action to cross the room.
Choosing Actions #
Players may choose any Action they like for their characters. The only limits are the players’ imaginations and the Adventure Guide’s adjudication. Get creative, have fun, and bring the story to life with Actions that mirror what you see in your favorite books, shows, and films.
If you are uncertain about what your character can do, read through the description of your MO for inspiration, or look at the example Actions described in Appendix B: Action Library. Whatever you choose, keep the following in mind: heroes in stories do not “perform an Obstruct Action.” Rather, they “Throw a torch into the pile of broken barrels to set the oil spilling out of them ablaze, distracting the enemies so their friends can escape!” When declaring Actions, always start with what you are doing and why, then work with the Adventure Guide to find the right rules to carry out the Action.
One other important point to remember is that you can (and should) use Actions that play to your character’s strengths. This is true for any type of Challenge, from climbing a wall to fast-talking a barkeep to defeating an enemy in combat. For instance, a Thief might use their high Coordination score to creep up on the enemy, but a Wizard is more likely to use their Intellect to cast a spell of silence. When choosing your Action, your odds of success increase if you play to your character’s strengths and strive to tell an exciting story.
Step 5: End of Round #
Once every participant in the Encounter has taken their Turn, the Round ends.
Step 6: Check for Victory #
Usually, it is obvious when the characters have achieved victory, but if the Adventure Guide is uncertain, they should check to see if the characters have overcome all the Encounter’s Challenges and accomplished all the objectives.
Alternatively, if all the characters are defeated, or if they have all used the Withdraw Action to leave the Encounter, the Encounter ends and the heroes have failed.
One unique trait of RPGs is that failing to achieve an objective does not mean the characters lose the game. If the characters are still alive, the story continues. Withdrawing or being defeated just means the story goes in a different direction.
Whether the characters succeeded, failed, or achieved something in between, if the Encounter has ended jump to Step 10, otherwise go to Step 7.
Step 7: Escalating Challenge Points #
If there are any Challenges with the Escalating trait, the Adventure Guide increases the Challenge Points for those Challenges.
Step 8: End of Round Trigger Events #
If the Challenge has Triggers that occur at the end of the Round, resolve those Triggers at this time. For more information on Challenges and Triggers see Chapter 11: Challenges.
Step 9: Repeat #
Assuming there are still Challenges to overcome or objectives to accomplish, go back to Step 4: Taking Turns and repeat the steps. Repeat this process until either the characters have all Withdrawn from the Encounter, have overcome all the Challenges, or have been defeated.
Step 10: End of Encounter #
The Encounter reaches its conclusion. The Adventure Guide describes the outcome of the characters’ victory (or defeat) and what has changed in the story thanks to their heroic Actions. The wrap-up might also include one or more rewards for the Challenges the characters overcame or for achieving the objectives of the Encounter. It might also include consequences for Challenges the characters failed to overcome. Finally, the wrap-up will usually include the reveal of a new Encounter, propelling the heroes along the path of the story and on to the next scene in their epic Adventure.
Guidance for Guides: Freeform Encounters #
Rounds ensure everyone at the table has an opportunity to participate in the game, but not every moment of an Adventure requires such a Rigid structure. The Adventure Guide may choose to play out scenes in a freeform fashion, where the players and the Adventure Guide engage in a back-and-forth conversation, roleplaying when appropriate and making Action Checks AS needed. If the situation grows tense, if some players aren’t getting an opportunity to participate, or if an Adversary confronts the characters, the Adventure Guide may want to transition over to the step-by-step process.
Encounter Objectives #
At the beginning of an Encounter, the Adventure Guide describes the Encounter’s objectives. These include at least one Primary Objective describing the purpose of the Encounter. The Adventure Guide may also include one or more Secondary Objectives. These objectives are not required to complete the Encounter, but they have the potential to help or hinder the characters in the future depending on how they are resolved.
The Adventure Guide may choose not to reveal all the objectives at the start of the Encounter. Some objectives only come into play after the characters accomplish a preceding objective, and the Adventure Guide might reveal other objectives later in the Encounter to increase the tension or add a twist to the story.
Finally, an Encounter might have one or more Secret Objectives. Secret Objectives are bonus objectives the players are unaware of but may accomplish if their characters do certain things, go to specific places, or behave in a particular way. Secret Objectives are a great way to reward behaviors the Adventure Guide wants to reinforce, such AS heroism, curiosity, teamwork, and sacrifice.
Rewards and Consequences #
Each Encounter includes rewards and consequences. Which of these apply to the characters is based on whether the players accomplished the Encounter’s objectives, how they went about it, and the choices they made along the way. The rewards and consequences for an Encounter might include:
- The addition of one or more new Encounters.
- Treasure, equipment, or coins.
- New allies or enemies.
- A change (positive or negative) to a future Encounter.
- A Story Point award (see Chapter 16: Advancement).
Encounter Examples #
These are three examples of Encounters. They demonstrate how to combine narrative elements, story drivers, Challenges, and Adversaries to create a fun scene that challenges the players.
Note that some of the Encounters refer to follow-up Encounters, new items, or new monsters. AS these are only examples, the Adventure Guide will need to write these follow-up Encounters or build the monsters and items if they choose to use the examples in their game.
Guidance for Guides: Encounters are Toolboxes #
A pre-written Encounter is just a box of tools provided to help the Adventure Guide run a fun game built around an exciting story. The descriptions, objectives, challenges, and rewards are all suggestions. The Adventure Guide can and should embellish or alter these AS they see fit to match the style of play and types of Encounters their group enjoys. Players are also amazing agents of chaos, and the Adventure Guide should stand ready to adapt the Encounter AS the players go in completely unexpected directions.
Encounter: Trolls in the Mountains #
AS the characters make their way through the mountains they are first followed and then attacked by a family of trolls.
Setting the Stage #
The characters are traveling along a narrow, winding trail through Stonespear Pass. It is a gloomy, autumn day, and AS the heroes start on their journey, heavy gray clouds loom low over the mountains. The trail here is only a few paces across, narrowing in some spots to just a few feet. Much of the trail is unstable, and the characters’ passage regularly dislodges rocks that clatter down into the canyons below.
Throughout the morning, the characters get the uncomfortable feeling they are being watched, and around mid-day they come to an ancient bridge across a deep crevasse. The bridge is wider than the trail and looks sturdy despite its age.
Objectives #
Primary Objective: Survive the Troll Attack
A family of trolls lives in this part of the mountains. They start to follow the characters in the morning, then race ahead to set an ambush at the bridge. The trolls are vicious and hungry. They Attack the characters from their hiding place under the bridge and fight to the death.
Secret Objective: Troll Treasure
The trolls have a treasure stashed in a hollow under the bridge. If the characters manage to find it, they stand a chance of walking away with a decent reward.
Challenges #
Some of the Challenges the characters may face include:
- 3 Trolls (Adversaries): See Appendix E: NPCs and Adversaries for the troll statblock. The trolls want to eat the characters, so they won’t try to push any of the characters down into the crevasse. In fact, if a character falls, a troll might catch the character and toss them back onto the bridge. They don’t want to lose their dinner!
- Reach the Hollow (CP 5): The hollow under the bridge where the treasure is hidden isn’t very far down, but a character will need to find a way to Reach it. This might involve climbing, getting lowered down on a Rope, or using magic. It is difficult to Reach the hollow, so Difficulty Scores for any Actions to Reach it should begin at DS 6.
Rewards and Consequences #
- If the characters defeat the trolls, they move to Encounter: The Lonely Waypost.
- If the characters flee the trolls, the trolls fly into a fury over losing their lunch and smash the bridge, making return trips through the pass even more difficult.
- If the characters Reach the troll treasure they are awarded:
Encounter: Arrival in Longhollow #
The heroes arrive in the village of Longhollow and must locate the young hunter who promised to lead them to the bandit camp.
Setting the Stage #
Longhollow is a small village of around 200 people. Most of the buildings are clustered together around an open square with farms radiating out from the circle of houses. The two exceptions are the small inn, which stands beside the road on the western edge of the village, and the chapel, which sits on a low hill to the north.
When the heroes arrive, the sun is already down, but the moon shines brightly. Warm lamp Light glows from many of the houses, and a dog barks somewhere in the Distance. The pleasant scent of wood smoke fills the air, mingled with a hint of roasted meat and fresh bread.
Most of the locals have turned in for the night, although a fair-sized crowd of farmers has gathered at the inn for an ale at the end of their Long workday. The chapel is dark, unoccupied since the priest died of fever a few months ago.
Objectives #
Primary Objective: Find the Hunter
The characters must locate the young hunter and convince him they do not intend to harm him. The hunter has been stalked ever since he discovered the bandit camp, so he remains hidden in the cellar of the inn waiting for the heroes to arrive. The innkeeper is the only one who knows where he is, but characters who successfully question the locals will learn the hunter was seen talking to the innkeeper early in the day.
Secondary Objective: Find a Place to Stay
The inn only has two rooms and a traveling merchant and his family rented them both. Unless they plan to head for the bandit camp in the dark, the characters will need to find somewhere else to spend the night. Some options include camping in the woods east of the village, convincing a local to put them up in their home, breaking into the chapel, sleeping in the village’s hay barn, or convincing the merchant to give up his rooms.
Secret Objective: Befriend the Locals
The heroes do not know it yet, but later in the Adventure they may need help from the locals to defeat the bandits. This initial Encounter is a good opportunity for the characters to build a rapport with the locals and make some new friends.
Challenges #
The Challenges the characters face depend on how the characters go about accomplishing the objectives. Some possible Challenges include:
- Find the Hunter (CP 10, Timed 3 hours): Unless the characters guess where the hunter is hiding, they will need to talk to the locals to find him. The players only have a few hours to hunt him down before everyone in the village heads to bed.
- Build a Camp (CP 5): The characters must build a camp in the woods east of the village where they can spend the night.
- Get the Room (CP 6): The characters might try to convince the merchant to give up their rooms or even convince the innkeeper to kick the merchant out. Their approach doesn’t change the Challenge’s Challenge Points, but an overly aggressive approach may make it difficult to achieve the Secret Objective: Befriend the Locals.
Rewards and Consequences #
- If the heroes accomplish the Primary Objective: Find the Hunter before time runs out, the hunter joins them first thing in the morning to guide them during Encounter: Road to the Bandit Camp.
- If the heroes fail to accomplish the Primary Objective: Find the Hunter before time runs out, they will need to try again in the morning. Eventually they will find him, but this delay means more bandits arrive at the camp increasing the number of bandits there from 10 to 15 when the heroes play Encounter: Assault on the Bandit Stronghold.
- If the heroes sleep in the woods, a pack of hungry wolves Attack them in the night. Go to Encounter: Wolf Attack.
- If the heroes accomplish the Secret Objective: Befriend the Locals, either by purposely building relationships or just being kind and honorable, five husky young farmers will volunteer to fight with the heroes during Encounter: Assault on the Bandit Stronghold.
- If the heroes break into the chapel to sleep play Encounter: The Bandit Scout in which the heroes discover a bandit scout already hiding in the chapel to spy on the village.
Encounter: Vile Kitchen #
AS the characters explore the dungeon, they discover a large kitchen.
Setting the Stage #
Read this text aloud when the characters discover the room.
The door opens to reveal a large kitchen. A stone firepit sits in the middle of the floor with a cast iron pot, large enough to hold a Human, suspended above it by chains. Something bubbles and boils inside the pot, giving off foul smelling steam and occasionally splurting viscous green liquid onto the floor.Shelves and tables Line the walls, all of which are covered with piles of dirty dishes, half-rotten food, dented pots, and the bones from a menagerie of animals. The floors are equally filthy, marked by dark stains and pools of sticky ooze.This is the kitchen used by the bugbear cook to make meals for the soldiers. The cook is terrible, and the only thing he knows how to make is stew. Despite the number of stews he has cooked, it still turns out awful every time.
Objectives #
Primary Objective: Explore the Room
This room is just another part of the bugbear stronghold. It doesn’t contain anything vital to the story, but players who like exploration will have a good time poking around. Of course, poking into the wrong things can lead to trouble, but the room does contain a few rewards.
Challenges #
Challenges the characters may face when exploring this room include:
- Disease: Filth Fever (CP 5, Linked): If any character is foolish enough to try eating the nasty brew cooking in the pot, they must immediately make a DS 7 Toughness Check. On a success, they just feel a bit queasy. On a failure, they become violently ill and contract Filth Fever.
- Green Slime (Adversary, Round 4 2 Bugbears): The bugbear cook put a heavy rock on the lid of another large pot sitting in the corner of the room. If the characters open it, a green slime bursts out and attacks. If they fight the slime for more than three Rounds, the noise draws the attention of a pair of bugbear guards who charge into the room and join the fight.
- Search the Room (CP 12): Searching the room isn’t difficult, but it is time consuming thanks to all the trash, rotten food, pots, and kitchen utensils lying around. Don’t tell the characters how many Challenge Points the search has. Let them search AS Long AS they like, and if they reduce the Challenge Points to 0 before they give up, they discover a Human hand under some rubbish still clutching a fine dagger.
Rewards and Consequences #
- If the characters withdraw from the room, they lose the opportunity to search it later.
- If they defeat the slime, a silver ring falls out of the slimy corpse. It is a magical Ring of Voice Changing. More a novelty than anything else, it makes the wearer sound like an adult man with an impressively deep voice.
- If the characters defeat the bugbears, they find 20 SP in a pouch on one of the bugbear’s belts.
- If they drive the bugbears away, the bugbears raise the alarm, making it impossible to surprise any of the other bugbears in the complex during future Encounters.
- If they successfully search the room, they find a fine dagger clasped in the severed hand. The dagger is a normal dagger except it adds a +1 Effect to successful Attack Checks due to its masterful construction.