Marco Volo: Departure is an adventure module for the Forgotten Realms campaign setting by Anthony Pryor and using the 2nd-edition Dungeons & Dragons® rules. It is the first in the Marco Volo trilogy.
Marco Volo: Departure is the first volume of the Marco Volo trilogy, designed for four to eight player characters of levels 6 to 8. This free-wheeling adventure begins with an intrigue-laden journey from Waterdeep to Shadowdale. The party is thrown into the company of one Marcus Wands (also known as "Marco Volo"), a bothersome but likeable little rogue. In his guise of Marco, he gains unintentional help from the party members, leading only to their own arrests. To remedy that predicament, the characters are strong-armed into carrying an important letter to Shadowdale, and taking along Marcus as their "guide."
Of course, things are nowhere near as simple as they seem.
There's this little matter of the Dragonking's Eye, a powerful artifact from another plane. Naively, Marcus thought he could steal the thing and pin the theft on Volothamp Geddarm, the roguish author of many popular books about cities in the Realms. The notorious mage-assassin Felibarr Blacklance has been hired to hunt for the thief, and he is a man grimly determined to earn his fee.
Then there's the business about this letter that's on its way to Shadowdale. It is accompanied by a rare enchanted item that wizards and fortune hunters want to obtain at all costs.
A series of adventures ensues that takes the adventurers from Waterdeep to the Way Inn, by which time they will doubtless suspect there is more to Marco Volo than meets the eye. Amid the brawls and mistaken identities, the wild rides and the glowering villains, the characters never have a chance to slow down or catch their collective breath. What results is a light-hearted, picaresque adventure in the manner of Dumas and Sabatini, and a good time is had by all!
(Except by the bad guys, of course. They're never happy with how things are turning out...)Index[]
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Characters[]
- Darrstul • Dorn • Felibarr Blacklance • Loene • Mhair Szeltune • Mother Tathlorn • Olanhar Wands • Rhyssa Greyblade • Shasslan Timtrane • Velkor Minairr • Winestab
- Referenced only
- Elminster • Khelben Arunsun
Creatures[]
- goblin • homunculus • iron golem • rat • rat-fiend
Locations[]
- Buildings
- Castle Waterdeep • Mother Tathlorn's House of Pleasure and Healing • Sailor's Corner • Wands Villa • The Way Inn
- Roads
- Fishgut Court • Gem Street • High Road • Suldown Street • Waterdeep Way
- Settlements
- Daggerford • Waterdeep
- Referenced only
- Amn • Berdusk • Dragonspear Castle • Inn of the Dripping Dagger • Midnight Sun • Moonshaes • Negative Material Plane • Old Skull Inn • Sembia • Shadowdale • Spiderhaunt Woods • Thirsty Throat
Magic[]
- Items
- amulet of protection • amulet of the planes • Bucknard's everfull purse • elven boots • gem of seeing • hat of stupidity • ring of protection • robe of stars
- Psionics
- catfall • contact • displacement • ESP
- Spells
- blacklance • hold person • magic mouth • sleep • stinking cloud • web
- Weapons
- flame tongue • staff of power • wand of fireballs • wand of magic missiles • wand of wonder
Organizations[]
Religions[]
- Referenced only
- Torm
Miscellaneous[]
- Art & Literature
- The Glorious Death of Sir Trolivus
- Clothing
- breastplate • breeches • doublet
- Food & Drinks
- ale • beer • bread • cheese (Death Cheese) • wine (Winter Wine)
- Items
- lantern • lute • mug • scroll tube • sealing wax
- Weapons
- rapier
Appendix[]
Notes[]
- ↑ No date is given for the adventure trilogy, but page 20 refers to events of Darkwalker on Moonshae as being "20 years ago", though this figure may be handwavey. Nevertheless, since the novel is dated to 1345 DR, this module should be set around 1365 DR, give or take a few years. Furthermore, City of Splendors (published at almost the same time) makes a brief mention of characters Marcus Wands and Sabbas and the opening events of Departure, implying it is contemporaneous. As City of Splendors documents events of 1367 DR, this date is presumed for the Marco Volo trilogy.