A Cozy Caper is a system agnostic adventure from Leon Barillaro which came as part of Green Leaf Geek’s ADVENTure Calendar 2023. Seven pages from start to finish it packs in the adventure background, mechanics and unique rules for this adventure, advice on how to use it in various systems, and of course gives you the adventure itself! Nothing feels rushed and while I sometimes struggle with system agnostic content, I didn’t here – the explanations were concise, clear, and made good use of the limited space available. This isn’t a flashy adventure by any means, graphic elements are sparse and it’s printed on standard paper folded lengthwise to create a little volume, but it gets the job done, is easy to follow, and makes for a pleasant read.
So, what’s it about? In A Cozy Caper you’ve been invited to a party hosted by a winter fairy who likes to gather everyone who has interested him over the course of the last year. It doesn’t matter if your party has never met him, as it’s possible he has heard of their exploits or misdeeds over the course of their adventure or, if you’re playing this as a one-shot with brand new characters, there’s a fun opportunity to work with the table to figure out why this fairy has heard of each of you.
That a fairy is hosting makes this extra fun, I feel, as what he might find impressive or noteworthy might well be something truly bizarre to other mortals! Maybe your character is known for growing the most vibrant watermelons outside of the fey realms, or once danced a number so beautiful it moved a member of the courts to tears. Maybe they met a hag, or another person of interest to the host, or heck, maybe he just winks and goes “you know why you’re here” and your character really, actually, doesn’t, and gets to decide if they want to play along or be open about having absolutely no idea whatsoever. There’s fun possibilities with the premise alone!
Anyway, whatever the reason, you’re invited to this party. It’s a potluck, so you need to bring a dish. This is where things start getting fun, as players can describe whatever dish they like, as well as any special means they’re using to keep it safe during transport. There are three possible stat options to choose from, all of which have a different Health and Quality value. Items with higher Quality are of greater worth to making a good impression at the party – and you do want to make a good impression – but are more likely to be ruined by bumps in the road than say, a sturdy loaf of bread which has no flash but sure has substance.
With your dishes in hand, hoof, claw, wing – however that’s happening – you’re on your way! But what’s a journey without a few bumps along the way, right? Right. And just as in life, bumps can be dealt with in a few different ways and have different consequences. If, for example, you avoid a bump entirely then congratulations! You’re still running on time (this matters) and your dishes remain intact. But you might miss the opportunity to make new friends and bring them along to the party with you.
Four such scenarios are presented, and any of them can also be quite easily cut out if you find yourself running short on time. I thought this was nice, personally, as it meant the potential to mix and match between the four scenarios presented in the one-shot for players to handle. What’s also nice is that different examples are given for how players might approach a situation so if, for example, you’re playing with people brand new to TTRPGs over the holidays, there are some ready made ideas that you can offer to help them along if they get stuck.
Once players have completed their last scenario, it’s time to calculate their total! To do this, you calculate the quality points of all dishes that still have 1 Health or more. Then you add additional points based on new friends made and invited along the way. Whether or not you’re officially late also comes into play, so it’s best to be mindful of how long diversions on the road take!
Depending on the outcome, the host and guests will treat the party differently but either way: they made it! The festivities are theirs to enjoy, and whether they mingle amongst themselves or find familiar faces in the crowd to spend time with, there are a handful of suggested activities – including a gift exchange and two truths and a lie – to help pass the time in cheerful revelry.
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That’s all for this week! Until next time, stay cozy, and if you want to join your companions around the cauldron, signup for email updates below!
The Cozy Cauldron 