Quest Line · Original Adventure · TMNT & Other Strangeness

Sewer King's Warrant

One-shot

Adventure Summary

The party discovers crudely drawn "WANTED" posters featuring themselves as stick figures on coloring book pages plastered throughout the city. The bounty leads back to Squeaker, a paranoid rat mutant crime lord who rules a flooded subway station empire. The party must navigate bounty hunters, discover why they've been targeted, and confront Squeaker before every mercenary in the city comes calling.

Session Zero

Players should create mutant animal characters of 3rd-5th level. The adventure involves urban exploration, sewer navigation, and potential combat with multiple adversaries. The tone balances absurdist humor (coloring book wanted posters) with genuine danger. Content warnings: sewer environments, potential violence, themes of paranoia and mistaken identity. Players should be comfortable with investigation and social encounters, not just combat.

The Hook

Choose one or combine elements:

Hook 1: The Crayon Accusation — The party spots a small mutant child coloring in a "WANTED" poster at a street corner. Upon closer inspection, the crude stick figures unmistakably represent each party member, complete with identifying features. The reward: "10 SHINYS" (bottle caps spray-painted gold). The child says a "scary rat man" paid her mom to distribute them.

Hook 2: Bounty Hunter Breakfast — The party is ambushed during a routine morning by inept bounty hunters waving coloring book pages. After defeating them, the hunters explain they took the job from "the Sewer King" who insists the party "stole his crown" — something none of them remember doing.

Hook 3: Friend in Need — An NPC ally contacts the party in a panic. They've been questioned by dangerous individuals looking for the party, showing children's drawings as identification. The ally heard the bounty originated from the old Red Line station, now controlled by a mutant called Squeaker.

Scene 1 — Following the Crayons

The party must track the bounty to its source. The coloring book pages are everywhere: taped to lampposts, handed out by street urchins, even pinned to community boards. Each poster features the same crayon-scrawled message: "THEEFS WHO TOOK THE CROWN. BRING TO SEWER KING. 10 SHINYS."

Investigating the posters reveals they're pages torn from "Princess & Knights Coloring Fun" books, available at any dollar store. The drawings, while crude, show someone observed the party closely — accurate colors of clothing, distinctive weapons, and specific physical features are all present.

Investigation Options:

• Questioning distributors (Street Smarts check, target 12): Reveals that a nervous weasel mutant named Fidget hired locals to post them, paying in bottle caps. He works for "the big rat downstairs."
• Following the paper trail (Tracking check, target 10): The coloring books came from a bulk purchase at Benny's Discount Mart. The clerk remembers a rat mutant buying forty copies, muttering about "proper documentation."
• Street contacts (Streetwise check, target 14): Squeaker runs protection rackets from the flooded Red Line station. He recently ranted about a "stolen crown" to his enforcers, though no one knows what crown he means.

The trail leads to a service entrance at 5th and Maple, a rusted door marked with a child's drawing of a crown in yellow crayon — Squeaker's tag.

Scene 2 — The Flooded Court

The service entrance descends into the abandoned Red Line subway station, flooded to ankle depth with questionable water. Jury-rigged lights illuminate a bizarre kingdom: platforms decorated with crayon murals, bottle cap "coins" strung like curtains, and crude thrones made from shopping carts wrapped in aluminum foil.

Squeaker's "court" consists of:

• Fidget the Weasel (HP: 18, Strike +4, Damage 1d6): Nervous enforcer with a nail-studded baseball bat. Will negotiate if intimidated (target 13).
• Two Opossum Bruisers (HP: 22 each, Strike +5, Damage 1d8): Loyal but not bright. They wear coloring book pages as badges.
• Scribble (HP: 12, Dodge 16): A young raccoon mutant artist responsible for the wanted posters. She's tired of Squeaker's paranoia.

The Confrontation Choice:

The party can approach multiple ways:

Diplomatic: Fidget can be convinced (Persuasion check, target 14) that the party isn't a threat. He'll admit Squeaker has become increasingly paranoid since his "crown" vanished three days ago. He'll arrange an audience if the party surrenders weapons temporarily.

Stealthy: Bypassing the court requires navigating flooded tunnels (Prowl check, target 13). Success leads directly to Squeaker's throne room. Failure alerts guards, adding +2 opponents to Scene 3.

Aggressive: Fighting through is possible but loud. Reinforcements arrive in 4 rounds. Scribble will flee and potentially become an ally in Scene 3 if spared.

Key Information: Regardless of approach, the party should learn:

• The "crown" was a painted cardboard Burger Baron kids' meal crown
• Squeaker wore it as his symbol of authority
• It vanished from his throne three days ago
• Squeaker saw "four-legged shadows" (the party resembles this description in his paranoid mind)
• The real thief hasn't been found

Scene 3 — The Sewer King's Chamber

Squeaker's throne room is a partially collapsed station platform. His "throne" is a lifeguard chair wrapped in gold-painted tinfoil. Crayon drawings cover every surface — territorial maps, "royal decrees," and dozens of rough sketches of the party marked with angry scribbles.

Squeaker, Rat Mutant Crime Lord HP: 45, Strike +6, Dodge 14, Damage 1d8+2 (dual knives) Abilities: Scurry (may disengage as free action), Rally Underlings (all allies +2 to hit for 3 rounds, once per combat) Weakness: Paranoid and easily confused by logical arguments

Squeaker immediately accuses the party of crown theft. He's surrounded by 2-4 loyal followers (depending on earlier choices).

Resolution Paths:

Path 1: Detective Work Players can investigate the throne room (Perception check, target 12) to find evidence:

• Tiny paw prints leading to a ventilation shaft
• A fragment of the crown wedged in ductwork
• Scratching sounds from above

Following these clues reveals Pip, a young rat mutant (Squeaker's nephew) hiding in the vents with the crown. He took it because "Uncle Squeaker pays more attention to the crown than family." A successful Empathy or Persuasion check (target 13) convinces Pip to return it. Squeaker, embarrassed but relieved, withdraws the bounty and offers the party a favor.

Path 2: Combat Victory Defeating Squeaker and his guards leaves the party in control of his operation. They can:

• Claim his territory and resources (making future enemies)
• Broker peace, installing a more reasonable lieutenant like Fidget
• Dismantle the operation entirely, freeing the neighborhood but gaining no allies

Path 3: Negotiated Settlement Persuasion check (target 15) or offering to find the real thief convinces Squeaker to temporarily withdraw the bounty. The party must then solve the mystery (leading to Path 1) or provide a scapegoat. Successfully finding Pip and reuniting uncle and nephew earns Squeaker's lasting gratitude and a powerful sewer-dwelling ally.

Complication: If the party took too long (GM's discretion), a rival gang arrives seeking the bounty, forcing temporary alliance with Squeaker against common enemies.

NPCs

Squeaker — Paranoid rat mutant crime lord with artistic pretensions. Wants respect and order in his underground kingdom, expressed through crayon-drawn bureaucracy.

Fidget — Weasel mutant enforcer who's exhausted by Squeaker's instability. Wants competent leadership, whether that's a reformed Squeaker or new management.

Scribble — Young raccoon mutant artist forced to create wanted posters and propaganda. Wants creative freedom and to escape Squeaker's increasingly erratic demands.

Pip — Squeaker's nephew, a 10-year-old rat mutant who feels neglected. Wants his uncle's attention and affection, not realizing his theft caused chaos.

Bonesaw — Badger mutant bounty hunter (optional encounter). Professional, honorable, and willing to negotiate. Wants the bounty but won't take unnecessary risks.

GM Advice

• Play up the absurdity — The contrast between crude coloring book posters and genuine danger creates memorable tone. Have NPCs treat the crayoned wanted posters as legitimate legal documents.

• Scale combat appropriately — Squeaker's forces should feel threatening but not overwhelming. Adjust HP and numbers based on party composition and whether they've rested.

• Telegraph the mystery — Drop hints about Pip early: Squeaker mentioning "ungrateful family," scratching sounds from vents, or Fidget noting Squeaker's nephew hasn't been seen lately.

• Reward creativity — If players devise clever solutions (forge a replacement crown, frame someone else, broker a therapy session between uncle and nephew), let them succeed with appropriate checks.

• Track time pressure — Every hour that passes, more bounty hunters hear about the reward. Use random encounters with increasingly competent hunters to create urgency.

Rewards

Experience: Award full session XP for completing the adventure. Bonus XP for resolving the situation without killing Squeaker or discovering Pip's involvement.

Material Rewards:

• 500-800 bottle caps (Squeaker's currency, tradeable in certain neighborhoods)
• One "Favor from the Sewers" — Squeaker's assistance for a future task
• Squeaker's territorial maps (advantage on future Underground navigation checks)
• Scribble's artistic services (useful for forgeries or propaganda)

Story Rewards:

• Reputation boost in the underground mutant community
• Potential recurring ally or enemy (depending on resolution)
• "The Coloring Book Incident" becomes a story NPCs recognize the party by

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