Post by StoryTeller on Apr 11, 2006 7:21:04 GMT
"Large Hideous Monsters"
Mostly huge, garishly colored slimy monsters have overrun the Eastmarch. Refugees are crowding into the city, and a large refugee camp by the north wall has been set up. The Temple of Osiris is advertising for adventurers.
The monsters are all different. Even the occasionally recognizable monster is the wrong color, and they're mostly very underpowered. One refugee has been celebrated as a "Dragon Slayer", since he took out a huge, firebreathing beast with one blow of his yard rake. The tale definitely grew in the telling, but the man, "Lucky" Luke Sty-walker, former pig rancher, hasn't let it go to his head. After all, after he killed the "Dragon", a giant slug ate his house.
On the other hand, there was the "killer bunny", that killed 6 sheepdogs and a wolf one night, right in the middle of town! It would have probably continued the rampage, except that it started to melt at sunrise (a Rarebit of luck, that.)
Finding the source of these monsters is the quest, obviously, and this is not too difficult a task, as long as the adventurers don't get eaten. Nearly every monster has left a clear and obvious trail. The trails all converge on a stream bed. Near the headwater of the stream is a cave mouth. An idiot ogre couldn't miss the fact that major traffic has issued from it. Inside the cave mouth is a very standard set of caves, caverns and corridors, unique only in the fact that all of the normally expected cave denizens are absent from, or dead in, their lairs. One exception; the first side cave from the entrance has a very dead 12' cavebear, and a very cute, and hungry, cavebear cub (about 60 pounds).
the cub is likely to attach itself to the first adventurer that doesn't hurt it. Like most Ursines, it is omnivorous. Monsters issue from the cave at about 5 per night (2d4/night), and come into being at the narrow end of the large cavern. Some don't even survive walking the length of the room, which provides the heartier monsters with a much needed snack. None of the monsters can eat anything terrestrial. Well, they can chew and swallow, but not derive sustenance.
During the 12 phases of the creation, a light can be seen coming from "somewhere else". Careful attention will reveal that this `light' seems to be coming from a desk lamp. Also visible is a desk with a hunched-over "dwarf" in outlandish garb (actually, it's a kid in a striped T-shirt). Anyone stepping into the circle of light will be transported
into a 12'x15' basement room filled with strange and wonderous objects, most of which will not function properly if brought back to the "real world" On the desk are the kid's `lucky dice', which are powerful magic items, and radiate magic strongly (noticed on 11-, 8- by spellcasters). These dice create monsters if rolled 12 times. The monsters appear in whichever universe the dice are NOT in. the Dice can be easily destroyed in either plane, but that destruction will close the trans-dimensional door that is in the basement behind the desk (which is also obvious to
most adventurers.) While the door is open, anyone leaving the room will be transported to their own world. Also, magic and technology both work in the basement room only (and in the cave).
On a hill near the characters' home village once stood a proud castle. About forty years ago a mage resident there summoned up something he couldn't handle, and it pretty much trashed the place. The castle consists now of the ruins of the outer towers and gatehouse, about twelve towers in all, only a couple of which have even part of a roof, six inner towers (including the inner gatehouse) most of which are in very much disrepair, and the inner keep, which is mostly collapsed. Most of the castle walls are also torn down, and the moat is overgrown as well. Under the main keep is a cellar (about three rooms worth.) All of the wooden buildings, interior wood etc. was burned. The place is rumored to be haunted, about twenty years ago old Fred went there and never was the same since.
The players recently found out that the guy that built the castle had placed a mcguffin under the floor stones in each of the towers, and a large one under the keep. (The mcguffin is some sort of enchanted jewel that was supposed to keep the castle from harm or something. In practice, any enchantment has long worn off, but the jewels should be worth whatever is an appropriate amount in your campaign.) The players are the only people (that they know of) with this information, perhaps they found it in a letter used as a bookmark in an old book.
You should stock the castle mostly with animal, or animal-like monsters. Perhaps one tower is home to a couple of giant beetles, another has some feral cats, another has some snakes. A group of brigands that operates in this neighborhood uses one of the more intact towers as a camp, perhaps they have hidden some treasure under it,
perhaps several of them are there. An old crone lives in one of the towers, free rent you see. She makes healing poultices (herbal gunk etc.) for the brigands in return for food. Treat her as a second level MU with a charm person spell. You might, if you like, put a more "real" monster in the main keep, perhaps some sort of sentinel creature (ex. a
water weird, one of the really minor devils etc.).
Wandering monsters. Write up a wandering monster chart. Some of the entries should be true wandering things such as passing birds, cows etc. Most of them should be the inhabitants of the towers.
For example:
1. 3 of the cats from tower #1 (night only)
2. The old crone gathering herbs (day only)
3. 1d6 of the giant rats from tower #7 (night only)
4. A brigand patrol (details omitted).
If there are currently no brigands, they are going to their camp in tower #9. If there are brigands in the camp, roll a d6, on a 1-3 they are going to the camp, on a roll of 4-6 the brigands in the camp leave etc.
Should the party go home before clearing out the tower, feel free to replace any slain monsters with others, especially if some time has elapsed. For instance, now that the large snake has left, a weasel family has made their home in the moat. The brigands will not always be there, sometimes there may be as many as (more than the party can handle) planning a raid somewhere. Be sure to indicate signs of some of the animals, things like droppings, meal remains, shed carapaces etc. The brigands are not all that neat, there might be signs that they are around such as the tower that they use as an outhouse, a pile of cow bones, a copper penny with a recent date, a torn but unrotted rag etc.
"Survival"
This module is currently designed for 4-6 players of first and second level, with about 5 to 7 total levels in the party. It provides a way for the party to meet without resorting to the trite "you're in a bar" scenario.
The geographic setting is the northern plains of a continent with a cool to cold climate during the autumn season. The party begins in a country on the human side of a human/demihuman border. The demihumans in
question can be either Goblins and Orcs or Goblins and Hobgoblins. The winter storms are expected to start sometime in the next 4 to 6 weeks, which will close down the commonly used trade routes through the mountainous plains to the northeast.
Each character, except thieves, starts as a merchant, messenger, or mercenary guard in a large caravan heading to another city further north. The winter seems to be setting in early and the caravan master wants to
leave the city as soon as possible, due to a "special" package that a local temple has given into his care. The cleric(s) in the party are sent to "guard" this package. The fighters are mercenaries hired to guard the caravan on its seven to eight day journey, and the magic users are merchants (based on their nonweapon proficiencies) along for the
ride.
During the first three to four days it becomes obvious to the fighters that the caravan master is taking a less traveled route (which is faster and dangerous) due to the package. On the fourth night, a group of thieves (some of which are PC's) from the main town catch up with the caravan, and plan to steal the package and ransom it back to the temple. While the attempt is in progress, the camp is attacked by a horde of the demihumans which results in the eventual disabling of all the PC's.
The PC's awaken (roughly at the same time) with 1 HP, no equipment, money, food, or water, in the middle of a wrecked camp. The PC's must "introduce" themselves, leading to a possible confrontation with the thief character(s), since no one knows who they are or where they are from. They must then gather what equipment they can find and attempt to make it back to civilization and SURVIVE. The obvious choice is to press onward toward the original destination.
Unknown to the party, the demihumans' camp is nearby. It is the only source of food and water for miles in the surrounding terrain. The party should stumble upon a patrol, and gain some additional items. From here they can disguise themselves to gain access to the camp and possibly steal food, water, and possibly horses.
When the party finds the camp, they discover it is actually the ruins of an ancient fortress. Several questions come up: Who is leading this company of bandits? What is their purpose? Are they a threat (to the greater civilization)? The party may investigate these questions. If they do, several options exist for the adventure from this point. Do they try and defeat the leaders? Reconnoiter to gather more information to answer some of the above questions? Try and find the treasure trove? Run? As they investigate the ruined fortress, they gain the opportunity
to do all of the above and more. The dungeon also provides opportunities to introduce replacements for characters who may have died. The adventure concludes with the PC's leaving the demihuman camp and finishing the 2 to 3 day trek to civilization on foot, leaving the bandits intact for a second adventure.
The background is that one of the characters in the campaign, has some major bodily damage, beyond the capabilities of the party to heal. Theyrush him to town to find a healer.
The healer heals the character, but tells the party that it is only temporary. He says that the character will need the application of a special herb to make the healing permanent. The healer tells the party how to find a Druid whom he knows for the whereabouts of the herb. The party is able to get the Druid to agree to accompany them.
The Druid knows the general area in which the herb grows. Finding the herb is not a guarantee. After a trip taking several days into the outback, and approximately one day of unsuccessful searching for the herb, the party has an encounter with a group of orcs. (Party ambushes orcs, orcs ambush party, whatever). When searched, at least one of the orcs will have a small quanity of herb on his person. If all the orcs are dead the party will be able to track the orcs to their 'lair'. If one is alive, he will bring the party to the 'lair' if threatened. If asked about the herb, the orc is not aware that it is anything special. (The orcs gather quantities of the herb and use it as a narcotic and are unaware of the herb's healing powers, as they smoke it - not the proper form of application. If any orcs are questioned about the herb, treat it as if someone on the street beat you up, took your cigarettes and asked about their 'special healing properties'.)
The orc 'lair' is actually a small village/outpost. If this region is orc infested, make it a village (they have to come from somewhere). If the region is relatively orc-free, have it an advanced orc outpost. (i.e. no non-combatants)
Have enough orcs in the 'lair' such that a frontal assualt would be nearly impossible. Sneakiness counts here folks!
The 'lair' is actually above ground. It consists of a group of huts sufficent for the orcs' purpose. (Housing, maybe a forge, food, armory, etc.) Two of the structures will be made of stone, the places occupied by the priests and the high leaders. The entire village is surrounded by a wooden palisade. (Think of old forts in western movies.) The logs are buried deep enough so that they cannot be easily moved. The wall is nine feet high with points at the top, and is treated with a sap-like residue from the local trees that make it nearly resistant to fire. (Fires take more time to start and don't spread fast.) The walls are not tough to climb by oneself and are easy with the help of another. Within the walls are several outpost towers (approx. 15 feet tall) that are used to see out beyond the walls.
The orcs have enough of the herb to take care of the injured character, plus possibly some left over for the party.
For combatants, remember that in an organization this size there will be a chain of command. I had a supreme leader, a second in command, a handful of lieutenants, many sergeants and about 150 standard fighters.
I also used two spell-users to make things more lively (players occasionally fall into the trap in which they believe they are the only ones with magic accessible to them) and an ogre to make things exciting. I also included 20 worgs in a pen. (Worgs are large semi-intelligent, evil wolves that orcs occasionally ride into battle, also called dire wolves.) The worgs will only affect the outcome if either released from the pen or if the party tries to sneak by them.
If any of the party escape and at least one of the others are captured, one of the spell-users will attempt to charm the character. Once charmed the character will be instructed to find the rest of the group and bring them back to 'rescue' their comrades. (This is a -great-chance for roleplaying for the the player involved!) Set up an appropriate ambush. If the orcs' plan to entice the players back seems to have too many holes in it, that's ok, orcs aren't renowned for their great plans.
The herb, in addition to its healing properties is also addictive. For healing, the herb must be administered over a one week period. In games terms, withdrawal from the herb will result in a penalty to action. Withdrawal will be complete five days after the last time the herb was administered. During these five days, the penalties should peak at day three then gradually drop off. Since the herb has a side-effect (withdrawal), races that have a natural resistance to poison will not benefit fully from the herb.