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Ashiel
2017-07-26, 10:25 PM
I enjoy writing encounters, short adventures, and junk like that. However, I've been busy with work and I'm feeling a bit blank-brained at the moment, so I thought maybe folks would like to play a sort of game with me. Basically, you specify some idea for an adventure, dungeon, or short story and I'll make a mini-adventure or writeup for it.

For examples, stuff like these (scroll down to the bottoms for encounter things)
Blogpost #1 (http://alvenapublishing.blogspot.com/2013/09/help-my-game-encounter-design-pt-1.html)
Blogpost #2 (http://alvenapublishing.blogspot.com/2013/09/encounter-design-pt-2-high-level.html)
Blogpost #3 (http://alvenapublishing.blogspot.com/2013/11/encounter-design-pt-3-effective-use-of.html)

I'd be interested in the following.

A short theme or concept such as "mad tiefling scientist experimenting on rats"
A desired level range (1-25th)
Any desired locations
Any desired creatures
Any other notable features you feel like including.


Post 'em and I'll pick some from the posts and make them into encounters / mini adventures for Pathfinder in the thread.

Dimers
2017-07-26, 10:52 PM
Sure, I'll shoot, and thanks for offering. I stalled out on a certain mini-dungeon months ago and can't seem to build more ideas. It's one of the few places in its story arc where I can have a contained 'dungeon' sort of thing underground, and the underground portion in particular is where I'm having the most trouble. But I'm happy for any help.

An aasimar animal/plant transmuter whose experiments have mostly gone right has just been attacked by the demon army (mostly consisting of elemental and shadow critters). The PCs have come to rescue him, but he's retreated within his defenses, which the demons have partially penetrated. What do the PCs encounter?

The game will be 4e but I have no trouble translating from PF or 3.5.

Ashiel
2017-07-27, 01:49 PM
Sure, I'll shoot, and thanks for offering. I stalled out on a certain mini-dungeon months ago and can't seem to build more ideas. It's one of the few places in its story arc where I can have a contained 'dungeon' sort of thing underground, and the underground portion in particular is where I'm having the most trouble. But I'm happy for any help.

An aasimar animal/plant transmuter whose experiments have mostly gone right has just been attacked by the demon army (mostly consisting of elemental and shadow critters). The PCs have come to rescue him, but he's retreated within his defenses, which the demons have partially penetrated. What do the PCs encounter?

The game will be 4e but I have no trouble translating from PF or 3.5.
Thanks for playing along. :smallsmile:

Adventure: To Save the Root!
Alga the alchemist has been trapped deep within her laboratory - an old mine that has been turned into a sort of pseudonatural paradise by her over the years. She has spent some years advancing her scientific understanding of biology and magic to perform impressive miracles of nature, along with her assistant, a shambling mound named "Laggy" (short for Lagnarutesh).

However, her latest experiment has been cut short by an invasion of outsiders and cultists of ill intent, led by a shadow druid who views her "science" as heresy against nature itself! A root that must be expunged before it has a chance to flourish! Backed into the lowest level of her home, she sent an animal messenger through one of the air shafts to go seek allies against her enemy.

Quest Experience: The PCs could very well end up aiding either side of the conflict, or none at all. The PCs aren't required to kill or defeat the creatures in the dungeon. For example, talking down Stumpy in the kitchen or rescuing the Succubus in the Terrarium awards XP as if they were defeated as well.

Special NPCs
Alga the Wise (http://orig10.deviantart.net/c8da/f/2012/115/a/7/galvanic_alchemist_by_velinov-d4xi3y9.jpg) (CR 6)
CN Female Aasimar Druid 7;
Init +1;
DEFENSE
Hp 42; AC 12; Touch 11; Flat 11; CMD 15
Fort +6, Ref +3, Will +8; Resist acid 5, cold 5, electricity 5; Misc resist nature's lure
OFFENSE
Base Atk +5; CMB +4
Melee mwk dagger +5 (1d4-1/x2); Ranged +6 (non specified);
Druid Spells Prepared (CL 6th; Concentration +9; DC 13 + level)
1st Detect animals or plants, detect snares or pits, endure elements, goodberry, pass without trace
2nd Animal messenger (used), barkskin, flaming sphere, resist energy, soften earth and stone
3rd Call lightning, contagion, speak with plants
4th Spike stones
Orisons Create water, detect magic, detect poison, purify food and drink
Domain Spells (Weather) 1st Obscuring mist, 2nd fog cloud, 3rd call lightning
Spell-like Abilities (CL 6th; Concentration +8; DC 12 + level)
1/day daylight
STATISTICS
Str 8, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 16, Wis 16 (15), Cha 14
Feats Skill Focus (Spellcraft), Craft Wondrous Item, Craft Magic Arms & Armor, Craft Construct
Skills Craft (Alchemy) +13, Fly +10, Handle Animal +12, Heal +10, Knowledge (Arcana) +4, Knowledge (Architecture & Engineering) +4, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) +4, Knowledge (Geography) +7, Knowledge (Nature) +7, Knowledge (Religion) +4, Linguistics +6, Perception +13, Spellcraft +13, Survival +7, Swim +3; Misc Modifiers +2 to knowledge skills, +4 Craft (alchemy), +2 Profession (herbalist), +2 Spellcraft, +2 Stealth, +2 Survival
Languages Celestial, Common, Druidic, Elven, Sign Language, Sylvan
Special Qualities druid features (nature bond {weather domain}, nature sense, orisons, wild empathy, woodland stride, trackless step, resist nature's lure, wild shape 2/day), aasimar features
Mundane Gear Alchemist lab (200 gp), Library (500 gp, mwk tool books for every knowledge), mwk tools (craft {alchemy}, craft {carpentry}, craft {sculpting}, profession {herbalist}, spellcraft, stealth, survival), mwk dagger, mwk padded armor
Magic Gear cornucopia of plenty (see below)
Consumables 1,600 gp (divided between alchemical items, potions, and oils)

Cornucopia of Plenty
Aura faint conjuration; CL 5th
Slot none; Price 5,400 gp; Weight 1 lbs.;
DESCRIPTION
This hollow horn is engraved with depictions of nature's bounties and artistic vine patterns, and adorned with blessings devoted to one or more deities or divine ideals. The horn feels as though it has something inside of it, and when the bearer reads the blessings on the horn and attempts to empty the horn, it dumps out a full meal suitable for a human or similarly sized creature, complete with brittle dishes and cups of water (the dishes and cups are themselves edible and rot after 24 hours if not preserved with purify food and drink or similar). In a single day it can produce enough food to feed 15 medium creatures (or 5 large sized creatures) in a 24 hour period, after which further attempts to produce food only result in breath mints of no nutritional value until the horn has had time to regain its magic.
CONSTRUCTION
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, create food and water; Cost 2,700 gp

Laggy (http://inkwellideas.com/fate_creatures/images/shambling_mound__matt_bulahao.png)
Laggy is Alga's assistant, friend, and apprentice. Laggy has begun the journey of scholarly pursuit but has not yet gained any class levels or other advancement. He's by no means an expert in his field but can usually answer fairly routine questions with accuracy and possesses little bits of information beyond the common man. He sometimes ventures with her using his hat of disguise, and wears a monocle.

Laggy is identical to a typical shambling mound (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/bestiary/shamblingMound.html#shambling-mound) but with the following adjustments:

Melee 2 slams +11 (3d6+5 plus grab)
Feats Lightning Reflexes, Iron Will, Weapon Focus (slam), Improved Natural Attack (slam), Lunge
Skills Linguistics -1, Knowledge (Arcana) -1, Knowledge (Nature) -1, Knowledge (Religion) -1, Profession (Herbalist) +1, Perception +8, Stealth +4, Swim +1, Survival +1; Misc Modifiers +4 racial to Perception and Stealth (+12 in swamps or forests)
Languages Common, Sign Language, Sylvan (cannot speak)
Treasure hat of disguise (1,800 gp), a monacle, and 200 gp in consumables (potions and oils)

In combat Laggy will use his Lunge feat to hit foes at great distances, usually allowing him to grab them as a free action (which pulls them adjacent to him where it is difficult to escape his reach without provoking attacks).


The Remodeled Mine
This old mine has been refurbished by Alga and Laggy over the years. The entirety of it is illuminated dimly with bio-luminescent fungus cultivated on the walls. The crude mine shafts have been turned into rustic yet beautiful hallways and storerooms. If not for the signs of battle - overturned furniture, scorched walls, and the dead bodies of imps pulled in half, the place would feel rather cozy compared to most mines.

Sounds of battle emanate from further inside the tunnels, indicating that the siege to the scientist's home has not yet ceased.

The Kitchen (CR 7)
Creatures 1 medium animated object (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/bestiary/animatedObject.html#animated-object), 5 quasits (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/bestiary/demon.html#demon-quasit)

Near the entrance of the mine is the kitchen. Inside a perpetual battle between one of Alga's creations - a sentient animated object named Stumpy (http://pre02.deviantart.net/1816/th/pre/f/2014/264/d/f/tree_golem_by_beezul-d802je8.jpg) - and a small pack of quasits. The battle has been raging on for quite some time as neither side can effectively harm the other (Stumpy has hardness 5, the quasits have DR 5 and fast healing). The furniture (including a dining table, chairs, and cabinets) has been strewn about the room. Broken bottles, jars, and liquids of all kinds over the floor.

Creatures without shoes that move through the kitchen are subject to get glass shards lodged in their feet. Treat the floor as if covered in caltrops except creatures with shoes are not affected. The floor is also wet and slippery, requiring a DC 5 Acrobatics check to move over it effectively (similar to a grease spell).

When the PCs arrive, Stumpy has grabbed one of the quasits and stuffed him in the oven and locked it and is trying to cook him as the other quasits fruitlessly try to stop him as he cries "Haha, I've got you now you little monster! I'm going to roast you and stuff you like a pheasant and serve you with a side of blueberry mash!". Stumpy is identical to a normal animated object except for the following differences.

Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 10
Skills Craft (Cooking) +4, Profession (Housekeeper) +2

Stumpy initially believes that the PCs are yet more invaders, shouting "More trespassers!? I'm never going to get dinner done at this rate!" before attacking the PCs. Once per round the PCs can attempt a DC 25 Diplomacy check to get Stumpy to stop fighting them (the PCs get a +5 circumstance modifier if they mention they are here to help). The four free quasits attempt to free the fifth during the first round of confusion with Stumpy. They will then attack the intruders as well, or attempt to flee deeper into the mine if the battle goes poorly for them.

The Terrarium (CR 8)
Creatures 2 assassin vines (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/bestiary/assassinVine.html#assassin-vine), 1 succubus (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/bestiary/demon.html#demon-succubus)

Deeper inside the mine is Alga's terrarium where she has collected all manner of strange flora for use in her research, including various carnivorous plant species that are extremely dangerous. In the commotion, several of these plants have been freed and are currently entrenched in a struggle with the intruders that have come to kill Alga and Laggy. Unfortunately, without the ability to speak with plants these creatures are impossible to reason with and attack friend and foe alike.

When the PCs arrive, a pair of assassin vines are currently in a tug of war with a succubus who who got snatched up by the vines before she could teleport away and hasn't been able to make the concentration check to do so since she's been grappled and pinned by them. Thanks to her damage reduction, she hasn't been torn apart by the vines yet but is in dire trouble.

The entire room is subject to an entangle spell due to the assassin vines animating all the plants and such in the room. Some of these plants are poisonous while others are covered with thorns and barbs, causing 1 point of damage each time they fail a save against the entangle or fail to break away. Because of the venomous plants involved, anyone damaged by the plants is subject to the effects of Bloodroot poison (Injury, DC 12, onset 1 round, frequency 1/round for 4 rounds, effect 1 Con and Wis damage and confusion 1 round).

The succubus has no idea who the PCs are (unless told my an escaped quasit from the kitchen who then fled the room for fear of being grappled itself) and will try to get them to help her out of the vines. She'll try diplomatically first, and resort to attempting to charm them if they refuse, though she must succeed at a DC 27 Concentration check to do so.

If the players rescue the succubus by their own volition, her attitude towards them becomes friendly and she'll reveal the plot against Alga if the players succeed on a DC 18 Diplomcy check. She was bound by an enemy of the scientist's and was instructed to deal with the scientist's brutish assistant but was grabbed by these vines during the confusion and the rest of the bound outsiders are currently battling it out in the laboratory below.

The succubus is currently subject to a planar binding and may seek aid from the party in enacting her revenge or at least a shot at being free of the druid-mage who placed her in this predicament. Similarly, should the succubus somehow manages to charm the PCs and free herself without being killed, she will attempt to have the PCs help her with her mission (in which case the PCs may end up fighting Alga and Laggy themselves as the final encounter) before trying to turn them on her master.

The Laboratory Hallway (CR 8)
Traps 1 resetting summon nature's ally III trap
Creatures 4 shadows (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/bestiary/shadow.html#shadow)

The hallway to the laboratory has been collapsed by a soften earth and stone spell, warding the innermost chamber against the shadows that currently do battle with an endless stream of elemental spirits. When the PCs arrive, the hallway is flooding with small fire elementals (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/bestiary/elemental.html#) and shadows. There's a pressure switch in the hallway that deactivates the trap and the shadows cannot press it because they're incorporeal. Each round the trap summons two small fire elementals that attack anything they can find. The shadows are content at lurking just inside the walls of the hallway and taking shots at the would be rescuers whenever they can, though they are loath to interact with the fire elementals (since their supernatural fire actually hurts them).

The Laboratory (CR 9)
Creatures Alga and Laggy (see special NPCs), 1 shadow demon (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/bestiary/demon.html#demon-shadow)
Traps 1 resetting shocking grasp trap

Alga and Laggy have been trapped inside the laboratory where they've intended to make their final stand should no help arrive. The laboratory appears much like a mad scientist's lair merged with a witches garden. Endless faerie fire, like a thousand fireflies all glimmering at once illuminates the inside the moss covered room. It's cooled by tiny jars filled with brown mold in iron boxes around the edges of the room. Countless wires, tubes, and workings of wood and metal run throughout the room, leading to a table with an unfinished flesh golem made of flesh and vines. In desperation, Alga has repurposed the wires leading to her shocking grasp trap and severed them, intending on supercharging Laggy into an unstoppable force of nature.

Further decorating the room is the laboratory itself, where shelf after shelf of alchemical concoctions, poisons, medicines, and books line the fuzzy soft walls of the old mine. Cases of acid sit open and ready incase she needs to use them against her enemies.

Once the hallways had been dealt with and the collapsed section dug out and the heroes appear to have succeeded, the final threat to Alga and Laggy is sent by her nemesis. Having been scrying on Laggy during the ordeal, the evil druid-mage realizes that he will have to enact an act of extreme nature to undo this heathen. He breaks a treasured soul gem containing a powerful shadow demon and compels it to go there and put an end to this defiance once and for all. The demon greater teleports just beneath the surface of the floor and then ascends into the room above the unfinished golem.

Boss Battle Information
Laggy and Alga begin the battle at half hit points after being driven into the laboratory by earlier combat. However, as soon as the battle begins Laggy grips the exposed wires and shoves them into his folds, causing him to become supercharged. Each round that Laggy remains attatched to the wires, he gains 1d4 points of Constitution (simplified to 2 per round), becoming ever harder to kill. While being charged this way, his natural attacks and constrict deal 1d6 points of electricity damage in addition to their regular damage, and he inflicts 1d6 electricity damage to anything that attacks him with a metal weapon or natural attack.

Alga casts spells flaming sphere initially to attack the shadow demon with, followed by call lightning. Once she has witnessed it use the walls and ceiling as cover against attacks she will cast spike stones on the room, shaping the walls, ceiling, and portions of the floor into magical hazards to dissuade the shadow demon from moving through them (as being magical in nature it can hurt it even though it's incorporeal).

The shadow demon is difficult to harm in these tight confines as it can quickly pass into and out of the walls and floors and its incorporeal nature makes it hard to injure effectively. During combat it will use the following dirty tricks.

Use telekinesis to hurl boxes of acid flasks at the inhabitants of the room. Each case deals 6d6 acid damage on a successful hit and 6 splash damage to creatures nearby. There are three cases in the room to be used this way.
Fill the room with a stinking cloud spell using shadow conjuration.
Fill the room with walls of fire using shadow evocation.
Step into walls or the floor between attacks to avoid easy reprisal.


After three rounds of Laggy supercharging, the shadow demon will attempt to use its magic jar ability to possess Laggy and use him as his method of terror against the heroes and Alga. If this happens, their best hope is to exercise the demon (by dispelling the spell) or severe the cords to disable Laggy's supercharge, or he may overrun them with an every expanding pool of hit points.

Because the shadow demon is compelled through a broken soul gem, it fights until it is utterly beaten or banished somehow. It does not have the luxury of escaping should the battle turn against it.

Notes
I'll try to toss up some cool treasure info later. A friend came over and I don't want to keep him waiting. :smallsmile:

FreddyNoNose
2017-07-27, 05:04 PM
So what you are saying is that you are bored and you want US to create encounters for you? Something doesn't sound right about that....

TheCountAlucard
2017-07-27, 05:45 PM
Kinda the other way around - we're presenting scenarios for him to make encounters out of.

Ashiel
2017-07-27, 06:03 PM
Kinda the other way around - we're presenting scenarios for him to make encounters out of.

Pretty much this. Anything to just stir the pot a bit. Maybe someone wants some pyramid encounters, or maybe a spider infested forest, I dunno. Doesn't need to be elaborate (but can be). Dimers suggested an animal/plant transmutor type person underground beset by demons and shadow creatures, so I made a mine with a mad scientist druid under attack by a NE wizard/druid's minions, where the party can end up under attack both by denizens of the scientist's lair and the invaders. Also included a little bit of plot hooks and potential for followups (such as dealing with the wizard/druid who sent the minions).

Stuff like that. It's fun.

FreddyNoNose
2017-07-27, 06:44 PM
Kinda the other way around - we're presenting scenarios for him to make encounters out of.

Still it sounds off to me. If I said, man I need to get some exercise and I wrote "Hey guys want to jog five miles for me?"... It sounds like that. Plus, who gets bored? Too many things to do, not enough time.

Dimers
2017-07-28, 12:02 AM
Thanks, that really helps! You even put the CR right where I wanted. (I feel a bit embarassed that I didn't think to specify -- but you got it anyway!)

Ashiel
2017-07-28, 01:48 AM
Still it sounds off to me. If I said, man I need to get some exercise and I wrote "Hey guys want to jog five miles for me?"... It sounds like that.
I think a fairer analogy would be someone who wants to work out but is feeling uninspired to do so, so they ask someone to give them some sort of little challenge or suggest a workout routine to get them in the mood.


Plus, who gets bored? Too many things to do, not enough time.
I agree with you here. Perhaps bored was the wrong word. Uninspired is probably a better term. I just felt like building some encounters but didn't really feel motivated in any given direction. There are essentially unlimited encounter possibilities and having some of the playgrounders choose the direction seemed like fun.


Thanks, that really helps! You even put the CR right where I wanted. (I feel a bit embarassed that I didn't think to specify -- but you got it anyway!)
Spiffy. Glad you like it. :smallwink:

ShedShadow
2017-07-28, 03:44 AM
Okay, here goes: an ancient vampire army secretly rules the country and uses its citizens for food. After the PCs first encounter it (The Iron Legion), they want to go after the army and destroy it. I am thinking like a giant manor or castle with a lot of rooms, strange, evil things captured inside and lots of vampires. This is not the final thing, more like a first real showdown and look into the Iron Legion. The PCs are lvl 9, and there are 5 of them. I would like it to be a little bit of a challenge for the PCs. Have fun!

Zilrax
2017-07-28, 02:28 PM
Well I've always had this going through my head awhile but never got a chance to fire it off. A green dragon has over the course of a few centuries managed to vastly grow a forest of mangrove trees and enchant them with the same magic that a Decanter of Endless Water uses (Since trees are considered objects if not animated/Treants. Though I wonder if this means that an old enough green dragon can then animate treants who have a geyser breath weapon? Heh, dragon-treants.) thus creating the unholy perfect environment for a green dragon, an over sized forest it can swim unnoticed in. The problem is all this water is starting to threaten to terraform all the surrounding regions too.

Probably higher level. The dragons lair is probably under the biggest tree or something.

Klara Meison
2017-07-29, 02:56 PM
Party hears about a succubus on the loose in the poorer parts of town, and has to track it down so that it would stop wreaking havoc on the populace. I imagined something to do with having to find a shapeshifted demon in a crowd of civilians that demon is charming to fight the PCs, maybe a chase of some sort, and a final confrontation somewhere.

Ashiel
2017-07-30, 02:07 PM
Thanks guys. This will keep me busy for a while. I'll try to knock out a few more on Friday. I'm managing the store this week while the real store manager is in training, so my time off this week is limited (wasn't aware I was only going to have one day of this week until this morning). :smallsmile: