This encounter takes place in the Wychwood region of the Valley. It could be just about anywhere that an untended forest exists, but here it is placed in the northern parts of the forest stretching along the Great River, just across from where the Greywater joins the Great River.
The player characters, while crossing a patch of woods on their way to a village for the night, come across a camp site that has been attacked. A storm as come up at the last minute, and what should have been the last hour of sunlight is rapidly darkening. The travelers are all dead, and their equipment has been taken. Worse, some of them, and their dead horses, have been partially eaten.
While examining the bodies, all of a sudden, a hail of arrows rains down on the party. Each member of the party is shot at twice per round, by a suitable number of Stoat archers who have climbed up high in the surrounding trees.
After the second round of this shooting, and whatever response the players offer up, some trap doors in the forest floor open up and 8 stoatmen warriors emerge to viciously attack the players.
Stoatmen Warriors
Num Appearing: 2-16
Alignment: neutral evil
Movement: 90'
Armor Class: 6
Hit Dice: 1d+1 (6 h.p.)
Attacks: 3 (claw, claw, bite), or 1 weapon (preferred)
Damage: 1d4; 1d4; 1d6 - or by weapon (scimitar or short bow are common)
Save: T1
Morale:9
Special Abilities: Climbing and Burrowing.
Stoatmen are Forest Folk, and as such have no souls. They are considered a cursed race.
The Stoatmen favor man's flesh for food, but will stoop to eat dwarves, elves, or even horses. The group of Stoatmen archers in the trees will stop firing once their comrades emerge from the warren, and will descend the trees to aid in the attack (mostly because they fear missing out on any meat).
There is a leader of this group of Stoatmen, named Bloodfang, who will unleash a sack of poisonous snakes into the combat if things begin going bad. These snakes attack as 2HD monsters, but only have 3 hit points. If they successfully attack, there is no damage, but a 50% chance of affecting the victim as per a sleep spell (save vs. poison).
If the Stoatmen are vanquished, then their warren holes can be explored. All but one of them are just simple ambush holes, however one leads to a small warren complex with three rooms, in succesion.
The first room has a Stoatwoman Witch (4th level MU) with two pet giant badgers.
Giant Badgers
Num Appearing: 1-4
Alignment: neutral
Movement: 90'
Armor Class: 4
Hit Dice: 4d (22h.p.)
Attacks: 3 (claw, claw, bite) plus disease
Damage: 1d3+1; 1d3+1; 1d8
Save: F2
Morale:9
Will fight past death (until -10 hit points). If the giant badger scores a bite hit, then it will hang on and do an additional 1d6 points until removed or slain.
The second room has a bunch of stoatmen young feeding on a stash of rotting bodies of farmers and travellers.
The third room has a board of wood over the door, once removed those opening the door are attacked by two very large coyote spiders.
Coyote Spiders
Num Appearing: 1-2 (underground only)
Alignment: neutral
Movement: 90'
Armor Class: 4
Hit Dice: 4d (20h.p.)
Attacks: 1, plus poison
Damage: 1d6
Save: F3
Morale:8
The coyote spider, if it scores a hit, injects a very potent poison. Unless the victim makes a saving throw vs. poison, they will start screaming horribly in pain, and spasming uncontrollably. This forces all of the rest of his comrades to make a saving throw vs. fear or they will flee the area. The spasming and screaming lasts for 1d3+1 rounds, but after the first round his comrades are immune to the fear. Each new victim, however, causes a save to be made. During the period of spasming, etc. the victim suffers a -4 on all combat rolls, and also a +4 to foes to score a hit.
If the spiders are slain, then the last room in the warren is revealed to have a treasure of 1,200 g.p. worth of jewelry, coins, and valuables in it.
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