Scenarios!

So kids, what is your favorite kind of serial?
SCENARIOS!

Seriously one of my avid readers has requested a sample of lite and toasty scenarios. So here they be, crunchy and full of whole grain goodness.

Scenarios
Coliseum of Creatures - The party encounter two monsters battling. A mysterious and magical controlling person(s) is having the beasts fight each other for his or their amusement. With the arrival of the P.C.‘s he sends the monsters to attack them as a team. The controller may want to add the P.C.‘s to his fighting creatures collection. The P.C. can fight, escape, or defeat the controller and have him fight his monsters as just punishment.

Talking Animals Plea for Help - A group of talking animals arrive and seek help to defeat an Neutral Evil Druid that transformed them into animals. The talking animals are really human settlers in the area controlled by the Druid. The P.C.'s must force the Druid to reverse the curse, which is easier said than done. If he is killed the settlers will stay animals forever.

An Island called Mood! -The P.C.'s gain treasure map. The map leads to a island called Mood just of the coast. This dark rock island is shrouded by fog. It is home to a intelligent monster leader and a small band of servant creatures. The intelligent monster leader sends out fake treasure maps to lure adventures to the island. It does this for one purpose. It desires magical items and knows adventurers always have them. The villain is magically imprisoned on the island and cant leave it's shores. The villain needs a certain magical item so that it may free it's self from the magical island prison. The certain magical item of course is one of the P.C.'s magical items.

Un-fair Ground! - The P.C.'s are at a fair. Merchants and merrymakers provide entertainment and a chance for P.C.'s to spend money. Something is stocking the many fair tents and commoner’s tents at the fair ground. The guards at the fair and the local lord are trying to cover up the grisly deaths. The murders are being committed by a tent shaped killer mimic of enormous size. It snuck into the fair and is feasting upon the fair goers. It is up to the P.C.'s to find clues about the fairgoers and the murders and track the creature down and dispatch it.

Return what you have taken! - (This scenario is best run after the P.C.'s have looted at least 2-3 dungeons‘.) The P.C.'s are at a tavern (where else) a breeze picks up in the tavern and the fire goes out. A glow is coming from outside and slow strobe light. The doors fly open. Coming down the road is a transparent larger then life spectral face. It repeats 'Return what you have taken!
Return what you have taken!" It moves slowly but directly for the P.C.'s. Everyone panics. Then it disappears after coming face to face with the P.C.'s. This happens every night. They P.C.'s may brush it off, but the locals will not and demand that the P.C.'s leave the town or return what was taken (what ever it is the thing wants.). The P.C.'s will be dogged by this spectral face where ever they go and always at night. Eventually the P.C.'s will have to return loot to one of the former dungeons. Other adventures may trail the P.C.'s to steal the loot. Which dungeon was the being from and which loot do the P.C. return. The spectral face can't be destroyed and only avoid temporarily. The spectral face may be a guardian spirit or a magical illusion cast by a reveal adventurer to gain the adventures loot. What ever the reason what ever town the P.C. enter will not be happy the P.C.'s are there. Also their reputation is at stake.

Cloud Castle - So the P.C.'s are traveling the country side and then they find a rope dangling in mid air. The top of the rope disappears into the clouds. The cloud is slowly floating away with the rope and the castle. The P.C.'s have a short time to decide wither to climb the rope and into the castle or not. If the P.C.'s climb the rope they find a small castle in the clouds. The occupants are not home and the place looks very old and abandoned. The castle is a ruin and filled with squatting flying monsters. Hidden treasure are with in and danger. What keeps the castle in the clouds? (Magical crystals, chained air elementals, cloud giant spells.) How is it controlled? (A cauldron and the mixing of vapors and alchemy and magic. A map with a cotton ball and castle on it. Where the castle is moved on the map the real one is moved.) Could the P.C.'s use this as their base of operation? Will the occupants return some day?

Chain Link Scenario - A evil wizard casts a geas and curse on the P.C.'s They must find a spell book. He instructs them to kidnap a prince. The prince is prophesy to be the only one who can handle the magical key. The magical key is being guarded by both man and monster. The magical key must be used to unlock a tomb, temple, or tower. The location holds a magical book needed by the evil wizard.

BEASTS!

So I stumbles across an old TV cartoon. I'll let you deduce which one... This inspired me to create a beast based on it. So two themes clashed together. Oozes and friendly cute monsters.

Glop
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Subterranean or Any Surface land
FREQUENCY: Very Rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary or pair
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Always
DIET: Omnivore
INTELLIGENCE: Low (7)
TREASURE: nil
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Good
NO. APPEARING: 1-2
ARMOR CLASS: 7
MOVEMENT: 12"
HIT DICE: 2
THAC0: 19
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-8
SPECIAL ATTACKS: nil
SPECIAL DEFENSES: 1/2 damage from blunt weapons, immune to energy attacks.
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 50%
SIZE: M (5') -L (7')
MORALE: Steady (12)
XP VALUE: 200

The Glop is bronze colored amoeba with two eye-spots and a mouth orifice. It speaks its own simple language and understands common.

Combat: The glop strikes like a snake slamming the target and causing 2d4 damage.

Habitat/Society: Their society composes of a parent and a offspring. They typically shun others other own kind outside of the parent and offspring bond. The offspring reaches adulthood within 5 years and leaves the parent. The adult then reproduces again. Some Glop about 25% have a strange habit of imprinting on other creatures and forming a proto-family unit with the creatures. They will act to defend and protect them. In this case both the parent and the offspring stay together.

Ecology: A Glop is a proto-plastic creature distantly related to the oozes. They reproduce by division once every five years. It is normally solitary but my be found with its own divided offspring.

MY TOP TEN D&D MONSTERS

OK, Everyone is doing it and so why can't I.

10. Berbalang - (FF) - These creepy fiends is into meditation and astral projection. It also engages in bizarre and complex courtship and mating rituals with other berbalangs.
9. Kampfult - (MMII) - These grumpy tree creatures are known as 'sinewy mugger' by their friends. They enjoy lurking in forest and dungeons and attacking many foes at once.
8. Drider - (MMII) - These creatures are a cross between a spider and a dark elf. They are pushed by the spider queen and are are bitter, fearsome and cruel. Plus they like bows and arrows. The arrows are coated with spider venom by the way.
7. Flump - (FF) - These little flying discs with protruding eyes and tiny tentacles are goodie two shoes. They are too cute or ugly to kill and have a habit of squirting foul smelling liquid.
6. Lurker Above - (MM) - These carnivorous creatures hang out in subterranean chambers aka dungeons. They pretend to be part of the ceiling and drop on a foe and smother them. They have many cousins like the Lurker Below, Lurker Beside and Lurker Beyond.
5. Peryton - (MM) - These creatures have the body of a eagle and the head of a buck deer. They like feeding on human hearts with they need for reproduction purposes. They also cast a shadow in the shape of a man.
4. Crypt Thing -(FF) - This urbane and sedentary skeletal undead guard tombs the world over and enjoy chatting with visitors briefly then teleporting them in random directions and distances.
3. Dire Corby -(FF) - These jet black subterranean bipedal avians enjoy chanting 'Doom! Doom! Doom!" They are fond of warring with giant bats as well.
2. Penanggalan - (FF) - These cunning undead look like living humans. They eat and sleep as well. But at night their heads fly off to feast upon the flesh of the unwary. Organs and tissues trail out of the neck as they fly about. They enjoy deceiving people and gaining their trust then revealing themselves.
1. Disenchanter - (FF) - These sneaky spindly dromedary-like animals have a long flexible snout which they enjoy draining enchantments from magic items. Plus they shimmer and their coats are electric blue and translucent too.

Totals: FF - 6, MM - 2, MMII - 2

Random Encounter as Campaign Tools

So when crafting a campaign setting making encounter tables is very useful tool to flesh out a region. It both answers questions about the region and provides inspiration. Below is a sample encounters table for a people one would meet on the road. To spice it up a bit you can have 2-4 travellers traveling togather for protection or they could all be going to the same location. Really great inspiration for this is Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales." Another interesting option it to combine two encounters into one. For example combine "Honeymooners" and "Cultist", and you get a pair of Honeymooners who met at a cult coven and got married. They may want to make their first sacrifice together as a newly wed couple. What is the back story of the travelers. Is the "Fugitive" a hardened criminal who killed his way out of prison or a political prisoner escaping with his loyal retainers. Are the "Wandering buffoons" really entertainers or are they deadly assassins in disguise so they can enter and exit high society. A random encounter table is not simple a table of encounters but a tool to add depth and flavor to the campaign setting.

Road Travelers
Table 1-1
Roll 1d20
1. Pilgrims
2. Actors/ Bards/ Wandering buffoons
3. Wandering tinker
4. Gypsies
5. Refugees
6. Honeymooners
7. Courtiers
8. Merchants
9. Knights
10. Brigands
11. Monks
12. Settlers
13. Priests/Cultist
14. Curriers
15. Diplomats
16. Farmers
17. Teamsters
18. Caravan
19. Fugitive
20. Soldiers/Sheriff - with deputies.

Parallel Worlds!

"A parallel world is often a hiding place for unpleasant things, and often the protagonist is forced to confront effects of this other world leaking into his own." - Wiki pedia author.

Ok like you when I hear parallel world I groan! But the can be fun and interesting too!

Parallel World Technique
This technique is used to spice up a game and add a bit of wonder and open the PC's eyes to alternate worlds just beyond their perceptions. The main reason to use this is to take and existing dungeon or region and use the old maps and info but change it so it is new and different. The PC's are in a well known area and they are transported to an alternate world. This can be by magical accidents like to magic items striking each other. A tear in the fabric of the veil of the universe. A magical doorway or mirror. Or just taking the wrong fork in a path. The result is the same. The PC's are in an alternate world where things are similar to their world but there are a few differences. The reason this is a useful tool is that it allows the DM to break the monotony of the setting. Also the PC's get a change of venue. With delicate handing this can be a useful tool to both surprise and challenge player. This technique is best used sparingly and with caution. Nothing ruins a game more then inconsistency.

Rules
1. It is best used in an existing game where the agreed upon nature of the setting is established.
2. Do not over use or it will irate the players.
3. Always provide an exit back to the normal world and make it attainable to the PC's.
4. Never let the PC's over use the means to travel between worlds. Limit it. Or the PC's will be hopping back and forth all the time. This will cause the DM lots of extra work.
5. Make the parallel world different but not so alien that the players are annoyed.
6. Be consistency. Things should be just about the same in the parallel world each time the PC's visit. Normal everyday things change but not the main flavor of the parallel world.
7. Have a good parallel hook. Make the parallel world interestingly different.
8. Make the experience rewarding and fun for the players.

Examples of Parallel Worlds.
A world where there are only talking animals and no humanoids.
A ruined dark world filled with undead.
A fey world filled with magic both wild and beguiling.
A frozen wasteland filled with rugged survivors and Arctic version of common monsters.
An very similar world where evil is good and good is evil.

Alchemical Emblems

Alchemical emblems were like guides to the alchemists of old. They can still inspire wonder. A cool tool to use as a spring board for the imagination.

An example using the top emblem: A talking stag discussing antler maintance with a unicorn. A polymorphed druid in a stags form seeking help from a wise unicorn.

An example using the bottom emblem: A group of gnombs in fish disguises planning to pirate a passing boat. A pair of magically summoned giant fish to block a pursuing boat.

How To … Make a Classic Dungeon.

Supplies
1 sheet Notebook Paper
1 Piece of Grid Paper
Pencil
Pen

Key Points
Take a few minutes to decide the location and type of dungeon. It does not have to be to involved.

Location
Where is the dungeon. Is it on a mountain top, swamp, cave or other location.

Type
What was the dungeon previously a prison, keep, monastery, or some other structure.

Theme
A theme is the dominant idea or flavor of the dungeon. Each room has a bit of the theme in it. Items and monsters, and NPC’s carry the theme through out. A few examples are : An evil undead haunted temple. A mushroom filled echoing cave. A salt encrusted wrecked pirate ship beached on the rocks.

Maps
Compass rose - This gives the directions of North, South, East and West.
Legend - This shows what the symbols on the map represent. It shows what the symbols for doors, bars, gates, secret doors, concealed door and furniture are.
Room Key - A room key gives a description of each rooms. Some rooms have non wandering monsters, non-random traps, and non-random treasure in them. Some rooms may be empty.

Tables
Wandering Monster Table - This random table provides a list of monster’s name and number encountered while traveling from room to room and outside the dungeon.
Monster Restock Table - This random table provides a list of monster’s name and number that repopulate the dungeon once the monsters on the wandering list are killed.
Trap Table - This random table provides a list of traps encountered in the dungeon.
Treasure Table - This random table provides a list of treasure found in the dungeon.
Rumor Table - This random table provides a list of rumors about the dungeon.

Lists
Bestiary - This lists the monsters and NPC’s in the dungeon and their stats and behavior. Some monsters may be armored, wield weapons and cast spells. Think about which monster fits best in the dungeon.
NPC - NPC means Non Playing Characters. A list of helpful NPC in the starting area.

The Step by Step Method
Step 1
Starting Location
A safe small settlement is usually the best way to start. This is where the PC’s learn about the dungeon. A farm village, tavern or inn is a good starting place. Name the starting location.

Step 2
NPC LIST
A list of helpful NPC in the starting area. A few good NPC”S to populate the starting area are cleric, blacksmith, inn keep, and provision provider.

Step 3
Rumor Table
This random table provides a list of rumors the players have gotten fro the local people about the dungeon. They may be true or false. Note wither they are or not on the rumor table.

Step 4
Naming the Dungeon
This is an name given the dungeon by the local people who fear and dread it. The name may be completely unknown. The players should only learn of the name in play.

Step 5
Mapping the Dungeon
Draw the Dungeon Map on graph paper with pencil. After you are finished use a pen. You don’t have to use all the sheet. A few rooms varying in size connected be halls, stairs, ramps or ladders. Don’t forget to make at least on entrance. Include a few empty safe rest stop rooms so the PC’s can heal between encounters. Add a compass rose or arrow pointing north to the map.

Step 6
Number and Key the Rooms
Number each room starting at the entrance and going deeper with the dungeon. Make a room key on the blank note book paper listing all the numbers of each room. Don’t forget to leave space for descriptions and notes.

Step 7
Bestiary and Monster tables
On the sheet of note book paper write a Bestiary. Then wandering monster table. After that a restock table.

Step 8
Traps and Treasure Tables
On the sheet of note book paper write a Trap Table and then a Treasure Table.

Step 9
Check for Problems
Take a couple of minutes to see if there was something you forgot to add or something you wanted to change.

Step 10
You’re done!