What is Random Encounter Monday? Well, it is where I take a randomly generated combination of monsters and write a suitable encounter as a design challenge!
What challenge are we throwing at a 14th level party this week?
I wanted to have a passive creature causing untold havoc as the cloud giant uses control weather to turn the tides against the heroes! Plus they have a lot of exciting lore or justifications towards being self-centrered loot hoarders.
I considered pitting the cloud giant against the cloakers, but you'd have to change the cloaker's ability to let them grabble with creatures larger than Large. It seems weird that they can't latch onto a giant!
The Behemoth, and the "Small and Minuscule" hole of death:
As the party is traveling across the hills, they see a cloud giant off in the distance inspecting, something below him. The giant, wearing an eyepatch laced with gold fibers, and flowing robes, although with a pitchfork in his hands like a giant version of that a farmer would use. If the players get closer and travel in his direction, they will see that he is looking down a deep, somewhat cylindrical shaped hole in the ground going straight into the underdark. A DC 20 perception check reveals at the bottom of the hole is a giant sized pumpkin. If the giant is engaged, he will say in an annoyed tone: "This here small and minuscule hole is too obviously small. I got some gold, you want a job, it's here." If the party asks more, then he will tell them how his prized pumpkin has fallen down the hole after rolling off of his cloud home, and that he is too obviously immense in size to fit through the hole. The pumpkin is not pile of pumpkin guts due to the pumpkin's magical properties. He asks the party to bring one end of his giant rope down with them, to tie onto the pumpkin, so he can heave it upwards. The party will depend the hole by hanging on to the rope the giant is slowly lowering. The giant will give the party several torches if they need some. While the rope is lowering, they will see what appears to be a leathery, dark surface attached to a rock, which is a disguised cloaker. A DC 15 perception check reveals that the surface is some sort of creature and a DC 20 Nature check will reveal it to be a cloaker. If the party is 5th level or above (assuming 4+ party members), then the leather surface will reveal itself as a cloaker and attack the party with 1 Multiattack then retreat by flying downwards, into the darkness, even when attached to a party member (It will detach to retreat). The cloaker, if antagonized while hiding, will attack no matter the party's level. As they decend, the party will eventually come down to the pumpkin, in an underdark grove, fine and undamaged. However, a second cloaker will come out to attack the party, from the shadows. The cloaker gets surprise if the party fails a group DC 15 perception check. If the party is levels 1-5, then after 1 round of combat, the pumpkin will start to ascend, and the cloaker will retreat. If the party is level 8 or higher, (must be 10 or higher if party count is 3 or under) the cloaker encountered earlier will attack. In a similar manner, the pumpkin will start to ascend after 1 round of combat, although the cloakers will not retreat until reduced to 15 hit points or under.
To adjust difficulty of the battle against the cloakers, you, the DM could have stray underdark rocks fall down which creatures have to dodge. If the fight is too hard, have rocks fall down on the cloakers (Although, this shouldn't really be needed unless the party is lower level), if the light is too easy, then have rocks fall onto the players. The rocks do not automatically hit, no "rocks fall you die". You could also target random creatures with rocks like with lair actions to add a dynamic element to the fight. A creature which rocks is about to fall on must make a DC 14 dexterity saving throw, or take a number of damage determined by you, the DM which levels the challenge in an appropriate way for your party. You could have if a creature fails a save by 5 or more, they start rolling off the pumpkin, and must make another DC 14 dexterity saving throw or fall off the pumpkin, potentially taking fall damage and being stranded.
The giant will reward the party with a share of some of his gold, or 1d6 pieces of a melon he's grown (party's choice), which heal an amount of hit points, when eaten equal to 5d4 + 4 hit points for levels 1-4, 9d4 + 4 for a party of levels 5-20. Eating a melon takes 1 minute. This reward will surely help the party on future endeavors!
What is Random Encounter Monday?
Well, it is where I take a randomly generated combination of monsters and write a suitable encounter as a design challenge!
What challenge are we throwing at a 14th level party this week?
We have a curious mix of a cloud giant and 1 or 2 cloaker!
I wanted to have a passive creature causing untold havoc as the cloud giant uses control weather to turn the tides against the heroes! Plus they have a lot of exciting lore or justifications towards being self-centrered loot hoarders.
I considered pitting the cloud giant against the cloakers, but you'd have to change the cloaker's ability to let them grabble with creatures larger than Large. It seems weird that they can't latch onto a giant!
Either way, here is my submission: A Noble’s Cloak-(er)
Post your thoughts, ideas, and encounters below!
Any thoughts?
The Behemoth, and the "Small and Minuscule" hole of death:
As the party is traveling across the hills, they see a cloud giant off in the distance inspecting, something below him. The giant, wearing an eyepatch laced with gold fibers, and flowing robes, although with a pitchfork in his hands like a giant version of that a farmer would use. If the players get closer and travel in his direction, they will see that he is looking down a deep, somewhat cylindrical shaped hole in the ground going straight into the underdark. A DC 20 perception check reveals at the bottom of the hole is a giant sized pumpkin. If the giant is engaged, he will say in an annoyed tone: "This here small and minuscule hole is too obviously small. I got some gold, you want a job, it's here." If the party asks more, then he will tell them how his prized pumpkin has fallen down the hole after rolling off of his cloud home, and that he is too obviously immense in size to fit through the hole. The pumpkin is not pile of pumpkin guts due to the pumpkin's magical properties. He asks the party to bring one end of his giant rope down with them, to tie onto the pumpkin, so he can heave it upwards. The party will depend the hole by hanging on to the rope the giant is slowly lowering. The giant will give the party several torches if they need some. While the rope is lowering, they will see what appears to be a leathery, dark surface attached to a rock, which is a disguised cloaker. A DC 15 perception check reveals that the surface is some sort of creature and a DC 20 Nature check will reveal it to be a cloaker. If the party is 5th level or above (assuming 4+ party members), then the leather surface will reveal itself as a cloaker and attack the party with 1 Multiattack then retreat by flying downwards, into the darkness, even when attached to a party member (It will detach to retreat). The cloaker, if antagonized while hiding, will attack no matter the party's level. As they decend, the party will eventually come down to the pumpkin, in an underdark grove, fine and undamaged. However, a second cloaker will come out to attack the party, from the shadows. The cloaker gets surprise if the party fails a group DC 15 perception check. If the party is levels 1-5, then after 1 round of combat, the pumpkin will start to ascend, and the cloaker will retreat. If the party is level 8 or higher, (must be 10 or higher if party count is 3 or under) the cloaker encountered earlier will attack. In a similar manner, the pumpkin will start to ascend after 1 round of combat, although the cloakers will not retreat until reduced to 15 hit points or under.
To adjust difficulty of the battle against the cloakers, you, the DM could have stray underdark rocks fall down which creatures have to dodge. If the fight is too hard, have rocks fall down on the cloakers (Although, this shouldn't really be needed unless the party is lower level), if the light is too easy, then have rocks fall onto the players. The rocks do not automatically hit, no "rocks fall you die". You could also target random creatures with rocks like with lair actions to add a dynamic element to the fight. A creature which rocks is about to fall on must make a DC 14 dexterity saving throw, or take a number of damage determined by you, the DM which levels the challenge in an appropriate way for your party. You could have if a creature fails a save by 5 or more, they start rolling off the pumpkin, and must make another DC 14 dexterity saving throw or fall off the pumpkin, potentially taking fall damage and being stranded.
The giant will reward the party with a share of some of his gold, or 1d6 pieces of a melon he's grown (party's choice), which heal an amount of hit points, when eaten equal to 5d4 + 4 hit points for levels 1-4, 9d4 + 4 for a party of levels 5-20. Eating a melon takes 1 minute. This reward will surely help the party on future endeavors!
I would've never thought of having the heroes jump down a hole to save a pumpkin, but it is a lovely idea to give them something to focus on!
Love it!