Wednesday, October 18, 2017

Cult Infested Village & Farmland Encounters

 Peasant Village & Farmland Encounters
Roll d20

(1) You encounter a town in the middle of a major religious ceremony. 50% chance for the ceremony to be of the dominant religion in the area, else the ceremony is unique to this town and is under the authority of a villager cult. (roll on cult table).

(2) Farm which seems to be busy with an activity hilariously out of season. (Planting in the middle of winter, harvesting in spring, sitting around doing nothing during harvest time, etc.) If asked or questioned, the farmers will deflect all questions. 

(3) Scarecrow has gone missing from a nearby field. Investigation reveals it has been animated by a local hedge witch and is violent. 

Scarecrow (1HD+1, AC 9, pitchfork d6, extremely weak to fire. Killing it gives you nightmares that lower all your saves by -1 for a week. This can stack if you kill multiple Scarecrows) 

(4) Small group of King's men ask the party if they've seen a man, and pull out a small sketch of him. They did, just a few minutes ago down the road. 50% chance the men are not actual lawman and are actually criminals OR cultists in disguise; that man has slighted them in some way. 

(5) Small coin-purse found on the side of the road with 3d6 silver pieces. If the party keeps it instead of trying to find the owner, they will get a stern talking to by an old woman who left it there on purpose as a test. She has no special powers or abilities, and will give nothing for the moral ones.

(6) Some of a farm's animals has gotten lose! They ask for your help in getting them back;
Roll d6;
  1. Four to six Sheep
  2. One very mean and ornery goose
  3. Bull or VERY pregnant cow
  4. Horse. 50% chance its a prized racing horse for a nearby noble.
  5. Billy Goat. Has a spiderweb between its horns with a poison spider.
  6. Bright Yellow Bat. It's harmless, but is prized for its really valuable, weird milk.
(7) Construction crew working on nearby significant project. The crew needs nearby workers from the locals, but most of them are either neutral or negative towards the idea. The construction crew asks you to gather supporters and they will reward you handsomely. Roll d6 for building;
  1. Bathhouse.
  2. Public Granary
  3. Noble's Manor
  4. Wizard Tower
  5. Arena
  6. Ghetto (for another race)
(8) You see several armored men with horses and weapons doing battle in a field. If approached, they say they are merely doing a historical reenactment. There is no way to tell from a distance and the peasants are panicking.

(9) The local crypt has opened, spilling 2d6 skeletons or zombies out into the countryside. 50% chance the party has gotten here late and now they could be anyone, just wandering around this peaceful community. 

(10) In the middle of a gentle town's street, 2d6 men run up and brutally kill another equal number of men, seemingly very skilled and also very careful as not to hurt anyone else before running off. All the victim's have the same cult insignia. (roll on cult table for which one.) 

(11) Four men in white and black stripped robes stop the party and demand they turn out their pockets. If the party does not comply, or if the men see any objects made of silver (INCLUDING coins) the party is cursed with an automatic failed save the next time they would save.
If killed and checked, the men have several silver objects in black silk bags, as if to contain them.
 

(12) Four wild hogs eating a horse, braying in pain, in the middle of a muddy road. 

Hogs (2 HD, AC 10, gore d6, +1 to hit and damage on first round of combat. They get an extra attack at the nearest party member on death.)
Hogs are not cowardly, but won't attack unless you get too close.

(13) Man in a tattered cloak asks to meet in a tavern or alleyway. He asks the party several quest-sensitive questions or personal questions of a profound nature. He will get agitated if not answered. If struck even once, turns into a pile of rats and skitters away.

If at least 3 questions are answered truthfully, he shoves a bag of 10 silver in your hands. If at least 5 questions are answered, he gives the weirdest looking party member a scroll with a unique spell, if 7 questions are answered he gives the party a magic map that has the names and locations of all the local people of this town. If 10 or more questions are answered he nods sagely, then transforms into a swarm of rats and tries to kill everyone starting with the most honest.
 

Rat Tail Spell- Level 3, TransmutationUser grows a 3 foot long rat's tail that grants +1 to all agility and balancing checks and AC vs ranged.
Duration = Caster level hours.
 

(14) Middle of town, a large house seems to be missing, replaced with a huge sinkhole that leads off to a dark crack into the earth. Locals try to ignore it, but admit being afraid of horrible noises coming from it at night.

Within the hole one can find the original house, surprisingly intact as if stolen from the surface. Instead of the locals though they find something else living in the house, who don't like guests;
  1. Goblins
  2. Gnolls
  3. Drow
  4. Kobolds
  5. Every object in home is animated, violent
  6. Hermaphrodite creature, heavily pregnant, fusion of all original inhabitants.
Hermaphrodite (4 HD, AC 12, attacks with Kitchen knife d4, billyclub d6 each turn. 1 in 6 chance to do nothing on a turn, as if struggling with itself)

Regardless of the monster(s); the house has a few trade coins and some carefully locked away cloth. The cloth actually contains thread made of gold which can be melted into 1d6 GP.

(15) Young famer's wife screams on a nearby hill, she is being attacked by a Chichevache, a creature that feeds off faithful and honest wives. As such the poor thing is starved nearly to the bone. 

Chivchevache (3HD+1, AC 14, bite attack d6, trample d4. If it eats the woman it will gain +1 to hit, damage, and AC, but she may still be saved in its belly. Also gains +1 to hit against female party members of good morales (not applicable)) 

(16) Runaway cart! When walking up a hill, a cart laden with all kinds of fruits or other goods will come barreling down towards party members. Anyone who doesn't dodge out of the way takes d8 damage. 10% chance the cart is somehow animated and at the bottom of the hill will turn around to try and run people over again.
 
Regardless of what happens a fat, cowardly merchant will come after and apologize for what happened, but will not offer compensation. 

(17) Small crate hidden nearby the road reveals heavy set of armor and weapons. When discovered a man will tell the party to leave and threaten them if they don't keep this secret. Roll on the cult table to see which cult it belongs to.

In the night after the discovery of the crate it will be used in a small skirmish between two farmer cults in a nearby field. They will battle until some amount of time has past or 1d4 people have fallen on one side; the victor leaves the bodies and weapons of the defeated for the defeated to dispose of and take away. By morning the bodies will be buried and gone. All of this can be observed from a nearby hilltop.

(18) Secret catacombs underneath the village that stretches off to the nearby village. 50% chance for a Thief character to spot the mark of the thieves or assassins guild down here. Secret entrance that leads to (14) and (19).

The catacombs have wandering monster checks at half rates. 50% chance of encountering a lantern skeleton (stats as skeleton, with lantern) or a few goblins that mostly just want to steal beer.

(19) Goblins living in what remains of a large cellar system dug between multiple houses and grain-stores in the past with the houses above totally removed and abandoned. Finding this place from above is very difficult, but the locals may say that there was once a few buildings here.

The goblins are surprisingly not aggressive; they mostly just want to get drunk and have sex with each other. Bring them beer and they will tell you all kinds of juicy info about the cults in the area, the festivals, and the tunnel system they built, and also hint at the
Brownie trapped at (20). 

(20) Astute countryside manor tucked away off the beaten path from the towns and farms. Food deliveries are made 3 times a week, the owner of the manor also seems to own or control most of the business around the area.

The owner of the manor is also the leader of one of the two cults in the area, 50% chance of either. His cult is in the dominant position, especially with his money. There is an alter to the cult in the manor. The manor also contains plenty of luxury items and valuables, but the master will not allow anyone inside unless they seem high class and stow their weapons.

Additionally; the grounds around the manor is inhabited by a helpful
Brownie (as Gnome) with magical powers who will give dirt on the master if the party helps him escape the walls. He claims the owner is keeping them here to force the plants to grow bigger and better.

Within the dungeon of the manor is a
Rod of Punishment; an extremely painful weapon that deals 1d6 damage, the victim automatically loses concentration on spells and similar, but this weapon cannot deliver a killing blow.

Secret Farmer Cults Table
Roll here to determine Cults. Rules on cults; only roll one cult, then each 'roll cult' has a 50% chance to be the same cult again or a new cult. Once two cults are established all cult events are either one or the other with equal chances or what makes sense. Roll d6. 

[1] Black Ring Cultists. Believe in sanctity of nighttime walks and drains. Members draw black rings on walls and posts to show territory and are obsessed with buried treasure. Their Insignia is a black ring on a white piece of paper.
Their power is to jump out of sight and then appear at another nearby location, such as behind a wall and then above an alcove across the street.
 

[2] Yellow Sheet Cultists. Believe in pressed fabrics and cottons, hierarchy of color where yellow is the king. Members always have wrinkle free cloths and their beds are perfectly made. Their Insignia is a piece of yellow cloth, no matter how small, often a patch on another outfit.
Their power is snapping their fingers and causing anyone nearby to drop the object they are holding in their left hand. If they are using something that takes two handed, it drops.
 

[3] Egghood Society. Believe that eggs are a vessel to reincarnation; wish for their bodies to be sealed in large iron eggs upon death. Stealing iron and raising money to do this; have a secret burial ground in cult headquarters. Insignia is a tiny hammer with a spike; to break free of an egg.
Their power is choking someone if they concentrate on them, dealing d4 damage each round. Requires eye contact.
 

[4] Green Spiral Cultists. Believe that the amount of life is only going up as time goes on; wasteful eating and compost is actively making the world more verdant. Their farmers grow extra food and waste it, even steal food to compost and throw into the nearby woods. Insignia is a wooden whistle.
Their power lets them exert minor control on a nearby plant; usually to whack with a branch (d4), or ensnare and tangle a foe.
 

[5] Five Legged Stool Society. Believe in supreme restrictions and utmost care at even rudimentary or everyday tasks. Members have spare tools and parts all around their house, and have copious guardrails around any and all heights. Insignia is a spool of thread and a needle, usually in the pocket.
Their power is to give themselves or an ally +1 to AC and +1 saving throws against party; passive.
 

[6] Red Glove Cultists. Believe in a guided hand to everything; creation, luck and fate, every object has a creator somewhere. Members subtly manipulate events and people in towns, even rearranging furniture can change the future. Their Insignia is a red glove, sometimes too small to be worn simply as a symbol.
Their power is changing a small object, that can be hidden in a closed hand, into another object. Such as changing a key into a nail or a note into a flower. These changes seem permanent.

Wandering Monsters Table
Note; only roll on this table if you have angered one of the local cults or they know you know of them and they want to keep it a secret. Roll d4.

[1] Cultist and 2 Cult Guards. They prefer to attack at night and away from prying eyes. The guards both carry 1d6 silver in coin-purses.
Cultist (1HD, AC 11, ritual knife d4, has 2 first level cleric spells each day, plus cult power.)
Cult Guard (1HD+2, AC 12, sword or club d6, can block attacks to the Cultist to itself)

[2] Three Cultist-Warriors. They always pray before combat, and mumble religious chants under their breath when they fight. Run if spotted by anyone other then party members.
Cultist-Warriors (2 HD, AC 14, Swords, hammers, or spears d6, has cult power and +1 to hit)

[3] Cult Hedge Mage. Has a small angry mob (2d4) of villagers to fight for him; who are under effect of Charm. The party is accused of a crime with no proof or evidence. Sentence is death. Villagers as bandits with improvised weapons. The Mage carries 1d4 gold worth of arcane resources.
Cult Hedge Mage (1 HD, AC 10, staff d4, casts first level spells)

[4] Specially trained attack dogs. They look like feral dogs, but there is no question they seek the party and will only try to hurt them. Their teeth have been filed into cruel points. Stats as wolf.

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