Out of the Box D&D Encounters, Series 2, #25 – “The Nursery”
December 8, 2017
Out of the Box introduction
There are some classic Dungeons & Dragons monsters that don’t get the love they deserve. I can remember being paranoid to walk through any cavern because piercers might be around. Low level characters had to face these along with all the Gygaxian horrors camouflaged as other things, or attacked the characters to punish them for their curiosity.
In this particular case, we’ll use a piercer, as well as it’s progenitor, the roper. One would think the two would be inexorably linked in many encounters, but I’ve seen all of one in the last several years.
The insidious nature of each means the lowly piercer can be used to herd the characters closer to the roper, which I have yet to see. That may well have occurred at many tables already, and I have missed out on the experience. This also assumes a territory rife with actual stalagmites and stalactites, providing not only camouflage for the creatures, but twisting terrain for the characters to navigate as well.
The purpose of this entire exercise becomes a lesson in both monster ecology and understanding the dangers of the natural world…or should we say the fantasical world. In an environment where such creatures exist, one could never take their associated terrain for granted – and the adventurers shouldn’t. It’s a hard lesson, but one many “old school” players learned the hard way.
This may seem like a simple encounter, until you have players obsessed with only looking up, only looking around, or incapable of making a decision where to look or step.
Environment
Wilderness/Caves
Level
4-6
Description
The cave mouth before the characters is large and dark, but it’s more inviting than the heavy rain outside. The mouth of the cave itself has large piles of detritus and other rubble piled to either side, with one or two large boulders present. A successful DC 12 (Wisdom) Survival, Intelligence (Nature), or Intelligence (Investigation) check allows characters to realize this rubble and boulder combo is the result of a recent event, perhaps a rockslide or similar event. The cave mouth is relatively new.
The opening is roughly 10 feet wide and 10 feet tall, with a somewhat arched top. The opening leads to a very rough passage of the same diameter. That passage has unfinished surfaces all the way around and runs perhaps 30 feet more or less straight forward. A dwarf with stonecunning might be able to ascertain this looks like a natural limestone passage, likely worn away from an unseen water source.
Beyond the passage, it spills out into a larger cavern. The floor dips down gently, lowering 5 feet. The ceiling is easily 20 feet above the floor, and the room takes on a roughly 50 foot circular nature with another exit on the opposite side. The cavern is a minefield of stalagmites and stalactites. One large central stalagmite dominates the centre of the floor, with a smaller stalactite hanging directly over it.
The light of the daylight outside highlights the sparkling streaks of gold trickling down the surface of this central pillar. A successful DC 15 stonecunning or Intelligence (Nature) check might reveal this is possibly gold dust trickled downward from a distant gold ore with a water source running through it.
Six more stalagmites of varying sizes sit on the floor roughly 10 feet from the outer wall. They sit, like a clock, at 12:00, 2:00, 4:00, 6:00, 8:00, and 10:00. For those less analog, this means one directly along the front wall and the near wall, with one at 60 degrees to the left and right of either one around the room. Six smaller stalactites are above, but occupy the ceiling in the space between each of the lower stalagmites. On a clock face, that would place them at “odd hours” on the clock. (1:00, 3:00, 5:00, etc.).
For those less aware of geology, this is not normal. Natural stalactites and stalagmites form directly over each other as a result of water moving though or over soft or porous rock formations. A successful DC 13 Intelligence (Nature) check, or experience in Underdark/subterranean geography, would allow player characters to suspect this layout. As a piece of advice to the Dungeon Master, when you describe the surrounding stalagmites, give them varying sizes, but large enough to prohibit simply walking over them.
So long as the characters do not “break the circle” of the surrounding stalagmites, nothing should happen, nor will any clue be given about anything unusual. However, once they enter this out rim, things change.
There are three piercers (as per Monster Manual, page 252) in this room. Three of the six outer stalactites are actually piercers. One close to the entrance and two others which should be determined randomly. These should be randomly determined, because once the first one drops the rest will be revealed as other monsters, and the characters will simply attack them with ranged weapons. In their natural state, they are indistinguishable from natural stalactites, so unless the PCs have magical means of detecting such creatures, the first attack should be done with surprise.
The central, gold-flecked stalagmite is actually the parent of these piercers, a roper (as per Monster Manual, page 261) This creature has had great success in hunting with its progeny, which has led to the creation of more progeny. It will wait for the first piercer to drop, then attack.
It’s first target will be whoever attacked its fallen piercer child, but if the person is out of reach, choose randomly. The roper is indeed covered in thin streaks of gold dust, which could be harvested from the surface of the creature in an hour with a successful DC 10 Intelligence check.
The exit on the far side leads to a dead end after 50 feet. At the DM’s discretion, this might be easily cleared or, instead, lead further into an underground adventure.
Monsters
Roper (1) – As per Monster Manual, page 261
Piercers (3) – As per Monster Manual, page 252
Treasure
Gold dust (250 gp worth). If the PCs are greedy enough to cut this beast open, it’s gullet contains a platinum wristband with an engraving in Undercommon that reads ”For my love,” worth 1000 gp. The roper’s stomach acid is volatile and requires both a successful DC 17 Wisdom (Survival) check as well as alchemist’s tools. If both of these conditions are met, an alchemist with enough means (like in a larger city) might pay as much as 500 gp for it.
Complications
There certainly are a few. A single character being hit by a piercer, then pulled into the mouth of the roper can be devastating. For those who have never faced piercers, having a chamber with several can turn future cavern explorations into “analysis paralysis” as they creep forward, expecting every bump on the ceiling to be a trap. This can be both a blessing and a curse. Use this paranoia carefully.
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