“Three Eyes Are Better” – Out of the Box D&D Encounters #40
In conjunction with previous encounters, this will also expand on the concept of making D&D monster encounters less “vanilla.” As seen in “Phoeba’s Bet,” this will be another foray into granting class levels to a normally predictable monster.
The monster in question this time is the (lowly) Cyclops. The Cyclops has classically been seen as a dim-witted, superstitious, and ill-tempered brute who might fall victim to any assortment of late-night infomercials. Whereas that preconception should bear some merit, and some elements may be contained in this encounter, leaving it as-is defeats the purpose of delivering an encounter that challenges preconceptions. Drawing from inspiration from such sources as Bugs Bunny (“The Abominable Snowman”) and Star Trek TNG “Samaritan Snare,” this encounter was designed to take on the concept of a danger interjected with moments of humor.
To accomplish this, we’ll not only give the Cyclops three levels of Warlock (Fiend Pact of the Chain), but also a great little helper in the form of an Imp. The entire encounter is driven by this relationship, as the familiar, though technically a servant, is actually the brains of the outfit. This “cart before the horse” dichotomy should generate moments during the encounter where more than one player should raise an eyebrow and wonder who is calling the shots, the hope being that the players will walk away with both moments of laugh-out-loud ridiculousness and wincing when their characters are thumped by the Cyclops.
This encounter will also include some sample dialogue for the DM to insert should they so choose to give the players the right mix of the ridiculous and the dangerous.
Environment: Wilderness/Simple ruins
Suggested level: 7
Description: The players may be on the way to another location or may be exploring the wilderness for their own reasons. For the purposes of this encounter, let’s imagine them upon a lonely wooded trail. Out of nowhere, a domestic chicken will run across their path. This should (Intelligence/Nature DC:5) be obviously out of place. Those who succeed their Nature check (or you may wish to make this obvious enough to just narrate the fact) will realize that such beasts would never exist long in a wooded area given the existence of foxes, weasels, and birds of prey. This chicken came from somewhere – it can’t be wild.
Those characters who remain still and listen (Wisdom/Perception DC:15) will hear distant clucking. Your players may, of course, just kill the chicken and then keep on moving. A free lunch is a free lunch. That’s players for you. Those who are curious, though, may take the time to search or listen.
Those whom succeed in the Perception check may know to head off the path (let’s say to the left for the sake of argument) in the direction of these fowl. They may be motivated to return this chicken to its owner, or the DM may place this encounter close enough to where the players seek to camp for the day, and so may request a night’s lodging with a local farmer. Heck, they just may be hungry for more chickens. I’m not judging.
When they have travelled perhaps 100 yards from the edge of the path, they will come upon an odd sight. The trees will part to reveal a small clearing wherein exists an old and forgotten ruin. Flagstones poke up through the grass, weeds, and fallen leaves. Low stone wall remnants create a ring perhaps 30’ in diameter. The wall remnants vary in height from a few inches to eight feet with no real pattern in evidence. The highest wall section has a section of stone chimney on its outside leading to a hearth on the inside.
Skins have been sewn into a peaked roof, suspended by a cable of several woven ropes and attached to a young but tall maple, which is slightly bent. The skins are secured to the ground around the base of the broken structure by several other ropes, and appear secured to the ground by large wooden pegs. The appearance, then, is like that of a peaked tent roof.
The outside of the ruined wall will be packed with tree boughs. Since this practice is common enough among the citizenry, feel free to volunteer that many homes do this for insulation and to block drafts. The tree boughs are freshly cut and still smell of spruce, maple, and ash. These boughs almost cover the pegs.
Chickens wander about everywhere, contained within the low walls for the most part. A large pile of still-green leaves are stacked away from the hearth, yet still along a strong wall. This pile of leaves seems to have a central depression. Bones lay scattered about the property. Those interested could perform an Investigation check to survey the area. A successful DC: 10 will likely determine that the leaf pile is some sort of bedding, whereas a successful DC: 15 will reveal that the owner of this bedding is very big.
A successful Nature (or even Survival) check (DC: 15) will determine that these bones are a mix of wild deer, boar, and a few chickens. There are also scattered humanoid bones. That same check will also show that these bones have all been gnawed upon. Also inside the low stone wall ring will be several medium-sized sacks. These sacks will contain common items like grains and dried corn, rolls of cured animal skins, a large wax-sealed ceramic pot (filled with honey if anyone opens it), and a collection of smashed, dented helmets and ruined shields.
For anyone who volunteers a Survival check for the purposes of looking for tracks, a Successful DC:10 will reveal only chicken tracks, whereas a DC: 12 will reveal wild animal spoor (Deer, boar …). Allow a successful DC: 15 to reveal massive soft-booted feet, and a successful DC: 25 to disclose an additional set of tiny clawed humanoid-like feet.
The DM, if possible, should wait for either everyone in the party or at least the vast majority to enter the structure before proceeding to the next stage. They may only send a scout like a Rogue or Ranger first to check it out. If they do so, have them make a Perception check for fun, but so long as they do not botch the roll, reveal scattered coins (perhaps 10gp worth) among the flagstones. You might even wish to have a small open bag with what looks like gold nuggets – but is actually worthless Fool’s Gold (Pyrite ore). Nothing gathers player characters upon a zone like greed. Unless the party member in question has some sort of expertise in ore (like a Dwarf’s Stone Cunning, a Guild Artisan/Clan Crafter with the right skill sets, etc.) then there should be no reason for them to know the difference between pyrite and gold.
Once the stage is set, the following will occur:
“Furgle” the Cyclops has been hiding in plain sight under the cover of a Potion of Invisibility. His constant companion and familiar, “Gizmit” the Imp, can become Invisible at will and so will be with his master watching the party. This was Gizmit’s idea from the start, who released the chicken for the party to find so that his large friend would get angry if the party tried to either take the Cyclop’s belongings or killed a chicken. The Imp has also convinced the giant to drink his only Potion of Invisibility (taken from the body of a previous intruder) so as to lay an ambush for the incoming party.
“Furgle” the Cyclops will cast Darkness centred on the middle of his home and walk in. His Devil’s Sight will allow him to see in it, but he has the odd flaw of being scared of magical darkness. “Gizmit” can also see within the Darkness and will always convince his “master” to proceed. This spellcasting will break his Invisibility, but it’s Gizmit’s plan that the party will not know this as they should be covered in Darkness.
If you wish to insert some dialogue as the combat begins, try something like this:
The entire area becomes an inky black – impervious to torches and even those of you with darkvision. A low voice speaks as if to another (and ham it up to make it sound like an 8 Intelligence): “Now Gizmit?”
A high and scratchy voice retorts back in a hurried and sarcastic fashion, “Yes! Furgel, you dim … I mean … my glorious master … now KILL THEM!”
“Oh, okay, little buddy. Gizmit smart.”
Any player who has a passive perception of 14 or more might hear something over the sound of this dialogue. That sound should be like a rustling all around them and the sound of trees moving quickly. What has happened is that Gizmit has pulled a tripwire that allows nets, previously hidden in the boughs around the ruined walls, connected to the ropes all around the structure, to be cast upwards as the maple suspending the roof is released. This will create a net wall barrier around the entire structure.
Those that are inside the ruin now have a problem. They are inside a low stone wall, in complete Darkness, are surrounded to a further height of 10’ on all sides by a net, and have a leather roof blocking the top. Furgle stands outside the structure, his invisible Imp Gizmit on his shoulder, with a pile of boulders ready to be thrown at the first person to try and cut their way through the netting covering the large opening in the wall that the players likely used to enter the structure in the first place. At this point Furgle will clap his hands like a little boy and celebrate.
“Gee, Gizmit. It work! It work!”
“Of COURSE it worked you imbeci … I mean, incredible master.”
Feel free to continually interject this sort of dialogue throughout the encounter.
The players have a few options. They can try to cut through the netting to escape. The netting has an AC:10 and takes 5hp of Slashing damage to cut an exit into it. This will allow one Medium sized creature to exit through a particular hole. They could burn through a hole as well, if they choose. They could try to target the ropes or netting with attacks like Fire Bolt or Scorching Ray, which would ignite the netting on a successful hit, but any attacks against the rope have Disadvantage due to the Darkness. Disadvantage versus an AC of 10 isn’t much of an issue, but it can certainly set up hilarious critical failures. Should any player fail such an attack, feel free to have Gizmit give them a hard time about it. The players could certainly cast Dispel Magic or Daylight to get rid of the Darkness (at which point have Gizmit reference the “Attack the Darkness” meme). One might Dimension Door to safety (so long as the conditions are met … there certainly is a risk of trying to Dimension Door into an existing tree for 4d6 Force damage), although anyone who wishes to Misty Step to safety will need to have Devil’s Sight or some other means to see their destination (like seeing through the eyes of a tiny Familiar of their own that could sneak outside of the net). Leave such options up to the players to discover, and be open to new ideas.
If the players do not come out of the Darkness for two or more rounds, Gizmit will fly above them and cut the master suspension rope. This will take a couple of rounds. During this time Furgle will threaten as best a simple giant can, and will be very protective of his chickens. If the players harm or threaten to harm his chickens, he will lose his temper and likely his concentration on Darkness. He will then start hurling boulders at the party with absolute fury once the tent has collapsed or a player breaches the netting. Gizmit can always “help” Furgle in melee by remaining Invisible and harassing the giant’s target. This Help action will give Furgle the benefit of Advantage on his attacks versus his melee target. This can be devastating under the right conditions. Gizmit will certainly advise whom the softer targets are – he is, after all, the brains of this outfit. If Gizmit is killed early, Furgle will certainly be confused and his tactics will become far more straight forward and less clever. If Gizmit is still around to advise, Furgle will cast Mirror Image on himself in combat to give himself a better chance.
If things go badly for Furgle, he might try to escape by pushing over smaller trees and such on top of the players and then running for it. He will cast Expeditious Retreat to speed up the process of getting away, or Mirror Image to make it harder for him to be hit. That choice is up to the individual DM. Keep track of Furgle’s spell slots. He only has two, and used one to cast Darkness. What he casts next depends on his success or failure, and if he or the party has the advantage in combat. Dodging any tree that is used as a delay will require those within 10’ of the cyclops to make a Dexterity save (DC: 15) or take 3d10 Bludgeoning damage and be Restrained until free. Freeing oneself will require a successful Strength/Athletics or Dexterity/Acrobatics check (DC:15). If Furgle can get away, he might become a recurring villain later on … and will always bring up his lost chickens.
Monsters: “Furgle” – Cyclops/Warlock (3) – As per Monster Manual (page 45) with the
following additions: Warlock, Fiend Pact of the Chain. Spell selections based on the Cyclops low Charisma and the fact he has difficulty with ranged attacks. Fiend spells are what they are, and are not open to change.
Invocations: Devil’s Sight, Beast Speech (he loves his chickens)
Cantrips: Prestidigitation, True Strike
Spells (2/short rest): 1st level: Burning Hands, Command, Expeditious Retreat, Find Familiar, Hex
2nd level: Blindness/Deafness, Darkness, Mirror Image, Scorching Ray
“Gizmit” – Imp – as per Monster Manual (p. 76) or PHB (p. 306)
Treasure: Buried under the ground in the center of his “home” is a chest (unlocked) filled with the following:
2 Gold engraved bracelets (small humanoid sized) – 25gp each
A collection of 3 ivory chicken statuettes – 250gp each
Masterwork painting of an ugly cyclops woman titled “Mom” – 500gp
Complications: There are a few complications that could arise from this encounter, but they are all based on who has the upper hand and when. The players may never enter the structure, in which case Furgle might let them pass so long as they do not harm his chickens or take his stuff. Furgle might, on a lucky hit given any Advantage, absolutely decimate softer casters in the party. Anyone foolish enough to cast large area of effect spells like Fireball in the confines of the structure might be interested in learning to calculate the actual volume of such a spell before doing so, as they might turn the broken structure into a short-term oven. Players who start throwing Fire-related spells around in a wooded area might risk Ignition on any miss, starting any number of brush fires. Gizmit won’t mind, but I’m sure that Furgle, nearby communities, any Elven or Sylvan communities, and the animals will care. If you choose to make this a realistic possibility, I covered this previously under “Out of the Box #6 – Down on the Farm.”
To recap, the DM can optionally roll a d6 every time such an event might occur. A fire of some kind will start 1 chance in 6, which will require actions by the players to stop. How they do it is up to the players and DM to resolve, but a successful Survival or Nature check (DC: 12) might do the trick.
A chicken on fire running around the woods setting everything alight might sound morbidly funny, but it becomes less so when the players are surrounded by a burning inferno.
Gizmit just sees it as an opportunity to expand some contracts.
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