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The Pumpkin Pie Spice RPG Contest Discussion Thread
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<blockquote data-quote="Yalım" data-source="post: 9146391" data-attributes="member: 94569"><p><strong><span style="font-size: 26px">A Pie to Die For</span></strong></p><p><span style="font-size: 15px"><em>A short adventure for 3rd-level PCs</em></span></p><p></p><p>As summer fades on this cold day in late Marpenoth, a horrid act of violence has come to the normally-peaceful town of Triel. A child was stolen at dusk. The scene of the crime is littered with wood fragments, and... a pumpkin vine? Someone in Triel needs to stop whoever is behind this, and save the child before it's too late!</p><p></p><p>This adventure is set in Triel, a trade hub in the western heartlands of the sword coast, just east of Elturel. It sits along the Trade Way between Scornubel and Waterdeep. The Trade Way is popular in summer, but when summer wanes, travel slows and folks begin to buckle down for the winter months. Marpenoth marks the last stretch of harvest before winter has crept in too deeply to do anything, and most local folks are hard at work preparing for the Feast of the Moon next week.</p><p></p><p>Most prospective heroes left along the trade way a month ago, headed north to participate in Liar's Night up in Waterdeep, or south to Scornubel for mercenary work. With no one left to turn to, Triel looks to the PCs.</p><p></p><p>[SPOILER="Background for the DM"]</p><p>Esuria the green hag became obsessed with crafting the perfect pumpkin pie after trying it for the first time during Liar's Night in Waterdeep last year. She crossed the Trade Way down to Scornubel, and came upon the pumpkin fields in the Trielta Hills. Camping out in an abandoned farm, she has begun enchanting the plants and building scarecrows, stealing fruit and spice here and there while recreating recipes over and over.</p><p></p><p>After a year, Esuria has a recipe that she believes will make for the best pumpkin pie in all of Faerûn. Her special ingredient? The sweetest, most-beloved child in the western heartland.</p><p></p><p>Better get rescuing. The oven's already warm...</p><p>[/SPOILER]</p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: 22px">Hooks</span></p><p>Do-gooders will likely jump at a chance to save the day, and self-centered, uh, "heroes" may find this a good opportunity to become celebrities just before a great feast. Still, it's good to have some personal connections to this mystery. Here are some ways the players can be related to Triel:</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">You have family or close friends out in the Trielta Hills, and you're relaxing in Triel before heading out to spend time with them.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">You are planning the Feast under Elvar the Grainlord. These kidnappings aren't just kidnappings, they also threaten the celebrations themselves! Who can celebrate if children are missing?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">You have family or friends who worked at the spice store that was robbed 2 nights ago. Or maybe you worked there yourself.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">It was your child who was kidnapped last night! In this case, the adventure will need some changes. Rael Loamsong is the easiest fit, but Karwyn is also doable if you swap Rael's role. You could also be a 3rd, older Loamsong sibling.</li> </ul><p>If hooking members of the party is especially difficult because they're all gold-obsessed murderers, an emissary of Elvar the Grainlord can meet them at the Singing Wind Inn in town and beg for their assistance. He is willing to offer a bounty of around 5gp per PC, plus free food and drink for all of the Feast.</p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: 22px">Triel Investigation</span></p><p>Two crimes have occurred in Triel, all on the same night: a kidnapping and and a robbery. Either location is a good start, but by default you can send the PCs to the Loamsong house.</p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px"><em>The Loamsong House</em></span></p><p><strong>What Happened (DM info):</strong> Karwyn (she/her) and Rael (he/him) Loamsong are a human couple, a weaver and carpenter respectively. They were out late at night preparing for the Feast, and left their 3-year-old daughter Gillia in the care of their 13-year-old son Lewan. That night, Esuria's scarecrow minions caught Lewan by surprise, knocked him out, and stole Gillia into the night.</p><p></p><p><strong>Description:</strong> The Loamsongs live in a large one-room house, around 1000 square feet in size. This normally idyllic home has been destroyed. The window shutters and door have been knocked inwards with great force, the interior walls are deeply gashed, and furniture is thrown around as though someone was looking for something.</p><p></p><p><strong>Clues:</strong></p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Examining the gashes in the wall, a <strong>DC 10 Nature</strong> check reveals that some of the wooden splinters here are not the same tree, nor are they pine tarred the way the wood of the house is. This is is old, dead wood, harvested from the Forest of Wyrms. A subsequent <strong>DC 6 History </strong>check or use of a local background allows a PC to recall that old wood tends to be used for fencing, scarecrows, and firewood.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Examining near the entrance of the home, a <strong>DC 10 Investigation</strong> check reveals trace amounts of spices in the dirt. There are light smells of cinnamon and nutmeg here. A <strong>DC 6 Survival</strong> check can follow these backwards to their origin, Southrun Spices.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Examining overturned furniture, a <strong>DC 10 Investigation</strong> check reveals a small piece of vine. A subsequent <strong>DC 6 Nature</strong> or use of a local background allows a PC to identify this as a bit of pumpkin vine.</li> </ul><p></p><p><strong>People:</strong></p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Everyone</strong>in the Loamsong family knows the following:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">There are pumpkin farmers in the Trielta Hills. Pumpkin farming is coming to a close before the Feast.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Dead wood is used for fencing, scarecrows, and firewood.</li> </ul></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Rael</strong>is at this house during he day, alternating between picking through belongings and sitting in shock. Rael remembers crafting a platform for the Feast when a neighbor told him about the house. He rushed home to find his son unconscious and his daughter missing.<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Rael is willing to follow any lead and offer any help he can if it helps him find his daughter. He offer to take the PCs to Karwyn and Lewan if they indicate that they're willing to help; he will mention that Rael has been difficult to talk to in the wake of the attack.</li> </ul></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Karwyn</strong> is at a friend's house with Rael, sewing for the Feast to take her mind off her fears. She remembers her husband coming to her asking if Gillia was anywhere, and then spending the night searching to no avail.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Rael</strong>feels horribly guilty about failing to keep Gillia safe. He won't speak unless addresed directly, and seeks assurances from the PCs that they will find Gillia before he speaks about the night. Rael remembers the door getting kicked in and tall, thin figures rushed inside. He couldn't see their faces before he was pinned down and then someone (or something) hit him in the head, knocking him out cold.<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">In addition to a bump on his head, Rael has constriction bruises on both of his arms, from rope or vines. A <strong>DC 6 Medicine</strong> check will identify these.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Rael will poorly attempt to hide some of the stranger details about that night, trailing off while speaking and refusing to make eye contact. A <strong>DC 10 Insight</strong> check or the aforementioned Medicine check can be used to prompt him to tell the whole story: He saw what pinned him down -- two animated pumpkins held him in place with vines. Rael still doesn't fully believe it; he's seen basic magic before, but nothing like this.</li> </ul></li> </ul><p></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px"><em>Southrun Spices</em></span></p><p><strong>What Happened (DM info):</strong> Siia Southrun is the halfling proprietor of Southrun Spices, a relatively new establishment. She purchases excess spices from traveling merchants in late autumn, and then sells them to adventurers, local bakeries, and (in winter) she makes the cold trek to Scornubel where she fetches top gold for them. Last night, a war party of animated scarecrows and pumpkins broke into her shop while she was taking inventory, and she got into a fight with them. She took out 2 scarecrows (or so she thinks) before getting thrown against a wall. In her subsequent daze, the attackers made off with a mix of spices.</p><p></p><p><strong>Description:</strong> Southrun Spices is a modest, 20' x 30' store; a ground floor for sales and a top floor bedroom. A small spice display near the front showcase Siia's offerings, but the bulk of what she owns is in glass containers on the shelves around. Several of those shelves have been damaged, and a strong smell of mixed winter spices hangs in the air. Siia is in the midst of cleaning the shop up, oblivious to the modern concept of a crime scene protocol. Broken containers, wood fragments, and piles of spice sit piled up in the northwest corner as Siia figures out what to do with the glass. Two broken scarecrows with smashed pumpkin heads f</p><p></p><p><strong>Clues:</strong></p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">A large quantity of spices have been strewn outside, easily noticed. A <strong>DC 6 Survival</strong> check can follow them to the Loamsong house.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Inventory records Siia that Siia has left in the southeast corner indicate that cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, cloves, granulated sugar, and allspice are the only things missing from last night's raid. Anyone with the chef feat, the relevant background, a <strong>DC 6 History</strong> check can determine that these compose pumpkin pie spice.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Examining the gashes in the wall, a <strong>DC 10 Nature</strong> check reveals that some of the wooden splinters here are not the same tree, nor are they pine tarred the way the wood of the house is. This is is old, dead wood, harvested from the Forest of Wyrms. A subsequent <strong>DC 6 History </strong>check or use of a local background allows a PC to recall that old wood tends to be used for fencing, scarecrows, and firewood.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The scarecrows lying on the floor have jack-o-lantern heads, candle included (with a small ember burning at the tip of the wick still...). A <strong>DC 6 History</strong> check or a background in Waterdeep reveals that these are the pumpking carvings from the famous Liar's Night in Waterdeep.</li> </ul><p><strong>People:</strong></p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Siia </strong>is in the midst of cleanup, and will invite PCs in as customers while apologizing for the mess. If asked about the robbery, she will gladly share any information she has, and brag about the 2 scarecrows on the ground. Siia remembers the door busting in and 5 or 6 lanky scarecrows with jack-o-lantern heads came in. She fought them off and took out a couple, but then something grabbed her by the throat and knocked her out.<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Siia has constriction bruises on both her neck, from rope or vines. A <strong>DC 6 Medicine</strong> check will identify these.</li> </ul></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Dolbren Shaleheft</strong>, a nosy dwarf with too much time and too little courage, is gawking outside. He tried to speak with Siia earlier but she brushed him off, and he is willing to strike up conversation with any PC lingering in the store doorway, looking around outside, or leaving the shop. He wants to know what Siia remembers, and is willing to share what he saw last night in exchange for any juicy details, especially if they're tragic. Dolbren remembers seeing 5 or so tall figures and 3 or so vine-y creatures. Dolbren watched outside as they left with jars in hand and headed north, and then he ran home.<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">If Dolbren thinks it's a good idea to share information with the PCs (perhaps they've given him some juicy gossip, and/or they have shamed him for failing to help) he will offer a guess that the figures were headed in the direction of the Trielta Hills</li> </ul></li> </ul><p><strong>Combat:</strong> The two pumpkin-headed scarecrows aren't quite dead, despite appearances. If someone pokes at their head or otherwise gets in a compromising position near a scarecrow, the candle inside its jack-o-lantern head will alight and it will attack. Anyone who isn't explictly on guard for an attack is surprised.</p><p></p><p>Use the statblocks for scarecrows from the Monster Manual, with the following changes:</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Pumpkin scarecrows are animated with a burning candle in their head. Blowing the candle out, such as by submerging them in water or hitting them with a powerful gust of wind, will cause the scarecrow to become inanimate and paralyzed for 1d6 minutes as the wick returns to smoldering.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Pumpkin scarecrows don't have damage resistance.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Pumpkin scarecrows have a Strength of 18, making their Claw attack a more formidable +6 (2d4+4).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">At the end of the pumpkin scarecrow's turn, it automatically uses its Terrifying Glare on the closest non-pumpkin creature near it without needing an action. It can't use its terrifying glare otherwise.</li> </ul><p><strong></strong></p><p><strong>The Map:</strong> Use the ground floor of the <a href="https://2minutetabletop.com/product/general-goods-store/" target="_blank">general goods store from 2 Minute Tabletop</a> for this fight, placing one scarecrow on the east side (beneath the stairs) and the other in the southwest (between the tables).</p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px"><em>Heading to the Hills</em></span></p><p>PCs should have a handful of clues that point towards the Trielta Hills after investigating:</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Evidence of pumpkin-related activities point towards the pumpkin farms in Trielta's sloped hills.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Evidence of scarecrows also points to the north</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Dolbren believes that Southrun's robbers went to Trielta</li> </ul><p>If the PCs are still struggling, Rael or Siia can put the details together and ask the party to head north to the hills to investigate further.</p><p></p><p>There are generally 2 ways to travel towards Trielta. Horses are critical for the journey either way:</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Following the Trade Way requires a 48-mile journey, but provides safety.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Trekking directly north is dangerous, but faster. It requires a 24-mile journey, but the PCs will be ambushed along the way by a war party of gnolls. (a party of 4 should be able to handle 3 gnoll hunters and a gnoll pack lord from VGtM)</li> </ul><p></p><p>[ATTACH]296829[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: 22px">Erusia's Farm</span></p><p>The sprawling hills of Trielta is a lovely stretch of hills west to east, 80 miles at the widest. Its safety is surprising given its geographical neighbors: the dark Forest of Wyrms filled with yuan-ti in the north, and the gnoll-infested Reaching Forest in the south. But Trielta has been a peaceful place for years, and its residents don't want that to change. But Erusia is changing that.</p><p></p><p>The PCs can follow a trail of destruction up to Erusia's farmhouse. The place looks abandoned, but scarecrows and animated pumpkins prowl the premesis, and the northeastern farmhouse shines with a flickering orange light.</p><p></p><p>If the PCs are stealthy, they can assault Erusia before she notices. As soon as she hears a commotion, she will go outside and join the fray.</p><p></p><p><strong>The Map:</strong> Use <a href="https://dicegrimorium.com/pumpkin-farm-dnd-battle-map/" target="_blank">Dice Grimorium's pumpkin farm map</a>.</p><p></p><p>The hills here are precarious. If a creature moves their full speed, they must make a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw or fall prone. Moving even 5 feet less than full speed protects you. The scarecrows and animated pumpkins aren't aware of this (and may trip), but Erusia is.</p><p></p><p><strong>Monsters:</strong></p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">3 Pumpkin scarecrows walk about the edges of the farm, on the lookout.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">5 Animated pumpkins also patrol the premesis. Use the statistics for a needle blight from the Monster Manual, except:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Animated pumpkins are proficient in athletics and use Dexterity to grapple</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Animated pumpkins can't attack a target unless it's grappled.</li> </ul></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Erusia, the Green Hag</li> </ul><p><strong>The Aftermath:</strong> If the PCs succesfully defeat Erusia, they have saved Gillia and defeated the evil plagueing Triel and the Trielta Hills. Returning to Triel, they are hailed as local heroes, and receive free food and booze during the Feast of the Moon.</p><p></p><p>If the PCs die to Erusia or take more than 2 days to reach her abandoned farm, she bakes Gillia into a pie.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Yalım, post: 9146391, member: 94569"] [B][SIZE=7]A Pie to Die For[/SIZE][/B] [SIZE=4][I]A short adventure for 3rd-level PCs[/I][/SIZE] As summer fades on this cold day in late Marpenoth, a horrid act of violence has come to the normally-peaceful town of Triel. A child was stolen at dusk. The scene of the crime is littered with wood fragments, and... a pumpkin vine? Someone in Triel needs to stop whoever is behind this, and save the child before it's too late! This adventure is set in Triel, a trade hub in the western heartlands of the sword coast, just east of Elturel. It sits along the Trade Way between Scornubel and Waterdeep. The Trade Way is popular in summer, but when summer wanes, travel slows and folks begin to buckle down for the winter months. Marpenoth marks the last stretch of harvest before winter has crept in too deeply to do anything, and most local folks are hard at work preparing for the Feast of the Moon next week. Most prospective heroes left along the trade way a month ago, headed north to participate in Liar's Night up in Waterdeep, or south to Scornubel for mercenary work. With no one left to turn to, Triel looks to the PCs. [SPOILER="Background for the DM"] Esuria the green hag became obsessed with crafting the perfect pumpkin pie after trying it for the first time during Liar's Night in Waterdeep last year. She crossed the Trade Way down to Scornubel, and came upon the pumpkin fields in the Trielta Hills. Camping out in an abandoned farm, she has begun enchanting the plants and building scarecrows, stealing fruit and spice here and there while recreating recipes over and over. After a year, Esuria has a recipe that she believes will make for the best pumpkin pie in all of Faerûn. Her special ingredient? The sweetest, most-beloved child in the western heartland. Better get rescuing. The oven's already warm... [/SPOILER] [SIZE=6]Hooks[/SIZE] Do-gooders will likely jump at a chance to save the day, and self-centered, uh, "heroes" may find this a good opportunity to become celebrities just before a great feast. Still, it's good to have some personal connections to this mystery. Here are some ways the players can be related to Triel: [LIST] [*]You have family or close friends out in the Trielta Hills, and you're relaxing in Triel before heading out to spend time with them. [*]You are planning the Feast under Elvar the Grainlord. These kidnappings aren't just kidnappings, they also threaten the celebrations themselves! Who can celebrate if children are missing? [*]You have family or friends who worked at the spice store that was robbed 2 nights ago. Or maybe you worked there yourself. [*]It was your child who was kidnapped last night! In this case, the adventure will need some changes. Rael Loamsong is the easiest fit, but Karwyn is also doable if you swap Rael's role. You could also be a 3rd, older Loamsong sibling. [/LIST] If hooking members of the party is especially difficult because they're all gold-obsessed murderers, an emissary of Elvar the Grainlord can meet them at the Singing Wind Inn in town and beg for their assistance. He is willing to offer a bounty of around 5gp per PC, plus free food and drink for all of the Feast. [SIZE=6]Triel Investigation[/SIZE] Two crimes have occurred in Triel, all on the same night: a kidnapping and and a robbery. Either location is a good start, but by default you can send the PCs to the Loamsong house. [SIZE=5][I]The Loamsong House[/I][/SIZE] [B]What Happened (DM info):[/B] Karwyn (she/her) and Rael (he/him) Loamsong are a human couple, a weaver and carpenter respectively. They were out late at night preparing for the Feast, and left their 3-year-old daughter Gillia in the care of their 13-year-old son Lewan. That night, Esuria's scarecrow minions caught Lewan by surprise, knocked him out, and stole Gillia into the night. [B]Description:[/B] The Loamsongs live in a large one-room house, around 1000 square feet in size. This normally idyllic home has been destroyed. The window shutters and door have been knocked inwards with great force, the interior walls are deeply gashed, and furniture is thrown around as though someone was looking for something. [B]Clues:[/B] [LIST] [*]Examining the gashes in the wall, a [B]DC 10 Nature[/B] check reveals that some of the wooden splinters here are not the same tree, nor are they pine tarred the way the wood of the house is. This is is old, dead wood, harvested from the Forest of Wyrms. A subsequent [B]DC 6 History [/B]check or use of a local background allows a PC to recall that old wood tends to be used for fencing, scarecrows, and firewood.[B][/B] [*]Examining near the entrance of the home, a [B]DC 10 Investigation[/B] check reveals trace amounts of spices in the dirt. There are light smells of cinnamon and nutmeg here. A [B]DC 6 Survival[/B] check can follow these backwards to their origin, Southrun Spices. [*]Examining overturned furniture, a [B]DC 10 Investigation[/B] check reveals a small piece of vine. A subsequent [B]DC 6 Nature[/B] or use of a local background allows a PC to identify this as a bit of pumpkin vine. [/LIST] [B]People:[/B] [LIST] [*][B]Everyone[/B]in the Loamsong family knows the following: [LIST] [*]There are pumpkin farmers in the Trielta Hills. Pumpkin farming is coming to a close before the Feast. [*]Dead wood is used for fencing, scarecrows, and firewood.[B][/B] [/LIST] [*][B]Rael[/B]is at this house during he day, alternating between picking through belongings and sitting in shock. Rael remembers crafting a platform for the Feast when a neighbor told him about the house. He rushed home to find his son unconscious and his daughter missing. [LIST] [*]Rael is willing to follow any lead and offer any help he can if it helps him find his daughter. He offer to take the PCs to Karwyn and Lewan if they indicate that they're willing to help; he will mention that Rael has been difficult to talk to in the wake of the attack. [/LIST] [*][B]Karwyn[/B] is at a friend's house with Rael, sewing for the Feast to take her mind off her fears. She remembers her husband coming to her asking if Gillia was anywhere, and then spending the night searching to no avail. [*][B]Rael[/B]feels horribly guilty about failing to keep Gillia safe. He won't speak unless addresed directly, and seeks assurances from the PCs that they will find Gillia before he speaks about the night. Rael remembers the door getting kicked in and tall, thin figures rushed inside. He couldn't see their faces before he was pinned down and then someone (or something) hit him in the head, knocking him out cold. [LIST] [*]In addition to a bump on his head, Rael has constriction bruises on both of his arms, from rope or vines. A [B]DC 6 Medicine[/B] check will identify these. [*]Rael will poorly attempt to hide some of the stranger details about that night, trailing off while speaking and refusing to make eye contact. A [B]DC 10 Insight[/B] check or the aforementioned Medicine check can be used to prompt him to tell the whole story: He saw what pinned him down -- two animated pumpkins held him in place with vines. Rael still doesn't fully believe it; he's seen basic magic before, but nothing like this. [/LIST] [/LIST] [SIZE=5][I]Southrun Spices[/I][/SIZE] [B]What Happened (DM info):[/B] Siia Southrun is the halfling proprietor of Southrun Spices, a relatively new establishment. She purchases excess spices from traveling merchants in late autumn, and then sells them to adventurers, local bakeries, and (in winter) she makes the cold trek to Scornubel where she fetches top gold for them. Last night, a war party of animated scarecrows and pumpkins broke into her shop while she was taking inventory, and she got into a fight with them. She took out 2 scarecrows (or so she thinks) before getting thrown against a wall. In her subsequent daze, the attackers made off with a mix of spices. [B]Description:[/B] Southrun Spices is a modest, 20' x 30' store; a ground floor for sales and a top floor bedroom. A small spice display near the front showcase Siia's offerings, but the bulk of what she owns is in glass containers on the shelves around. Several of those shelves have been damaged, and a strong smell of mixed winter spices hangs in the air. Siia is in the midst of cleaning the shop up, oblivious to the modern concept of a crime scene protocol. Broken containers, wood fragments, and piles of spice sit piled up in the northwest corner as Siia figures out what to do with the glass. Two broken scarecrows with smashed pumpkin heads f [B]Clues:[/B] [LIST] [*]A large quantity of spices have been strewn outside, easily noticed. A [B]DC 6 Survival[/B] check can follow them to the Loamsong house. [*]Inventory records Siia that Siia has left in the southeast corner indicate that cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, cloves, granulated sugar, and allspice are the only things missing from last night's raid. Anyone with the chef feat, the relevant background, a [B]DC 6 History[/B] check can determine that these compose pumpkin pie spice. [*]Examining the gashes in the wall, a [B]DC 10 Nature[/B] check reveals that some of the wooden splinters here are not the same tree, nor are they pine tarred the way the wood of the house is. This is is old, dead wood, harvested from the Forest of Wyrms. A subsequent [B]DC 6 History [/B]check or use of a local background allows a PC to recall that old wood tends to be used for fencing, scarecrows, and firewood. [*]The scarecrows lying on the floor have jack-o-lantern heads, candle included (with a small ember burning at the tip of the wick still...). A [B]DC 6 History[/B] check or a background in Waterdeep reveals that these are the pumpking carvings from the famous Liar's Night in Waterdeep. [/LIST] [B]People:[/B] [LIST] [*][B]Siia [/B]is in the midst of cleanup, and will invite PCs in as customers while apologizing for the mess. If asked about the robbery, she will gladly share any information she has, and brag about the 2 scarecrows on the ground. Siia remembers the door busting in and 5 or 6 lanky scarecrows with jack-o-lantern heads came in. She fought them off and took out a couple, but then something grabbed her by the throat and knocked her out. [LIST] [*]Siia has constriction bruises on both her neck, from rope or vines. A [B]DC 6 Medicine[/B] check will identify these. [/LIST] [*][B]Dolbren Shaleheft[/B], a nosy dwarf with too much time and too little courage, is gawking outside. He tried to speak with Siia earlier but she brushed him off, and he is willing to strike up conversation with any PC lingering in the store doorway, looking around outside, or leaving the shop. He wants to know what Siia remembers, and is willing to share what he saw last night in exchange for any juicy details, especially if they're tragic. Dolbren remembers seeing 5 or so tall figures and 3 or so vine-y creatures. Dolbren watched outside as they left with jars in hand and headed north, and then he ran home. [LIST] [*]If Dolbren thinks it's a good idea to share information with the PCs (perhaps they've given him some juicy gossip, and/or they have shamed him for failing to help) he will offer a guess that the figures were headed in the direction of the Trielta Hills [/LIST] [/LIST] [B]Combat:[/B] The two pumpkin-headed scarecrows aren't quite dead, despite appearances. If someone pokes at their head or otherwise gets in a compromising position near a scarecrow, the candle inside its jack-o-lantern head will alight and it will attack. Anyone who isn't explictly on guard for an attack is surprised. Use the statblocks for scarecrows from the Monster Manual, with the following changes: [LIST] [*]Pumpkin scarecrows are animated with a burning candle in their head. Blowing the candle out, such as by submerging them in water or hitting them with a powerful gust of wind, will cause the scarecrow to become inanimate and paralyzed for 1d6 minutes as the wick returns to smoldering. [*]Pumpkin scarecrows don't have damage resistance. [*]Pumpkin scarecrows have a Strength of 18, making their Claw attack a more formidable +6 (2d4+4). [*]At the end of the pumpkin scarecrow's turn, it automatically uses its Terrifying Glare on the closest non-pumpkin creature near it without needing an action. It can't use its terrifying glare otherwise. [/LIST] [B] The Map:[/B] Use the ground floor of the [URL='https://2minutetabletop.com/product/general-goods-store/']general goods store from 2 Minute Tabletop[/URL] for this fight, placing one scarecrow on the east side (beneath the stairs) and the other in the southwest (between the tables). [SIZE=5][I]Heading to the Hills[/I][/SIZE] PCs should have a handful of clues that point towards the Trielta Hills after investigating: [LIST] [*]Evidence of pumpkin-related activities point towards the pumpkin farms in Trielta's sloped hills. [*]Evidence of scarecrows also points to the north [*]Dolbren believes that Southrun's robbers went to Trielta [/LIST] If the PCs are still struggling, Rael or Siia can put the details together and ask the party to head north to the hills to investigate further. There are generally 2 ways to travel towards Trielta. Horses are critical for the journey either way: [LIST] [*]Following the Trade Way requires a 48-mile journey, but provides safety. [*]Trekking directly north is dangerous, but faster. It requires a 24-mile journey, but the PCs will be ambushed along the way by a war party of gnolls. (a party of 4 should be able to handle 3 gnoll hunters and a gnoll pack lord from VGtM) [/LIST] [ATTACH]296829[/ATTACH] [SIZE=6]Erusia's Farm[/SIZE] The sprawling hills of Trielta is a lovely stretch of hills west to east, 80 miles at the widest. Its safety is surprising given its geographical neighbors: the dark Forest of Wyrms filled with yuan-ti in the north, and the gnoll-infested Reaching Forest in the south. But Trielta has been a peaceful place for years, and its residents don't want that to change. But Erusia is changing that. The PCs can follow a trail of destruction up to Erusia's farmhouse. The place looks abandoned, but scarecrows and animated pumpkins prowl the premesis, and the northeastern farmhouse shines with a flickering orange light. If the PCs are stealthy, they can assault Erusia before she notices. As soon as she hears a commotion, she will go outside and join the fray. [B]The Map:[/B] Use [URL='https://dicegrimorium.com/pumpkin-farm-dnd-battle-map/']Dice Grimorium's pumpkin farm map[/URL]. The hills here are precarious. If a creature moves their full speed, they must make a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw or fall prone. Moving even 5 feet less than full speed protects you. The scarecrows and animated pumpkins aren't aware of this (and may trip), but Erusia is. [B]Monsters:[/B] [LIST] [*]3 Pumpkin scarecrows walk about the edges of the farm, on the lookout. [*]5 Animated pumpkins also patrol the premesis. Use the statistics for a needle blight from the Monster Manual, except: [LIST] [*]Animated pumpkins are proficient in athletics and use Dexterity to grapple [*]Animated pumpkins can't attack a target unless it's grappled. [/LIST] [*]Erusia, the Green Hag [/LIST] [B]The Aftermath:[/B] If the PCs succesfully defeat Erusia, they have saved Gillia and defeated the evil plagueing Triel and the Trielta Hills. Returning to Triel, they are hailed as local heroes, and receive free food and booze during the Feast of the Moon. If the PCs die to Erusia or take more than 2 days to reach her abandoned farm, she bakes Gillia into a pie. [/QUOTE]
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