Building a Hazard: A Creeping Forest

[Three_Haligonians]

Here's the scoop:

4 PCs (all level 3) are looking into the strange case of some missing loggers in a nearby forest. They go to the sawmill and start asking the local workers questions.

Suddenly, the ground shakes and the windows smash as the forest around them starts to grow at a super-fast rate. Essentially, the sawmill is about to be destroyed as the forest takes over the area.

The PCs have to save themselves and the workers.

How would you construct this hazard? This is going to be a pretty hard challenge, so what kinds of things could and would happen? Obviously, the ultimate effect is that the building is going to come down around them but what else could occur and how would you translate it into 4e crunch?

I'm hoping for a memorable encounter here so anything goes.

J from Three Haligonians

 

[Three_Haligonians]

Yeah... so this is a bump.

Although, I'm also unsure if this is the right forum?

Mostly bump though,

J from Three Haligonians

 

[ValhallaGH]

One of the most interesting hazards I ever ran into was during the Rite of the Blood Storm. Every time blood hit the ground (i.e. every time somebody took damage), the DM and the relevant player rolled 1d20. Each result compared to the battle mat and a lightning bolt struck that space for a little bit of damage.

It was unpredictable, usually didn't hurt anyone, and didn't deal a lot of damage (2d6 under it, half next to it), but it was cool and my players really dug it.

I mention it because the determination method might work for you.
Each round, either timbers fall or something shoots up from the ground. Possibly tools fly through the air attacking the occupants of a particular square.
To determine which squares need to worry, roll 2d20 (or more appropriate dice) to determine where on the grid the effect happens.

Partial collapse, flying tools, things (roots, rocks, branches, whatever makes sense for the rest of the story) shooting up through the floor, possibly a fire starting, and the crowds of fleeing and terrified workers would all be good options for effects to deal with.
A round-by-round skill challenge might be appropriate, as the players organize an evacuation, free trapped workers, cut through barriers, dodge debris, fend off fires, carry people to safety, and other heroic tasks. Each successful act of heroism gets them another success on the challenge, each failure gets them another failure. At then end, compare the two and give appropriate rewards for the degree of success the players managed to achieve.

The specifics are going to vary with your group's style and your greater story for this forest problem.

 

[the_redbeard]

Are you looking for the sawmill encounter, or how to confront the power that is responsible?

 

[fba827]

How severely do you want to say the ground is shaking?
Maybe every round (or every round the PCs move other than shift) they have to make an acrobatics check (DC whatever) to avoid being knocked prone from the shaking, dwarves would get a saving throw in addition to their acrobatics check due to racial abilities.

Remember to put NPC tokens on the map to show where they are. And remember to have them try to avoid falling prone as well.

There should be lots of rubble flying around, as mentioned in the last post.

Have a lumberjack stuck on one of the trees that was rising up so quickly which will make the PCs feel a sense of urgency to save him (and have in your notes something like "after 7 rounds of combat if not saved he looses balance and falls)

Have some of the growth act like kudzu, causing immobilty (save ends)

I'll add more later if i think of it.

 

[Roger]

Hmmm. This is kind of tricky.

I think I need to know the answer to "How are the PCs supposed to 'win' this encounter?" If it's a question of running away or otherwise escaping, that's fine, but I'm not sure it is.



Cheers,
Roger

 

[Three_Haligonians]

Are you looking for the sawmill encounter, or how to confront the power that is responsible?

Just the sawmill, dealing with the power responsible comes later.

As for how the PCs "win", it's about "saving the day" by rescuing the people inside, and then getting out - with as little injury to people as possible. I think the encounter will have a time limit where, at the end, the building will come down and success is determined by how many the party manages to get outside before that happens.

Lots of great ideas here though, I'm definitely going to use them.

J from Three Haligonians