in alphabetical order...(need more! see babombs post at end)

[reddist]

Salamanders

The Book of Fire and Ash, considered a holy relic in many flame-worshipping pantheons, has resurfaced. After thousands of years, it has been uncovered by a group of excavators digging in the ruins of an ancient temple buried in a dormant volcano. When the book was brought to the surface it felt the heat of the Sun, and the resulting explosion reawakened the old volcano, killing most of the excavators and destroying their camp.

Sages and clerics attuned to the Way of the Flame can read in campfires, cooking fires, and scrying pools that the Book of Fire and Ash has been found. Many groups, including one led by a noble salamander cleric, are gathering their resources to go find it and bring it back to their altars. The salamander noble leads a troop of other salamanders and flame brothers, and races to get to the volcano and the tunnels and temple ruins underneath to claim the Book as their own.

A sage, perhaps someone the PCs are familiar with, contacts them immediately after the volcanic explosion. The sage has read the signs, and knows the book has been found. He also knows that others are after it, and fears what will happen if it falls into the wrong hands. He begs the PCs to find the Book of Fire and Ash first, or at least ensure it is put into the hands of those who would use it for Good.

-Reddist

Next: Satyr

 

[reddist]

Satyr

A satyr sorcerer with a malicious streak a mile wide has acquired a set of pipes that cause all who hear its music to be polymorphed into weasels (Will DC17). Needless to say, those communities around the satyr’s patch of forest are more than a little upset. Unfortunately, everyone they have sent in to parlay with the satyr, or then later to kill him out-right, have been weaselized.

As the PCs pass though the village, the village leaders beg them to deal with the satyr sorcerer. What they don’t know however, is that the satyr himself is under a powerful charm spell. While he is a malicious prankster, he is under the command of an evil orc druid, mad at the communities surrounding his forest for harvesting so many of the minks, foxes, rabbits, and weasels for their fur trade. The villagers, in their greed, have nearly hunted the fur-bearing animals into extinction, and the druid wants to repopulate. The druid is using the satyr in hopes that if the satyr is ever caught or killed, the druid can slip back into the shadows and try something else.

-Reddist

Next: Sea Lion

 

[reddist]

A giant pride of sea lions has moved into a harbor near a small coastal town. The harbor provides them with shelter from rough seas, plenty of small fish for food, and playful sport, as the younger ones like to race between the many sunken posts the town uses to hold up its docks.

The town however, has become landlocked. Any boat that leaves its dock is attacked within minutes, no matter the size, and many have already been sunk. The village depends on its fish-trade for survival, and the season for fishing is winding down, with nothing to show for it.

The village elders demand that the PCs eliminate the pride, freeing their harbor and allowing the fishermen back to the sea. However, an aquatic druid approaches the PCs as they begin their task, requesting them to look deeper into the depths, and find out what drove the sea lions from their usual haunts. This will take some time, as the investigation takes the PCs into underground caverns and sunken ruins, but the village elders need the harbor open NOW.

The PCs should be encouraged to find a solution to keep everyone happy, the villagers, the druid, and the sea lions.

-Reddist

Next: Shadow

 

[reddist]

Shadow

A shaman necromancer has developed a nasty trap to kill off nosy adventurers. His trap consists of an enchanted torch, hanging in a sconce across of from a wide wall in his cave. The trigger for the trap is the presence of three or more large life-forces, such as humanoid adventurers. When at least three people come within 30 feet of the torch, it flares up, casting their shadows on the wall behind them. One round later, these shadows come to un-life and detach from the wall to attack the intruders, just as the torch flickers out.

The shaman necromancer is now working on the necromantic equivalent of a “flash-bang grenade,” which his warriors can toss over enemy camp walls at night. The grenades light up with a flash, and up to 1d4 shadows cast by nearby humanoids are fused with undead shadows, pulled from the Negative Energy plane, to attack those within.

-Reddist

Next: Shadow Mastiff

 

[David Argall]

Shadow Mastiff

Pepe, the overindulged son of a noble insisted that shadow mastiff puppy was just what he wanted, and thus just what he got.
For some time, this worked out fine [at least as fine as anything involving a spoiled brat can]. The 2 were great pals and didn't cause trouble more than once a day. [The servants hated being bayed at, but at least it gave them an excuse to run off from work for awhile.]

But Puppy has grown up and left to find other shadow mastiffs, and Pepe has gone chasing off after him into the Shadow district, which has dangers besides the dogs. For some reason, his parents are frantic to get him back, and the party is hired to fetch.

Pepe is entirely immune to baying and other shadow mastiff abilities due to long exposure. With this, and Puppy defending him, he has become the pet of a pack, who are not interested in giving him up. He is not at all interested in rescue [A situation that may well change in a few weeks as he learns the drawbacks of this sort of life, but the party can't wait that long.]

Fighting is the simple solution, but Pepe won't like this and he will order his parents to punish the people who hurt his friends. A bargain is possible, if the party has lots of diplomacy, some way to communicate, and some way to get the talks started before the mastiffs get bored or hungry. Kidnapping Pepe is also difficult, but not totally impossible.

 

[jnauman]

Shambling Mound:

The party has to infiltrate the local thief's guild and to do so, they must enter the sewers to get to the secret lair. (talk about cliche!!)

This secret lair happens to be protected by numerous electricity traps set to go off when the PCs pass nearby. The area around the lair also has knee deep to chest deep water in every passage, making the electricity that much more lethal.

In addition to the electricity traps, the PCs will find numerous shambling mounds lurking in the water (all of which of course happen to be immune to the electricity traps!!!)



Next up is Shield Guardian---

 

[Chris_Nightwing]

Archaeologists have been digging in the old part of town. Their excavations have revealed what appears to be a large and ornate statue, and they suspect the room or buliding they are digging up was once an alchemists lab from various pottery fragments. One of the archaeologists insisted in finishing the dig on the statue without getting proper clearance from the magical authorities. Unfortunately as they were half-way down someone awoke the creature, which attacked the workers and scholars in the area and is now once again performing it's duty in protecting the laboratory.

Possible solutions:

--- Do some historical research (bards anyone?) to uncover the original creator, this would involve liasing with the archaeologists or maybe even contacting other plane to discover the password or sequence to stop the guardian.

--- Kick the door down and kill the thing.

--- Create a trap or distraction to lure the creature into, saving a messy combat.

 

[David Argall]

shocker lizard

A sign on the door of the lich's research lab says "remove all armor and metal weapons and deposit here before entering."

Listening reveals some sort of clicking sound.

The shocking lizards inside have been trained that metal armor or weapons = foes and will attack immediately. Those in robes are deemed friends. [Trying to pet a lizard or even take one with you is possible, tho not safe if one lacks animal handling skills or such.]

 

[David Argall]

skeletons

The university has a very large collection of skeletons. Unfortunately it has been discovered that a number of them are Skeletons, with unknown instructions [likely some sort of "When X happens, attack..."]. They want these removed, without any fuss, and of course without damaging the other skeletons.
Oh yes, due to a dispute with the temples, the skeletons are kept in an area where cleric spells and turning are not as [at all?] effective. So it may take a bit of work to find the sleepers.

 

[jnauman]

Skum:

The PCs are approached by a slimy creature that looks like a cross between a human and a fish.

The creature explains that it has come to the characters for help -- apparantly it's master, a very powerful Aboleth, has recently come under attack from a band of Duergar. The duergar have used some of their engineering techniques to dam up the small underground lake where the Aboleth resides.

The Aboleth refuses to leave because some of it's eggs are laid nearby and it doesn't want to abandon them if it doesn't have to. Instead the Aboleth sent some of it's Skum slaves out to find a band of adventurers willing to help the Aboleth for the right price.

Next up is Slaad ---