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Message: <blockquote data-quote="(un)reason" data-source="post: 9318379" data-attributes="member: 27780">Dungeon/Polyhedron Issue 97/156: Mar/Apr 2003part 2/10Side Treks - Blind Man's Bluff: Even scheming geniuses screw up or can’t be everywhere. An illithid and its grimlock minions were looking for ettin brains as a delicacy. Unfortunately, the ettin they were looking for was attacked by undead and tuned into a wight a few weeks before. Mind flayer powers are pretty useless against undead and it was seriously wounded before teleporting away, leaving the grimlocks to their fate. Some of them managed to escape, and came up with the somewhat less cunning plan of pretending to be dwarves with leprosy and asking the next group of adventurers to deal with the ettin, then backstabbing them while they’re weakened from the fight. Will the PC’s fall for their pretty basic disguise of form covering robes and keeping their distance? As usual, I guess that’s up to you. The kind of encounter that’s short, but has quite a bit of worldbuilding both before and afterwards, giving you enough information to react appropriately if the players do something unexpected and have future encounters that build upon the events in here. Pretty solid way to start things off.Critical Threats: This is actually the cover story, curiously enough. A beholder raised by humans which adds some rogue levels to it’s already extensive set of powers? Make sure you go for the telekinesis eye first. Despite having a little more understanding of human nature than the average beholder, Xollox is still a somewhat alien creature and has little interest in wealth, instead taking payment in information and exotic foods. (which I guess explains the cover) By default, he lives in the county of Urnst, serving as a freelance information broker for the underworld, which means he could be both a useful service provider for PC’s or a dangerous enemy. So this is a little quirky, but still entirely usable in a serious campaign and has some cleverly unorthodox suggestions for how he might use his powers. Extra pleasingly, it’s finally an external submission. Maybe this column has a future without having to be propped up by the staff after all.</blockquote>

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