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Looking for help with inspiration - rat-themed events
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<blockquote data-quote="Schmoe" data-source="post: 7352092" data-attributes="member: 913"><p>Alright, I've come up with some "mood-setting" encounters to help create a little bit of atmosphere during the game. There are two lists, one for in town and one to use while adventuring. Here are the lists:</p><p></p><p><strong>Town</strong>:</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">A character wakes in the morning and finds his footlocker is full of rats. They have defecated all over his belongings and the stench is overpowering. -1 on Charisma checks until he can clean his gear.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The local inn is out of vegetables. If the characters ask, they learn that rats got into the root cellar and ruined the inn’s stores. The root cellar shows heavy signs of a rat infestation.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">A child is crying in the street, calling for Whiskers. The child’s cat has disappeared.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">A character comes across a horrible scene. The bodies of three cats, badly gnawed and disfigured, have been hidden behind a stack of barrels outside the local supply store.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">As the characters are going to bed for the night, the furious sound of little scampering feet in the rafters keeps them awake. If they investigate they find gnawed corners and rodent droppings, but no rats. The noise persists all night, leaving the characters fatigued the next day unless they can find a way to get some peace and quiet.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">A greasy, flea-ridden beggar accosts the characters looking for handouts. He has a long, twitchy nose and a pronounced overbite. After being driven off, he vanishes down an alley. No one in town remembers seeing the beggar before.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">There is a great commotion down by the river. One of the locals has found a dead rat king (<a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=94464&d=1519352787" target="_blank">http://www.enworld.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=94464&d=1519352787</a>) and superstitious rumors fly.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Walking down a street at night, the characters hear a skittering noise loud enough to draw their attention. In the shadows, they see a steady stream of rats coming from around a building and disappearing into a hole in the building’s foundation. The hole leads into the building’s cellar, but there is no sign of where the rats have gone. The building’s owner is oblivious.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">A number of sickly people are seen around town with open sores and boils. The town healers report many more people coming down with a strange disease.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">A local business is closed due to illness.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">A farmer at the tavern bemoans that all of his cats have disappeared in the last week. He’s not sure how he’s going to keep rats and mice out of the grain without his cats.</li> </ul><p></p><p><strong>Adventuring</strong>:</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">A dining room is crawling with rats. They scrabble across the table tops and climb over every surface. They squeak and scatter to give the party a wide berth, but don’t flee. They aren’t hostile. If any of the rats are harmed, all of the rats run away.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">At the very edge of torchlight, several dozen small red eyes glow back at the party, watching them. Those with darkvision or low-light vision see a mass of rats that seems to act synchronously. The mass disperses and vanishes into the shadows when the party approaches.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">A corpse sits slumped against the passageway wall. Its face is gnawed beyond all recognition, but the rest of the body is untouched.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">When a character wearing armor takes a blow that does max damage or critical damage, the straps on his armor snap and the armor hangs loosely, giving the character a -4 AC penalty and -4 to hit penalty until the end of combat. Inspection reveals that the straps have been gnawed through.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">While eating some rations, a character bites into something foul. His food has been spoiled by rat droppings.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">A character wakes up itching feverishly. Fleas infest the character’s head and private regions. The character will be unable to get a good night’s sleep and suffers a -1 penalty to Dex checks until he or she has a chance to bathe with soap.</li> </ul><p></p><p>If I have more ideas I'll definitely add them. I may also create more lists like these for other themes in the future. I really like to have events and encounter that help to set the mood for an adventure.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Schmoe, post: 7352092, member: 913"] Alright, I've come up with some "mood-setting" encounters to help create a little bit of atmosphere during the game. There are two lists, one for in town and one to use while adventuring. Here are the lists: [B]Town[/B]: [list]A character wakes in the morning and finds his footlocker is full of rats. They have defecated all over his belongings and the stench is overpowering. -1 on Charisma checks until he can clean his gear. [*]The local inn is out of vegetables. If the characters ask, they learn that rats got into the root cellar and ruined the inn’s stores. The root cellar shows heavy signs of a rat infestation. [*]A child is crying in the street, calling for Whiskers. The child’s cat has disappeared. [*]A character comes across a horrible scene. The bodies of three cats, badly gnawed and disfigured, have been hidden behind a stack of barrels outside the local supply store. [*]As the characters are going to bed for the night, the furious sound of little scampering feet in the rafters keeps them awake. If they investigate they find gnawed corners and rodent droppings, but no rats. The noise persists all night, leaving the characters fatigued the next day unless they can find a way to get some peace and quiet. [*]A greasy, flea-ridden beggar accosts the characters looking for handouts. He has a long, twitchy nose and a pronounced overbite. After being driven off, he vanishes down an alley. No one in town remembers seeing the beggar before. [*]There is a great commotion down by the river. One of the locals has found a dead rat king ([url]http://www.enworld.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=94464&d=1519352787[/url]) and superstitious rumors fly. [*]Walking down a street at night, the characters hear a skittering noise loud enough to draw their attention. In the shadows, they see a steady stream of rats coming from around a building and disappearing into a hole in the building’s foundation. The hole leads into the building’s cellar, but there is no sign of where the rats have gone. The building’s owner is oblivious. [*]A number of sickly people are seen around town with open sores and boils. The town healers report many more people coming down with a strange disease. [*]A local business is closed due to illness. [*]A farmer at the tavern bemoans that all of his cats have disappeared in the last week. He’s not sure how he’s going to keep rats and mice out of the grain without his cats.[/list] [B]Adventuring[/B]: [list] [*]A dining room is crawling with rats. They scrabble across the table tops and climb over every surface. They squeak and scatter to give the party a wide berth, but don’t flee. They aren’t hostile. If any of the rats are harmed, all of the rats run away. [*]At the very edge of torchlight, several dozen small red eyes glow back at the party, watching them. Those with darkvision or low-light vision see a mass of rats that seems to act synchronously. The mass disperses and vanishes into the shadows when the party approaches. [*]A corpse sits slumped against the passageway wall. Its face is gnawed beyond all recognition, but the rest of the body is untouched. [*]When a character wearing armor takes a blow that does max damage or critical damage, the straps on his armor snap and the armor hangs loosely, giving the character a -4 AC penalty and -4 to hit penalty until the end of combat. Inspection reveals that the straps have been gnawed through. [*]While eating some rations, a character bites into something foul. His food has been spoiled by rat droppings. [*]A character wakes up itching feverishly. Fleas infest the character’s head and private regions. The character will be unable to get a good night’s sleep and suffers a -1 penalty to Dex checks until he or she has a chance to bathe with soap.[/list] If I have more ideas I'll definitely add them. I may also create more lists like these for other themes in the future. I really like to have events and encounter that help to set the mood for an adventure. [/QUOTE]
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