iserith
Magic Wordsmith
THE SITCH
Fey Ray's high-pitched screams and the swath of destruction wrought by the gigantic ape that kidnapped him made it easy to track the beast deep into the jungle primeval. The elf is your guide in this lost land of overlarge monsters and hostile natives and your best shot at finding the legendary relic known as the Jade Monkey.
A frightening roar shakes the very ground and silences Fey Ray. This is answered by the giant ape Ponga's territorial call. As you make your way through the thick brush, you come upon the scene of an terrible battle unfolding between Ponga and an equally immense reptile, all teeth and rage.
Fey Ray is noticeably silent and still atop a twenty-foot-tall tree in the center of the clearing, his elvish blood dripping down the leaves and branches, his life slipping away with each passing moment.
Will you be able to rescue Fey Ray and avoid the rampage of Ponga and the Terror Lizard?
THE CAST
Ponga, giant ape (DM's Basic Rules, page 22)
Terror Lizard, tyrannosaurus rex (DM's Basic Rules, page 48)
Fey Ray, scout modified with elf traits (Monster Manual, page 349)
and
Four 4th-level player characters
COMPLICATIONS
Fey Ray is dying due to a vicious bite from the terror lizard. While dying, at initiative count 3, he makes his death saves (Basic Rules, page 76) and may die. The elf is also frightened (Basic Rules, page 106). While frightened (and conscious), Fey Ray screams which makes him a target for the Terror Lizard.
Ponga and the Terror Lizard are fighting each other to the death. They both act (in effect) simultaneously at initiative count 10. Divide the circle into four sections with the tree at the center. Number them 1 through 4. On the monsters' turns, roll 1d4. They wrestle each other and move to the section indicated and then they each make an attack against the other - a bite attack for the t-rex and two fist attacks for the giant ape. If the roll results in the same section in which they are battling currently, they remain there. Particularly smart or wise PCs who observe the battle carefully - perhaps resolved by Intelligence or Wisdom ability checks - might be able to determine where the monsters will end up next. In this case, roll the d4 at this time and tell the player where the monsters will be battling on their next turn. (This takes an action.)
If after their movement a conscious creature is within their reach, the monsters each direct one of their attacks at it - a tail slap from the t-rex and one of the giant ape's fist attacks. As well, these monsters make opportunity attacks against any creature leaving their reach (with the exception of Fey Ray leaving Ponga's reach). Any of these attacks might be described as being inadvertent, a result of the two beasts battling each other and less a direct attack against the PCs or Fey Ray.
Ponga is enamored with Fey Ray and is hostile toward anyone who would seek to take him away from her. If Fey Ray is taken from her, Ponga will direct her fury at the PCs unless they can do something to calm her down. Depending on the PCs' goal and approach, this might turn into a social interaction scene with skills like Intelligence (Nature), Wisdom (Animal Handling), and Charisma (Persuasion) coming into play to resolve any uncertainty that arises. If the PCs play their cards right, they might even earn themselves a powerful ally and potential source of income when they bring Ponga back to the Big City for a spectacle. (What could go wrong?)
FEATURES OF THE AREA
Jungle Brush: The green foliage of the jungle is dense, making it difficult terrain. As well, it is a heavily obscured area. It's easy to hide here, but it's also nearly impossible to see effectively enough to target anything beyond it unless at its very edge (which may make someone subject to attack). While they are battling each other, the monsters pay no attention to creatures moving around in the brush.
Tall Tree: The tree at the center of the clearing is 20 feet tall with enough sturdy branches at its top to support the weight of Medium-sized or smaller creatures. Its trunk is covered in sharp thorns which makes climbing it perilous. To avoid 2d4 piercing damage while climbing normally, a creature must succeed at a DC 10 Strength (Athletics) check. The tree is fruit-bearing and the strange knobby gourds that grow in its branches are an irritant to reptiles. This fact can be figured out by examining the fruit and making a successful DC 15 Intelligence (Nature) check or by asking Fey Ray about it. If thrown at the Terror Lizard, a successful attack roll means the dinosaur is poisoned until the end of its next turn. There are 2d4 such fruits in the tree.
THANKS!
Thanks for reading this short-form scenario and I hope you can use it in your campaign. It's potentially got a little bit of all the pillars of the game (combat, exploration, social interaction) involved in the scene. I welcome your constructive feedback below.
Assuming you have a typical part consisting of a cleric, fighter, rogue, and wizard, how would you go about rescuing Fey Ray? Which class features, assets, and resources would be most useful to bring to bear in this scene?
