Need a good forest-y encounter for a level 6 party

[Rechan]

The Voice and the Darkness

A part of the forest has always been dark and dense. Thick hedges, sharp thorn bushes, and a low canopy of trees has created a maze. But this twisted foilage has been ever creeping into the Elves' territory. A minotaur roams this green labyrinth.

But he is but a knight and consort to a deadlier foe: a green hag. She uses her mimicry and illusions to pose as a wounded wood elf, yelling for help, and her illusionary powers draw would-be rescuers into the maze. And as they come to save her, her weakening touch disables them, allowing the minotaur to beat them down.

Worse yet, the hag has grown hungry for elven children.

And now, for something completely different:

Sometimes, gnomes aren't all song and dance.

Several gnome illusionists have crept into the forest, creating glamour in the elves' hunting territory. They're a little more isolationist than other gnomes, and instead of just hiding, have taken to defending themselves with their "enemies". When the elves wander through, the gnomes have been ensnaring them and enslaving them. The gnomes have several wood elf "servants".

Worse yet, they've managed to trick an owlbear. All they have to do is herd the owlbear towards whatever threat they see, and the beast follows their illusionary lure, charging and mauling anything in its path.

 

[NewJeffCT]

Maybe an advanced (14 hit dice maybe, making it Huge) shambling mound has been lurking about the forest and devouring lots of local animals, and perhaps an elven forager (or some elven children?).

Or a colony of 6 aranea, one advanced as a sorcerer 4 (roughly CR 10, and with caster level 7, for 3rd-level spells, since aranea already have 3 innate levels of sorcerer spellcasting ability) have recently moved into the forest to claim a chunk of it as their new territory, capturing elves and animals through guile and sorcery, then webbing them up to eat later.

Aranea? Is that plural of arachnid, or some spider-like being? Are they in one of the 3.5 monster manuals?

edited to add: never mind - I found it in the SRD:
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/aranea.htm

sounds promising as a change of pace.

 

[NewJeffCT]

The Voice and the Darkness

A part of the forest has always been dark and dense. Thick hedges, sharp thorn bushes, and a low canopy of trees has created a maze. But this twisted foilage has been ever creeping into the Elves' territory. A minotaur roams this green labyrinth.

But he is but a knight and consort to a deadlier foe: a green hag. She uses her mimicry and illusions to pose as a wounded wood elf, yelling for help, and her illusionary powers draw would-be rescuers into the maze. And as they come to save her, her weakening touch disables them, allowing the minotaur to beat them down.

Worse yet, the hag has grown hungry for elven children.

great idea, but the party already fought a green hag & her merrow consorts in a recent side-trek into the marsh. Another green hag might be too much.

 

[NewJeffCT]

How about a seemingly abandoned shrine.

For about a mile, the forest is dark and sickly. All of the plants have thorns. The shadows are darker than they ought to be and the patches of sunlight are dimmer. If there are any songbirds, they are silent though the occasional slither or hiss can be heard from the canopy or the bushes.

In the center of this, there is a small clearing. There are cracked and split flagstones with sickly deep green--almost black--grass growing between the flags. Several tumbled pillars and a moss covered pile of stones that might have once been the ruins of a wall remain. In the center, however, stands an altar made of basalt with horns and chains of rusted iron. The top of the altar is stained a dark red.

This altar is dedicated to Asmodeus and is the haunt of Bitter Root, an Imp Sorceror 8 (CR 9 using sorceror as non-associated for the imp, alternate form: constrictor snake (medium), feats include natural spell and brew potion, spells include ventriloquism at first level). Bitter Root was bound to the altar long ago by cultist of Asmodeus who bound him there and performed sacrifices to Asmodeus (and sometimes to Bitter Root) in return for answers to their questions (through the Imp's Commune ability). Since the ancestors of the current elves destroyed the cult several hundred years ago, the place has been taboo to them, but every now and then, an elf who is at the end of his rope or someone from the surrounding villages will venture secretly to this forbidden grove and perform the rites required in return for hidden knowledge.

When the party first approaches, Bitter Root is, as is his wont, lurking invisible in the thorn bushes behind the altar. Assuming them to be supplicants seeking the favor of the devil of the forbidden grove, he will use a ventriloquism spell to make it sound as though his voice comes from above the altar and will demand that the party present their sacrifices for the knowledge of the Ancient One.

Terrain effects: The altar is the center of an unhallow spell. The spells that were tied to it have long since worn off, but the unhallow has outlived the building it was cast for and has stained the terrain forever with evil. Practically, this gives Bitter Root the effect of a magic circle against good spell. The altar itself has been tainted by the blood of many sacrifices over the years and it, and the paving stones around it count as blood rock.

sounds like something that could work as well.

 

[NewJeffCT]

Monkey Goblins Attack!
http://paizo.com/paizo/messageboards/paizoPublishing/rpgSuperstar/round5/monkeyGoblinsAttack

And you think your players are tired of orcs? How about Orcs on toboggans with a side helping of flying flaming orc?
http://paizo.com/paizo/messageboards/paizoPublishing/rpgSuperstar/round5/chaseOnCharredGround

well, the climate is a bit warm for orcs on toboggans. monkey goblins sounds interesting, though.

 

[roguerouge]

The toboggans aren't running on snow...

 

[NewJeffCT]

The toboggans aren't running on snow...

Thanks - I needed to read it a bit closer. I'd have to adapt it a bit to the wood elves taking the item instead of the PCs... but, pretty interesting overall.

 

[Herobizkit]

How about a rampaging Undead Treant? Just throw the Undead template on... perversions of nature are frowned upon by Wood Elves.

 

[NewJeffCT]

How about a rampaging Undead Treant? Just throw the Undead template on... perversions of nature are frowned upon by Wood Elves.

That seems similar to this "charred horror" idea somebody had upthread.

http://www.giantitp.com/articles/6AaJhMSc1hfIf1zpbML.html

 

[demiurge1138]

I'm a big fan of the ettercaps + giant spiders idea. You could even fold the areanas idea in, too, with the sorcerous areana manipulating the ettercaps into doing its bidding.

If I may be shamelessly self-promoting for a moment, how about a caustic drake? The elves' forest is also home to a colony of lizardfolk, who live on an island in the middle of a good sized lake in the forest. The elves and lizardfolk mostly ignored each other in the past, but the reptilian humanoids have been growing more violent, conducting several raids on the elf tribe in the past few weeks. The problems stem from the caustic drake, who has convinced the lizardfolk to worship it as an avatar of their god. And it's starting to grow curious as to what elf flesh tastes like.

Demiurge out.