P-Dub's Sneaky Monster Stock Adventure!

By P-Dub663, in Game Masters

Looking for constructive feedback on this adventure. Please feel free to use it in your own games, I don't mind. Sorry about the formatting. It's also on my Google Drive here.

SNEAKY MONSTER

ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS +1 SETBACK FOR HEAT, +1 SETBACK FOR BUGS

Local reconnaissance teams have reported sightings of mutilated bantha and dewback corpses in the deep woods. There have also been reports of teams being stalked by a predator or predators. Until the situation is handled the recon teams are refusing to leave the base perimeter. Judging from the information at hand the first place to investigate would be near the toxic lake.

In an effort to keep a low profile and hopefully spot the creature before it spots them, the PCs will not be permitted to take a vehicle. It will be a two day walk to the lake and a two day walk home. That leaves the party with three days to track down and eliminate the creature. A large ion storm is expected to hit the area which will cause multiple problems for anyone caught outside.

DAY 1: The party should each grab a heavy backpack to carry food, water, equipment and shelter. This will provide +1 setback die to all rolls until the packs are removed. The summertime heat has come in full force (+1 setback die) along with the angry blood-sucking insects that arrived with the heat (+1 setback die). Survival check 2 purple

As the party sets up their tents and makes camp for the evening they will hear a loud roar that echoes through the forest. Cool check 2 purple. Anyone who fails gets +1 setback die for the rest of the mission.

Failure to set up a rotating watch will result in the theft of two rations from each person.

Day 2: The heat seems unbearable even at ten o’clock in the morning. What is even worse is the stench that seems to hang in the air. Perception check 2 purple . Finding the sight of a dead bantha is unsettling. The animal appears to have been torn apart with large claws. Most of the animal appears to be missing aside from the head, legs and a few rib bones. Cool check 2 purple. Anyone who fails gets +1 setback die for the rest of the mission.

As the party sets up their tents and makes camp for the evening they will hear another loud roar that echoes through the forest followed by the crashing of a tree falling to the forest floor. Cool check 2 purple. Anyone who fails gets +1 setback die for the rest of the mission.

Failure to set up a rotating watch will result in the theft of two rations from each person.

Day 3: Everyone is woken up by a bone jarring roar that sounds as if it is just outside your tent flap. There is the crashing of brush and the high pitched scream of some creature that is abruptly cut short by a gut wrenching snap. Several heartbeats later there comes the rustle of leaves overhead and a wet thump outside. The disemboweled corpse of an eopie lands in the middle of camp. Cool check 3 purple. Anyone who fails gets +1 setback die for the rest of the mission.

At noon the party crests a large rise and are greeted with a spectacular view. The lake stretched out below them shimmers with iridescent green as the sunshine from the red star overhead sparkles on the water. Down the hundreds of meters where the sheer cliff face meets the forest floor you can see off to the right where the trees are shaking despite the lack of wind. A huge claw comes out of the canopy and bats an enormous oak to the side. Cool check 2 purple. Anyone who fails gets +1 setback die for the rest of the mission.

As the party sets up their tents and makes camp for the evening they will not hear any loud noises. It’s almost eerie how quiet the forest has become. There are no chirping birds or the warble of the local primates. The distant clap of thunder tells you of the approaching storm. Cool check 2 purple. Anyone who fails gets +1 setback die for the rest of the mission.

Failure to set up a rotating watch will result in the theft of two rations from each person.

Day 4: Early in the morning everyone is woken by the squeals and screeches of the local primates. Up in the canopy over the group’s camp two of the little creatures can be seen fighting over a scrap of food. Their ears fall back and they hiss at one another before they freeze in mid-squabble. The crashing in the brush nearby drives the little primates away as the party is attacked by an acklay!

Just as the massive beast is slain and gasps its last breath the ear-splitting roar of the apex predator echoes through the valley below the party. It would appear the clawed monster they have just slain was in fact not the quarry they were looking for. It will be another long day of hiking around the valley rim before they can find a suitable place to descend, unless the group decides to climb down the 500 meter cliff face. Cool check 2 purple. Anyone who fails gets +1 setback die for the rest of the mission. Having enough rope will give +2 bonus dice to the Coordination check of 3 purple.

As the party sets up their tents and makes camp for the evening they will hear another loud roar that echoes through the forest followed by an enormous splash. The waves created by the splash are so large they ripple across the entire surface of the lake. Cool check 3 purple. Anyone who fails gets +1 setback die for the rest of the mission.

Failure to set up a rotating watch will result in the theft of two rations from each person.

Day 5: A gentle rain begins to fall in the early hours of the morning bringing with it the sweet scents of nature. You take a moment to gobble down a ration bar while staring out over the lake. As you finish chewing you see an enormous dark shadow glide just beneath the surface of the placid water. You blink once and see thick leathery scales and a long thick tail break out of the water. You blink again and they are gone as the creature disappears beneath the surface. Cool check 3 purple. Anyone who fails gets +1 setback die for the rest of the mission.

Breaking camp doesn’t take long and everyone is moving down the trail without hesitation. Following the edge of the lake is an easy task with some spectacular views over the green water. Unfortunately, you’re not in the mood to enjoy the panoramic landscape as the sighting of the creature below the water has left everyone frightened to some degree. You realize as you inch back from the bank, the creature could erupt from below the murky surface at any moment.

After another hour’s walk you turn a corner and see a small cove tucked in beneath the valley’s sheer rock wall. Upon closer inspection, you see the water leads directly up to the cliff face. It will take a Coordination or Survival check of 2 purple to swim under water and enter the submerged cave. Anyone who fails the check will be poisoned by the toxic lake water.

Inside the cave you are shocked to see bones of every description piled as high as the cavern’s ceiling. Tucked away in the back corner you see several large clumps of dried vegetation. Sitting within the nests are four huge eggs, easily large enough to fit an average sized human. You move closer to the eggs to look them over. Perception 3 purple Just as your hand reaches out to touch the smooth texture the monster attacks from the watery entrance! PCs who pass the perception check are not caught flat footed and may use cool for initiative. PCs who fail the perception check will have to use vigilance and miss the first round.

Use the captive rancor stats for the creature.

After vanquishing the monster you turn and look at the eggs in their nests. What should be done with them? Can they be left alone? Assign 4 conflict to any Force Sensative PC who decides to smash the eggs. Assign 2 conflict if they do nothing.

After a long fight and realizing the threat has been neutralized, everyone is exhausted and decides to pitch camp early that day.

Day 6: The party wakes up late in the morning. It was nice to sleep in for a change despite the heat and the bugs. You feel much more at ease having realized the monster is no more. Stepping out of your tent you notice the clouds have grown thicker overhead. It will be a good two day walk to get home. Hopefully, you can make it before the weather turns. Survival check 2 purple.

Late in the afternoon, after scaling the steep trail that leads out of the valley, you break out into a clearing. There you see three nexu enjoying the fruits of their labors. One of them perks his head up to eye the party. If the PCs chose to ignore the nexu, they will not be attacked. Otherwise, roll initiative!

The sound of thunder startles you as the wind immediately picks up following the rolling boom. The tree canopy begins to shake in the harsh gusts as the storm appears to have arrived a day early. The heat of the forest is blown away leaving you with the refreshing coolness of mountain air. You had best set camp while you still have light and dry ground. Survival 3 purple, remove all black dice for environmental factors.

Day 7: Sleep does not come easy as the storm rages through the night. You poke your head out at first light and immediately wince as a crackle of lightning sparks off overhead. It’s going to be a miserable trek back to the base and you’re looking forward to a hot meal and a decent bed. Survival 3 purple.

You come out of the forest in the early evening. The rain has not let up and neither has the wind. As you cross the open field towards the mountain stronghold the sun begins to dip down below the horizon. The wind howls through the mountains and valleys creating nature’s never ending song. As you near the doors that will take you inside you turn and look over your shoulder. As blackness falls across the land fingers of lightning dance across the sky illuminating a shape on the edge of the perimeter. Was it your imagination? Perhaps it was just the wind howling. That’s what you tell yourself as you strip off your field clothes and crawl into your bunk. What’s the possibility of there being more than one of those things?