Sometimes it is good to have a no-nonsense combat encounter. A chance for the players to roll dice and character’s to crush skulls without worrying about the consequences.
Tonight’s RPG brainstorming topic is to think of a standalone combat encounter but with a twist. There must be a single boss monster and a host of mooks but importantly, the boss cannot simply be a big version of the mooks. So if you have Orc mooks you cannot have an Orc boss monster. A part from this, there are no limitations. Any genre or setting will do.
And here’s the transcript:
Chris – Plant & Animal
The Situation: From an alternate earth where evolution developed semi-intelligent trees alongside other life forms comes this symbiotic pairing. At certain times of year, when the tree is rich in fruit, the tree and its accompanying flock of vulture like birds ambush the unwary for food and to spread seeds.
The Encounter: Along a path in a wooded area vulture like birds hang around in the trees acting as a distraction as the tree lays in wait. When the victims draw close, the tree unleashes its twin attacks. Fast moving creepers entwine the victim, holding them in place, while the tree’s fruit explodes sending seeds as deadly missiles which embed themselves in the victim’s flesh. Then the birds attack anyone with seeds in them. They rip the flesh off the victim, consuming it and the seeds it contains. When a victim has no more seeds in them the birds fly off and sometime later they defecate, expelling the seeds with their own supply of rich guano.
Josh – Charlemagne and the Clanks
The Situation: Charlemagne the mad wizard has holed himself up in his dread tower. He is rumored to be amassing a great power, which left unchecked, could spell disaster for the whole of Tydranon.
The Encounter: Charlemagne has surrounded himself with little clockwork constructs as a way to confound his foes. Adventurers would be under the impression that he would use terrible magic upon them. However upon reaching his lair at the top of the tower, they find him surrounded with The Clanks. Being artificial creations and not born of magic, they are resistant to any anti-magic relics/abilities that the party has. Now the party must think strategically to defeat Charlemagne.
Jaye – Statueman
The Situation: It was very lucky that the glowing green meteorite only hit the statue in the centre of the park. Except now that statue has come to life and it’s really angry about all the humans ruining its peace and quiet. Worse, it appears to be able to manipulate masonry.
The Encounter: Statueman is essentially a copper construct of an 8ft man welding a scythe. His mooks are paving stones that he animates. The paving stones charge at the players the turn after they are summoned, destroying themselves the process for a burst effect (shrapnel).
Chris – Tweeter and the Monkey Men
(With apologies to the Travelling Wilburys)
The Situation: The party discover a damsel in distress (who goes by the name Tweeter). A tall, extravagantly dressed blonde is beset by four half-chimpanzees / half-man creatures who screech and swing around her. At the moment the woman is just terrified but who knows what will happen unless the party comes to the rescue.
The Encounter: All is not what is seems. The ‘damsel’ is really a transvestite bandit, a tough experienced one at that and the Monkey Men are her gang. The encounter is staged to lure the party in close before twenty more Monkey Men burst out of cover to swamp the party. The Monkey Men make huge leaps, landing on their opponents heads before trying to poke their eyes out. While the party are blinded and distracted Tweeter draws her weapons and attacks.
Emily – Momma Frog
The Situation: In a bayou temple lays momma frog, a large corpulent frog woman and a powerful witch who the heroes must defeat
The Encounter: Momma frog is large and corpulent standing nearly 7ft, however her moment is slow and sluggish. She counteracts this with ranged spells and with her children. If Momma is hit physically or with magic, she will spit out a mook frog man (standing 4ft tall) who in turn spits out smaller toxic frogs when they are struck.