Save the Wagons! an Encounter for Four to Five Charaters of Levels 1-3

Save the Wagons! An encounter for four to five charaters of levels 1-3

Written By Jeff C. Stevens

Layouts Jeff C. Stevens

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Save the Wagons! 1 Dungeon Master’s Map with Key

Sample file

Save the Wagons! 2 Kenku Hideout - Player Map

Kenku Hideout - DM’s Map

Sample file

Save the Wagons! 3 Save The Wagons! It appears two of the caravan passengers By Jeff C. Stevens are running around in the clearing. A woman screams as she runs from a bandit • Exploration / Combat who is tracking her with his bow. The other • An encounter for a party of four to five passenger, a dwarf by the looks of him, carries characters of 1st to 3rd level. You may add a crossbow and is running toward a small additional Kenku for higher level characters. outcropping of stone as a sword wielding • Possible locations: anywhere bandit chases him. Two bandits appear to be yelling at a man Encounter Synopsis who is standing next to the first wagon. Two more bandits stand over a body that lays next A caravan of four canvas covered wagons is to the second wagon. No activity appears traveling the Savage Frontier, making its way to around the third wagon. One more bandit another town or settlement within the region. stands over another body that lays next to the Giants recently came through the area and fourth wagon. trampled the homes and gardens of the members of the caravan. The caravan is now under attack What’s Going On? by bandits. Kenku (CR ¼; MM, p194) bandits! The section below explains what is happening Kenku use mimicry to communicate. Keep this at each wagon and area of the map. in mind if you have any of the Kenku speaking during the encounter. They may not speak in full A: Marcus Hapleman, human farmer, is in sentences. his late 40’s. He and the other members of the caravan are tired of the recent giant activity. Mimicry. (MM, p194) The Kenku can mimic They decided to pack up and head for a safer any sounds it has heard, including voices. A area. Now he must deal with these blasted creature that hears the sounds can tell they are bandits. To make matters worse, he has no idea imitations with a successful DC 14 Wisdom what they are saying. “I can’t make out a darn (Insight) check. thing they are sayin’!” B: Two Kenku bandits are standing over the Unless otherwise noted, all NPCs have the body of the late human carpenter Earl Yarst. statistics of a Commoner (CR 0; MM p345) Another Kenku is on the other side of the wagon and is considered hidden. He will remain hidden and use his mimicry to try to coax a hero to him The Encounter and use his Ambusher trait. He may yell “Help! Help!” in a human voice of your choosing, or he As the party is traveling, and before they may yell something else. That is entirely up to reach the encounter, have them roll a DC 12 you. Use whatever you think might lure the party Wisdom (Perception) check. On a success, they to him. hear screams originating from further ahead. Perhaps just over the crest of a hill in the road, C: Two Kenku are inside the canvas covered or from around a wooded bend. wagon. They are rummaging through it and Read or summarize... looking for valuables. If the party attacks any of the other Kenku bandits, have these Kenku roll a DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check once A group of four canvas-covered wagons is per round. On a success, these Kenku hear the stopped on the road ahead. Several hooded commotion outside and prepare to surprise the creatures wearing cloaks can be seen adventurers. They will begin using their mimicry brandishing swords and holding bows while Sampleskills to make the sound of filea crying baby in they keep the caravan from moving. hopes of luring the heroes to one of the Continued next column....

Save the Wagons! 4 openings. One Kenku covers the rear entrance, The Aftermath the other covers the front entrance. Both have their swords at the ready and will use their If the passengers are rescued, they will offer Ambusher trait. a reward of 5 gp total. They do not have a lot of coin to spare. The wagons contain items that they need to perform their trades – blacksmith, Ambusher. (MM, p194) The Kenku has farmer, and seamstress. advantage on attack rolls against any creature it has surprised. The passengers will gladly accept an escort to the next town. Or, they may decide to turn around and head home. I leave this decision D: A dwarf man lays on the ground with to the DM. You may award an additional 200 an arrow sticking out of his back. Grim XP if the party escorts the caravan to its final Bottlebeard, dwarf blacksmith, leaped from destination. his wagon when the bandits came upon them. He was about to pull a dagger and confront the If any of the Kenku are captured and bandits, but he ended up being shot in the back. interrogated, the adventuring party may learn The bandit that shot him now kneels next to his that the Kenku have a hideout nearby. If they are body and is rummaging through Grim’s pockets. interrogated, remember that the Kenku speak in Grim’s brother, Grale, ran when he saw his mimicry and may not form full sentences. Their brother fall. Grale is currently running for the voices may change while they answer a question small outcropping of rocks and hopes to pick off and they may use sounds rather than words. the bandits with his crossbow. E: Willameana Sruggins, half-elf seamstress, You may use the next textbox as an example of was driving the third wagon. She is an anxious the Kenku’s answer. Alternate voices between … woman and, when the bandits attacked, she and make the sounds listed in (). became frightened and started to run. She is now being chased by a Kenku who is tracking “Hideout...hidden path…to the north. Over… her with his bow. Willameana is very confused (make sound of rushing water)…up (crunching and keeps darting from one direction to the sound of rock)…(knock, knock, knock). other. Thus, the Kenku is having a very hard time finding his shot. Once the encounter The Hideout begins, if this Kenku is not dealt with, he will find his shot in 5 rounds and successfully hit Willameana, killing her outright. Use the Kenku Hideout map if the adventures hunt for the hideout. F: Grale Bottlebeard, dwarf blacksmith, witnessed his brother’s death and is now making Four more Kenku bandits are in the hideout. his way for a small rock outcropping. He plans Place them as you wish. The hideout is stocked to pick off several of the bandits from a safe with two weeks of rations for 6 medium sized location with his light crossbow. A Kenku bandit humanoids. 75 gp, 93 sp, 44 cp, and two small chases Grale with a sword. The bandit will emeralds (25 gp each) can be found in the catch up to Grale in 2 round and attack Grale on locked, wooden chest. A successful DC 10 the 3rd round. Each of these creatures moves Dexterity check with thieves’ tools unlocks the toward the rock outcropping on each of their chest. turns. Grale is slightly more seasoned in combat and uses the stats of a bandit (MM, p 343). In addition, there are three short swords, two short bows, and 48 arrows in the closet. A If engaged, the Kenku change their focus forgery kit (PHB, p 154), and a set of thieves’ Sampletools (PHB, p 154) are locatedfile on the table. to the adventurers. The passengers are then able to find safety at the rock outcropping and inside the wagons. The DM’s map includes a secret room. You may use this room if you wish. Save the Wagons! 5