Spes Magna Games

Today’s 30-Day D&D Challenge topic seems a bit, well, vague to me. I’m not a huge fan of megadungeons, so those are right out. I’d be happy to never get involved in another megadungeon as long as game. I like short dungeons with clearly defined goals which can be reached through a variety of different paths. I also like dungeons that aren’t really dungeons. It’s not that I mind an old-fashioned crawl through dark caverns full of monsters, but a “dungeon” can be any setting which requires exploration and confrontation with some obstacle in order to achieve a goal.

For example, last OwlCon, I ran a scenario loosely designed for Sine Nomine Publishing’s wonderful Stars Without Number. The set-up involved the PCs running a mission to salvage a long-lost luxury space yacht. Unfortunately, the yacht was haunted by horrible evil. Beyond this premise, I had little of the adventure detailed. There were no NPCs to interact with, and the only locations were the PCs’ ship and the yacht. Instead, I had a short list of spooky events. The PCs interacted with each other and the environments. The players hatched theories and asked questions. I took notes and made stuff up as a I went along. The players themselves ended up providing most of the details, to include the final resolution of the scenario itself.

And now a bonus monster!

Tangle Bug
Hit Dice: 6
Armor Class: 5 [14]
Attacks: Bite (1d8)
Saving Throw: 11
Special: Tangle
Move: 9 (Climb 6)
Alignment: Neutrality
Challenge Level/XP: 7/600

This yellow and brown insect grows to lengths of 5 feet. It attacks with its powerful bite. Tangle bugs have an unusual defense mechanism. When it suffers damage, fibrous branches sprout from its body.

These branches break off easily and harmlessly close to the surface of the bug’s carapace, leaving nearby creatures tangled in the tough fibers. The branches that sprout after damage reach out to a length equal to twice the number of points of damage inflicted. Thus, striking a tangle bug for 7 points of damage causes fibrous branches to extend out to 14 feet. Creatures within the reach of the branches must make a saving throw to avoid being tangled. Otherwise, it requires a round and a successful open doors check to break free. A tangled creature moves and fights at half speed. Tangle bugs are immune to these fibrous branches.

Tags: 30 Day D&D Challenge, monsters, Stars Without Number, Swords & Wizardry