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Dalin · 06-22-2018, 03:06 PM

Encounter Area 2: Tomb Grotto

The stream (one yard wide) passes through a natural cave. If it is daylight outside, a small amount of light filters in through the water, resulting in a -8 vision penalty; at night, the cave is lightless (-10). The cave is roughly circular—about eight yards in diameter. The ceiling is low, especially toward the edges, requiring tall characters to stoop. There are two stone coffins on either side of the stream. Each coffin has a ceramic jar (or “pot”) beside it, sealed with cracked wax. Upon the farthest coffin on the right is a cave nymph. She lies on the lid (her divan) with the remains of a former mortal companion who died while under her charm.

The cave nymph was inspired by the speleid in GURPS Underground Adventures (p. 27), but I modeled her crunch and motivations more on an earth-based version of the dryad in GURPS Dungeon Fantasy Monsters 3: Born of Myth and Magic (p. 9). The DFRPG Monsters book is lacking in the Fae department, so if you only have DFRPG and don’t want to completely wing it, I suggest basing her on an elvish earth druid with a few extra powers and not as many spells. Her key ability is her unconscious power to charm people with her touch (18 vs. Will; the charm lasts for a number of days equal to the margin of success). I gave her the ability to change the illumination in her grotto as a free action and to walk through stone/earth at will. (The latter power can be granted, temporarily, to mortals by tying a strand of her hair around their head; the hair loses potency if she dies.) She should be tough enough to be a respectable threat if the party resorts to violence. Her ability to walk-through-stone gives her significant tactical advantage, including being able to disengage completely if the party proves too much for her. With an especially strong group, it would be thematically appropriate for her to be able to awaken a few rocks (earth elementals, Monsters, p. 25) to fight at her side.

Goals: The nymph’s goals are twofold. First, she is lonely and would dearly love companionship. As a nymph, she doesn’t fully understand the nature of mortality and has no awareness of the power of her charm. Her last mortal companion, an erstwhile tomb raider, blissfully wasted away, from either starving or drinking the tainted water. She is friendly, generous, and very touchy-feely—grabbing hands and stroking cheeks whenever possible.

Her second goal is related to the tainted stream. She has been in the grotto for a long time, and the water used to be pure. A water nymph (naiad) used to visit regularly and cared for the stream and its spring. The two fairies were startled by the barbarians coming in to bury their dead, but didn’t interfere. Recently (whatever that means to these spirits—could be years or centuries), however, the naiad hasn’t returned, and the water has a bad feeling to it. She misses the naiad (referring to her as a cousin) and doesn’t like the water spoiling her grotto. She would be grateful and willing to do a favor for anyone who dealt with the taint.

The nymph also knows that there is another, larger cave upstream. She used to consider it part of her extended grotto until the “angry one” (a draug) awoke. Now she doesn’t go back there, though her cousin (the naiad) used to travel through the cave to reach the spring, and would sometimes tease the draug.

Treasure: Each jar contains a single gold coin (4 total, worth $1200). The coffins contain the remains of bodies and corroded weapons and armor of no value. A useful item (weapon, shield, potion, scroll, amulet, etc.) could be part of the nymph’s former companion’s remains, but she would need some finessing to allow anyone to investigate and/or take anything.

[Continued in the next post.]

06-22-2018, 03:06 PM	#2
Dalin Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Saint Paul, MN	Re: One-shot adventure: The Tomb of Hroth Yaggeltor Encounter Area 2: Tomb Grotto The stream (one yard wide) passes through a natural cave. If it is daylight outside, a small amount of light filters in through the water, resulting in a -8 vision penalty; at night, the cave is lightless (-10). The cave is roughly circular—about eight yards in diameter. The ceiling is low, especially toward the edges, requiring tall characters to stoop. There are two stone coffins on either side of the stream. Each coffin has a ceramic jar (or “pot”) beside it, sealed with cracked wax. Upon the farthest coffin on the right is a cave nymph. She lies on the lid (her divan) with the remains of a former mortal companion who died while under her charm. The cave nymph was inspired by the speleid in GURPS Underground Adventures (p. 27), but I modeled her crunch and motivations more on an earth-based version of the dryad in GURPS Dungeon Fantasy Monsters 3: Born of Myth and Magic (p. 9). The DFRPG *Monsters* book is lacking in the Fae department, so if you only have DFRPG and don’t want to completely wing it, I suggest basing her on an elvish earth druid with a few extra powers and not as many spells. Her key ability is her unconscious power to charm people with her touch (18 vs. Will; the charm lasts for a number of days equal to the margin of success). I gave her the ability to change the illumination in her grotto as a free action and to walk through stone/earth at will. (The latter power can be granted, temporarily, to mortals by tying a strand of her hair around their head; the hair loses potency if she dies.) She should be tough enough to be a respectable threat if the party resorts to violence. Her ability to walk-through-stone gives her significant tactical advantage, including being able to disengage completely if the party proves too much for her. With an especially strong group, it would be thematically appropriate for her to be able to awaken a few rocks (earth elementals, *Monsters, p. 25) to fight at her side. Goals:* The nymph’s goals are twofold. First, she is lonely and would dearly love companionship. As a nymph, she doesn’t fully understand the nature of mortality and has no awareness of the power of her charm. Her last mortal companion, an erstwhile tomb raider, blissfully wasted away, from either starving or drinking the tainted water. She is friendly, generous, and very touchy-feely—grabbing hands and stroking cheeks whenever possible. Her second goal is related to the tainted stream. She has been in the grotto for a long time, and the water used to be pure. A water nymph (naiad) used to visit regularly and cared for the stream and its spring. The two fairies were startled by the barbarians coming in to bury their dead, but didn’t interfere. Recently (whatever that means to these spirits—could be years or centuries), however, the naiad hasn’t returned, and the water has a bad feeling to it. She misses the naiad (referring to her as a cousin) and doesn’t like the water spoiling her grotto. She would be grateful and willing to do a favor for anyone who dealt with the taint. The nymph also knows that there is another, larger cave upstream. She used to consider it part of her extended grotto until the “angry one” (a draug) awoke. Now she doesn’t go back there, though her cousin (the naiad) used to travel through the cave to reach the spring, and would sometimes tease the draug. Treasure: Each jar contains a single gold coin (4 total, worth $1200). The coffins contain the remains of bodies and corroded weapons and armor of no value. A useful item (weapon, shield, potion, scroll, amulet, etc.) could be part of the nymph’s former companion’s remains, but she would need some finessing to allow anyone to investigate and/or take anything. [Continued in the next post.]