This encounter involves a battle with some crafty opponents and a test of honesty. It’s appropriate for a level 2-4 party. Use this encounter whenever the PCs take a rest in a forested area.
“You set down your equipment and stretch your legs on a grassy knoll. The sun’s rays peak through the branches above you, creating dancing shadows in the wind. The knoll gently slopes down to a small, tranquil lake where frogs rest on lily pads and dragonflies dart in and out of the tall grass.”
1. Grassy Knoll
Seven mischievous redcaps call a hollowed stump their home and the sight of humans whets their appetite for blood. Four redcaps will hide in the trees armed with slings while three of them move silently up to the party and snatch any loose valuables they can grab including loose weapons such as polearms, quivers, or bows. If anyone is carrying a sheathed weapon on their belt then they use their pick pockets ability to cut the weapon free. When their hands are full or they’re spotted, the redcaps toss the loose equipment into the lake and fight back.
If the redcaps surprise the party, they fall back to their tree stump to grab their weapons and lure the party into their snare trap. The redcaps in the trees will stay hidden. The redcaps in the trees will attack with their slings and drop to the ground when harried by ranged attacks. They always target wizards, priests, and archers in that order of importance. All seven redcaps will fight to the death.
2. The Stump
The stump quickly slopes underground to a small, one-roomed burrow with a 5’ high ceiling. The only source of illumination is the small ray of light pouring from the stump’s opening. A foul smell of decaying flesh and body odor permeates the area. There’s a shoddily crafted wooden table in the center of the room, a row of beds made from bloodstained clothing, and a pot full of blood and gore. A patchwork nightcap, freshly stained with blood, was in the process of being stitched together with a discarded piece of cloth, needle still in it, lying next to the hat.
A trip wire is hidden in the entrance. Stepping on it causes a barrel of gore and dismembered parts to fall on the character dealing 2d6 points of damage (save vs. breath for half).
A small, wooden chest is poorly buried underneath the table. The chest is locked and contains 50pp, 30sp, and two vials of type A poison.
3. Leliana’s Lake
Leliana, a fun loving nymph, calls this lake her home. She hates the redcaps but she’s timid and easily shaken at the sight of violence. If any equipment was tossed into the lake, she retrieves it and calls the party to her side. Leliana returns any discarded equipment except one item that fancies her (a weapon, shield, suit of armor, ring, etc.).
Leliana poses a test of honesty to the characters. If the owner of the item asks for his lost possession back, she’ll tell them “Oh, you mean this old thing?” before offering an item from her underwater grotto. If the character truthfully denies the item, she congratulates their honesty, returns their lost valuable, and hands over the item from her grotto. If they accept Leliana’s item, she scoffs at retreats to her grotto to add the lost item to her growing collection.
If attacked, Leliana charms the strongest looking character and orders them to attack, focusing on casters first., then retreats to her grotto. If encountered in her grotto, she pleads for her life and offers an item from her collection in exchange. If Leliana survives the encounter, she requests help from the region’s druids who track down the party in an attempt to retreive any stolen goods and harass the party. If Leliana was seriously injured (less than one-quarter of her hit points) or sexually assaulted, the druids attack to kill.
4. Underwater Grotto
This small, dry cave set underneath the hills and accessible by a 50’ tunnel underwater is decorated with plush cloth and pillows. The grotto is lit with a magical gem set in the center and air comes in from holes in the ceiling. Leliana keeps her collection of magical items here and will offer it as part of her test if the character’s lose any items. Deep within well hidden nooks are a trident +1, sharkskin scalemail (weighs 10lbs less than normal scale and is valued at ), gem of brightness (casts light over the room), small emerald (worth 2,500gp), wand of wonder (7 charges), and a ring of protection +1.
REWARDS
The characters receive 600xp if they find the redcap’s hidden treasure. The character who passes Leliana’s test receives 150xp. The total experience value of Leliana’s treasure is 5,440xp.
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NEW MONSTER
Redcap
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Humanoid civilized areas
FREQUENCY: Uncommon
ORGANIZATION: Solitary or group
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any
DIET: Carnivore
INTELLIGENCE: Average (8)
TREASURE: I, X
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic evil
NO. APPEARING: 2-16
ARMOR CLASS: 3
MOVEMENT: 12
HIT DICE: 3 (12hp)
THAC0: 17
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2
DAMAGE/ATTACK: By weapons
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
MAGICAL RESISTANCE: Nil
SIZE: S (3’ tall)
MORALE: Elite (13-14)
XP VALUE: 120xp
Redcaps are evil, vicious sylvans that prowl highways and common trails. They look like short, haunched over men with wrinkly tan skin, black eyes, long fingers, and sharp teeth. Redcaps are exceptionally swift with thick skin giving them an AC of 3. They wear caps which they soak in the blood of their victims and tales say that if a redcap’s cap ever dries, they die.
Combat
Redcaps lure their foes into traps and pummel them from afar with slings before closing in with a halberd, their preferred weapon. Redcaps often employ crippling poisons and enjoy ambushing their opponents, their natural swiftness giving their targets a -2 penalty to surprise checks. Redcaps can move silently and pick pockets as a thief with 80% proficiency.
Habitat/Society
Redcaps usually establish small groups and find a home, usually a burrow or cave, near a well established road or trail. Oddly enough, redcaps are extremely loyal to each other and protect their homes with extreme ferocity. Each group knits a special cap which serves as an identifier for them. Although simple, redcaps are intelligent enough to scout out potential homes for other redcaps in the vicinity as they know not to attract attention to themselves.
Ecology
Redcaps have an unexplained, savage lust for fresh human and demihuman blood. They hand knit caps from discarded clothing and soak them in the gore of their victims. Despite the legend’s surrounding it (as no redcap’s cap has ever gone dry while it lived), a redcap does not actually die if its cap is dry. So great is the redcap’s paranoia and focus over their individual hat that they actually die from shock if it’s forcibly removed for 1d4+1 rounds.