(Inspired by the Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time and the Pilgrim’s session with Hank)
The Lost Woods
You start off your heroes on the big gray rock near the pencil.
They enter a + intersection where they find an NPC that is being attacked by a poisonous Froglodyte.
After hopefully saving the NPC they see he is poisoned by the Froglodyte’s toxin and is slowly becoming PETRIFIED (Turning to stone.)
Its a rare poison and requires a rare remedy, luckily the NPC’s friend has the cure back at his base. Its somewhere in the woods, but he got lost. The forest is tricky to navigate.
Better hurry, the NPC has only 6 ROUNDS before its too late and they become completely petrified.
So now the players must pick a direction in the + intersection. If they go the wrong way they somehow find theirselves back at the beginning where they first found the NPC.
Choosing the right direction creates a new + intersection somewhere else on the map.
Do not place the new section directly next to each other, this requires the players to actually remember the correct path.
(as the GM on an index card keep note of the correct path.)
Remember if they take the wrong turn at any + intersection, they will be back to map 1 on the big gray base near the pencil.
Players can make checks at each of the intersections in whatever way they like to help them find the correct path.
On a success tell them which one of the 4 intersections is the WRONG way do not just tell them the correct path. (EX: You notice the northern path looks as if no one has disturbed it in a long time, theres no way the NPC came from this way from his camp.)
So breakdown.
Timer 1: Heroes have 6 ROUNDS to get the NPC back to their camp before they turn to stone permanently. Each Round the NPC has a limb become stone (Head is last). Once feet are both stone the NPC can’t walk and must be carried.
Timer 2 Every 1d4 ROUNDs another Froglodyte attacks. Don’t get poisoned as well!
Threat : Froglodytes and failure to cure the poison.
Treat: Wis Rolls to show wrong path.
I ran this last night and the players enjoyed themselves. The NPC was a childhood friend of one of the PCs so the incentive to help them was high. It was a nice break from the kill everything in the room kinda maps and players with high WIS got to shine. Was a good first room to kick off the night.
