Endless Night: The Trophy Room

ENDLESS NIGHT

A Fantasy Core Adventure

© Jerry Harris 2014

Published here as Open Game Content.

(This link will take you to the Fantasy Core Index.)

Adventure Overview Index

First Floor Index

The Trophy Room

Description: On the one hand, it’s a cozy, intimate, comfortable, windowless room with large, over-stuffed chairs made for relaxing.  There’s a poker card table in back for diversion.  On the other hand, the entire room is something of a display case for animals taken via hunting, a monument of taxidermy.

There might be over 20 different species represented here of varying levels of danger.  Disturbingly, the heads of the characters are mounted on plaques on the wall.  The crown jewel of the collection is an actual predatory dinosaur skeleton in the corner.  There’s a glass weapons case next to it.  Next to a chair, sits a large, old tome on an end table, radiating magic. 

 

Status: The door is closed, but unlocked.

Inhabitants: The spirit of Orion Creighton animates several of the stuffed creatures inside.

Objective: Get the Book of Shadows in the room to return to the Library. 1 XP award.

Carter’s Introduction: “Meow.  Orion Creighton was a hunter.  He loved the thrill of the chase and the permanent display of his conquests.  The family disregarded his last request to be stuffed and mounted himself and displayed with this trophies.  Meow.”

The room is deserted and very quiet as the party enters.  The weapons case is unlocked and its contents are clearly visible through the case door.  What’s inside depends on the era your characters are from.  There could be an enchanted (+2) rifle, shotgun, or crossbow.  There should be a cache of enchanted (+1) ammunition inside as well, a box of bullets, shells, or quarrels.  The stuffed creatures won’t react to any examination or attack (however, they won’t be damaged by it either). 

Things only happen if the characters handle the Book of Shadows.  Any spellcaster in the group will immediately identify it as a spell book.  Suddenly, a stuffed owl leaves its perch and settles next to the door.  There’s an audible locking noise (effectively trapping the characters inside).  Every stuffed head in the room turns and looks at the characters.

A disembodied voice speaks out, “Brother Magnus never cared for my hobbies.  He dismissed my hunting as ‘latent psychotic behavior.’  Did the little coward send you all for his precious book?”  The characters may or may not have had their encounter with Magnus in the Library yet.  If they leave the book alone, they can walk out, unmolested.  However, the next time the characters enter, they’re attacked immediately.

The rest of this assumes that the characters are here to recover the book specifically.  The good news for the characters is that taxidermy has considerably weakened these creatures’ hit point totals and that Orion is only able to control four creatures at a time.  The Owl attacks first, he’ll dive bomb an opponent.  Next rd, the full-sized stuffed Bear comes to life.  Next rd, the Rhino head on the wall suddenly breaks through the wall, revealing a full-sized rhino, and charges.  Finally, the Raptor skeleton comes to life.  The door will not unlock until they’ve all been defeated. 

Any Wizard and such worth their salt is going to want some quality time with the spellbook.  With 1 turn of study, the spellcaster will automatically absorb (thanks to the book’s properties) 1 new spell of their choice (off the Fantasy Core spell list) up to the highest level they can cast.  This can be done twice per spellcaster, 1 turn per spell.  However, there should certainly be a Wandering Encounter.  Roll every turn after the first. 

Stuffed Owl Guardian

HD 1, Hp 2, AC 17 (natural)

Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +2

Melee: Talons +5 to hit 1d4

Can Fly

Stuffed Bear Guardian

HD 3, Hp 10, AC 13 (natural)

Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +2

Melee: 2 claws +6 to hit 1d4+4 and bite +1 to hit 1d6+2

Stuffed Rhino Guardian

HD 8, Hp 15, AC 16 (natural)

Fort +11, Ref +6, Will +3

Melee: Gore +8 to hit 2d6 + Knocked down

Charge: 4d6 + Knocked down + Stunned 1 rd

(Will only be able charge once in this cramped environment)

Raptor Skeleton Guardian

HD 8 (d12), Hp 25, AC 18 (natural)

Fort +4, Ref +7, Will +8

Melee: Talons x 2 +9 to hit 2d8+5 and bite +4 to hit 2d6+2