I have a few pages of basic adventure notes that I tend to use when introducing new players to role-playing games.  I think I nicked the adventure outline from an older edition of Talislanta; the plot has the characters acting as caravan guards for a coffin that is being transported to a strange collector.

In fact, their patron is a collector of rare undead creatures and whatever is in the coffin is his newest acquisition.  Throughout the adventure I make it tempting for the players to have their characters open the coffin to peak inside.  Doing so, of course, releases the creature--which they must then recapture, subdue, etc. or risk losing their commission.  

Here's the thing, though: the player's don't know what is in the coffin until they open it and neither do I.  Instead of decided what kind of undead monstrosity they've been toting around the badlands, I roll to determine what it is only when it's time for the monster to be revealed.  And I do so by rolling on this table:

What's in the Coffin?
1. Flayed Walker
2. Hungry Shroud
3. Glasseye Zombie
4. Daughter of the Grave
5. Zombie Liege
6. Taxidermy Avenger
7. Taxidermy Pet
8. Ectoplasmic Fiend
9. Whispering Ghoul
10. Sons of the Hydra's Teeth
11. Galvanic Zombie
12. Accursed Wight

As with my Tomes of Fearful Symmetry thread, I'll be detailing these beasties in the posts to come.  Feel free to steal them for your own games.

Flayed Walker

Hit Dice: 3 (13 hp)
Attack Bonus: +4
No. of Attacks: 1 (claw 1d6)
Armor Class: 10
Special Abilities:
Disquieting Aura - because of their horrific appearance, anyone who sees a Flayed Walker must make a saving throw or suffer the effects of a Cause Fear spell.

Brutalized Physiognomy - due to the damage already inflicted upon them, Flayed Walkers are tough and difficult to wound further.  All weapon attacks directed against them do half the normal amount of damage.  

Undead Immunities

Flayed Walkers are zombies that are created through unwholesome rites known only to the Jarlanki tribes of the Scavenger Lands.  The victim of these rites is first stripped of his or her skin whilst still alive, dosed with poisonous, necromantic potions, and then buried prematurely.  When the victim claws their way out of their grave seven days later they emerge as a Flayed Walker, a skinless zombie whose musculature has become dense and hardened.

Hungry Shroud

Hungry Shrouds are undead creatures made of burial shrouds that have been stitched together in a humanoid shape.  The Hungry Shroud is then inflated (and this animated) by an angry ethereal spirit captured from the Wailing Labyrinth.

Hit Dice: 2 (9 hp)
Attack Bonus: +3
No. of Attacks: 1 (chilling touch 1d8)
Armor Class: 10
Special Abilities:
Prone to Leaks - With each attack that hits a Hungry Shroud, it sustains a wound and begins to leak its spectral essence.  Once it has sprung a leak, the Hungry Shroud takes a -1 penalty to attack rolls and damage rolls.  If the Hungry Shroud is damaged again it receives another cumulative -1 penalty to attack and damage rolls.  Additionally, the round after a Hungry Shroud has sprung a leak it emanates spectral essence that has the effects of a Stinking Cloud spell, but this cloud of choking spectral gas only lasts 1 round.

Undead Immunities

Hmm, it strikes me as a lot of description for a random encounter, for something the PCs are gonna hack to true-death in a few rounds.

RPGPundit

Quote from: RPGPundit;477406Hmm, it strikes me as a lot of description for a random encounter, for something the PCs are gonna hack to true-death in a few rounds.

RPGPundit

That's the point though; it's not a random encounter.  Whatever is in the coffin is not necessarily something to hack to death: it's something they're supposed to be transporting and won't get paid for if they wreck it.

In other words, if the PCs let the monster out of the box--whatever it is--they are going to need to find a way to get it back in the box without destroying it.

Alternately, if the monster decides to hoof it, they need to figure out out to give chase and capture it before it causes havoc elsewhere.

:cool:
yet more great stuff from Mr. G...how do you find the time man?!

Hungry Shroud, LOVE IT.

Will be using some of these for sure.
Thanks!

Cool adventure idea.  They need to be stalked by an NPC team convinced all the jewels of the ancient kingdom are in that box, too.  And a sorcerer convinced the fabled Heart of Aruman is at last within reach.  Et cetera.

Quote from: skofflox;477418:cool:
yet more great stuff from Mr. G...how do you find the time man?!

Hungry Shroud, LOVE IT.

Will be using some of these for sure.
Thanks!

Thank you for saying so!  I find the time because I teach at a university and am required to hold office hours every week.  The thing is, students only come to office hours at the end of the semester when they realize that they're failing, so I have a few hours each week where I sit in my office and draw dungeons and make stuff up.

Quote from: Philotomy Jurament;477443Cool adventure idea.  They need to be stalked by an NPC team convinced all the jewels of the ancient kingdom are in that box, too.  And a sorcerer convinced the fabled Heart of Aruman is at last within reach.  Et cetera.

Yeah, those are all also things you can do with this basic adventure idea.  The point is that the characters have a "hot potato": they've been paid to transport something dangerous and all manner of adventurous hilarity ensues along the way from point A to point B:

The PCs notice that their caravan is being circled by giant vultures.  The vultures have decided that whatever in the coffin would make for a tasty treat...can the PCs fend them off before one of the carrion-eaters breaks into the coffin and lets out whatever is within?

The PCs are accosted by bandits who assume that their unwillingness to open the coffin means that it holds a king's ransom in jewels...do they defend the coffin to the death or let the bandits open it in hopes that the monster inside does the dirty work for them?  (And if they do the latter, how do they get the monster back in the coffin.)

The monster in the coffin might be sentient and attempt to tempt the PCs to let it free in exchange for...something they want very badly.

Etc.

Quote from: misterguignol;477410That's the point though; it's not a random encounter.  Whatever is in the coffin is not necessarily something to hack to death: it's something they're supposed to be transporting and won't get paid for if they wreck it.

In other words, if the PCs let the monster out of the box--whatever it is--they are going to need to find a way to get it back in the box without destroying it.

Alternately, if the monster decides to hoof it, they need to figure out out to give chase and capture it before it causes havoc elsewhere.

Hmm, very good rebuttal.

RPGPundit

Hey guys, I'll pick up this thread in a few days.  Got flooded out in New York; just got power back yesterday, haven't gotten internet back at my house.

I had a great deal of fun with a variant of this. The PCs we sharing transport with a load of oblong boxes. The boxes we filled with...earth. Of course they had to open some and see what was in them. When they saw the dirt they immediately freaked out and started getting paranoid about all sorts of nasty. Undead.  The kicker, the boxes were full of ordinary dirt from a special garden on. Consignment to an eccentric horticulturist. No undead anywhere. Naturally they had some heavy explaining to do about what had happened to the dirt, and everything else they rewrites on their hunt for the undead they just *knew* was lurking.

Quote

Quote from: misterguignol;477449Thank you for saying so!  I find the time because I teach at a university and am required to hold office hours every week.  The thing is, students only come to office hours at the end of the semester when they realize that they're failing, so I have a few hours each week where I sit in my office and draw dungeons and make stuff up.

Sweet...getting paid while creating RPG material. We all benefit!

Quote

Quote from: Philotomy Jurament;477443Cool adventure idea.  They need to be stalked by an NPC team convinced all the jewels of the ancient kingdom are in that box, too.  And a sorcerer convinced the fabled Heart of Aruman is at last within reach.  Et cetera.

Quote from: misterguignol;477452Yeah, those are all also things you can do with this basic adventure idea.  The point is that the characters have a "hot potato": they've been paid to transport something dangerous and all manner of adventurous hilarity ensues along the way from point A to point B:

The PCs notice that their caravan is being circled by giant vultures.  The vultures have decided that whatever in the coffin would make for a tasty treat...can the PCs fend them off before one of the carrion-eaters breaks into the coffin and lets out whatever is within?

The PCs are accosted by bandits who assume that their unwillingness to open the coffin means that it holds a king's ransom in jewels...do they defend the coffin to the death or let the bandits open it in hopes that the monster inside does the dirty work for them?  (And if they do the latter, how do they get the monster back in the coffin.)

The monster in the coffin might be sentient and attempt to tempt the PCs to let it free in exchange for...something they want very badly.

Etc.

Quote from: DavetheLost;478158I had a great deal of fun with a variant of this. The PCs we sharing transport with a load of oblong boxes. The boxes we filled with...earth. Of course they had to open some and see what was in them. When they saw the dirt they immediately freaked out and started getting paranoid about all sorts of nasty. Undead.  The kicker, the boxes were full of ordinary dirt from a special garden on. Consignment to an eccentric horticulturist. No undead anywhere. Naturally they had some heavy explaining to do about what had happened to the dirt, and everything else they rewrites on their hunt for the undead they just *knew* was lurking.

Nice thread here...great ideas!
:hatsoff:

Quote

Quote from: misterguignol;478155Hey guys, I'll pick up this thread in a few days.  Got flooded out in New York; just got power back yesterday, haven't gotten internet back at my house.

I trust all is well with you and yours.

Quote from: misterguignol;478155Hey guys, I'll pick up this thread in a few days.  Got flooded out in New York; just got power back yesterday, haven't gotten internet back at my house.

Wow, that sucks!  

RPGPundit

Wow, I forgot that I left this thread hanging after the flood.  Time to roll up my sleeves and get back to work.

Glass Eye Zombie

Glass Eye Zombies are made from normal zombies that have had their eyes removed by dwarf necro-artificers; after removing the original eyes, the dwarfs replace them with enchanted glass eyes that give the undead creature additional powers.  Glass Eye Zombies are often found guarding the ancient treasure vaults deep with dwarf mountain fortresses.

Hit Dice: 4 (18 hp)
Attack Bonus: +5
No. of Attacks: 1 (slam 1d8)
Armor Class: 12
Special Abilities:
Baleful Eye Rays - in addition to its normal slam attack, a Glass Eye Zombie can use the power granted by its enchanted glass eyes once per round.  The power granted by the necro-artificial eyes is determined by their color (choose or roll 1d6):

1. Blue - Domination as per the 5th level magic-user spell
2. Brown - Ray of Enfeeblement as per the 2nd level magic-user spell
3. Green - Feeblemind as per the 5th level magic-user spell
4. Hazel - Hold Person as per the 3rd level magic-user spell
5. Gray - Disintegrate as per the 6th level magic-user spell
6. Violet - Enervation as per the 4th level magic-user spell

Rare Glass Eye Zombies are fitted with two differently-colored glass eyes.  Such creatures gain both powers granted by their magical glass eyes, but can only use one per round.  Some claim that if an enchanted eye is taken from a Glass Eye Zombie it can be fitted to the empty socket of a living creature; researchers at the Mandrake Academy of Magical Sciences believe that a living creature could learn to call forth the powers of such an item--albeit in a much more limited fashion.