An Adventure for Every Monster - Badgers (and Bad Pixies!)

Badger

Frequency Uncommon
No appearing 2-5
AC 4
Move 6” (3” underground)
HD 1+2
% in lair Nil
Treasure type Nil
No of attacks 3
Damage per attack 1-2/1-2/1-3
Special attacks Nil
Special defences Nil
Magic resistance Standard
Intelligence Semi-
Alignment Neutral
Size S
THAC0 18
XP value 20 + 2/hp


Giant Badger

Frequency Uncommon
No appearing 2-5
AC 4
Move 6” (3” underground)
HD 3
% in lair Nil
Treasure type Nil
No of attacks 3
Damage per attack 1-3/1-3/1-6
Special attacks Nil
Special defences Nil
Magic resistance Standard
Intelligence Semi-
Alignment Neutral
Size M
THAC0 16
XP value 35 + 3/hp

This adventure takes place in an area of sylvan forest, thickly wooded and with deep valleys and very difficult terrain for horses.
The party is approached by a druid, who wants to hire them for a spot of investigation. He explains that in his travels, he has been conversing with wildlife to find out what has been going on in this area and has recently encountered the chief of a sett of badgers who reports that several of his animals have gone missing. The druid is concerned because while he has heard of trappers and pelt-hunters in other areas (and has taken part in action against it), he was not aware of such problems in his area and had hoped that his woods would remain free of such intrusions. He will accompany the party into the woods to see if there is any evidence of trapping or killing for pelts and help to put a stop to it.

If the party agrees to the druid’s proposal, he will lead them into the woods. With him acting as their guide, there is a very good chance that they will not be bothered by animal attacks (ignore all hostile encounters on any rolls to which the party are subject).

Druid

S 14
I 15
W 17
D 11
C 9
Ch 17

Level 4

HP 20

AC 6 Leather armour +1 and wooden shield

THAC0 18

Weapons
Staff
Scimitar
2 x Dagger


Spells (WISD bonuses added)

6 x 1st level spells daily
6 x 2nd level spells daily
1 x 3rd level spells daily

If the party has thieves or rangers in its ranks, they will detect no sign of human activity in the woods as they pass. However, the druid tells them that the trappers may well have assistance in concealing their tracks, and to be careful.

When they reach the area of the sett, the druid is horrified to discover that it has been plundered. If the party has anyone with the ability to track, they will find (albeit with some difficulty) that a trail of disturbed vegetation heads off deeper into the woods.

(DMs should not reveal that the tracks show no sign of human involvement unless the party member doing the tracking specifically asks)

After a bit of scouting around, the druid returns to announce that he has found something and asks the party to approach but keep their distance. He leads them a little way off and reveals that he has found a badger who has hidden from the attack on the sett. A conversation between the druid and the badger will reveal a confused tale of animals falling unconscious, arrows, unseen attackers...

DM note – the sett has been attacked, but not by humans. This area of the forest is home to several groups of pixies, and it is about this time of year that they gather for their fair, which is very like the horse fairs of Ireland. Each of the groups uses various animals of the forest as beasts of burden, mounts and such like and they meet to trade them. The badgers have been raided by a gang of pixies who have discovered the joys of strong drink after ambushing a group of trappers who were trying to penetrate the forest. A fair supply of drink for a human will last a gang of pixies quite some time indeed and they have become rather partial to it, with all the bad side effects that this will cause. The gang is trying to acquire more through the sale of pelts to humans and wants to distil its own drink (although they do not yet have the technology although they are make efforts to find it out).

The other pixie groups have mixed opinions on the new developments. Some are disapproving, some keen to try the hard stuff, others scorn it in public but indulge in private. All this is making the pixies, and specifically the gang capturing the badgers into something of a nuisance in this area of the forest.

This has annoyed a satyr who lives in the area who would like to see the forest return to its peaceful state. He will aid the party if they approach him carefully and respectfully.

Pixie

Frequency Very rare
No appearing 5-20 (in this case, 13)
AC 5
Move6”/12”
HD 1-4 hit points
% in lair 5%
Treasure type R,S,T,X
No of attacks 1
Damage per attack by weapon type
Special attacks See below
Special defences See below
Magic resistance 25%
Intelligence Exceptional
Alignment Neutral
Size S (2 ½ feet tall)
THAC0 20
XP value 105 + 1/hp

Pixie swords are equal to daggers, and their arrows are of three types. All have +4 chance to hit. The pixie war arrow inflicts 2-5 hit points of damage. Their second type causes sleep in a comatose state for 1-6 hours to any creature which fails to save versus magic when struck. The third sort which the pixies use causes no harm physically, but being struck causes a complete loss of memory which can only be restored by clerical exorcism unless the victim saves versus magic.
Naturally invisible, pixies can become visible at will, polymorph themselves at will, create illusions with both audible and visual components which last without concentration until magically dispelled once per day each, and know alignment. Pixies can, by touch, cause confusion in any creature which fails its saving throw versus magic. Confusion is permanent unless a remove curse spell is applied. Once per day pixies are able to use dispel magic (at 8th level/ability), dancing lights, ESP, and 1 in 10 can use Otto's Irresistible Dance spells.
Because of their invisibility, they gain the advantage of subtracting 4 from "to hit" dice rolls of all opponents unable to detect invisible objects. Similarly, pixies can attack while invisible.

The pixies have some serious magic with which to make mischief, although their fondness for the hard stuff means that unexpected consequences may well occur as a result. Nevertheless, their attacks, if the party go blundering in may lead to bad things happening; these pixies have gone bad in a serious way and may well veer towards Chaotic Neutral in their dealings with humans. This may involve tying them up and leaving them outside a bear’s cave, dropping wasps’ nests into the middle of them after honey-bombing them, using dung-nuggets to ensure they can be tracked very easily by woodland predators, and such like. The party may well hear the sound of drunken laughter from the depths of the forest when these things happen.

Satyr

Frequency Uncommon
No appearing 2-8
AC 5
Move 18”
HD 5
% in lair 40%
Treasure type I, S, X
No of attacks 1
Damage per attack 2-8
Special attacks See below
Special defences See below
Magic resistance 50%
Intelligence Very
Alignment Neutral
Size M
THAC0 15
XP value 280 + 5/hp

A satyr normally attacks by butting with its two sharp horns. They will occasionally (20%) make use of magical weapons. It is quite likely that a satyr will first play a tune on his pipes, an instrument only a satyr can properly employ. By means of these pipes the satyr can charm, sleep, or cause fear in all within a 6" hearing radius unless they save versus magic.
Only 1 satyr per band is likely to have pipes (and this one has them). Any creature which saves versus any form of piping is not affected by additional music from the same pipes.
Satyrs are very silent and have keen senses. They are surprised only on a 1, and they can blend with foliage so as to be 90% undetectable to creatures not able to see hidden or invisible things.

The satyr will use his abilities to scatter and demoralise the pixies; he has a fair idea of what is causing their mischief and will attempt to locate and destroy any stocks of the hard stuff he can find.

(DM note – it may be an idea to have a gang of moonshiners running grog to the pixies. They will not take kindly to any threat to their little enterprise. They may well be making their way through the woods to the pixie fair to provide a little refreshment at opportune moments)