Encounter 2.1.7: Predator in the Forest

This Encounter follows the encounter with deadly plants for player parties that choose the "through the forest" route to reach the village of Spirit Lake.

You continue to travel northward around Spirit Lake. The ground immediately alongside the lake is a bit marshy, so you've been keeping to the higher ground a bit farther from the shore. You have attempted to keep the lake within sight to your right as you travel. The heavily forested terrain has given way to a more meadowy feel. Occasional trees still sprout, sometimes in small clusters, but you're walking through knee-high grasses scattered with wildflowers. Tiny sprites and slightly larger pixies can be seen flitting around these flowers from time to time.

This terrain is considered normal, not difficult. Check marching order, given that they've got the opportunity to spread out in the meadow as there is no true trail to be following. Then, ask everyone to roll Perception checks.

If anyone passes a DC19...

You hear the faint sounds of deep pig-like grunting coming from the small copse of trees and shrubs about 100' ahead and to the left (at about 10 o'clock).

Give the party a chance to "freeze", and assess their situation. Ask for a second Perception check. If this one fails, give them nothing. If it succeeds...

You see the shrubs moving around a bit, and you think you hear a low grunting sound, reminiscent of a large hog. Suddenly, the shrubs nearest you seem to explode, and you see a large creature, about 7' tall at its shoulders, bearing down on you rapidly. The creature is fully 10' long, and its pig-like head sports some rather nasty looking tusks.

If nobody passes a DC19...

You continue northward. There is a small stand of trees and shrubs about 100' ahead and to the left. Suddenly, the shrubs in this copse nearest you seem to explode, and you see a large creature, about 7' tall at its shoulders, bearing down on you rapidly. The creature is fully 10' long, and its pig-like head sports some rather nasty looking tusks.

Roll for initiative. On the Giant Boar's first turn, it will Stride once, and then use Boar Charge, which will allow it to close and strike with the nearest party member to it -- or to whichever party member makes enough of a racket to attract its attention. From that point on, it will attack any player to successfully deal damage to it. If multiple players do damage before it goes, it will attack them in turn using its actions, targeting the most recent damage dealer first and then working backwards.

Giant Boar - Creature 4

COMMONNLARGEANIMAL

Considerably nastier than a typical wild boar, the giant boar seems to enjoy opportunities for violent encounters. Technically an omnivorous scavenger, the giant boar will never pass up the opportunity for a meal of freshly killed meat. Furthermore, the creatures are highly territorial, and considers almost any other creature larger than a squirrel to be a potential threat to its domain. Some clans of Orcs on Cartyrion revere the giant boar, and consider the solo hunting killing of one to be the ultimate test of a hunter's prowess. There are tales that tell of bands of fighting Orcs mounted upon these creatures during the Great Strife as well. A typical adult giant boar is 10 feet (3m) long and 7 feet (2m) tall at the shoulder. It weighs approximately 2,000 pounds (900kg).
Perception	+12, Low Light Vision, Imprecise Scent, 30ft.
Skills	Acrobatics+8, Athletics+12, Survival+10
STR +6 , DEX +0 , CON +3 , INT -4 , WIS +2 , CHA -1
AC	21
Saving Throws	Fort +13, Ref +9, Will +10
HP	60
Speed	40ft
Melee	Tusk: +14 / +10 / +6 ; Damage: 2d8+6 Piercing
Special Abilities	Boar Charge: The giant boar Strides twice (up to 80') and then makes a tusk Strike. As long as it moved at least 20', it gains a +2 circumstance bonus to its attack roll. A Medium or smaller creature struck by this attack must succeed at a DC19 Reflex save or be knocked prone by the force of the blow. Ferocity: Trigger: The creature is reduced to 9 hit points. Effect: The creature avoids being knocked out and remains at 1HP, but its wounded value increases by 1. When it is Wounded 3, it can no longer use this ability.

Aftermath

The boar has no treasure. If the players wish to harvest meat, skin, tusks, or whatever... let them. Boar tusks may bring a few coppers as a novelty item; boar meat is quite edible and tasty; a full skin could be made into hide armor - but it would be bulky to handle "raw".

Plot type

Encounter

Parent Plot

Adventure 2.1: The Journey to Spirit Lake

Unarmed Actions:

Disarm

Disarm

Attack
1 Action
Requirements: You are Trained in Athletics. You have at least one hand free. The target can’t be more than one size larger than you.

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You try to knock something out of an opponent’s grasp. Attempt an Athletics check against the opponent’s Reflex DC.
Critical Success: You knock the item out of the opponent’s grasp. It falls to the ground in the opponent’s space.
Success: You weaken your opponent’s grasp on the item. Until the start of that creature’s turn, attempts to Disarm the opponent of that item gain a +2 circumstance bonus, and the target takes a –2 circumstance penalty to attacks with the item or other checks requiring a firm grasp on the item.
Failure: Nothing happens.
Critical Failure: You lose your balance and become Flat-footed until the start of your next turn.

Grapple

Grapple

Attack
1 Action
Requirements: You have at least one free hand. Your target cannot be more than one size larger than you.

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You attempt to grab an opponent with your free hand. Attempt an Athletics check against their Fortitude DC. You can also Grapple to keep your hold on a creature you already grabbed.
Critical Success: Your opponent is restrained until the end of your next turn unless you move or your opponent Escapes.
Success: Your opponent is grabbed until the end of your next turn unless you move or your opponent Escapes.
Failure: You fail to grab your opponent. If you already had the opponent grabbed or restrained using a Grapple, those conditions on that creature end.
Critical Failure: If you already had the opponent grabbed or restrained, it breaks free. Your target can either grab you, as if it succeeded at using the Grapple action against you, or force you to fall and land prone.

Shove

Shove

Attack
1 Action
Requirements: You have at least one hand free. The target can’t be more than one size larger than you.

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You push an opponent away from you. Attempt an Athletics check against your opponent’s Fortitude DC.
Critical Success: You push your opponent up to 10 feet away from you. You can Stride after it, but you must move the same distance and in the same direction.
Success: You push your opponent back 5 feet. You can Stride after it, but you must move the same distance and in the same direction.
Failure: Nothing happens.
Critical Failure: You lose your balance, fall, and land Prone.

Trip

Trip

Attack
1 Action
Requirements: You have at least one hand free. The target can’t be more than one size larger than you.

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You try to knock an opponent to the ground. Attempt an Athletics check against your opponent’s Reflex DC.
Critical Success: The target falls and lands Prone, and takes 1d6 Bludgeoning damage.
Success: The target falls and lands Prone.
Failure: Nothing happens.
Critical Failure: You lose your balance, fall, and land Prone.

Conditions:

Flat-footed

Flat-Footed Condition

You’re distracted or otherwise unable to focus your full attention on defense. You take a –2 circumstance penalty to AC. Some effects give you the flat-footed condition only to certain creatures or against certain attacks. Others - especially conditions — can make you universally flat-footed against everything. If a rule doesn’t specify that the condition applies only to certain circumstances, it applies to all of them; for example, many effects simply say “The target is flat-footed.”

Grabbed

Grabbed Condition

You’re held in place by another creature, giving you the Flat-footed and Immobilized conditions. If you attempt a manipulate action while grabbed, you must succeed at a DC 5 flat check or it is lost; roll the check after spending the action, but before any effects are applied.

Immobilized

Immobilized Condition

You can’t use any action with the move trait. If you’re immobilized by something holding you in place and an external force would move you out of your space, the force must succeed at a check against either the DC of the effect holding you in place or the relevant defense (usually Fortitude DC) of the monster holding you in place.

Prone

Prone Condition

You’re lying on the ground. You are Flat-footed and take a –2 circumstance penalty to attack rolls. The only move actions you can use while you’re prone are Crawl and Stand. Standing up ends the prone condition. You can Take Cover while prone to hunker down and gain cover against ranged attacks, even if you don’t have an object to get behind, gaining a +4 circumstance bonus to AC against ranged attacks (but you remain flat-footed).
If you would be knocked prone while you’re Climbing or Flying, you fall. You can’t be knocked prone when Swimming.

Restrained

Restrained Condition

You’re tied up and can barely move, or a creature has you pinned. You have the Flat-footed and Immobilized conditions, and you can’t use any actions with the attack or manipulate traits except to attempt to Escape or Force Open your bonds. Restrained overrides Grabbed.

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Credits

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