2
THE RUNNING OF THE SHRUBS. This rectangular stretch of lawn is
inhabited by numerous two footed shrubs running about. One area is
clearly marked off as a gaming field with white chalk.
This
is the home of King Shrub and his subjects, a dozen walking shrubs.
King Shrub is a very old and overgrown treant who likes watching
games. His favorite game is called 'Shrub Ball' and unless he is
attacked immediately he will invite adventurers to play a game “For
all the marbles”.
If
the adventurers agree to play a game they and a matching number of
shrubs (up to 6) will line up at the start line. The idea is to race
to one of three flag poles near the north end of the field, grab a
flag (there is only one per flag pole), chase down a kiwi bird (the
ball) and then cross the finish line with a flag and the bird.
Upon
reaching a flag pole, it takes a hit vs AC 10 to grab a flag. It is
possible to steal a flag or the ball from another contestant. Doing
so requires the attacker to succeed on a “to hit” roll vs the
defender's armor class. Then the defender still gets a chance to
save vs paralyzation. If they succeed in making this saving throw
they retain possession of the flag or the bird. A player can only
try to steal one or the other from another contestant.
A
contestant may hand off the bird or a flag to another. This takes
slowing movement down to 3” by both contestants to pull off
properly. Walking shrubs will not cooperate like this (because they
are very competitive and want to win individually) but it is not
against the rules.
Complicating
factors include the walking shrubs, who will try to knock characters
over, and the kiwi bird, who tends to wander.
12
Walking Shrubs (AC 6; MV 15”; HD 3; hp 10, 8, 16, 8, 13, 18, 8, 14,
11, 10, 13, 12; #AT 1 hand; D 1-8; SA Knock prone; XP 125, 117, 149
117, 137, 157, 117, 141, 129, 125, 137, 133)
Walking
shrubs are chaotic good, have average intelligence, have two green
hands and two green feet. They can attack with a fist, but will not
do so during Shrub Ball. Instead, they will try to run into
characters in order to knock them over. Characters of size S or M
attacked in this way must save vs paralyzation or be knocked prone
(and must spend their next round getting back up). Size L creatures
are immune to this attack. Shrubs will not always try to knock over
characters, they will also attempt to grab the flags and win the
game. The Dungeon Master will control their movements.
Walking
shrubs can move at a speed of 15”, but cannot sprint. Adventurers
can move at their normal speed (removing armor to make on faster is
allowed) and can sprint up to three times at twice their normal speed
before being winded.
The
Ball (Kiwi Bird) (AC 2; MV 12”; HD 1 hit point; hp 1; #AT 0; D
Nil; XP -)
The
kiwi is dressed in a sweater with the word 'ball' written on it. It
will move one square (ten feet) in a random direction each round (use
grenade template) but has been taught to stay within the boundaries
of the field of play. In order to pick up the kiwi, an adventurer or
walking shrub must move on to the same space as the bird and succeed
in a “to hit” roll.
King
Shrub (Treant) (AC 0; MV 12”; HD 12; hp 62; #AT 2 hands; D
4-24/4-24; SA Control trees; SD Never surprised; XP 5144)
King
Shrub will fight if the shrubs or the kiwi are attacked or killed.
If a player wins the game of Shrub Ball he will keep his word and
give his marbles to the winner. The royal marbles include:
4
pearls (1000 gold crescent base value each)
1
scarlet and blue spherical ioun stone
15
normal marbles
If
the adventurers lose, they will owe him 20 marbles. If the
adventurers don't have any marbles he will ask them to retrieve some
from the witch at Area 23, who stole some from him some time ago.
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