Encounter 7: Bats and Stirges

The True and Rightful King

Encounter 7:  Bats and Stirges

Level 2:  Easy (party’s level – 1 = 1), 100 xp

4 Tainted Bats, Level 1 Skirmisher Minion, 25 xp ea. (1 player)
1 Stirge, Level 1 Lurker, 100 xp (2 players)
1 Stirge, Level 1 Lurker, 100 xp (3 players)
1 Stirge, Level 1 Lurker, 100 xp (4 players)
1 Stirge, Level 1 Lurker, 100 xp (5 players)
1 Stirge, Level 1 Lurker, 100 xp (6 players)

Setup

After defeating the Fell Taints, you begin to climb back down the ancient cypress.

Tactics and Development

As soon as the first character reaches level 8, the bats and stirges attack without warning, seemingly from nowhere, getting a surprise round to move into the battle.  They fight to the death.

Features of the Area

The tree:  The cypress is over 100 feet tall, but the top branches which will support weight are 100 feet above the ground (Level 10).  Climbing the tree, up or down, requires the following Athletics DCs:

Level 1-2:  5
Level 3-4:  5
Level 5-6:  7
Level 7-8:  9
Level 9-10:  11

Each time a character is hit while standing on a branch, he must make an Acrobatics check or fall:

Level 1-2:  10
Level 3-4:  11
Level 5-6:  12
Level 7-8:  13
Level 9-10:  14

If a character falls, he or she gets to make a saving throw at each level, starting with the one he or she is on.  If they save, it means they are hanging from the branch at the level they saved on.  No matter what, they save 20 feet below where they started, so they never take more than 2d10 damage from the fall.  A hanging character is helpless.  Regaining the branch is the same climb check as climbing a level.

A character who falls all the way to the ground level falls either on the ground or in the water.  The water is deep and they have to swim to shore, but if they fall in the water, they take no damage.

Any character who enters another encounter’s level starts that encounter, but the creatures of the encounter do not pursue if the character moves up from their level.

Treasure

Perception DC 10:  Amazingly, you seem to have missed something else in your climb to the top of the tree.  On a small branch, but easily within reach, there hangs a small leather bag.  On the other hand, it is nearly the color of the bark, so it is not surprising that you missed it.  Inside the bag, you find 260 gold coins.