d20 mission-complicating events

d20 mission-complicating events

1. Mad winds coming from nowhere. Air elementals from the Ziggurat of the Sky are escaping through this aerie. All torches go out. Check DEX or lose a piece of equipment that ends up in a random room of the aerie.

2. Distiki the Black – a client whose botched spell propelled her into a temporal void 120 years ago – pops into existence in front of the hosts. She is shaken but ready to fight her way back out. She can also possibly share secrets about the Dungeon that was...

DISTIKI, confused and experimental wizard. HD 5 (18 hp), ARM amulet of delayed blows Δ8, ATT staff of blasting Δ10, SP spells: mirror image (creates 2d4 blabbering doubles that pop if attacked), summon undead (2d6 1HD cat skeletons, claw for 1d3 damage), minor time stop (act 1d4-1 times on her turn), fly (turn into a buzzing insect for 1d3 turns), ML Δ8

3. Murky water seeps into the aerie, seemingly from nowhere. It's impossible to see the floor anymore, and moving silently is rolled at a disadvantage.

4. A magical hand appears in an explosion of multicolored dust, presents a scroll to the mission leader, then disappears with a 'pop' The message explains that one of the clients is the nephew of a company bigwig. They must be brought back safely to be lectured and given a decent job.

5. In a room of the aerie, a dozen employees huddle around a makeshift ring, cheering on two colleagues fighting bare-knuckled. Bets exchange hands and beer flows. It's a traveling secret fight club whose organiser, Gambrinus (shrewd enterprising minotaur) thought there would be no clients here today.

6. The evanescent apparition of a woman, her body covered with eyes, materialises in front of a bruiser. "Do you accept my gift of love and life?" she asks in a whisper. If they agree, they gain the specialist feat Amaltha's gift Δ4, which they can use to heal, grow, or promote life. If they hit 0 HP, they can either roll the Δ to heal themselves, or accept their fate and transfer the trait to someone else.

7. Loud crackling, the smell of ozone, multicolored flashes of lightning, and demonic laughter: no one knows what just happened, but all the hosts swap a randomly selected trait. Only an anti-curse spell by a follower of a god of Law can put things back in order.

8. It's dungeon magpie nesting season. A parliament of thieving underworld birds has taken over an unoccupied room nearby, aggressively defending every adjacent room. Their nests contain shiny items (some useful or valuable) and 2d20 eggs (restore 1 HP each).

DUNGEON MAGPIES (swarm of 20). HD 4 (27 hp), ARM –, ATT 3 x beaks d4, ML Δ12

9. This part of the aerie is covered in mauve fungal growths: inedible, acidic (1 damage if touched), and filling the air with spores. If breathed in, CON check to avoid becoming drunk: clumsy, loud voice, and generally un-sneaky.

10. Diminutive tunnels (1-ft high) have appeared in most of the aerie. It's a gremlin infestation! Be ready for tricks, everyone.

GREMLINS (too many to count), HD 1 (2 hp), ARM –, ATT needle 1, SP invisible if immobile, pickpocket and swap items, build silly traps (1d4 damage max.), ML Δ4

11. The wandering soul of Ser Mournspear, a deceased client, whispers in a random host's ear. The character gains the traits Depressed and Unlucky until they find the knight's body and bury it in the Bright Outside. Investigation reveals the armored skeleton is the most popular decoration at the Silver Goblet.

12. The air pulses with power. Through a temporary rearrangement of chaos energies, a room of the aerie has become a magical nexus. It acts as a common Δ12 focus for casters in the room.

13. A hooded silhouette leans against a wall, wearing a distinctive suit. Could this be Mr Noir? It silently follows the hosts and, if addressed, responds in a deep voice "Be about your business, I'm a mere observer..." They seem impervious to harm and disappear in smoke after about an hour.

14. Earthquake! The floor of an adjacent room collapses, opening into an unknown aerie. All the doors in the aerie are now stuck.

15. The hosts come face to face with Bolrag, a vegetarian ogre ninja believed dead for weeks. They actually decided to plunder a few aeries before fleeing to the Bright Outside. They have enough loot to bribe dutiful former colleagues.

16. Marbas, a devious and stinky devil from Reception teleports in front of the characters. "They're after me!" she yells, hiding behind the hosts. A trio of do-gooders clients pop in next: they've put a dimensional mark on Marbas and are determined to kill her.

17. Construction noises and distant shouts echo through these rooms. Someone should tell the Reconditioning teams working in the adjacent aerie that they're going to attract the clients exploring this one...

18. A wall collapses next to the hosts. Dusty colleagues from Exploration emerge wearing headlamps, a molefolk worker arguing with their minotaur boss about "finding that damn portal". They apologize for the disturbance and ask for directions towards the Hub. Who is going to get blamed for the destroyed wall, though?

19. A sticky, citrine mist fills the aerie up to human waist level. It is very easy to hide in it but check WIS to refrain from giggling when breathing it in (roll every minute).

20. A masked humanoid approaches the characters mid-mission, explaining that they can offload them of some of their client loot. "Give it to me now and it never existed. No one's the wiser! I'll contact you to arrange a meet for payment. How much do you want for this?"