#monster encounter

[vigilantsycamore]

Obviously the amount of realism you put in a D&D game is entirely up to you (and everyone else at your table), but I will say that if a particular monster is attacking the party because it wants to eat them, it would almost certainly try to run away and look for a less dangerous food source once the players do enough damage to it. I'd say that reducing it to half its max HP should be enough to get it to change its goals from "eating the party" to "running away"

(If I'm a big monster and I take a fireball to the face, the weedy little twink that threw it is not gonna be a good enough meal to justify the risk of that happening again)

Two exceptions to this would be if 1. it can't run away, for whatever reason, or 2. it's already starving... and if it's the latter, consider how that would affect its appearance and abilities. And whether any of the PCs might be able to notice those effects

And if the monster has a motivation other than "want food" then it might operate differently - and might have different conditions for ending the fight. For instance, a monster that's trying to chase the party away from its den will back off once they're far away enough; gods know what might happen if it keeps chasing you and leaves the den unguarded

A monster that's sapient and has Sapient Being Reasons for wanting to kill the party... is a person and thus can potentially be reasoned with. The DC may be high, but it's possible

The only time there wouldn't be a realistic way to get the monster to back off until either it or the party dropped dead is when that monster was specifically created to kill. Maybe kill anything it came across, maybe kill the party specifically, point is that if its main objective is anything else you can get it to back off by fulfilling that objective

[thevilelands]

This is why you don't trust giant rabbits, even if they look fluffy. 🐰💀 Spicy versions of this series can be found at my website. 🔞🔥

[inhumanforbat3]

CW: injury, panic attack, monster violence.

The Sun Never Left You

Nico ran through the forest once again, his heart pounding violently in his chest, his breath coming out in short, ragged bursts. Leo leaned heavily against his shoulders, stumbling, struggling to stay upright as they tried to put distance between themselves and the Empousa chasing them. Behind them, Will shouted, urging Frank to throw a branch at the creature—anything to slow it down and buy them time.

The Empousa landed on a tree branch, releasing a sharp, piercing screech that made Nico’s blood run cold. He stumbled, nearly dropping Leo, who let out a pained groan, his injured leg protesting with every step. They slipped in the mud, veering left, the campfire finally coming into view through the trees.

“Just a little more,” Nico whispered to Leo, his eyes darting back, desperate to make sure Will and Frank were still behind them.

Frank tore another branch from a tree and hurled it at the Empousa before drawing his sword and driving it into the creature’s side. It let out a sharp, gurgling cry of pain, thrashing wildly.

They rushed into the camp as the Empousa dragged itself forward in fury, snapping and clawing at the ground, scattering small drops of blood across the mud and fallen leaves.

Nico helped Leo onto a bench, his own breathing shallow and uneven, before running toward the cabins, shouting for help for his injured friend. Two campers from the Apollo cabin hurried over, quickly moving to treat Leo. Nico helped them guide him inside, his hands shaking, tears gathering at the corners of his eyes.

When he was finally alone, Nico collapsed to the ground, trembling. Mud clung to his boots and pants, and every breath came heavy and uneven, as if his body hadn’t realized the danger was over. The smell of smoke and burned wood from the campfire mixed with blood and wet earth, making the air thick and suffocating. His chest tightened painfully, his breathing growing dense, his vision blurring at the edges.

Footsteps and ragged breathing broke through the haze. Will stumbled into the camp with Frank beside him, both of them covered in mud and streaked with blood, their faces marked by exhaustion. Their eyes searched the camp—but Nico was nowhere to be seen.

Curled in on himself, Nico pressed into the dirt, shaking. The image wouldn’t leave his mind—Leo hanging from the monster’s jaws, throwing himself forward without hesitation to protect him, caught by the leg and thrown down the ravine. A broken sound tore from Nico’s chest as his shoulders shook, grief and fear finally crashing over him all at once.

Even now, safe within the camp’s borders, the terror lingered. The forest still echoed in his ears. And no matter how hard he tried to breathe, it felt like part of him was still running—still holding on, refusing to let go.

They ran through the forest believing the danger would end at the camp gates.

But fear doesn’t disappear that easily.

Solangelo | Hurt/Comfort | Monster Encounter

[coldpressedapplejuice]

A Feather’s Worth of Courage

Summary:

On their first real adventuring job, rookie partners Jaon and Egg find themselves hiding in a bush after their owlbear hunt goes terribly wrong. What was supposed to be a simple feather-collecting mission turns into a tense standoff with a massive, dangerously close owlbear.

The underbrush barely covered them.

Jaon crouched low, fingers white-knuckled around the shaft of his spear. His breath came shallow, trying not to stir the leaves. Egg knelt behind him, pressed so close their breath tickled the back of his neck but neither of them dared shift.

The forest was silent.

Too silent.

Even the birds had gone quiet.

Then—a heavy thud.

Another.

The branches ahead shook. A low growl, half beast, half bird, rumbled through the clearing like thunder swallowed in feathers. Egg leaned in, voice so faint it barely existed. “Is that… an owlbear?”. Jaon didn’t answer. Just raised one finger in warning, eyes fixed forward. He could see it now… massive. Hulking. Feathers matted with dirt and dried blood. Its beak glinted in the dappled light. Egg swallowed. “It’s not supposed to be this close to the road.”

“It’s not supposed to be this big,” Jaon whispered back. The owlbear’s head twitched. Sniffed. Egg stiffened. Their hand grazed Jaon’s reaching, not for comfort, but for grounding. Jaon didn’t move.A low snort. The owlbear turned, feathers rustling like dry grass. It took a step. Then another. Closer. Right past them.

It paused.

Sniffed.

Jaon didn’t blink. He couldn’t. He could feel Egg’s breath freeze behind him.

One wrong move.

One shift of weight.

Then, mercifully… a birdcall.

Distant.

The owlbear huffed and lumbered toward the sound, the brush shaking violently in its wake. And then it was gone. Jaon exhaled a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. Egg let go of his hand. “I hate this job.” Jaon turned slowly. “We still getting that feather?”. Egg gave him a long, deadpan stare. “Gods no.”

[cyclopsboxhead]

"As you begin in the dungeon, these tunnels are tight, you can still see the roots of plants from the surface hanging down. You wind deeper and deeper down. The loose dirt and soft soil give way to more solid, packed earth and stone, no more roots down here."

"Roll a check since you're in the front."

"Out of the darkness a shriek pierces the air as a giant rat with glowing red eyes lunges at you. It's teeth chomp down onto your face."

So my friend has begun dming again, and he's work-shopping a system with us that's like a mix of AD&D and Squire. We just did out first ever dungeon last week! I can't believe nobody died!! Boy did we come close though!! The quotations above are based on what my dm friend was saying to set the scene and stuff. I paraphrased a little cause I don't remember exactly word for word what he said lol, but I hope I made him sound as cool as he is.

I've decided I'm going to do these little mini comics for each session, because drawing what's going on keeps me more present in the session while also giving my hands something to do when I'm not rolling. I'm delighted to share the first of these mini comics, there will be more to come! And at some point I'll post the character, who I've been having a blast playing so far.

[deliveryclan]

Moon 9 (4/4)

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see you in next january

----

(Ivyshade: 45, female, successor, troublesome, good storyteller) (Sproutswoop: 39, female, head campkeeper, confident, camp keeper)

[mugiwara-no-audhd]

Legion of the Pirate King - Alabasta Saga Chapters 51 and 52!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/58607950/chapters/172757677

https://archiveofourown.org/works/58607950/chapters/172757809

Title: Legion of the Pirate King - Alabasta Saga

Summary: Dive into a vibrant reimagining of the Alabasta Saga, where Luffy's crew is larger, louder, and more diverse than ever!

Navigating unique challenges, personality clashes, and the complexities of a larger family. This story seamlessly blends original arcs with reimagined canon events, showcasing how the crew's dynamics alter familiar storylines. Beyond the main adventure, rich "slice-of-life" moments and side stories that follow other groups expand the world, occasionally unexpectedly overlapping with the crew's journey.

In-depth Crew Dossiers, released after each arc, will expand your understanding of the crew. Discover character secrets, fleet details, and treasure lists.

Rating: T

Warning: Graphic Descriptions of Violence

Pairings: Usopp/Kaya, Gin/Merry, Sanji/Nojiko

Characters: Monkey D. Luffy, Roronoa Zoro, Rika, Koby, Nami, Chouchou, Kaya, Merry, Ninjin, Piiman, Tamanegi, Usopp, Johnny, Yosaku, Sanji, Gin, Jimmy Scoops, Hatchan, Nojiko, Chabo, Nefertari Taipan, Nefertari Vivi, Gregory, Igaram, Fiona, Karoo, Marianne.

Chapter Summary: The weight of a critical decision hangs heavy as the crew splits, sending half on a desperate race against time to save their friends while the others press onward. Amidst the hurried preparations, unsettling truths about a new ally begin to emerge, sowing seeds of distrust. Their initial efforts to set sail are thwarted by an unexpected obstacle, requiring them to rely on past alliances in a dramatic confrontation before finally charting their separate courses into an uncertain future.

[dungeonmalcontent]

Been a bit since an encounter doc, so he we go!

+ Encounter With: The Pale Widow

This one is another monster that I saw this art for the cover and thought, yes, that.

Pale widows are undead humanoid creatures that appear normal unless seen in a mirror (particularly a silvered mirror) or illuminated by moonlight. Their true appearance, hidden beneath a false beauty, is skeletal and necrotic. They are not just well disguised, however, and are incredibly durable for undead. They are immune to most non-magical damage, they can regenerate, and they can drain the life force of other creatures. And when they drain a humanoid completely, that creature becomes a skeletal servant under their command.

This creature is a good substitute for a lich in a low level campaign, as it is only CR 6. Alternatively, it makes for a good agent or paramour for a lich.