Players! Want to play this quest? Stop reading and notify your DM. Save the fun for the game-table!Running this Quest
You can adjust any of the information below according to your campaign, preference or imagination. Feel free to experiment and let other visitors know what works for you in the comments below.
On one of your travels, you traverse a widespread forest that covers the surrounding valleys and hills. After some time walking you are startled by a loud noise coming from somewhere in the forest, nearby. It sounds like an animal, frantically crying and squeeking. It seems to be in severe pain. But then the crying stops as suddenly as it started. For a moment the forest seems completely silent, as if it was holding its breath.
Any player with high Nature or Survival skills can make a DC15 check to recognize the sound as the distress of a badger.
The sound came from nearby, so when you start looking it only takes a ahort while until you walk into a strange scene. You are in a clear patch of forest, surrounded by bushes. There’s a rusty old, unsprung bear trap on the floor. It has blood and fur all over it. Straight above the trap is a cord, dangling from branches high up in a tree. Tied to the cord you see a golden ring with a large ruby. It’s tied up high, just out of reach.
There’s no remains of any animal: the badger got eaten. It was likely lured by the Goblins to feed the Mimic, or it just stumbled upon it by chance.
The ring
The ring is not real. Any player who succeeds an investigation check (DC12) can see through the illusion. It is actually a stick that is made to seem something desirable to any person or animal passing by. It is a Silent Image spell, cast by one of two Goblins who are hiding nearby.
The bear trap
Any player with high Nature or Survival skills recognize the fur as that of a badger. A perception check will reveal the blood still looks wet. The trap is actually a Mimic, but based on perception alone, it is indistinguishable from a normal bear trap. If a player succeeds an investigation check of DC25 it will discover its true nature. As soon as this happens, roll for initative. The Mimic attacks without suprise. If the check fails, the Mimic will suprise-attack and grapple the player.
When you touch the trap you notice it doesn’t feel like rusted metal, but instead it feels warm and sticky. In fact, when you try and pull your hand away, you can’t. On the opposite side of the bear trap from where you are stuck to it, you now see several yellow eyes appearing. Then suddenly teeth sprawl from the metal and the middle of the bear trap turns into a gurgling opened throat. Before you can react it snaps and bites down on you.
Combat
With a suprise attack the Mimic will bite down and grapple the player who touched it. The party will likely attack the Mimic. When this happens, the two Goblins hiding in the bushes start shooting arrows and fire bolts. Their strategy will be to keep hiding with their bonus action, to be able to have advantage on ambush attacks. They concentrate on attacking whoever attacks or is grapled by the Mimic. If the Goblins are about to be overrun, they try to flee.
One of the Goblins is a Level 2 Sorcerer with Wisdom 14(+2) and a spell save DC14. He has two cantrips: fire bolt and bonfire, and two 1st level spells: silent image and expeditious retreat.
Risks and Rewards
At the risk of sustaining damage in combat, players can find the following loot: the goblin sorcerer holds a wooden staff, a birdskull talisman, a minor potion of healing and a crude short sword, the other has: 2 GP, a bow and some arrows, a rusty scimitar and a pouch of low quality food.
If they search the area and succeed a DC15 investigation check, they will find treasure at the spot where the goblins laid in hiding. A small wooden box is hidden in the undergrowth, containing: 52 GP, 31 SP, jewelry worth 20 GP (12 silver rings, 4 gold rings, 2 golden bracelets), 4 golden teeth (worth 2 GP in total) and a handful of fingernails.
Monsters and NPC's
Mimic
Medium monstrosity (shapechanger), neutral
Armor class 12 (Natural Armor)
Hit points 58 (9D8+18)
Speed 15 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
17 (+3) | 12 (+1) | 15 (+2) | 5 (-3) | 13 (+1) | 8 (-1) |
Skills Stealth +5
Damage Immunities Acid
Condition Immunities Prone
Senses Darkvision 60 Ft., passive Perception 11
Challenge 2 (450 XP)
Shapechanger. The mimic can use its action to polymorph into an object or back into its true, amorphous form. Its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn ‘t transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.
Adhesive (Object Form Only). The mimic adheres to anything that touches it. A Huge or smaller creature adhered to the mimic is also grappled by it (escape DC 13). Ability checks made to escape this grapple have disadvantage.
False Appearance (Object Form Only). While the mimic remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary object.
Grappler. The mimic has advantage on attack rolls against any creature grappled by it.
Actions
Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: (1d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage. If the mimic is in object form, the target is subjected to its Adhesive trait
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: (1d8 + 3) piercing damage plus (1d8)acid damage.
Goblin
Small humanoid (goblinoid), neutral evil
Armor class 15 (Leather Armor, Shield)
Hit points 7 (2D6)
Speed 30 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
8 (-1) | 14 (+2) | 10 (+0) | 10 (+0) | 8 (-1) | 8 (-1) |
Skills Stealth +6
Senses Darkvision 60 Ft., passive Perception 9
Languages Common, Goblin
Challenge 2 (450 XP)
Actions
Scimitar. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: (1d6 + 2) slashing damage.
Shortbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 80/320 ft., one target. Hit: (1d6 + 2) piercing damage.
Running this Quest
You can adjust any of the information below according to your campaign, preference or imagination. Feel free to experiment and let other visitors know what works for you in the comments below.
On one of your travels, you traverse a widespread forest that covers the surrounding valleys and hills. After some time walking you are startled by a loud noise coming from somewhere in the forest, nearby. It sounds like an animal, frantically crying and squeeking. It seems to be in severe pain. But then the crying stops as suddenly as it started. For a moment the forest seems completely silent, as if it was holding its breath.
Any player with high Nature or Survival skills can make a DC15 check to recognize the sound as the distress of a badger.
The sound came from nearby, so when you start looking it only takes a ahort while until you walk into a strange scene. You are in a clear patch of forest, surrounded by bushes. There’s a rusty old, unsprung bear trap on the floor. It has blood and fur all over it. Straight above the trap is a cord, dangling from branches high up in a tree. Tied to the cord you see a golden ring with a large ruby. It’s tied up high, just out of reach.
There’s no remains of any animal: the badger got eaten. It was likely lured by the Goblins to feed the Mimic, or it just stumbled upon it by chance.
The ring
The ring is not real. Any player who succeeds an investigation check (DC12) can see through the illusion. It is actually a stick that is made to seem something desirable to any person or animal passing by. It is a Silent Image spell, cast by one of two Goblins who are hiding nearby.
The bear trap
Any player with high Nature or Survival skills recognize the fur as that of a badger. A perception check will reveal the blood still looks wet. The trap is actually a Mimic, but based on perception alone, it is indistinguishable from a normal bear trap. If a player succeeds an investigation check of DC25 it will discover its true nature. As soon as this happens, roll for initative. The Mimic attacks without suprise. If the check fails, the Mimic will suprise-attack and grapple the player.
When you touch the trap you notice it doesn’t feel like rusted metal, but instead it feels warm and sticky. In fact, when you try and pull your hand away, you can’t. On the opposite side of the bear trap from where you are stuck to it, you now see several yellow eyes appearing. Then suddenly teeth sprawl from the metal and the middle of the bear trap turns into a gurgling opened throat. Before you can react it snaps and bites down on you.
Combat
With a suprise attack the Mimic will bite down and grapple the player who touched it. The party will likely attack the Mimic. When this happens, the two Goblins hiding in the bushes start shooting arrows and fire bolts. Their strategy will be to keep hiding with their bonus action, to be able to have advantage on ambush attacks. They concentrate on attacking whoever attacks or is grapled by the Mimic. If the Goblins are about to be overrun, they try to flee.
One of the Goblins is a Level 2 Sorcerer with Wisdom 14(+2) and a spell save DC14. He has two cantrips: fire bolt and bonfire, and two 1st level spells: silent image and expeditious retreat.
Risks and Rewards
At the risk of sustaining damage in combat, players can find the following loot: the goblin sorcerer holds a wooden staff, a birdskull talisman, a minor potion of healing and a crude short sword, the other has: 2 GP, a bow and some arrows, a rusty scimitar and a pouch of low quality food.
If they search the area and succeed a DC15 investigation check, they will find treasure at the spot where the goblins laid in hiding. A small wooden box is hidden in the undergrowth, containing: 52 GP, 31 SP, jewelry worth 20 GP (12 silver rings, 4 gold rings, 2 golden bracelets), 4 golden teeth (worth 2 GP in total) and a handful of fingernails.
Monsters and NPC's
Mimic
Medium monstrosity (shapechanger), neutral
Armor class 12 (Natural Armor)
Hit points 58 (9D8+18)
Speed 15 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
17 (+3) | 12 (+1) | 15 (+2) | 5 (-3) | 13 (+1) | 8 (-1) |
Skills Stealth +5
Damage Immunities Acid
Condition Immunities Prone
Senses Darkvision 60 Ft., passive Perception 11
Challenge 2 (450 XP)
Shapechanger. The mimic can use its action to polymorph into an object or back into its true, amorphous form. Its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn ‘t transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.
Adhesive (Object Form Only). The mimic adheres to anything that touches it. A Huge or smaller creature adhered to the mimic is also grappled by it (escape DC 13). Ability checks made to escape this grapple have disadvantage.
False Appearance (Object Form Only). While the mimic remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary object.
Grappler. The mimic has advantage on attack rolls against any creature grappled by it.
Actions
Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: (1d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage. If the mimic is in object form, the target is subjected to its Adhesive trait
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: (1d8 + 3) piercing damage plus (1d8)acid damage.
Goblin
Small humanoid (goblinoid), neutral evil
Armor class 15 (Leather Armor, Shield)
Hit points 7 (2D6)
Speed 30 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
8 (-1) | 14 (+2) | 10 (+0) | 10 (+0) | 8 (-1) | 8 (-1) |
Skills Stealth +6
Senses Darkvision 60 Ft., passive Perception 9
Languages Common, Goblin
Challenge 2 (450 XP)
Actions
Scimitar. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: (1d6 + 2) slashing damage.
Shortbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 80/320 ft., one target. Hit: (1d6 + 2) piercing damage.
