L2-21. Stink-Lizard Wyes
Three-toed tracks and a dragging tail-mark score the silt. Bone-heaps—snail, blindfish—gleam pale in your light.
Layout & Terrain
- SE Run (10 ft): Natural stone, 7–8 ft high; slick patches (treat as difficult terrain in 5-ft scallops).
- East Passage: Narrow (5 ft), winding, gentle down-slope; faint river noise grows. Leads deeper toward Underdark-ward troglodyte territory.
- South Side Cavern: 25×30 ft bowl with two mouths: south (toward a drip-pool), west (loops toward hidden fish caches). Ceiling 10–12 ft, curtains of roots.
Light & sound: No native light. The river’s roar gives +1 to Stealth checks made within the junction (masking footfalls).
Signs & Clues
- Tracks: Survival DC 12 to read frequent troglodyte traffic east↔south; DC 15 to separate a hunting pack (3–5) from scouts (1–2).
- Caches: Investigation DC 12 to spot a cracked shell pile and a net-peg in the south cavern (west wall); 1d4 rations of cave-fish if not already raided.
- Musk Gradient: Perception DC 11 notes a stronger reek east, weaker southwest.
- Pool Echo: Listening south reveals a chamber with a drip pool (encounter hook; see table).
Tactics Notes
(if combat spills here)
- No Suel defenses. Troglodytes fight by odor-marking the south cavern, then flanking from east.
- Ambush Edge: If a fight begins in total darkness and the party lacks bright light, troglodyte scouts gain advantage on the first round (camouflage + scent).
Wandering Monsters
(Noise or 10 minutes linger)
Roll 1d8 when the party arrives, then every 10 minutes (or after noisy events). Apply +1 if the group used bright light for >10 minutes; −1 if maintaining quiet whispers and dim light.
| d8 | Encounter (reaction on 2d6) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No encounter; distant scrapes and a hiss. | Next check at +1 (they’re circling). |
| 2 | 2 Troglodyte Scouts (7) | From east; if blood scent present, they shadow instead of strike. |
| 3 | 3 Troglodytes (6) with Cave Lizard (8) | Hunt line. Lizard lunges at a rear PC; handlers retreat east if bloodied. |
| 4 | Quipper Swarm sloshing up from south pool (5) | Only engages if a creature enters water or falls prone near the rim. |
| 5 | Carrion Crawler (6) nosing along west outlet | Drawn by musk and shell-heaps; flees fire, pursues paralyzed prey. |
| 6 | Piercers (1d4) (5) over the east bend | Trigger on first bright light under them; afterward the nest is spent. |
| 7 | Troglodyte Hunting Pack (4–5) (7) | Coordinate from east & south; withdraw if 2 drop or fire spreads. |
| 8 | Lost Orc (1) at 1 HP (8) | Frightened deserter from Howling Moon; knows “stink-lizards” favor the east choke and that the south pool is shallow then drops. |
Reaction (2d6): 2–3 hostile, 4–6 wary, 7–9 neutral, 10–11 curious/cautious parley, 12 helpful (situational).
Type: Natural junction (no Suel traps)
Access: From L2-20 across the slab, the cave runs SE for 10 ft to a two-way intersection: a winding east tunnel descends into black; a side cavern opens south, with rough outlets south and west.
GM Sidebar: Mood & Flow
Keep this junction trap-free and readable—it’s a breath between set-pieces. Let players listen, track, and choose: south (manageable risk, resource pocket) or east (escalating danger, deeper plot). The river’s roar should remind them the temple’s order has ended; beyond lies the wild law of the caverns.
Travel Hooks
- East (Underdark-ward): Depth increases; encounters shift to troglodyte lair sign, oozes, and blind predators. Increase checks to every 5 minutes beyond 120 ft.
- South: Leads to a drip-pool chamber (good short rest if secured; risk of quippers and ambush).
- West outlet (from south cavern): Curves back toward hidden food caches and scent-stones; low chance to loop toward L2-20 via crawl (GM’s option).
Forage & Small Finds
- Shell-heap: 1d4 cave-snail rations (rank; DC 10 Con save to avoid queasiness, disadv. on Perception by smell for 1 hour on a fail).
- Fish strings: 1d3 strings of dried blind-fish (if not already looted by orcs).
- Scent-stone: A chalky pebble reeking of musk; smearing on armor imposes disadvantage on Troglodyte Perception by sight but grants advantage on their scent checks to trail you (player choice).
Comments