One question that comes with giant animals is just how giant is giant? In Shadowdark, the giant bat is a “leathery, eagle-sized mammal.” Thus, a giant bat weighs around 15 pounds (6.8 kilograms) with a wingspan of approximately 6.5 feet (two meters). …and the rules say they have “a taste for flesh.” Scary!
Encounter Seed: A small group of individuals are near the entrance to a cave and leery of the party’s arrival. Three cultists join the group and explain that they do not want anyone to disturb their lord, Q’tolaq. Q’tolaq is a giant bat that the group worships. Q’tolaq appreciates being fed by the cultists. [Shadowdark Mechanics: Q’tolaq is big, even for giant bat, with the following stats: AC 12, HP 18, ATK 1 bite +4 (2d6), MV near (fly), S 1, D 2, C 0, I -2, W 1, Ch -2, AL N, LV 4]
Encounter Seed: As the party enters a room in a dungeon or the chamber of a cave, they immediately notice four sleeping giant bats. Unfortunately for the party, there is also a shrieker at the entrance to the room. The shrieker looks a lot like a large mushroom. [Shadowdark Mechanics: Shrieker: AC 12, HP 5, ATK 1 loud shriek, MV none, S -3, D -4, C +2, I -4, W +2, Ch -4, AL N, LV 1. Shriek. Makes a loud noise that can be heard from double far away.]
Encounter Seed: A group of worshippers runs out of a stone temple in a settlement. They are screaming. If asked, one of them will say, “Bats. Huge. Huge. Bats.” Three giant bats took refuge in the temple and woke up during a religious service. The local cleric is currently dealing with them to the best of her ability.
Adventure Seed: A group of prospectors (peasants) has gone missing. The last anyone knew, they were heading to explore a cave a few miles outside of the settlement. What no one expected was that the cave system would connect to old ruins. They also did not expect the colony of territorial giant bats that lived in the cave system.
Adventure Seed: While the rural settlement has always had its share of rats, snakes, and bats, something strange has happened with them over the past week. Peasants have reported seeing giant rats, giant bats, and a kid was almost eaten by a giant snake that slithered toward Farmer Spearman’s barn.
Ridiculous Adventure Seed: The goblins of the Twisted Knob thought they had a great idea when they attempted to train giant bats to act as mounts in their attack on the peasants of Farmington. The bats flew erratically, diving and leading the goblins to dismount. Now, giant bats are attacking peasant and goblin alike, making this one a free-for-all.
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This work includes material from the System Reference Document 5.2.1 (“SRD 5.2.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC, available at https://www.dndbeyond.com/srd. The SRD 5.2.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ legalcode.