Beastmen are “cave hominids with scraggly fur and a stone-tipped spears,” featured prominently in Shadowdark’s Lost Citadel of the Scarlet Minotaur. Beastmen are one of those rare Shadowdark creatures that score bonus damage through their brutal ability (+1 damage with melee weapons). While beastmen are chaotic in alignment, that does not mean they attack instantly. With only 5 HP, they might run or attack only if they have some perceived advantage.
Encounter Seed: The characters enter a dungeon room with several piles of old clothing or sacks and six startled beastmen. The beastmen immediately take a defensive posture. In 2d4 rounds (if no combat) or 1d4 rounds (after the start of combat), a bat swarm enters the room from another entrance. They attack characters and beastmen indiscriminately for 1d4 rounds before trying to escape through the door the characters entered.
Encounter Seed: The characters hear a commotion ahead in the wilderness. If they investigate, they will find six men (bandits) escorting two beastmen in makeshift shackles. The bandits are forcing the beastmen to walk with them through the forest. If approached, the bandits are vague with their reason for capturing the beastmen. They say they were “spying” or “trespassing” or just “up to no good.” [Note: It’s possible that the beastmen and bandits are working together in some way, if that is the angle you want to go.]
Encounter Seed: There is a net attached to the ceiling of a dungeon chamber. It is triggered by a tripwire that is also attached to several bells. In 1d4 rounds after the trap is triggered, seven beastmen enter the room nervously to see what they caught. [Mechanics: The net captures everyone within near of the tripwire. DC 12 STR check to escape.]
Adventure Seed: The woodland fire burned for nearly three weeks before it was under control. Two peasants died, several homes were lost, and there was damage to the settlement’s wooden wall. Several peasants and guards believe the tribe of beastmen living in the cave near the forest is responsible for the fire. They hope to organize a mob to do something about the tribe.
Adventure Seed: A tribe of beastmen lived in a cave near a dwarven settlement for nearly a generation. That was, until something else entered their cave. Now, the beastmen have found a route to the dwarven mine. They are stuck between the dwarves and whatever entered their cave, and they are getting desperate.
Ridiculous Adventure Seed: A thug in a beastman costume scares people at an old inn so that he can convince the innkeeper to sell the place to him. Meanwhile, a real beastman comes to the inn looking for a place to stay.
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