Nyambe When Giraffes Attack.pdf

WHEN GIRAFFES ATTACK!

BY CHRIS DOLUNT

(This article first appeared in Game Trade Magazine

in 2002.)

West of Nyambe’s Giko Taaba mountain range lies the

tUbI grassland, a nearly featureless expanse of savan-

nah broken only by the occasional watering hole or

tree. The grasses in the tUbI reach as tall as six feet in

the most wild of regions, and provide sustenance to a

tremendous variety of animals, such as wildebeest and

gazelle, upon which the fearsome lion-centaurs called

the entare prey. The only people who regularly brave

the tUbI are those of the nomadic Shombe tribe, and

even they take pains to avoid the entare.

Encounter Level : 6 (mad giraffes); 8 (formian

taskmaster and bodyguard); 9 (formian warriors)

Setting : The tUbI grassland on the continent of

Nyambe-tanda — a tropical savannah or scrub plain.

Summary : The party is attacked by mad giraffes.

Unfortunately, the giraffes are the property of a

formian hive. If the party kills the giraffes, the

formians demand compensation; what they really

want is for the party to cure their animals.

Requirements: This encounter uses elements from

the Nyambe: African Adventures campaign source-

book, coming in August 2002 from Atlas Games, but

can be adapted to other campaign settings. It requires

that the party have some method of magically curing

diseases; this could be a paladin, a character able to

cast remove disease , or a magic item capable of cast-

ing it multiple times.

As the party travels through this grassland, they

occasionally hear a strange whistling sound off in the

distance. Eventually, the party catches sight of a

gigantic tree in the distance, hundreds of feet in

height. Before they can react to the sight, a nearby

group of giraffes suddenly flies into a berserk rage

and charges the party!

A few days ago, these giraffes were attacked by a mad

lion, and although they survived the attack, they all

contracted the disease it carried. The creatures act as the

watch-animals for a formian hive, and the formians

unfortunately have no way to cure the disease. A formi-

an taskmaster and his human bodyguard have been

lurking in the nearby thatch grass looking for an adven-

turing party that might be tricked into assisting them.

When the party draws near, the taskmaster uses his tele-

pathic powers to drive the animals into a violent rage.

The Setting

Nyambe-tanda — the Land of the Overpower — is a

vast continent of exotic creatures and wide expanses,

where ancestor orisha cry for brave tribal warriors to

carve out the hearts of foul mchawi wizards, and

where dragon-blooded sei sorcerers once joined the

fierce Amazons of Nibomay in the bloody Rebelling

Time to win their freedom.

If the characters have access to skills, spells, or spe-

cial abilities that can calm animals, they may be able

to stop the attack, but apply a +4 circumstance

penalty to the DC, or a +4 circumstance bonus to the

saving throws of the giraffes, to represent the diffi-

culty of controlling the diseased animals.

Mad Giraffes (3)

The Taskmaster

Huge Animals

CR 3; SZ H (animals); HD 4d8+16; hp 30, 33, 34;

Init +2 (Dex); Spd 40 ft.; AC 13 (–2 size, +2 Dex, +3

natural); Atk melee +7 (2 females: 1d6+4, kick; 1

male: 1d8+4, gore); Face 5 ft. x 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.;

SA Rabid Rage; SQ Scent, Low-Light Vision; AL N;

SV Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +3; Str 22, Dex 14, Con 19,

Int 1, Wis 14, Cha 8

The formian taskmaster and his human bodyguard

have three-quarters concealment from the thatch-

grass. This gives them a +7 circumstance bonus on

their Hide checks. If they are somehow spotted,

attacks directed against them suffer from a 30% miss

chance.

No matter how the battle ends, the formian taskmas-

ter will emerge from his hiding place, “shouting”

telepathically. The taskmaster grumpily explains that

the giraffes are the watch-animals for a major formi-

an hive. If the party killed or injured the animals, it

demands compensation. If the party somehow avoid-

ed a fight, it accuses them of “bewitching” the ani-

mals, and will still demand compensation.

Skills : Listen +7, Spot +7

Rabid Rage (Ex) : Due to its diseased condition, a

mad giraffe can fly into a wild rage. A raging giraffe

temporarily gains +4 to Strength, +4 to Constitution,

and a +2 morale bonus on Will saves, but suffers a –2

penalty to AC.

The increase in Constitution increases the giraffe’s hit

points by 2 points per hit die, but these hit points go

away at the end of the rage when the Constitution

score drops back to normal. A fit of rage lasts for a

number of rounds equal to 3 + the giraffe’s (newly

improved) Constitution modifier (8 rounds in this

case). The giraffe may not end the rage voluntarily.

At the end of the rage, the giraffe is fatigued (–2 to

Strength, –2 to Dexterity, can’t charge or run) for the

duration of the encounter. A mad giraffe can only fly

into a rage once per day. Entering a rage takes no

time itself, but the giraffe can only do it during its

action.

Scent (Ex): A giraffe can detect those within 30 feet

by sense of smell. It can take a partial action to note

the direction of the scent. If it moves within 5 feet of

the source, the giraffe can pinpoint that source. The

giraffe can also follow fresh tracks with a Wisdom

check DC 10. Creatures tracking by scent ignore the

effects of surface conditions and poor visibility.

Low-Light Vision (Ex): Giraffes can see twice as far

as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, etc.

Negotiating with the taskmaster should not be partic-

ularly difficult; despite its best efforts, the taskmaster

is not very good at deception. Eventually, it will

come out and say that it wants the party to return to

its nest and attempt to cure the other mad giraffes. If

the party doesn’t go along with its demands, the

taskmaster will repeatedly attempt to dominate them

until it either succeeds, the party does acquiesce to its

demands, or they attack.

The taskmaster’s bodyguard, Kumbuku (koom-BOO-

koo), will immediately leap into the fray if the formi-

an is attacked. Kumbuku is a young gamba (village

warrior) of the Shombe (SHAWM-bey) people who

was unfortunate enough to encounter a formian press

gang and is now being dominated into service by the

taskmaster. Kumbuku has a shaved head, is dressed in

a red and green plaid blanket known as a shuka

(SHOO-kah), and is wearing beaded jewelry decorat-

ed with the claws of a dire lion — a memento from

his coming-of-age ceremony in which he and his age-

mates slew a black-furred dire lion.

The GM and the players should remember that formi-

ans have a hive-mind, and that assaulting the

taskmaster can also easily bring down the wrath of

the entire hive; a troop of nine formian warriors (see

below) soon arrives to enforce the taskmaster’s will if

he comes under attack. Whether willing or not, the

party should eventually be brought to the formian

hive and pressed to cure the giraffes.

Formian Taskmaster

Immunities (Ex) : Formians have poison, petrifica-

tion, and cold immunity.

Resistances (Ex) : All formians have fire, electricity,

and sonic resistance 20.

Medium-Size Outsider (Lawful)

CR 7; SZ M (outsider); HD 6d8+12; hp 39; Init +7

(+3 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Spd 40 ft.; AC 19

(+3 Dex, +6 natural); Atk melee +10 (2d4+4, sting),

and melee +5 (1d6+2, 2 claws); Face 5 ft. x 5 ft.;

Reach 5 ft.; SA Hive Mind, Poison, Dominate Person,

Dominated Creature; SQ Immunities, Resistances,

Telepathy, SR 21; AL LN; SV Fort +7, Ref +8, Will

+8; Str 18, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 16, Cha 19

Skills : Climb +13, Hide +12, Listen +12, Move

Silently +12, Search +8, Sense Motive +12, Spot +12

Feats : Improved Initiative, Spell-Like Ability Focus

(enchantment)

Telepathy (Su): Taskmasters can communicate tele-

pathically with any intelligent creature within 100 feet.

Spell Resistance (Su): To determine if a spell or

spell-like ability works against a formian taskmaster,

the spellcaster makes a level check (1d20 + caster

level). If the result equals or exceeds 21, the spell

works normally, though the target still gets a saving

throw if the spell allows such.

Kumbuku

Languages: None (telepathic)

Hive Mind (Ex) : All formians within 50 miles of

their queen are in constant communication. If one is

aware of a particular danger, they all are. If one in a

group encounter is not flat-footed, none of them are.

No formian in a group encounter is considered

flanked unless all of them are.

4th-Level Human Gamba (fighter variant)

CR 4; SZ M (humanoid); HD 4d12+8; hp 38; Init +2

(Dex); Spd 40 ft.; AC 12 (+1 Dex, +1 Sanguar Feat);

Atk melee +8 (1d12+6/x3, heavy spear); Face 5 ft. x

5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.; AL NG, SV Fort +6 Ref +2, Will

+0; Str 15, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 9, Cha 10

Skills: Climb +7, Handle Animal +3, Intimidate +2,

Hide +4, Intuit Direction +2, Jump +5, Listen +4,

Spot +4, Wilderness Lore +2

Feats: Power Attack, Steadfast (+4 to resist bull rush-

es and trip attempts), Weapon Focus (heavy spear),

Weapon Specialization (heavy spear)

Languages: Dwarven, Kordo (Common variant)),

Daka-alif

Possessions: +1 subduing heavy spear (can inflict

subdual damage without the usual –4 attack penalty),

traveler’s outfit, woven backpack, calabash gourd

filled with acacia tree nectar, dire-lion-claw necklace.

Poison (Ex) : Sting, Fortitude save (DC 15); initial

and secondary damage 1d6 temporary Strength.

Dominate Person (Su) : Taskmasters can use dominate

person on any creature as the spell cast by a 10th-level

sorcerer (save DC 19), although the subject may be of

any type and may be up to Large size. A single

taskmaster can dominate up to four subjects at a time.

Dominated Creature (Ex) : A taskmaster is never

encountered alone: one dominated nonformian creature

always accompanies it; this taskmaster’s dominated

creature is the human Shombe warrior Kumbuku.

The Formian Acacia

disease. The formians will insist — with a display of

force if necessary — that the characters remain until

all of the animals are cured. The accommodations

within the formian acacia are quite spare and the

characters get nothing to eat except tree nectar,

though this is quite capable of sustaining them. The

taskmaster remains with the party at all times during

their stay, and under no circumstances will the char-

acters be able to meet with the queen.

The taskmaster’s nest is built within the giant tree,

commonly known as a formian acacia. The formian

acacia is a thorny acacia tree that stands over 300 feet

in height, with a trunk over 100 feet in diameter.

Dozens of giraffes mill about the tree, browsing on

low-hanging branches, and formian workers can be

seen scuttling along the branches, carrying small yel-

low protein pellets. Over hundreds of years, the

formians have developed a strange symbiotic rela-

tionship with the tree; it produces nectar to nourish

the hive, and the formians protect the tree from harm.

Conclusion

At some point during their stay, Kumbuku will break

free of his mental domination and beg the party to

help him slay the taskmaster and escape; if a lan-

guage barrier exists, his intentions should still be

rather obvious. Killing the taskmaster brings a troop

of formian warriors to dispose of Kumbuku and the

party (see below).

Of course, the tree isn’t sentient, and the formians

have the better part of the relationship. They have

hollowed out tunnels in the interior of the tree as a

living space, and additional passages and chambers

wind about its roots. When the wind blows, it rushes

through the tunnels within the tree, producing a

ghostly whistle that can be heard from miles away.

On a Knowledge (planes) or similar skill check with

a DC of 5, the GM should alert the characters to the

dangers of formians — an expansionist race of

Outsiders — building nests on the Material Plane. If

pressed (Diplomacy check DC 15), the taskmaster

will admit that the hive’s plans for expansion have

been held in check by the formian acacia’s slow

growth rate. However, the queen “has a plan.” (The

details of this plan are left to the GM.)

The formians also raise giraffes as watch animals,

and in return the formians allow the animals to eat

the lower-hanging leaves of the tree. Unfortunately, at

least half of the watch-giraffes are mad with disease,

and as the party approaches, they will see the crea-

tures foaming at the mouth, biting each other, and

otherwise acting strangely.

If the party does not act on Kumbuku’s behalf imme-

diately, the taskmaster renews its control over him a

few minutes later. Once all of the animals have been

healed, the taskmaster will present the characters with

a package of valuables taken from human slaves

(including Kumbuku’s dire-lion-claw necklace), and

ask the party to remain permanently as the giraffes’

caretakers. If the characters refuse, the taskmaster

will attempt to dominate as many of the party mem-

bers as possible, and then call for a troop of formian

warriors to dispose of the others.

The GM can stage this final confrontation in several

ways. If the party has been having an easy time of it,

set the attack within the tree, where warriors are with-

in easy reach. If the party would be seriously out-

classed, have the encounter take place outside, where

the party can slay the taskmaster and escape before

the hive can react.

In total, 17 giraffes are infected with the maddening

Formian Warriors (9)

Just Rewards

Medium-Size Outsider (Lawful)

CR 3; SZ M (outsider); HD 4d8+8; hp 26 each; Init

+3 (Dex); Spd 40 ft.; AC 18 (+3 Dex, +5 natural);

Atk melee +7 (2d4+3, sting), and melee +5 (1d6+1, 2

claws), and melee +5 (1d4+1, bite); Face 5 ft. x 5 ft.;

Reach 5 ft.; SA Hive Mind, Poison; SQ Immunities,

Resistances, SR 18; AL LN; SV Fort +6, Ref +7, Will

+5; Str 17, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 11

If the party rescues Kumbuku, his family will pay

handsomely for his return — they present the party

with 100 cattle worth 15 gp a head. However,

Shombe families are nomadic, and it may take quite a

bit of searching the tUbI grasslands to locate them

Alternately, the package of valuables the taskmaster

presents to the party consists of the following:

• 30 tiny gems used as mancala playing pieces

(worth 10 gp each)

Skills : Climb +10, Hide +10, Listen +7, Move

Silently +10, Spot +6

•Amancala board of made from valuable hardwood

(worth 10 gp)

Feats : Dodge, Multiattack

Hive Mind (Ex) : All formians within 50 miles of

their queen are in constant communication. If one is

aware of a particular danger, they all are. If one in a

group encounter is not flat-footed, none of them are.

No formian in a group encounter is considered

flanked unless all of them are.

Poison (Ex) : Sting, Fortitude save (DC 14); initial

and secondary damage 1d6 temporary Strength.

Immunities (Ex) : Formians have poison, petrifica-

tion, and cold immunity.

Resistances (Ex) : All formians have fire, electricity,

and sonic resistance 20.

•Adozen cowry shell necklaces (worth 5 gp each)

•Amasterwork “talking” drum (worth 100 gp)

•Astylized wooden carving of a forest spirit (worth

50 gp)

•An udamalore (oo-dah-mah-LORH-eh) ceremonial

ivory scimitar (worth 1,000 gp)

• Kumbuku’s beaded dire-lion-claw necklace (worth

150 gp)

Nyambe:

Spell Resistance (Su): To determine if a spell or

spell-like ability works against a formian warrior, the

spellcaster makes a level check (1d20 + caster level).

If the result equals or exceeds 18, the spell works

normally, though the target still gets a saving throw if

the spell allows such.

African Adventures

The Nyambe campaign setting for the D20 System

brings high fantasy to African myth, legend, and his-

tory in a 256-page hardcover sourcebook from Atlas

Games, coming in August 2002. Ask your local retail-

er for more information on Nyambe: African

Adventures , or visit our web site at www.atlas-

games.com .

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