Encampment Encounters: Hello Darkness

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Tags: Dungeon/Caves or Nearby, drow or humanoids who have a shaman, Surprise

Setup: The PCs are exploring a dungeon or caves and have faced drow or some other humanoid race that has the ability to cast darkness. This can also occur nearby the dungeon/cave entrance at night.

Strategy:

  • A PC on watch hears something from one direction. (Perhaps a stone was thrown there or one enemy is in that direction. If the PC(s) on guard walk that way, another enemy approaches from the other direction and casts darkness on the camp’s light source, or the center of where the rest of the PCs are sleeping.
  • All other foes move toward the sleeping PCs except two who attack the PC on guard.
  • There is a chance the noise of combat will wake the PCs.  But the darkness will keep them disoriented. (Can’t find weapons and armor, may walk into a campfire, etc.)
  • But the humanoids attacking the sleepers are hoping for easy kills while the other two humanoids keep the PC on guard busy.
  • The humanoids know the terrain and are able to use a trap the PCs’ have yet discovered. (Pushing a playing into a covered or pressure sensitive pit, for example.)

Follow-up Ideas:

  • If any enemies get away, they’ll know more about the PCs’ tactics.
  • A captured foe may yield information if properly motivated.