Giant Toads plus Faerie

Encounter: The Toad Drover

Setting: Marshy creek valley, preferably while the party is resting near water.

Eight giant toads are being driven along the creek by a malicious little faerie that understands their calls and body language well enough to direct them almost like livestock. The faerie is not interested in a fair fight; it wants confusion, panic, and an easy victim.

Giant Toads (8)

• HP: 12 each
• Use normal giant toad combat statistics otherwise.
• The toads approach mostly along the creek itself, partly concealed by water, reeds, and low banks.
• They do not initially attack in a coordinated battle line. The faerie instead steers them into positions from which several can strike into the campsite from different directions.

Faerie Drover

• HP: 4
• AC: 2
• Tiny, highly intelligent, malicious, and very unwilling to die.
• Can hop extraordinary distances.
• Can fly for short distances.
• Invisibility at will. It becomes visible when it makes a direct attack, but may become invisible again afterward.
• Ventriloquism
• Audible Glamer
• Dancing Lights
• Understands the giant toads' calls and body language and can imitate enough of their "language" to direct them.

The faerie behaves more like a nasty little drover than a military commander. The toads are not loyal pets; it simply knows how to provoke, steer, attract, and redirect them.

Initial Signs

While the party is resting, someone on watch hears a deep plop from the creek, followed by another some distance away.

Soon afterward, toad calls begin coming from several directions. Some are real; others are produced through Ventriloquism or Audible Glamer. Dim greenish Dancing Lights may drift through reeds or across the opposite bank, resembling distant lanterns or strange marsh lights.

Meanwhile, the actual giant toads continue moving quietly down the creek toward the camp.

Hints That Something Is Wrong

The party should have several opportunities to realize that the toads are being manipulated.

• A false toad call may come from one direction while a visible toad elsewhere is already croaking.
• Reeds may bend, mud may depress, or shallow water may splash beneath the invisible faerie as it hops along the creek bank.
• The toads occasionally stop, turn toward apparently empty space, and then abruptly alter direction.
• Characters knowledgeable about animals or nature may notice that eight giant amphibians are behaving far too coherently.
• Mud, flour, ash, thrown water, dust, or similar improvisations can reveal the invisible faerie.
• Detect Invisibility or comparable magic exposes it normally.

Attack

The faerie attempts to maneuver several toads close to the campsite before allowing them to attack.

Its preferred opening targets are isolated or vulnerable creatures: a smaller character, a pack animal, exposed food, or someone positioned near the creek. It prefers to have a toad seize or surprise someone rather than expose itself.

The faerie continues producing misleading sounds and lights during the attack in an effort to make the party believe additional creatures are approaching from elsewhere.

If the young dragon is present, the faerie immediately recognizes that the party is considerably more dangerous than expected. It initially avoids provoking the dragon directly and attempts to use the toads against softer targets instead.

Faerie Tactics

The faerie does not fight bravely.

It remains invisible whenever possible, changes position frequently, and uses illusion and sound to confuse rather than damage the party directly.

If discovered or seriously threatened, it flees immediately using hops, short flights, and invisibility. With only 4 hp, it knows that a single good weapon strike may kill it.

The giant toads may continue fighting, flee into the creek, or scatter once the faerie abandons them, depending on circumstances.

Encounter Purpose

This is a genuine wilderness encounter rather than part of Gannicky's defenses. It should therefore feel chaotic, opportunistic, and somewhat absurd rather than carefully planned.

The encounter also establishes that apparently ordinary local creatures may be manipulated by minor spirits and faeries, making later deliberate interference by Gannicky feel distinct.