[D20cember] F is for Falling Rocks

Falling Rocks: A Get Ready, Get Set, Go! Labyrinth Lord adventure set in the Ashford Valley.

Get Ready:
Rocks fall, everybody dies.

Get Set:
The PCs are in the hills close to the Valley walls for one reason or the other. Maybe they're looking for a fugitive from justice, or perhaps trying to find a lost Dwarven mine, or even just trying to get away from it all and take a break from adventuring.

Go!:
The PCs have set up camp on the slopes in what they believe is a safe area. Suddenly they hear a loud "BOOM" and the area of land their campsite is on starts to slowly slide downhill. With only a scant few moments to gather their gear and themselves before the land becomes a landslide, they'll each have to decide what four things they grab and where to go before it's too late! (Cruel GMs could require an ability check vs. Dexterity for the PC to grab each of the four items.)

Landslide! Each character in the camp must save versus petrify or suffer 2d6 damage per round until shelter is found. Possible shelters include tall trees, rock outcroppings or nearby caves (which could result in being buried alive), all of which require an ability check vs. Dexterity or thieves climbing training to reach safety.

Those PCs that survive the moving earth and aren't buried are then stuck with scant supplies in a wilderness and a mystery of why the land started moving. Farther up the hills and several harsh days of survival later (with each night punctuated by further loud "BOOMS", they come across a trio of dwarfs using a primitive explosive (1 charge left, no matter when the PCs arrive) to blow up a hillside for gold!

When the party comes into the dwarfs' camp, dirty, starving and with little gear to speak of, whether the dwarfs help them or not depends greatly on a variety of things - including whether the dwarfs had just uncovered a valuable vein of gold! (GMs choice.)

Plus there's the problem of the fugitive from justice skulking about!

Notable NPCs:
Alain the Bandit (1 Normal Man); Alignment: Chaotic; Armor Class: 4 (chain & shield); Hit Dice: 1d8, Hit Points: 8; Attacks: longsword (1d8), short bow (1d6); Save: NM; Morale: 8.

"Copper," "Lead" and "Tin" (3 Dwarfs); Alignment: Neutral; Armor Class: 4; Hit Dice: 1d8, Hit Points: 7, 7, 6; Attacks: hammer (1d6) or heavy crossbow (1d8); Save: D1; Morale: 8, Special abilities: mining, 1 charge of primitive explosive (5d10).