Badlands Ambush

Tuesday, March 3, 2020

An Encounter for a Bestiary Bundle!
Using accessories can really enhance your game, and I couldn’t be more excited for people to get their hands on the new Pathfinder Bestiary Battle Cards. I helped put them together and during the process I was constantly thinking how they could make a game easier by just plucking out the cards you need for the session and not have to flip through the Bestiary. You can even throw together a quick encounter by grabbing a few cards from the box, plucking the corresponding pawns from the Pathfinder Bestiary Pawn Box, and slapping down a Flip-Mat on your table. Since I was thinking about it, I did just that and want to share it with all of you.

The encounter below is intended for 3rd-level Pathfinder characters. If you don’t have a 3rd-level character and don’t want to make one for this encounter, pick up one of the 3rd-level pregens here.

It takes place in an area of rugged badlands, although you could set this pretty much anywhere gnolls could be found, deserts, plains, or hills. For this encounter, consider using the Pathfinder Flip-Mat: Ambush Sites Multi-Pack.

You’ll need the following pawns and cards from the Bestiary Pawn Box and Bestiary Battle Cards:

Gnoll Hunter

Hyena

Pugwampi (2)

Badlands Ambush Moderate 3

"Tasked with delivering vital supplies to an isolated outpost, you’ve been traveling through the rocky badlands of western Katapesh. Worried about attacks by bandits and other threats of the desert, your group has been traveling along a nearly dry riverbed to keep your profiles low."

The PCs aren’t alone on their trek. A lone gnoll hunter named Magorek has been out hunting with her trusted hyena for food to provide food for her band. Unfortunately for her, she picked up a couple of tag-alongs—a pair of mischievous pugwampis. Magorek isn’t pleased with the fawning gremlins following along, but she hadn’t run them off yet thinking that they might provide a useful edge in case she comes across any threats too big for her to handle. In her search for prey, Magorek stuck to the dry riverbed in hopes of finding game that came to the small stream to drink.

Creatures: It’s here where Magorek hears the PCs footfalls echo down the rocky walls of the riverbed. She can’t yet see the PCs, but her keen survival skills let her know that there are more than just a couple people. Unsure if she can take the group, she quiets the bickering pugwampis and takes cover to hide. The PCs are unaware that they’re about to walk into an ambush.

Magorek stays hidden, waiting to see the PCs so she can size them up. Unafraid of the threat and certain she can take the PCs—and bring home meat to her fellow gnolls—Magorek attacks as soon as the PCs are within 40 feet. One of the pugwampis see her draw her bow and follow suit. When combat starts, the hyena rushes to the closest PC, savages them with its powerful jaws, and attempts to drag the character back to the gnoll. One of the pugwampis stays back with Magorek and fires at the PCs, while the other runs to the group sword drawn. If the hyena manages to successfully use its Drag action on a PC, Magorek drops her bow and engages the PCs in melee on her next turn. The toadying pugwampi, of course, follows. If Magorek is reduced to 10 Hit Points or fewer, she takes the time to drink one of her lesser healing potions (see Treasure below). If Magorek is reduced to 5 Hit Points or fewer, she shamefully attempts to flee, showing no concern for her companions.

Artist: Ben Wootten

Magorek Creature 2

Female gnoll hunter (Pathfinder Bestiary 178)
Initiative Perception +7

Artist: Ben Wootten

Hyena Creature 1

Pathfinder Bestiary 211
Initiative Perception +6

Artist: Yasen Stoilov

Pugwampis (2) Creature 0

Pathfinder Bestiary 193
Initiative Perception +6

Treasure: In addition to her listed items, Magorek wears a bandolier holding three lesser healing potions and a lesser antidote.

Adam Daigle
Managing Developer