Gnomes and Gnolls (3.5e Encounter)

Encounter: Gnomes and Gnolls

• CR 7
• Integration A simple random encounter for overland travel.
• Prep Time very little
• Play Time —

Introduction

While traveling overland through the wilderness, the PCs come across a recently sacked gnome village by the name of "Treehollow." They were attacked by a raiding party of gnolls. The gnolls took all of the gnomes' valuables and kidnapped a number of their people. The gnomes don't have much by which to repay the PCs but they would be eternally grateful and would offer spell services and all of their valuables in exchange for rescuing their people.

The gnolls have a head start and the PCs will have to hustle for 5 hours to catch up to them. Their trail is fairly easy to find but a search check should be required every hour and a failed check results in the number of hours of travel increased by one. If a PC has the Track feat, they should be able to follow the trail without a check. Also a fortitude save must be rolled every hour or a character will become fatigued. The first save is DC 11 and it increases by 1 for each concurrent save.

If the PCs cannot catch up to the gnolls after 12 hours, the gnolls have made it to their camp where they have sentries posted and are keeping the gnomes in big cages suspended off the ground.

There is a small caravan of 20 gnolls. Most are wearing light armor and are armed with longbows, nets and longspears. Four of the gnolls are well armored, are bearing lances and are riding brown bears.

Creatures

16 Gnolls armed with a longspear, a net and a longbow,

4 Gnolls armed with a lance, battleaxe, baring a heavy shield and wearing half plate armor.

4 brown bears

Tactics

Upon spotting, hearing or smelling the PCs, the gnolls all drop their gnome captives and charge up to the PCs as quickly as possible. They all attack the weakest seeming PC first. The gnolls with nets will use them on any PC with heavy armor. The gnolls are not proficient with nets and so get a -4 penalty to hit. Once netted, they will attempt to pull the PC prone and gang up on him. They will grapple said PC, disarm him, sunder his armor and generally beat him to death in a big pile. If the PCs are beaten easily, the gnolls will attempt to knock them unconscious with sub-dual damage so as to take them prisoners and sell them as slaves. The brown bears are trained for riding and are trained to fight with their gnoll riders. The gnolls prefer melee combat to ranged combat and will only use their bows if it's the only effective way to fight.

Treasure

gnome slaves,

gnome sized clothing,

jewelry,

coinage,

gifts from the gnomes

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