Sandbox Encounters: White Ape...

Good Afternoon, All:

For my twenty-third post in the A-Z Challenge, I will be posting a Sandbox Encounter dealing with some of the fiercest and deadliest primates in the Shattered Territories. W is for White Ape.

White Ape

Brief Description: White apes have six limbs, four of them being thick sinewy arms and two being stout legs, and are of tremendous size. They have a head like that of the African gorilla, with a shock of thick, stiff-bristled hair that runs from the back of the skull and neck to the upper shoulders. While white apes are found in many different terrain types in the Madlands, they prefer to dwell in the ruins of dead cities which provide them with shelter and good hunting grounds.

Encounter Groups: These are common encounter groups for this type of encounter.

• Novice (levels 1-3): 3 Young White Apes. 2d6x5 silver shillings, basic mundane equipment on the corpses of previous victims.


• Seasoned (levels 4-6): 5 Young White Apes, 2 White Apes, 1 White Ape Alpha Male. 3d6x10 silver shillings, basic mundane equipment on the corpses of previous victims.


• Veteran (levels 7-10): 10 Young White Apes, 5 White Apes, 1 White Ape Alpha Male. 4d6x20 silver shillings, basic mundane equipment on the corpses of previous victims.

Stat Blocks: The following stats are provided as examples for inspiration. Please adjust as needed to fit your preferred gaming system and style.

• Young White Ape: AC 5 [14]; HD 3; Atk: bite (1d6), four claws (1d3); ST: 14; SP: rend (2d3 additional damage if two or more claws hit in the same round); MV: 15, climb 15; CL 4; XP 120.


• White Ape: AC 3 [16]; HD 7; Atk: bite (1d8), four claws (1d4); ST: 9; SP: rend (2d4 additional damage if two or more claws hit in the same round); MV: 15, climb 15; CL 8; XP 800.


• White Ape Alpha Male: AC 1 [18]; HD 11; Atk: bite (2d6), four claws (1d6); ST: 4; SP: rend (2d6 additional damage if two or more claws hit in the same round); MV: 15, climb 15; CL 12; XP 2,000.

Encounter Ideas: Here are six different scenarios related to this encounter type.

1. A female white ape takes a liking to a male member of the party, which encourages the alpha male to attempt to intimidate his newfound rival.


2. The white apes are actually of two different communities, and are confronting one another over territory when the party comes upon the scene.


3. The white apes are fleeing a warped monstrosity from the depths of the Madlands, and are perfectly happy to let the players distract the beast so they can get away.


4. The white apes are patrolling their territory.


5. The white apes are returning to their lair after an unsuccessful hunt.


6. The white apes are sleeping after a good hunt, and do not take kindly to those who wake them up.

Enjoy,
Flynn