Dangerous Encounter: Hey! You Dropped This...

This encounter works best when the PCs are travelling on a well-traveled pathway, perhaps a Bygone road or highway. In the distance, they'll see a figure in the sky, flying right toward them. As it gets closer, the figure will begin firing an antique pistol at them, missing handily (although the ML should pretend to roll to hit). The winged humanoid will pass far overhead, out of range and reach of the characters. Their attacker is an Accipitoid, a winged hawk-like humanoid (MF rulebook, page 59).

Accipitoid (1) (AL N, MV 120' (40'), Fly 180' (60'),  AC 5, HD 5, #AT 3 (2 claws, bite), DM 1d6/1d6/1d10, SV L5, ML 10, mutations: complete wing development, increased sense (sight))

The Acciptoid is deliberately trying to goad the PCs into defending themselves and returning his attack, although he tries to remain safely out of range. His gun is actually a child's toy that fires noisy, but harmless caps. When he is certain he has their attention, he will fly off as if retreating. The PCs will see him fumble with his "gun," then it will fall from his hands, landing several hundred yards off the road. The Acciptoid will watch it fall, glance at the PCs, then fly off into the distance. To the PCs, it should appear that their attacker fumbled and dropped his weapon. Greedy PCs may race out to recover the weapon, which is the Acciptoid's plan all along.

The Acciptoid has "dropped" his weapon within a few feet of a hidden Giant Land Squid (MF rulebook, page 79). The Squid has buried itself just under the surface, and it is laying in wait for its next dinner. When the PCs get within 15 feet, its tentacles will explode from the ground, grasping and reaching for its meal. The soil will cave in, creating a funnel-like opening leading to its mouth.

Giant Land Squid (1) (AL C, MV 180' (60'), Burrow 90' (30'),  AC 7, HD 15, #AT 9 (8 tentacles, bite), DM small tentacles 1d6 swat, 1d10 crush/large tentacles 1d8 swat, 2d10 crush/bite 3d6 + poison, SV L4, ML 9, mutations: toxic weapon)

The Giant Land Squid will try to grab and pull any within reach to its jaws. If a character is bitten, they should save versus Class 11 poison. Failure means the poisonous bite has paralyzed the PC for 2d6 rounds. The Squid will then drag the PC to his doom. If the PCs are victorious, they will discover 37 silver pieces, 16 gold pieces, and a full set of Plastex body armor (AC 3) in its stomach from a previous victim that the Squid has not yet regurgitated. (They'll also find the child's toy dropped by the Acciptoid nearby.)

If the PCs decide to hang around, the Acciptoid will return in a few days. He knows the Squid usually throws up any undigested valuables and artifacts and, if its hunger is sated, it's safe to land and loot any cast-off items. The Acciptoid has been playing out this scenario for several months and has amassed an impressive collection of artifacts.What the PCs do to him if he's caught is left as an exercise for the ML.