TEXT: INTRODUCTION 
   
  This pdf contains three scenarios, each one originally took up a single piece of paper in my DM notebook. They are largely self-contained scenarios but can 
  easily extend into further consequences and other adventures. Each one requires a McGuffin--some item that the party is tasked to recover—either because 
  it’s intrinsically valuable or because some quest-dispensing NPC patron wants it. You can make up what the McGuffin is. 
   
  -Eight Demon River requires the party to wade into the midst of a great battle on the titular river, in the Far East. 
   
  -Temple of the Mantis takes place in a bizarre, mazelike extradimensional space, where the players must evade or defeat strange mantis priests to secure 
  the McGuffin. I placed the portal to the Temple on the cold and unforgiving Northern Continent, near Vornheim (as in Vornheim: The Complete City Kit) , 
  but it can really go anywhere. 
   
  -Wargenfels finds the party clinging to life on the back of a giant the size of a mountain. I put it in Broceliande (see ​Cube World #5: Warbox Broceliande 
  and ​Cube World #6: Siege of Ortheque​) and I’ve included a few landmarks in the area around it, but it can go anywhere there are castles and mountains. 
   
  Although the notebook pages where these adventures were conceived have most of the important things laid out, they might be cluttered or hard to read so 
  I’ve supplemented them here with regular text where I thought it would help. 
   
  EIGHT DEMON RIVER 
   
  After creating this scenario—the notebook version, I wrote up a semi-historical 17th Century Earth version as part of a larger, now-cancelled megamodule 
  for Lamentations of the Flame Princess.  Below is a slightly edited version of that, which fills in a little detail and might be easier to read than the notebook 
  page. Once you  read this, the notebook page can act as a” cheat sheet”. 
   
  Background 
  It is said that the diabolical Leng Tch’e possessed​ (the McGuffin)​, but where the ancient wizard might be hiding was a mystery until just days ago. At this 
  moment he sails boldly down the Yangtze in one of his immense tower ships, surrounded by a small private navy. Neither the rulers of the 300-year old 
  Ming dynasty nor the upstart Qing rebels are ok with a mad sorcerer terrorizing traffic on Asia’s largest river and skirmishes have been breaking out all 
  along the vast, half-mile-wide waterway—with Leng Tch’e gaining the upper hand at every turn. He leaves a trail of floating red lanterns in his path to mark 
  his dominion. 
   
  The chaos of the situation provides a rare opportunity to steal or at least examine ​(the McGuffin)​ before it is once again hidden by the unpredictable Leng 
  Tch’e, seized by one or the other side in the Chinese imperial conflict, or sunk to the bottom of the river. When the party arrives (locals will be glad to ferry 
  them down or up the river in exchange for extreme hazard pay) out of a thick fog (visibility: 100’), yet another small-scale naval battle has broken out. 
  Tch’e’s black-bannered flagship dominates the center of the scene. 
   
  Encounters 
   
  As the party moves toward Leng Tch’e (from upriver or down), roll d4 on this table until the same result is rolled twice, then ignore that and roll a d6 
  instead, if the same result is rolled twice after that, roll a d8, and so on through d10 and d12 up to d20. If the same result is rolled twice on a d20, then go to 
  20. 
   
  1 Sail between two war junks firing flaming arrows at each other.  
  2 Fusillade of arrows from passing tower ship—if above decks: save vs Breath or else choose: take 3d6 hp or take d8hp and dive into the river. 
  3 War junk attempting to board your vessel across a boarding net on a dropped frame. (This is kind of like a giant wooden bed frame with a rigging net 
  instead of a mattress. It’s held upright on the attacking ship, then dropped over so the enemy can crawl across it onto your ship.) 
  4 Turtle ship empties cage full of alligators down a ramp onto your deck. d4 crocs per character. 
  5 Sloping wreck of a massive tower ship, crew is diving into the river—ship can’t sail but does offer some cover. 
  6 You’re moving toward chain stretched across banks pulled tight on massive winches 
  7 Smoke and mist combine—visibility 2’. You hit something, roll again. 
  8 Iron-prowed junk about to ram you, you have 2 rounds to react. 
  9 Your vessel drifts toward a ​Stinking Cloud​ spell explodes just ahead, you have one round to decide what to do. 
  10 War Junk has locked in on your ship as its next target. Expect arrows. 
  11 Mounted trebuchet from tower ship lands shell right on your deck, save vs Breath or take d12. 
  12 Two turtle ships with a chain stretech beneath are closing in on you, you have 4 rounds to react. 
  13 Adjacent ship crashes tilting the deck, if above-deck, save or slide into the river. 
  14 A fire has broken out on the ship. 
  15 A war junk turned into a fire ship is headed toward you, you have 2 rounds to react. 
  16 Ship is sailing toward ​Wall of Ice, ​you have 3 round to react 
  17 d4 grappling hooks from a junk land on your vessel’s deck. Junk is 50’ away. 
  18 Tower ship and junk sandwich you in, deck cracks, your vessel loses half its hp. 
  19 Burning turtle ship full of ​Confused​ soldiers changed into human-sized turtles rams into you. 
  20 Leng Tch’e’s Tower ship looms into focus, McGuffin on the second storey. 
   
  In addition to what’s there. the notebook page, set in the Cube World includes: 
   
  -The Wizard’s familiar, a poisonfeather bird, with stats 
  -A D20 encounter table if the players approach on land 
  -Two maps of the river including a “zoomed out” one showing Leng Tch’e’s allies along the eastern shore. 
  
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
  Alligator 
  HD ​3​ HP ​11​ Speed ​120' (swimming or on land)​ Armor ​16​ Morale ​7​ Attacks ​2 attacks Bite 2d4 Claw d10 
   
  Crane Demons ​9’ tall, bent and cruel 
  HD​ 5 ​HP​ 25 ​Spee​d 120’ (including flying) ​Armor​ 15 ​Morale​ 12 ​Attack​ +5 to hit d8hp claw, anyone hit must save or believe they are a 
  crane for five rounds  ​Defense​  Demons don’t need to breathe or digest, don’t age, and are immune to poison, etc. and cannot be mentally 
  controlled with magic. Holy water does d6hp. Only weapons coated in holy water, the blood of another demon, blessed by a cleric (or 
  wielded by a blessed individual) can harm these demons.  
   
  Crowling thief​ 2’ tall humanoid with the head of a crow 
  HD​ 2 ​HP​ 8 ​Speed​ 120’ ​Armor ​15 (high dex) ​Morale​ 7 ​Attacks​ : +2 to hit, d6hp lt crossbow or d4hp dagger ​Special​ Sneak Attack 3, 
  Climb 5, Stealth 5 
  Giant Pangolin​ 15’ tall, bipedal 
  HD ​6​ HP ​30​ Speed ​120' ​Armor ​20​ Morale ​7​ Attacks ​3 attacks two claws for d10 Sticky tongue grapples with 18 Str 
   
  Humans ​This is most sailors in the fight, plus the bandits and the imperial soldiers 
  HD​ 1 ​HP​ 5 ​Speed​ 120’ ​Armor​ 16 (brigandine armor) ​Morale​ 8 ​Attack​: +1 d6hp short sword or shortbow  
  (as turtles: the same but AC 18) 
   
  Leng Tch’e 
  HD​ 20 ​HP​ 50 ​Speed​ 120’ ​Armor​ 12 ​Morale​ 10 ​Attack​: +1 short sword d6 ​Spells left by the time PCs get to him​ ​Time Stop, Maze, 
  Power Word Stun, Duo-Dimension, Barrier, Disintegrate, Interposing Hand, Phantasmal Supergoria, Animate Dead, Protection from 
  Normal Weapons, Confusion, Gust of Wind, Dispel Magic x 3, Hold Person, Webx2, Summon, Spider Climb, Sleepx3, Faerie Fire 
   
  Lion-Headed Ogre 
  HD​ 8 ​HP​ 40 ​Speed​ 120’ ​Armor ​17 ​Morale​ 10 ​Attack: ​+8 d10hp warscythe ​Spells​ ​Darkness ​(reverse of Light), ​Stinking Cloudx2, 
  Web, Wall of Fog, Protection from Normal Missiles, Transmute Rock to Mud, Wall of Stone ​Special​ ​wears 2000gp worth of gems 
   
  Octopus Witch 
  HD ​8​ HP ​l24 ​ Speed ​120'​ Armor ​14 (high dex)​ Morale ​11​ Attack ​+2 to hit short sword d6hp, ​Skills​ Climb: as level +2, Sneak attack: 
  as level, Stealth 5 (Their black clothes add 1 to any Stealth roll in the dark) ​Spells​: (d4 per round) ​Command, Silence 15’ Radius, Sleep, 
  Forget, Charm (anything), White Tentacles (as Web but inflicts D4 per round) 
   
  Poisonfeather Bird 
  HD​ 3 ​HP​ 15 ​Speed​ 120’ ​Armor​ 14 ​Morale​ 10 ​Attack​  +3 to hit save vs poison or take d20hp 
   
  Salamander Men ​broad, hunched, amphibious, with pinched eyes and spinal fins 
  HD​ 4 ​HP​ 16 ​Speed​ 120’ (also swimming) ​Armor​ 16 (tough skin) ​Morale​ 9 ​Attack​  +4 to hit, poleaxe d8hp ​Special​ Immune to fire. 
  Skin is poisonous—save or take d6hp 
   
  Skin-Eating Ghosts ​Skinny wild-eyed green and blue-skinned fanged weirdoes with bright orange hair 
  HD​ 2 ​HP​ 8 ​Speed​ 120’ ​Armor​ 15 (only magic or silver weapons hit) ​Morale​ 10 ​Attack​  +2 to hit d6 plus save or need to eat a day’s 
  rations immediately ​Special​: Undead. Hold water does d8hp to them. 
   
  Tiger 
  HD​ 6 ​HP​ 24 ​Speed​ 150’ ​Armor​ 16 ​Morale​ 10 ​Attack​  3 attacks: 2 claws +6 to hit, d4+1hp and a bite +6 to hit, d10hp. If the first two 
  claws hit the same target, the tiger may make two additional claw attacks in the same round on that target. 
   
  Violet Leopard Orchid Zombies—​ their bodies are overgrown with the infectious blooms that cause silence. Attack anything living. 
  HD​ 2 ​HP​ 8 ​Speed​ 120' ​Armor​ 12 ​Morale​ 12 ​Attack ​+2 claw, bite or weapon d6; on a successful hit, save vs Poison or slowly turn into 
  an npc zombie over the course of an hour (and a skeleton d4 weeks later) ​Special​ 1 out of every 4 zombies carries a pack containing items 
  worth d100xd10sp. Usual undead immunities and vulnerabilities. Exude silence in a 15’ radius.  
   
  SHIPS 
  Junk ​Typical triangle-rigged asian sailing ship 
  HP​ 30 ​Crew ​20+d100 ​Special​: d6+7x10 ramming damage, sailed or rowed 
   
  Turtle ship ​A wide ship covered in a rhino-hide roof  
  HP​ 30 ​Crew ​20+2d100 ​Special​: The crew have AC 18 beneath the roof, rowed 
   
  Tower Ship ​Massive square floating fortress designed for river combat with a 5-story archery tower in the middle 
  HP​ 400​ Crew ​d100x10 ​Special​ Tower ships are very hard to maneuver. A trebuchet on the roof (save vs Breath or d12 to personnel, 
  2d10 to ships) and archers in the windows. 
  
   
  TEMPLE OF THE MANTIS 
   
  To set this adventure up, the players need to: 
   
  -Know there’s a McGuffin in the temple 
  -Gain access to a secret portal or door somewhere that leads to the extradimensional space of the temple 
  -Also (if they’re clever) gain access to an even ​more​ secret door. 
   
   
  The first secret door will put the PCs at 1, very close to a pair of priests, the second secret door will lead to one of the dark blue doors (the 
  first party member to use it goes to one, the next to the other, alternating back and forth). These positions are more hidden. 
   
  The mantis cult itself is a bizarre insect cult which insists the world is an illusion and that the predator insects already rule it. Nobody likes 
  them. 
   
  Other things to note: 
  -Scale for the map is up there under the mantis priest’s mantis form stats, if it’s unclear how far a gap is, just make something up, nothing 
  in the design will be ruined. 
  -The way back out to the world is back through whatever door you came in. 
  -Light is very important here, because the only light is the torches the priests hold. Priests will be able to see party members’ lights from 
  across the complex, but won’t know they’re intruders unless they’re within 30’. 
  -Remember in mantis form the priests can’t cast spells. 
  -Changing to or from mantis form takes the place of the movement part of a priests’ turn. They keep their gear when they transform but 
  must relight their torch. 
  -The sharks are actually sacrifices to the mantis god, the priests plan to ritually eat them. 
  -Each door leads to the other door of the same color except the one the PC entered through. 
  -Priests can use any pink door to go to any other, players have to roll d10 and exit through a random door after a stranger moment of 
  insect-like kaleidoscopic vision. 
  -The doors in the floor are flat portals like trap doors. 
   
  -The orange doors lead to a 10’ x 10’ room which has the other orange door on the other side. The McGuffin is in there. 
  -The statue’s eyes are heavy as boulders but worth 10,000gp each. 
  -If you have a search-the-body or treasure table you can roll once for each priest (tempt parties to take them all on). If you don’t, give each 
  priest various religious items worth 500gp. 
  
   
   
   
  
  WARGENFELS 
   
  The castle that dwarves call Wargenfels and the elves call ​É​poisses lies within the mountain that cross the barony of the same name. 
  Whatever the party is looking for is supposedly in it. 
   
  It should be large and relatively fragile (a model of a hidden city? a jade statue?) though not too hard to find once the players fight, sneak 
  or charm their way into the castle. The Baron is out but Sporvin Vale (bottom right) will receive unexpected visitors on his behalf and treat 
  them as cordially as their bearing and manner of approach warrant. They have no idea there is a secret door beneath the great hallThe 
  difficulty comes when the PCs find what they’re looking for. At this point the mountain beneath them will begin to move. The rest is, I 
  believe, laid out pretty clearly. There are some ideas over on the right about where the giant could tromp if need be—through the 
  mountains, a river, a city, fields full of livestock. Have fun! 
   
  
   
   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Lamentations of the Flame Princess/LotFP Periodicals/Zak S.'s Cube World (LotFP)/Zak S.'s Cube World #9 Eight Demon River, Temple of the Mantis, Wargenfels/Zak S.'s Cube World #9 (LotFP).pdf