A Horse Is a Corpse, of Course

We’re having a darn good time prepping the next set of our campaign encounters with you, so let’s keep the fun rolling with another classic scenario, but with a creepy twist!

It’s no secret that we’re all in on the free D&D Beyond Acquisitions Incorporated module. We say that loosely, though, because we’re continually injecting a ton of home-brewed content (thanks to our marvelous 3D printers).

We’re delighted to share our initial DM prep for the module’s ‘A Horse Is a Corpse, of Course’ encounter. On first read, we thought this road event might be a little too predictable, but it takes a wild turn, so we decided we had to circle back and include it.

Let’s set the scene. The module reads, “Ahead on the rough road, a pair of dead horses and an overturned cart block your way. Sacks and barrels spilled from the cart litter the ground. Trees grow close to the road here, and the thick undergrowth obscures the view beyond.”

These types of traveling scenes are always some of our cinematic favorites because the tension is so intense, but it’s tough to pull the wool over seasoned RPG players, so certain aspects can’t be too obvious. No problem. It’s not that the players are going to be rushed by hidden goblins. Instead, they have a much crazier surprise on their hands.

Remember, the goon squad that sacked The Fellowship of the Golden Mongoose AI Franchise at Tresendar Manor? Well, those hired guns set this roadside trap to stop anyone sent to investigate what happened.

The whole torrid road scene is staged, and those fallen horses are actually Warhorse Skeletons meant to come alive and surprise (Perception DC 15) the party once they come within range. How can we not prep that?!

Let’s start with the horses, as this encounter is the perfect candidate for the ol’ miniature swap DM trick! First, let’s get our original “actors” on stage. For our fallen cart pullers, we’ll use these marvelous Dead Horses by Vae Victis Miniatures. They always have fun STLs, and they often print really well in FDM.

Now, the zombie warhorse switcheroo mini is going to be trickier, as that one doesn’t come up very often despite the market being flooded with undead options. Still, you can’t go wrong with this Skeleton Horse by Dungeon Classics (and Dragon Trapper’s Lodge).

A solid choice for sure, but we like to use different pieces from our mighty Dungeons and Dragons collection, so we grabbed our box of rebased MageKnight miniatures from years gone by and found another option that’s just as spooky. Even better, these guys are already done, so we save some printing and painting time.

Also, be sure to check our classic MageKnight rebasing tutorial on our YouTube channel. We made it many moons ago when WizKids went through a dreadful, long pause on its pre-painted miniatures series. Boy, that was a rough time in our gaming lives, to say the least, but MageKnight rebasing saved the day.

Again, it’s not that the Dungeon Classics Skeleton Horse is a bad pick here, but it’s a bit on the frail side for our liking, and we already had a nice, ready-to-go option. We would just suggest increasing the scale on the model during slicing.

For the cart, we have lots of cool choices too. We’re a bit obsessed with carts (and townsfolk) these days. Like, seriously, send help. Since the cart is more of a prop, we spotted this wild balsa wood cart DM Ben ordered off eBay like forever ago and thought would fit nicely…and elicit some fun reactions from the players. #IsThatBalsaWood?

Resident Painter Kimmy Utah colored up our fallen wagon pullers wonderfully. Our balsa wood cart and MageKnight mini switches don’t need any paint, so we’re in an excellent place. All we have left to do is grab some crate and barrel scatter pieces and then place them on a forest playmat. Easy!

Until next time!