Feeling a Bit Rusty

In today’s post, we’ll let the featured monster do all the eating…er, talking. So, put away your best armor and weapons, or it might be the last time you see ’em!

Phase 1 of our underground gameboard is nearly complete! After today, there’s only one encounter write-up left to go, making for an especially happy DM Ben. He loves having a solid prep plan for upcoming work campaign sessions. We’re sure fellow DMs can relate.

The tale-end of these caverns is where the Night Hag initially discovered a Corederite deposit. The witch eagerly wanted to steal the mysterious magic that seemingly powers The Forgotten Rails. Alas, our players breached her cabin in the woods too quickly, and she had to plane jump to escape their wrath.

Now, as we explained yesterday, getting to the area of the cavern where that unexpected Corederite mineral deposit physically resides is no easy feat. The Night Hag has had to deal with Ropers, Bulettes, and now, what some gamers consider to be one of the worst monsters of ’em all.

We’re, of course, talking about a classic first-edition Monster Manual foe from 1977 – the Rust Monster. Shockingly, DM Ben has never actually put one of these metal crunchers in a campaign, so he’s eager to see how an this encounter plays out!

Their traits are especially diabolical: non-magic metal, whether a weapon, armor, or shield, takes a permanent and cumulative penalty. Our adventurers are level five, and most have secured a +1 magic weapon, but their armor and shields could be in big trouble.

For the miniature, we’re going with a lovely prepainted WizKids option from the slick Sand and Stone set. We love, love this sculpt and didn’t feel a need to 3D print any just for the sake of doing so. There have been other so-so versions from Dangerous Delves, and Rage of Demons sets, but this latest version beats those earlier clumsy sculpts by a landslide.

If you wanted to 3D print your own, you could try the Rust Monster from EC3D Designs’ Beasts & Baddies collection (supportless btw).

So, just beyond the Bulette’s nesting area is a small alcove room containing a pinned mining cart, which, to our antenna-wearing enemies, is a Thanksgiving feast of sorts. The Night Hag used this spot to dump debris from the area ahead. Much to her dismay, she soon realized these pesky rust monsters were munching on her mining gear.

For the main course cart, we 3D printed an ore trolly by Custom Miniature Maker. They have this cool, Sturdy Iron Minecart & Rails Set with nifty mineral inserts, which you can pick up for a song using our discount code “CMM-3DRPG.” They’re also single-STL carts with no assembly required, which is always a huge plus.

Regarding the encounter itself, this one will be pretty straightforward. The players will get a Perception check opportunity to hear the rust monsters going to town in the area ahead just because it’s an absolute feeding frenzy with that heavy metal ore cart. From there, it’s time to roll initiative and hope for the best!

Until next time!