Side Guide

We’re so close to finishing our Wilderness Trek Wandering Monster table! Just two entries to go! And just like our wicked Howlers last week, we’re leaning on Laughing Bear Gaming’s incredible paint skills to showcase the perfect 3D-printed miniature.

Since we’re building a rollable table of chance, we certainly want plenty of hostile, disruptive entries, but it’s always fun to sprinkle in some unexpected, non-combat moments too. Like a few of our previous outdoor encounters, this friendly NPC’s only vice is he’ll disrupt the party’s long rest and “inflict” one level of exhaustion.

For the miniature, we selected these amazing dwarven STLs from Cast n Play’s Dwarven Legacy series. We picked it up for a song via their monthly Patreon, but you can still grab it as a full set here. We are continuously impressed at how well Cast n Play STLs print on our resin printer, so you’ll always fill up your build plate with confidence.

Last week we shared the swell mini-partnership we did with Laughing Bear Games. This is model 2 of 5 in our blog series. We’re just really excited to share another one of Arkansas Adam’s ridiculous paint jobs. When we opened up our mailed package of goodness, we instantly knew this next STL was going right into our Wilderness Trek series.

So we’re really excited to introduce Thondrik, the heavy-traveling dwarf, to y’all! He calls this wilderness and its fresh air and starry skies his home. He’s not a violent fella, but he’ll take a big swing to protect what’s his if he’s forced into a sticky situation.

Everything he owns is on his back, so the party will hear him coming a mile away. Plus, he’s a jovial, veteran explorer, so his perfected whistling can inadvertently go up another octave level or two.

We think the encounter might unfold like so:

• Very early in the watch, they hear some faint drums.
• Later on, the on-watch player hears unexpected whistling.
• If there’s a campfire, the dwarf announces himself.
• No campfire means he stumbles into them.
• He introduces himself as Thondrick, a professional guide.
• He carries a Scottish accent.
• He’s willing to trade gear.
• He offers valuable intel or directional pathfinder services.

Since this is a disruptive encounter, he will convince the party to break camp as a large returning Orc Raiding party (or other monster group that better fits your own campaign) is making its way toward the adventurers. Their overwhelming numbers mean the group won’t stand a chance, and time is of the essence.

“Goodness, laddie! You sure did pick the wrong spot to rest your heads! You’re in the path of some very angry hunters. Pack up your stuff and follow me if you know what’s good fer ya!”

Thondrick then offers to guide the party away from the Orc Raiding party for a small fee of 5 gp but insists he can shave time off their existing route and keep them out of harm’s way.

Once the group is in the clear, Thondrick, who is a bit of a squinter, will ask if anyone wants to make some trades. He’ll pull out a couple of standard items, like an extra healing potion or two, a few +1 arrows/bolts, a pickpocket-proof coin purse, and a silly summoning band (one-time, small creature).

We would once again like to thank Laughing Bear Games for another amazing 3D-printed miniature paint job. Be sure to check out all their great work and follow them on all the socials.

Now, all we need to do is, once again, update our Wilderness Trek Wandering Monster Table!

Until next time!