r/planescapesetting

I have a level 3 party that has stumbled into the Caverns of Thought by jumping into a cavern while already underground. They’re too low level for me to throw Mind Flayer and Eater of Knowledge fights at them, so instead I intend to lean more into psychological horror as they look for a way to escape.

My main plan is to have them tormented by a Nosferatu looking simply to suck a little bit of blood then slink back into the shadows. Outside of that… I need ideas for how they will find a way out. I know I could just have some obscure portal anywhere, but I’d really rather them have a clear goal rather than just “run around like headless chickens until you stumble across the exit.”

Any ideas/resources to look into are much appreciated!

Also known as “Kiss the Critter” or “Tickle the Tadpole”, the rules are simple: all’s ya need is a bunch of cutter ‘round a table, a few mugs of drink, the stronger the better (we’ll get there), and, most crucially, a little squirming nasty to put in said drink - the more vicious, the funnier it’ll be, trust me. I personally prefer mindflayer tadpoles, but I’ve heard of people using slaadpoles, tiny water or acid elementals, or even those weird bone-plated piranhas from the Beastlands.

The rules are simple: you go around the table, everyone dumps one of them critters into their drinks, and downs as much of it as they dare - preferably without the little guy either lunging for their face and taking out an eye or a nose, or the berk in question accidentally swallowing it - although the faces they make when they do are always good for a laugh! Whoever’s glass has the most drink left buys the next round! Or whoever’s bleeding the most, if they got too thirsty and didn’t put the glass back down in time.

Now, although that all sounds pretty simple in concept, there’s actually a lot of canniness involved in this little game. Some clueless who’s just wandered in from the street might be tempted to just rush the drink, get it over with as quickly and give the little beastie less time to get its bearings, but a cutter worth his razors knows to rattle his bone-box a little, showboat, shit-talk, before quenching their thirst - just enough for the thing in his glass to absorb a little of the alcohol, get a bit more sluggish, give ‘im that little edge…

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From a rules-perspective, you could make it an Insight check to understand the trick, or maybe Nature, whatever you feel is appropriate. The drinking part could be a Dex save, with a lowered DC depending on how the previous check went. Seems like the kind of game some of the more rough-and-tumble clientele in a place like the Jug & Bottle would play, or that a smaller crime boss would invite the party to engage in, to test their mettle.