DM-Nastics 2.0 #017 - That's No Room!

My favorite mimic is the door. A classic, sower of paranoia and distrust. Sure it might slow down a crawl as they investigate every door, but it’s worth it for when the NPC’s to look at them like they are crazy because they stab every door before they walk through it.
This got a bit off the track from door mimic and became a Mimic Haunt (above average intelligence mimic hunting in a populated area).

1. Where is it?

It haunts Autumnbrook castle; for over a year it has crept the halls as a wall by day, at night taking up residence across an existing door or open passageway. Currently posing as a jammed shutter, the only one closed, in the aviary (eating pigeons) but may take to roaming again.

2. What sort of personality does it have?

Originally purchased from disreputable cryptozoologists (Phoibos Monster Farm), Chicken was selected for it’s high intelligence (12) and hesitant nature. It speaks common to anyone saying it’s password, with a lot of “yes master” and “they shall not get past me master”

Chicken will yield to anyone who says it’s password, even so far as to halt mid attack. It also has the habit of collecting scraps of paper from it’s victims and may have any number of notes or letters (only loose paper, no books). These are currently incorporated into disguise (rolled up as hinges). In it’s wall disguise it hides these behind a “loose stone”. The notes date back to those from the former wizard and likely contain potentially harmful information about several people in the castle.

3. How do the players find out it's a mimic?

short story: most likely it attacks them; long story:

1-2 servants or guards have disappeared every week for just over a year, the guard captain has taken notice. He suspects a monster such as a spider or perhaps a were creature that has wandered in from the forest, but at worst a vampire. Adventures visiting the castle would likely be consulted to investigate.

There is one low ranking night guard, Wonton, who enrolled at the castle about a year ago (same timeline as Chicken), if pressed they will tell you there is a “ghost” around the castle that sometimes speaks to her and does no harm if she brings it offerings of chicken. They will tell you that they heard it a week ago in the upper tower near the Aviary. Wonton is the grand daughter of the former wizard.

Seemingly unrelated, some messages via pigeon have not arrived as expected and the paranoid Captain suspects a spy who may be working with or controlling the monster in the dungeons.

4. How widespread is this issue in the world?

It is not too uncommon in large cities for occasional murders or the rare serial killer to turn out to be a Mimic Haunt; such examples are the Outhouse Eater of Anryx and the Abyssal Doorman of Ashbourne.

5. Does it have a special name?

In broad terms it is a Mimic Haunt.
Mores specifically, Chicken is the mimic’s name and former password, as well as it’s favorite food.

6. You do you!!

Chicken was a guard (functionally door to private study) for the former resident wizard, Hun-Tun. When Hun-Tun the Wizard was “replaced” Chicken escaped into the castle.

1. Where is it? A bandit wearing an impressive suit of armor with several other bandits attack the party and quikly defeat the ennmies upon inspecting the armor it seems that it is a set of magical plate mail that automatically makes everyone proficient with it as well as removing the stealth disadvantage to the armor.

[However this armor isn't armor at all, it grants no benefit to the armor class and is actually a mimic, (suprise!)]

2. What sort of personality does it have?
This mimic hates consuming anything other than humanoids, it's strategy is simple wait until everyone is sleeping pick a nice juicy target then Attck!

3. How do the players find out it's a mimic?
Finally your players forget to take a watch and the parties wizard or other glass cannon wakes and discovers it's covered in a green slime which is attacking them after defeating the Slime, at least we hope they defeat the slime (or do we?) you tell them they sleep through the rest of the night peacefully then when the party wakes you tell whoever had the magical armor that it's gone.

4. How widespread is this issue in the world?
Very few Mimics have adopted this strategy and usually only the most picky eaters who can wait for there food adopt this strategy and your Players will likely never encounter more than one.

5. Does it have a special name?
Rumors are told of these creatures but none that are believable the tales tell of armor growing to up to twice it's typical size and glowing a lime green they are called The Green Soulknights as people think they are from the souls of evil paladins

6. You do you!!
Several years after in your next campain as another pay travels through the area they to are attacked by this mimic hinting at the possibility that those mimics leading this lifestyle never die.

1. Where is it? In the town square, on a raised wooden platform, with a cobbled area surrounding it, there sits a guillotine mimic. Gnashing its great maw, a crowd cheers as another enemy of the state loses their head. The mimic lets out a roar and licks its lips, eager for the next criminal to be brought forward. This one is a loud one. "I only stole a horse!" he cries, but it does not matter. In this town, they have no jail, and have one sentence.

2. What sort of personality does it have? It has a job to do that it does with relish. It cares not whether the victim is innocent or guilty, although the ones that fight are more fun.

3. How do the players find out it's a mimic? This one is not hidden, so they find out it is a mimic upon coming into town on an execution day.

4. How widespread is this issue in the world? This "issue" is somewhat limited, because few mimics are intelligent enough to understand the arrangement this one has with the city.

5. Does it have a special name? The Joyful Reaper (or something else sufficiently spooky)

6. You do you!! A criminal had gum in his pockets once and they had to cancel a week's worth of executions just to get it cleaned out. As a result, gum is strictly forbidden in the jails and execution events.

Madame Guillotine isn't a bad name for it. I struggled on the name and came up with something super generic, haha.

1. Where is it?

A cabin in the woods that has a comforting presence of refuge from the outside. This particular forest is rich with the influence of the fey, and this mimic is no exception

2. What sort of personality does it have?

The mimic itself has become fey, and while it is not evil outright it has taken on a personality of mischief and manipulation.

3. How do the players find out it's a mimic?

As the players move deeper into the cabin, the landscape inside changes. Each room creates a new landscape, whether that be a desert, swamp, jungle, dungeon, etc. The players must make a Cha saving throw or else believe they are truly in each setting. The mimic will take on the shape of NPCs to establish a relationship with the players, and will conjure less detailed extras, animals, monsters, etc which all serve as illusions. The longer a player stays inside of the mimic, the more difficult the saving through is. Also, more failed saves allow the mimic to pry into the players' memories, recreating them to get a reaction. Depending on whether the players discover the trap they are in or the mimic decides to reveal themselves, it will try to make a bargain with the players, allowing them to leave in exchange for favors often veiled to seem less severe than they truly are.

4. How widespread is this issue in the world?

While it is unknown how many mimics have been touched by the feywild, this particular mimic seems to be one of a kind.

5. Does it have a special name?

Its name is its closest guarded secret, for with its name comes power. Who knows what the players could leverage if they discover this information.

6. You do you!!

This mimic has formed a mental link with adventurers that submit to its power, creating a shadow agency that does its bidding throughout the world to pay off their debts.

1. Where is it?

Often found in woodlands surrounding areas of concentrated magic, particularly older wizard's towers or planar portals.

2. What sort of personality does it have?

The log-like mimics are lazy, sleepy, and often miss opportunities to capture prey, but with their latent thaumaturgical siphoning, they can hibernate for months, if not years. They sleep like...logs. They look like them too...

3. How do the players find out it's a mimic?

Only creatures that attempt to harvest the sleeping mimics will find themselves in a sticky situation. These log-like mimics really don't like axes or saws...anyone taking a sharp edge to these mimics while gathering firewood will find the entire log unhinging into nightmarish halves of a hollow abyss filled with teeth, followed by a horrific tongue snapping out to grip the offending prey, all to the melodious shuddering roar of anger at being awoken.

4. How widespread is this issue in the world?

The log-like mimics aren't hugely common, but for those who live near those thaumaturgical foci, it is common knowledge to only take your axe to trees that are still standing.

5. Does it have a special name?

Beware the Logolithic Mimics. Let sleeping logs lie.

6. You do you!!

The easiest way to spot a Logolithic is the color of the moss that grows on their rough exteriors. While most mosses are various shades of green, grey, or blue, the moss upon the Logolithics grow into rather lurid shades of yellow and orange.