Room 90

 

90 - The Taffyknacker

There are two doors into this room – they are oak facing out, with three locks on the inside, and one doorknob lock on the outside. The interior of the doors, the side facing the room – it is covered in felt in attempt to dampen sound – but if PCs make sound the Taffyknacker may still try to shout out, and will ask for help.

There is a cage in the middle of the room, it is made of tin and iron bands intertwined and braided – tin for siúcra and iron for fey.

Inside the cage, melting and morphing like a plate of hot glass or an angry amoeba, is a great mass of moving strips, bands of many colors, a liquid bear made of woven taffy.

It will call PCs by name, flattering them. It will tell them what it knows they want to hear, how they want to be seen, how they want to feel.

If they get close enough, it will offer taffy from its side – “a gift” it says.

If one takes the taffy and eats it – well, they gain a new “thing” from this table – roll  1D8

1- They gain 1d4 in a skill, if there are already pips in that skill, add onto them.

2- They gain a Magic-User spell from their current level, which can be cast once per day.

3- They gain +2 to an ability score

4- Their saves go up by a level.

5- They gain a Cleric spell from their current level, which can be cast once per day.

6- They immediately pick some aspect of themselves to change – they may add 2 to an ability score, they may change classes, they can break curses, cure illnesses, change sex, change appearance – nearly anything within reason – the referee will adjudicate this.

7- Roll twice more.

8- They immediately level up.

If all results are rolled after everything is figured out, they also level twice.

If ANYONE eats taffy they also are put under the effects of Geas – and the Taffyknacker will command “Break my cage”. It will wait to make this command at an opportune moment, usually after more than two or three have eaten taffy – or just as they are about to leave or fight.

The Taffyknacker

HD 8 HP 54 Speed 135’ Armor 14 Morale 12 Attack +N to hit, where N is the amount of PCs present – attack is sticky tentacles of taffy which grope one’s person, trying to snatch jewelry, hair, and bits of clothing – or striking with surprisingly hard force, dealing 1D10+A, where A is the amount over their AC rolled.

Special: On being damaged, they gain Armor equal to the amount of damage dealt for the next attack, and if the next attack lands they break the weapon.

The Taffyknacker may cast Command, Enthrall, Charm Person, Forget, Confusion, and Demand at will. If someone makes their save, the Taffyknacker will not know – tell this to the PC if it happens, this is their chance to act like they are doing what the Taffyknacker commands, but planning a way to escape.

Suggestion is cast anytime the Taffyknacker attacks.

The Taffyknacker might force feed PCs taffy to “Improve them”, so they are better servants. It does not want to kill, just escape and run a cult somewhere.

If talked to, the Taffyknacker may be able to tell the PCs about the wizard who caged it – but this would require some serious smooth-talkin’.

Other than this, the room is bare.

Taffyknacker art by @SamuelThomasCu2

The room is roughly 24X327 feet, each hallways/passage in and out is around 5 feet wide.