All page references are to The Fantasy Trip In the Labyrinth rulebook, unless noted otherwise.
A collection of my own musings, not to be taken too seriously. -HJC
A plausible first encounter of the Rat and Bunny team will be when the PCs have located potions or magic items they wish to buy only to have Usagi charm the seller into giving her a discount on the purchase and having just left when they arrive. When the PCs attempt to buy the items from her she will refer them to see Mr. Tikus at 222B Roaster Road. Usagi will then greet them at the door while wearing a maid outfit.
Tikus will charge twice the listed price of the item for "handling". If pressed he will admit to wanting an item of around the same list price that he would accept in trade, that just happens to be in the possession of certain monsters or bandits outside the city.
If the PCs insist on continuing operations inside the city they will find that Usagi's crew of short criminals is generally a few steps ahead and she will be departing with the loot right as they get collared for her crimes. Be sure to toss in at least one case where the dog doesn't bark in the night until the PCs arrive, due to Usagi's Animal Handler talent.
Tikus will be called on by the city guard to crack tough cases (at standard Wizard's Guild rates) and when puzzled he will just accept whatever explanation Usagi gives.
Usagi sends her funds back to her widowed mother and half a dozen younger brothers in the hopes of eventually buttering her family up enough to accept her engagement to Tikus. Usagi isn't her real name of course, in order to protect this family.
Should the PCs dispose of Usagi the GM might prepare a followup adventure where the brothers track down the murder hobos who killed their perfectly respectable and totally innocent older sister. As this is what they honestly believe they ought to be able to recruit powerful allies in their quest, especially if Telepathy or Detect Lies is used. This will be in addition to her thieves guild taking their own retribution.
Usagi, Halfling, age 28 ST 6, DX 14, IQ 15, MA 10 Talents include: Acrobatics, Animal Handler, Business Sense, Dagger Expertise, Literacy, Silent Movement, Streetwise, Stealth, Thrown Weapons Spell: Lock/Knock Language: Common Weapon: very fine dagger (1d+2) Attacks and Damage: Punch (1d-4) Equipment: Various outfits, etc.
Rumah Tikus, Goblin wizard, age 40 ST 6, DX 12, IQ 18, MA 10 Talents: Alertness, Literacy Spells include: 7-Hex Fire, 7-Hex Illusion, Dark Vision, Mage Sight, Scrying, Spellsniffer, Staff III, Telepathy, Teleport Languages: Common, Goblin, Sorcerers’ Tongue Weapon: Staff III redwood maul (1d; Mana 12) Attacks and Damage: Punch (1d-4) Armor: Stone Flesh ring stops 4 hits
This is a complex of four buildings built around a common courtyard where the landlady Ms. Hood has a vegetable garden. Mr. Tikus is the only person to rent an entire building (B) while A, C and D have different families on the lower two stories with a single renter for the attic save for 222A's attic which is Ms. Hood's modest apartment. The surrounding families have had quite enough of noise and confusion from whatever it is that Mr. Tikus (that nasty little green wizard) is up to. Should they hear any loud noises from 222B at least one child will be sent to run and fetch the city guard. Ms. Hood is proud of the modern amenities her apartments have and charges rather high prices for her small spaces. There is only ten feet in total from floor to floor so anything longer than a javelin or trident is difficult to carry around inside.
Her physical scars from the lab explosion were long ago magically healed, but she remains firmly retired from the practice of alchemy. She lives in the attic of 222A right above her son Able's family who live in the upper floor of that building. While she never has visitors in her own apartment she is often found in her son's apartment (Who everybody just calls Hood's son), babysitting her two young grandchildren and preparing meals for the family. She is often in conflict with her daughter in law Erithacus for spending too much time working as a clerk for the city guard and hence ignoring her own duties in the household.
Ms. Hood remains suspicious of that Mr. Tikus who seems to have rescued innocent and charming Usagi off the streets merely to force her into his bed. Every few weeks Ms. Hood will locate yet another Halfling gentleman caller to introduce to Usagi only to be persuaded by Usagi that she remains perfectly happy with Rumah. (Usagi will occasionally play this game and arrange for one of her own henchhobbits to play this role, as cover for her own purposes.)
Whenever Ms. Hood needs to investigate some dark place she will of course pull out her dagger (for the light of course).
Ms. Hood, Human, age 55 ST 9, DX 10, IQ 14, MA 10 Talents: Alchemy, Assess Value, Business Sense, Chemist, Cook, Detect Lies, Gardener, Knife, Literacy, Recognize Value Language: Common Weapon: fine dagger (1d) with Light enchantment Attacks and Damage: Punch (1d-3)
Able lives with his wife Erithacus and their two young children in the upper story apartment at 222A Roaster Road, just below his mother in the attic and above the Silversmiths in the ground story apartment.
Able works as a driver for the horse and carriage his mother bought, whose stable fronts on the north gate between 222A and 222B. (The south gate between 222C and 222D is usually locked.) The rest of the courtyard functions as Ms. Hood's garden and a common area for the 24 residents of the complex.
Able, Hood's son, Human, age 26 ST 12, DX 12, IQ 9, MA 10 Talents: Animal Handler, Crossbow, Driver, Knife, Sword, Vet, Whip Language: Common Weapons: dagger (1d-1), broadsword (2d), light crossbow (2d), whip (1d-1) Attacks and Damage: Punch (1d-2)
222B is the northeast building of the complex. Able's stable (and the north gate of the complex) are to the west of 222B's ground floor while the upper floor and attic have common walls with 222A to the west and a shared stairway with 222D to the south. (The west stairway on the other side of complex is shared between 222A and 222C.) All of the residents have keys to the outer and inner doors of the two stairways (these keys are interchangeable between the four doors), along with keys to the doors to their own apartments.
All of the locks in the complex (unless noted elsewhere) are 3/DX to open with the proper key reducing this by two dice (i.e. automatic.) Usagi has put Lock-2 on each of the four stairway-facing doors of 222B, leaving them automatic for herself so long as she retains the proper key, 3/DX for anybody else with a proper key, and 5/DX for lockpicking attempts.
The attic of 222B is mostly used for storage, but Usagi has put Lock-5 on the window (whose usual lock is missing) and will occasionally change in the attic to her sneaking around clothes then make her way silently along the rooftops.
The upper floor of 222B has the kitchen, Rumah's study (with his wizard's chest and library), and the bedroom with the queen sized bed that he shares with Usagi.
The ground floor has a greeting room and dinning room.
The basement has the same bathroom layout as the other three buildings (including hot and cold water piped in from the city's utility lines), and in addition has a concealed (5/IQ to spot) hatch that Usagi has put Lock-5 on that leads down to the sewers. Rumah naturally noticed this but was persuaded by Usagi that this wasn't an issue to worry about. Often Rumah will look up after long hours studying his tomes to realize he hasn't seen Usagi lately. She will eventually emerge from the basement, freshly showered and perfumed. It must be some sort of halfling thing.
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