CREDITS

Designer: Dr. Michael LaBossiere

Cartographer: Dr. Michael LaBossiere
Template: Simple Microsoft Word Template by Laura
Hirsbrunner
Cover Image/Art: DALL-E, Michael LaBossiere, Midjourney

Contents
Credits .................................................................................... 1
Contents ................................................................................. 1
Introduction .......................................................................... 2
Background/History............................................................. 2
Getting the PCs Involved ...................................................... 2
Maps ...................................................................................... 2
Encounters ............................................................................ 3
NPCs....................................................................................... 3
Conclusion ............................................................................ 4
Hook? ..................................................................................... 4
Free Stuff! .............................................................................. 6
Free Map Collections ............................................................ 6
Free Rules .............................................................................. 6
Free Encounters .................................................................... 6
Free Encounters Collections ................................................ 7
Free Class & Character Options ........................................... 7
Stuff to Buy! .............................................................................. 7
Adventures ............................................................................ 7
Class & Character Options .................................................... 7
Karabeth Series ..................................................................... 7
About the Author .................................................................. 8
Maps ...................................................................................... 9
Free Encounters Listed by CR .............................................. 3
.......................................................................................................... 5

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, Ravenloft, Eberron, the dragon ampersand, Ravnica and all other Wizards of the Coast product
names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries.

This work contains material that is copyright Wizards of the Coast and/or other authors. Such material is used with permission under the Community Content Agreement for
Dungeon Masters Guild.

All other original material in this work is copyright 2022 by Dr. Michael C. LaBossiere and published under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild.
Hero Lab and the Hero Lab logo are Registered Trademarks of LWD Technology, Inc. Free download at http://www.wolflair.com System Reference Document 5.0 Copyright 2016, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

1
INTRODUCTION Encounter #92: Yool on the Hill) then there will be less
wealth available for the reward.
This is the 93rd in an ongoing series aimed to
As always, there is the option of a “random”
provide the overworked DM with ready-to run encounter which occurs as the PCs are travelling
encounters. towards some other adventure.
The PCs encounter Baron Von Chop and his
mechanical wood choppers. Will the heroes triumph
or fail by being felled? MAPS
It includes a history/background for the encounter, The maps show the encounter areas. The first map
a map, and monster stats. The companion ZIP file is the Unfriendly Forrest and the second is the
contains JPEG versions of the maps (with and without Chopped Woods.
grid), the Word file of the encounter, and a Fantasy The Unfriendly Forest (formerly the Friendly
Grounds Unity Module file. The base CR for the Forest) is where the wood choppers are now working.
encounter is 3. It is closer to the village than the Chopped Woods, so
the PCs will enter the Unfriendly Forest first. Aside
BACKGROUND/HISTORY from the presence of the wood choppers, the forest is
normal.
The village of Armonk’s celebration of the Winter
Purchasing Season includes reviving the snow
person Yool (which went horrible once), gathering
gingerbread, and cutting down trees of the Friendly
Forest to decorate. Unfortunately for the villagers, the
wicked Baron Von Chop has decided to cut down the
Friendly Forest and sell the trees.
To maximize his profits, the Baron sold all his
humanoid wood choppers and servants as slaves and
replaced them with magical mechanical wood
choppers. After the chopping is done, the Baron plans
to use his wood choppers to conquer Armonk,
reclaim the trees to resell as wood, and sell the
villagers into slavery. This business plan enabled the
Baron to secure considerable funding from hedge
fund investors, although they were initially reluctant
to move from hedges to trees.

GETTING THE PCS INVOLVED

While the villagers do not know the Baron’s full Beyond the Unfriendly Forest is the Chopped
plan, they know he is chopping down the trees in the Woods, where the Baron and his Choppers have all
once Friendly Forest. Several villagers have been but destroyed the forest. It is in this area that the PCs
wounded by the wood choppers when they will encounter the Baron.
attempted to cut down their own trees.
Because of the danger, the mayor of Armonk wants
to hire adventurers to deal with the threat. A
descendent of the wealthy adventurer who founded
the village, the mayor still has a substantial stash of
gold that they are willing to use as a reward. The
initial offer will start at 100 gp and the mayor has a
total of 5,233 gp in treasure hidden away. If the
mayor hired the PCs to deal with Yool (Mike’s Free
2

ENCOUNTER: UNFRIENDLY
FOREST
The Baron has deployed several woodchoppers to
the forest to begin chopping trees and to patrol the
area. The wood choppers have been ordered to attack
and attempt to drive away anyone they encounter in
the woods.
Fortunately for the PCs, the wood choppers are
spread thin in the woods, so an initial encounter will
most likely be with only one wood chopper. If the PCs
do things that would be noticed over a long distance,
they are likely to attract more wood choppers. Also,
any fleeing wood chopper will seek out its fellows and
return with them.
Wood choppers take the same approach to combat
as they do to chopping trees: they pick one and chop
away until it falls. If badly damaged, a wood chopper
will attempt to escape. They will also usually allow
foes to flee, since their focus is on chopping trees and
keeping competitors away from the forest.
The number of wood choppers encountered and
the total number of them in the area can be adjusted
to provide the desired level of challenge.
3
ENCOUNTER: CHOPPED
WOODS
When the PC enter the chopped woods, they are
likely to find the Baron and two wood choppers
working on the few remaining trees. The sound of
their axes will carry a long way over the denuded
ground, so the PCs should have no trouble finding
them. The encounter can be made tougher by adding
more wood choppers.
While the Baron is prone to violence, his driving
vice is greed. As such, he will first assess the business
opportunities the PCs might provide before attacking.
If possible, he will try to get the PCs to work for him.
However, his ultimate plan will be to defeat them,
reclaim any pay they received, and sell them into
slavery or to a necromancer he knows.
While he has a Red Rider Crossbow, he prefers to
fight up close with his axe. He will, of course, let his
wood choppers take the brunt of any attack. While
brave enough when facing weaker foes, the Baron
can be forced to surrender or flee by stronger
opponents.
NPCS
These are the NPC stats for the encounter.
  
Medium humanoid, neutral evil
Armor Class 15 (breastplate)
Hit Points 76 (9d8+36)
Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
18 (+4) 12 (+1) 18 (+4) 12 (+1) 10 (+0) 14 (+2)
Saving Throws Str +6
Skills Athletics +6, Intimidation +4, Perception +2
Senses passive Perception 12
Languages Common
Challenge 3 (700 XP)
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The baron makes two attacks.
Red Rider Light Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3
to hit, range 80 ft./320 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d8+1)
piercing damage.
Greataxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one target. Hit: 10 (1d12+4) slashing damage.
Handaxe. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit,
reach 5 ft. or range 20 ft./60 ft., one target. Hit: 7
(1d6+4) slashing damage.
Description: The Baron’s physical strength is exceeded
only by his greed. In appearance, he looks like a
stereotypical lumberjack, albeit one wearing armor and
an Ugly Sweater. If expecting to need to intimidate
anyone, the Baron will remove the sweater. He also has
the false belief that being bare chested will increase his
ability to intimidate. In actuality, it merely makes it
more likely that his nipples will suffer frostbite.
Wood Chopper. The wood chopper has advantage on
its attack rolls against plants.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The wood chopper makes two axe attacks.
Battleaxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one target. Hit: 9 (1d10+4) slashing damage or 9
(1d10+4) slashing damage if used with two hands to
make a melee attack.
Handaxe. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit,
reach 5 ft. or range 20 ft./60 ft., one target. Hit: 7
(1d6+4) slashing damage.
Description: A wood chopper is a metal woodsman,
animated by magic to swing axes and take orders
without expectation of compensation.

CONCLUSION
The encounter ends when the PCs defeat the
Barron, flee, or die. If they succeed, they will receive
the promised reward.

HOOK?
If the PCs defeat the Baron, the hedge fund
investors backing him are likely to seek to recoup
their losses. This could lead to trouble for the PCs as
various bad hombres are sent to kill them.

NEW MAGIC ITEMS

These are the new magic items introduced in the
encounter. They can be used, modified, or ignored
  as desired.
Medium construct, unaligned
UGLY SWEATER
Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Wondrous Item, rare
Hit Points 45 (6d8+18)
Speed 20 ft., climb 1 ft. Wearing this ugly sweater gives you resistance to
cold damage but disadvantage on Intimidation
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA (Charisma) checks.
18 (+4) 10 (+0) 16 (+3) 5 (-3) 5 (-3) 5 (-3)

Damage Immunities poison, psychic RED RIDER LIGHT CROSSBOW

Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, Light crossbow, uncommon
frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned
Damage: 1d8 Piercing
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Properties: Magical, Ammunition, Loading, (Range
Languages
Challenge 1 (200 XP) 80/320), Two-Handed
Weight: 5

4
 This fancy magical crossbow excels at putting out
eyes.
If you score a critical hit, the target must make a DC
15 Constitution saving throw or be blinded. The
creature can repeat the save at the end of its turn to
end the condition. If you roll a “1” on your attack roll,
you “shoot your eye out” and must make a DC 15
Constitution saving throw or be blinded. You can
repeat the save at the end of your turn to end the
condition.

5
FREE STUFF!
I regularly make free D&D stuff available, including map
collections and encounters.
FREE MAP COLLECTIONS
Mike's Free Maps Collection #1
Mike's Free Maps Collection #2
Mike's Free Maps Collection #3
Mike's Free Maps Collection #4
Mike's Free Maps Collection #5
Mike’s Free Maps Collection #6
Mike’s Free Maps Collection #7
Mike’s Free Maps Collection #8
Mike’s Free Maps Collection #9
Mike’s Free Maps Collection #10
Mike’s Free Maps Collection #11
Mike’s Free Maps Collection #12
Mike’s Free Maps Collection #13
Mike’s Free Maps Collection #14
Mike’s Free Maps Collection #15
Mike’s Free Maps Collection #16
Mike’s Free Maps Collection #17
FREE RULES
Mob Rules
Interrogation
FREE ENCOUNTERS
Mike's Free Encounter #1: Necromancer's Stash
Mike’s Free Encounters #2: Worg Riders
Mike’s Free Encounter #3: Haunted Stones
Mike’s Free Encounter #4: Kobold Emissary
Mike’s Free Encounter #5: Gnark Horse
Mike’s Free Encounter #6: Ghost of Kella Thar
Mike’s Free Encounter #7: Capraemortu
Mike’s Free Encounter #8: Bonewalkers
Mike’s Free Encounter #9: Alena Trel the Eye Piercer
Mike’s Free Encounter #10: The Bog Witch
Mike’s Free Encounter #11: Shadow Fang Gnolls
Mike’s Free Encounter #12: Shadowed Fields
Mike’s Free Encounter #13: River Pirates
Mike’s Free Encounter #14: Bad Mercenaries
Mike’s Free Encounter #15: Dwarven Guard Post
Mike’s Free Encounter #16 Necrolossi
Mike’s Free Encounter #17: Frostcursed Guard Post
Mike’s Free Encounter #18: Death Captain
Mike’s Free Encounter #19: Corporagelida
Mike’s Free Encounter #20: Frostcursed Headless
Mike’s Free Encounter # 21: Frostcursed Forge
Mike’s Free Encounter #22: Frostcursed Docks
Mike’s Free Encounter #23: Frostcursed River Diamond
Mike’s Free Encounter #24:Dividuicorporis
Mike’s Free Encounter #25: Frostcursed Queen
Mike’s Free Encounter #26: Cult of the Bat
Mike’s Free Encounter #27: Burning Beasts
Mike’s Free Encounter #28: Sting of Drenlak
Mike’s Free Encounter #29: Sand Gnark Horse
Mike’s Free Encounter #30 Ghul Caravan
6
Mike’s Free Encounter #31 Fallen Desert Outpost
Mike’s Free Encounter #32: Ancient Aqueduct
Mike’s Free Encounter #33: Tomb of the Desiccated
Mike's Free Encounter #34: The Bath of Pelthonus
Mike’s Free Encounter #35: Windchime
Mike’s Free Encounter #36: Molodus
Mike’s Free Encounter #37: The Pool of Pelthonus
Mike’s Free Encounter #38: Sea Tiger Island
Mike’s Free Encounter #39: Sanguinem Volant
Mike’s Free Encounter #40: Gladiomortuus
Mike’s Free Encounter #41: A Princess Met on the Road
Mike’s Free Encounter #42: College of the Damned
Mike’s Free Encounter #43: Necrokyrie
Mike’s Free Encounter #44: Cornu Umbra
Mike’s Free Enounter #45 Serutani Tomb
Mike’s Free Encounter #46: Tiger Canon
Mike’s Free Encounter #47: The Deluded Djinni
Mike’s Free Encounter #48: Druid of the Moonlit Web
Mike’s Free Encounter #49: Quillbones
Mike’s Free Encounter #50: Bonerunners
Mike’s Free Encounter #51: Welg
Mike’s Free Encounter #52: Osfranger
Mike’s Free Encounter #53 Cross Cat
Mike's Free Encounter #54: Musiksalskare
Mike’s Free Encounter #55: Truthsayer
Mike’s Free Encounter #56: Warewolf
Mike’s Free Encounter #57 Ghost of Water
Mike’s Free Encounter #58 Bone Shaper
Mike’s Free Encounter #59 Legacy of Medusa
Mike’s Free Ecounter #60: Calsh Stoneworks
Mike’s Free Encounter #61: Sleeper in the Well
Mike’s Free Encounter #62: Krympt Jätte
Mike’s Free Encounter #63: Ghost Tears
Mike’s Free Encounter #64: Rebel Mummy
Mike’s Free Encounter #65: Dealing Doppelganger
Mike’s Free Encounter #66: Of Sheers, Weagles and Spakes
Mike’s Free Encounter #67: Sky Piercer
Mike’s Free Encounter #68: Skeletal Scholar
Mike’s Free Encounter #69: Will & Theo’s Lost Lute
Mike’s Free Encounter #70: Puddle Lurker
Mike’s Free Encounter #71: Ghoul Town
Mike’s Free Encounter #72: Clock Dogs
Mike’s Free Encounter #73: Chronocats
Mike’s Free Encounter #74: T(entacle)-Rex
Mike’s Free Encounter #75: Necrosaurus
Mikes-Free-Encounter #76: Duinfitheach
Mike’s Free Encounter #77 Last Inn
Mike’s Free Encounter #78: Mokule(Shipbreaker)
Mike’s Free Encounter #79: Stone Heart Dwarves
Mike’s Free Encounter #80: Wraith of the Apostate
Mike’s Free Encounter #81: Basilisks of the Golden Dome
Mike’s Free Encounter #82: Sea Devil
Mike’s Free Encounter #83: Mortuusbalena
Mike’s Free Encounter #84 Crater Bay
Mike’s Free Encounter #85:Memories of the D’Aroine
Mike’s Free Encounter #86: Airioch
Mike’s Free Encounter #87: Tomb Remnants
Mike’s Free Encounter #88: D’Aoine Deighe
Mike’s Free Encounter #89: Tilja’s Walking Towers
Mike’s Free Encounter #90: Ice & Steam
Mike’s Free Encounter #91: Gufuhvalur & Isfiskur
Mike’s Free Encounter #92: Yool on the Hill
Mike’s Free Encounter #93
FREE ENCOUNTERS COLLECTIONS
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Mike’s Free Encounters #31-40 (Pay what you want)
Mike’s Free Encounters #41-50 (Pay what you want)
Mike’s Free Encounters #61-70 (Pay what you want)
Mike’s Free Encounter #71-80 (Pay what you want)

FREE CLASS & CHARACTER

OPTIONS
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STUFF TO BUY!
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CLASS & CHARACTER OPTIONS

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7
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. Michael LaBossiere is a gamer/runner from
Maine who went to school in Ohio and ended up a
philosophy professor in Florida.
While acquiring his doctorate in philosophy at Ohio
State University, he earned his ramen noodle money
by writing for
Chaosium, GDW, R.
Talsorian Games, and
TSR. After graduate
school, he became a
philosophy professor at
Florida A&M
University. His first
philosophy book, What
Don't You Know?, was published in 2008. He
continues to write philosophy and gaming material.
He is also a blogger, but these days who isn't?
When not writing, he enjoys running, gaming and
the martial arts. Thanks to a quadriceps tendon tear
in 2009, he was out of running for a while, but
returned to the trails and wrote a book about it, Of
Tendon & Trail. He can be contacted at
ontologist@aol.com.

8
MAPS

9
2
FREE ENCOUNTERS LISTED BY CR
Minimum
Encounter CR
Mike's Free Encounter #1: Necromancer's Stash 0.25
Mike’s Free Encounter #3: Haunted Stones 0.25
Mike’s Free Encounter #4: Kobold Emissary 0.25
Mike’s Free Encounter #52: Osfranger 0.25
Mike’s Free Encounter #63: Ghost Tears 0.25
Mike’s Free Encounter #66: Of Sheers, Weagles and Spakes 0.25
Mike’s Free Encounters #2: Worg Riders 0.50
Mike’s Free Encounter #13: River Pirates 0.50
Mike’s Free Encounter #14: Bad Mercenaries 0.50
Mike’s Free Encounter #27: Burning Beasts 0.50
Mike’s Free Encounter #36: Molodus 0.50
Mike’s Free Encounter #49: Quillbones 0.50
Mike’s Free Encounter #50: Bonerunners 0.50
Mike’s Free Encounter #53 Cross Cat 0.50
Mike’s Free Encounter #67: Sky Piercer 0.50
Mike’s Free Encounter #7: Capraemortu 1.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #11: Shadow Fang Gnolls 1.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #17: Frostcursed Guard Post 1.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #24:Dividuicorporis 1.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #39: Sanguinem Volant 1.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #70: Puddle Lurker 1.00
Mikes-Free-Encounter #76: Duinfitheach 1.00
Mike's Free Encounters #86: Airioch 1.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #8: Bonewalkers 2.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #15: Dwarven Guard Post 2.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #30 Ghul Caravan 2.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #35: Windchime 2.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #41: A Princess Met on the Road 2.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #48: Druid of the Moonlit Web 2.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #55: Truthsayer 2.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #57 Ghost of Water 2.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #61: Sleeper in the Well 2.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #68: Skeletal Scholar 2.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #71: Ghoul Town 2.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #79: Stone Heart Dwarves 2.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #89: Tilja’s Walking Towers 2
Mike’s Free Encounter #5: Gnark Horse 3.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #22: Frostcursed Docks 3.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #31 Fallen Desert Outpost 3.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #33: Tomb of the Desiccated 3.00
Mike's Free Encounter #34: The Bath of Pelthonus 3.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #37: The Pool of Pelthonus 3.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #38: Sea Tiger Island 3.00
Mike’s Free Enounter #45 Serutani Tomb 3.00
Mike's Free Encounter #54: Musiksalskare 3.00

3
Mike’s Free Encounter #58 Bone Shaper 3.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #59 Legacy of Medusa 3.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #64: Rebel Mummy 3.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #65: Dealing Doppelganger 3.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #69: Will & Theo’s Lost Lute 3.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #77 Last Inn 3.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #91: Gufuhvalur & Isfiskur 3
Mike’s Free Encounter #92: Yool on the Hill 3
Mike’s Free Encounter #12: Shadowed Fields 4.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #20: Frostcursed Headless 4.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #28: Sting of Drenlak 4.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #29: Sand Gnark Horse 4.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #51: Welg 4.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #56: Warewolf 4.00
Mike’s Free Ecounter #60: Calsh Stoneworks 4.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #62: Krympt Jätte 4.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #78: Mokule(Shipbreaker) 4.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #82: Sea Devil 4.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #9: Alena Trel the Eye Piercer 5.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #42: College of the Damned 5.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #44: Cornu Umbra 5.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #46: Tiger Canon 5.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #90: Ice & Steam 5
Mike’s Free Encounter # 21: Frostcursed Forge 6.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #23: Frostcursed River Diamond 6.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #80: Wraith of the Apostate 6.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #88: D’Aoine Deighe 6
Mike’s Free Encounter #10: The Bog Witch 7.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #18: Death Captain 7.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #81: Basilisks of the Golden Dome 7.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #16 Necrolossi 8.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #40: Gladiomortuus 8.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #73: Chronocats 8.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #74: T(entacle)-Rex 8.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #75: Necrosaurus 8.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #6: Ghost of Kella Thar 9.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #19: Corporagelida 9.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #83: Mortuusbalena 9.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #84 Crater Bay 9.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #32: Ancient Aqueduct 10.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #85 Memories of the D’Aroine 10.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #47: The Deluded Djinni 11.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #72: Clock Dogs 11.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #43: Necrokyrie 12.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #25: Frostcursed Queen 13.00
Mike’s Free Encounter #26: Cult of the Bat 13.00

4
5