Little D&D: A Cat in a Treant

The adventurers have stopped in a peaceful village for lunch one day when, all of the sudden, a pack of kids come rushing out of the woods.

The children beg for help, explaining that they were playing in then forest when a band of Kobolds attacked them. They fled for their lives, but someone got left behind - their cat Mitsy! 

Desperate to save Mitsy, one of the children says they want to go back and rescue her. Their parents won’t let them go, however, saying it’s too dangerous. Seeing the Player Characters (PCs), they’ll beg for help!

“Please brave adventurers! What if the Kobolds eat her? She’s the cutest, fluffiest, sweetest kitten in the world! You just have to save her!” 

Assuming the PCs agree, the Game Master (GM) can have them move on into the woods.

One Stubborn Kitty

After the PCs enter the forest, the GM can ask them to make a Perception DC. If someone rolls a 10 or higher, they’ll quick find their way to the clearing. If they all roll below a 10, the GM can describe them tripping or a tree branch falling on one of their heads. They take 1D6 damage.

After that, they’ll quickly arrive at a small clearing where a pack of hungry Kobolds (4-10 depending on the number of players) has indeed chased Mitsy the cat up a tree. The PCs can either chase them off in battle or convince them to leave diplomatically. 

Unfortunately for the PCs, Mitsy the cat doesn’t want to get down from the tree. They’ll need to find a way to retrieve or spook her from its branches.

Not Just a Tree…

Whatever the PCs attempt to do, success or failure, it will make the tree “wake up.” The GM can read the following:

All of the sudden you hear a loud sound a groan. The tree’s branches start to tremble and shake. Leaves sprinkle down like confetti. You see the bark in one spot begin to move like a mouth opening and closing. In another spot, it slides open, revealing two gigantic eyes that peer down at you. 

“What’s the meaning of this! I was trying to take a nap! Raaaaaaagh!”

The PCs will discover that the tree is actually a Treant! Worse yet, it’s grumpy at being woken up early from its decade-long nap. 

The Treant, not even feeling the presence of the feline in its branches, will attack the Player Party. If the PCs defeat it (or find a way to talk it down), Mitsy will climb down and into the arms of the nearest Player Character. They can then return her back to the village for a reward.