This spell hearkens to an ancient cultural tradition wherein the dead are farewelled by song, settling their spirits to peace and ensuring no repercussions for their death. This has now evolved into funeral rites in most cultures, but may still be used in this format.
In a setting which uses the Halls of the Dead or a similar afterlife location, this assists the decased in crossing the desert of souls Song for the Dead Necromancy (Charm) (Language-Dependant, Mind-Affecting) Level: Bard 2, Cleric 2, Druid 2 Components: V, M Casting Time: 1 minute Range: Short (25ft. + 5ft./2 levels) Target: One deceased creature Duration: Instantaneous Saving Throw: Will negates, see text Spell Resistance: Yes By singing a song detailing the life of the deceased, and offering some portion of the caster's own life or body, you farewell a creature which has recently become deceased (within 1 hour per caster level). If any effect would transform the deceased into any kind of undead, the creature must make a Will save against the DC of this spell, or the transformation fails and the creature remains deceased. Material component: An offering of the caster's life or body, usually a drop of blood, a lock of hair, or tears. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 29 June 2019. The King's Garden is a vast and rambling estate, hundred of overgrown acres of browning trees, vast boulders, and sagging buildings. The gardens have been neglected for decades, allowing wild animals and beasts to infest them for elite hunting.
The ruins even contain chests of small treasures, seeded there by the gamewardens as prizes for games to be played, or as places to hide away if under threat. The gamewardens are a rangy, quiet group of solemn trackers and animal experts, experienced in handling exotic animals which have been captured and brought here for sport. How you can use the King's Gardens in your game: - Lucky or particularly prized Player Characters might be invited on a Hunt. If they're lucky, things could go well. If they're unlucky, they might stumble into the wrong area, drawing the ire of more dangerous beasts. Or perhaps it's no accident, and someone in their party has given them the wrong directions? - If an attack on the King's castle seems successful, protocol is for members of the Royal family to be led into secure locations within the gardens. The PCs might be sent as reinforcements, or to bring them back if the attack has failed. But if the flag isn't raised above the ruin, that means trouble... -Your PCs might also be sent to subdue some kind of monster and bring it back for the gardens- perhaps a griffon. If it has a nest, all the better- there may be a bonus for chicks or eggs. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 27 June 2019. This spell was designed by a wizard who was often the target of thieves, to turn any chest of coins into a lethal trap for those who would steal it. After inventing the spell, the thefts stopped abruptly. The wizard then sold scrolls of his spell to others, making a whole new fortune.
Norlian's Numismatic Trap Abjuration [Force] Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 3 Components: V, S, M Range: Touch Target: One 'lot' of coins weighing no more than 10 lb. (up to 500 coins) Duration: Permanent until discharged (D) Saving Throw: See text Spell resistance: No You trace mystic runes beneath a pile of coins, enchanting it with a spell of detonation to propel the coins upwards at great speed when they are disrupted. When touched by a living creature, the spell activates and launches the coins immediately upwards at ballistic speed, causing 6d6 points of bludgeoning damage. Anyone close enough to touch the coins takes the full damage with no saving throw; any other creature within 10 feet is entitled to a Reflex save for half damage. The coins themselves disintegrate into tiny scraps of shrapnel, and are destroyed. You and any persons you specifically instruct can remove the coins without triggering the runes. Likewise, you can remove the runes whenever desired. Another creature can remove them with a successful Dispel magic or Erase spell, but attempting to dispel or erase the runes and failing to do so triggers the explosion. The coins can, however, be removed by tipping out a chest from a distance, or Levitating them out, for example. Note: Magic traps such as explosive runes are hard to detect and disable. A rogue can use the Search skill to find the runes and Disable Device to thwart them. The DC in each case is 25 + spell level, or 28 for explosive runes. Dueling is a time-honoured tradition of settling disputes by one-on-one violence. It is a somewhat more civilized way of getting some aggression out, and usually doesn't end in death or lead to war, unless someone makes a mistake or pushes their luck.
It's important to establish rules for a duel though, as well as appropriate reasons, otherwise it's just two people fighting. According to ancient codes of honour, there were specific reasons you could challenge someone to a duel- most of them to do with defending privilege and riches. In order to make sure that you turned up, you would have to nominate a second- your best friend, or someone you could trust to turn up and fight in your stead if something disabled you. And if you didn't turn up to honour the challenge, it was legally accepted that you were a coward, and whatever statement you had made, or offence you had given, was accepted as being backed down from. There were also judicial duels, which were fought to settle a legal issue, and in which you would often find a champion to fight the duel for you. According to dueling codes, there were several 'grades' to which a duel could be fought: - To first blood, the simplest of duels. This was usually for an argument or disagreement for which either party could accept being wrong. Having dueling scars from similar duels was often thought well of in polite society, as it showed you were an experienced duelist. - To severe wounds, for a more important issue. This would often be until someone was physically so injured that they couldn't continue, and would occur for a more grievous insult. A good way to judge this would be reaching half of maximum hit points, or taking a critical hit. Another way would be for destroying an opponent's weapon, disabling them. - To the death- for extreme insult only. This means that one party must be mortally wounded (and reach negative hit points) to end the duel. Unless the opponent is particularly bloodthirsty or vengeful, allowing the other party to live is considered polite, but not necessary. Magical interference in a duel is frowned upon, so casting spells on people beforehand, taking potions, or bardic inspiration might be an issue, or it might not. Having people cast spells during a duel is generally completely forbidden, depending on the society. Whether or not the duelists cast the spells themselves may affect the result. How you can use Dueling in your game: - Some societies have laws that mean anyone touching/striking a noble has committed an offense, and is allowed to be challenged to a duel. Nobles are often much better-equipped than the adventurers that most player characters are. - A way of introducing combat into an intrigue adventure might be to have a duel as part of the required actions. Whether that involves fighting a duel for an injured party, in defence of the party's statements, or even as a side quest to gain someone else's approval. - Having someone that they know challenged to a duel can be a way to hook in your player characters to an adventure- your local inkeeper being challenged to a duel by the mighty Sir Agravaine, a younger sister being accused of slander, or a helpful priest accused of mistreatment. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 24 June 2019. Moss Dragons are small and mysterious creatures, not truly dragons byt termed as such by most who see them. They dwell in forest pools and grow moss and algae on their scales, as well as occasional mushrooms.
While Moss Dragons can be vicious if they're in danger, they're not aggressive. They often befriend and protect lone travellers through their area using their plant-control powers. Statistics: Moss Dragons are 4 Hit Die Magical Beasts, with Druidic spellcasting equal to their Hit Dice. They are fond of spells which do not have obvious effects, like Entangle, allowing them to stay unseen. If physically threatened, they can stand on their back legs to about 7 feet tall, and claw and bite their opponents. How you can use Moss Dragons in your game: - A player character who becomes separated from their group in the woods might encounter a Moss Dragon, or perhaps a swarm of them, willing to assist them if they can co-operate. - A small child who has gone missing might have been found by a protective swarm of Moss Dragons in the woods. Tracking them to the pond will be difficult, and then convincing them that they mean no harm to their new child might make things more complicated. - A town wishing to expand needs to fell trees, which are in an area inhabited by Moss Dragons. The otherwise peaceful creatures start attacking loggers, and the town puts up a reward for anyone able to rid the forest of the creatures. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 23 June 2019. This arcane steel armour harness features a heavy mechanical back which can spring forth into a pair of enamelled wings which can lift the wearer into the sky for a brief period. It is a result of newly developed technology in magical smithing.
Statistics: +1 breastplate, allows the wearer to Fly on command (as the spell) once per day for 5 minutes. The harness does not include any specific way of tracking or being aware of when the spell will end, so remembering to keep track or stay low to the ground will be a wise choice. How you can use a Folding Wing Harness in your game: - For Player Characters who want to take to the skies, this allows them a way of doing so while balancing it with protection. The harness is also striking and stylish! - Disposable enemies equipped with Folding Wing Harnesses could really threaten player characters who are riding an airship or flying creature, and if they're in a rush, such devices won't be recoverable. - Couriers in a city with high spires might use these to travel and protect themselves while traveling. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 22 June 2019. Eldritch Carronades are fabulously-wrought objects, relics of the Ethergaunt War last century. They access the power taken from Soul Engines and channel that through enormous crystal lenses, allowing whoever is controlling it to disintegrate large swathes of enemies or property.
The Carronades themselves are huge, at least twenty feet long and weighing upwards of 5,000 pounds, making them very difficult to transport or relocate. This means they are often placed defensively, rather than used as offensive weapons. An Eldritch Carronade costs 100 hit points' worth of soul energy each time it is fired, making it awfully expensive. They can turn about 90 degrees in a round, also making them vulnerable to fast-moving and mobile opponents. Statistics: Firing an Eldritch Carronade creates a beam of pure darkness stretching out up to a mile, disintegrating what they touch. The person controlling the carronade makes a ranged touch attack using their base attack bonus + Dexterity modifier, with a nonproficiency penalty, or alternately can swing it through an arc, affecting a 90 foot cone up to half a mile away. Targets within the cone may make a Reflex save (DC = attack roll result) to take half damage. Any target struck takes 40d6 points of damage. Any creature reduced to 0 or fewer hit points by this spell is entirely disintegrated, leaving behind only a trace of fine dust. A disintegrated creature’s equipment is unaffected. When used against an object, the ray simply disintegrates as much as one 10-foot cube of nonliving matter. Thus, the spell disintegrates only part of any very large object or structure targeted. The ray affects even objects constructed entirely of force, but not magical effects such as a globe of invulnerability or an antimagic field. A creature or object that makes a successful Reflex save is partially affected, taking only 5d6 points of damage. If this damage reduces the creature or object to 0 or fewer hit points, it is entirely disintegrated. How you can use Eldritch Carronades in your game: - A stronghold might have a functional Eldritch Carronade defending it, making it a suicide effort for attackers to assault. Player Characters might be sent on a mission to seize or sabotage the Carronade, or to eliminate the crew, clearing the path for a determined attack. - Finding a damaged Carronade might trigger a 'gold rush' of sorts, with various factions trying to bring it back to their home or use it against their enemies. Transporting the weapon will be quite a task, especially if it has soul engines attached. -For high-level PCs, attacking a fortress which is defended by multiple Carronades will be a dire affair, fraught with danger. They may be able to turn the enemy's weapons against them, but finding the Soul Engines which fuel them might be even more alarming. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 21 June 2019. This spell gives motive force to loose objects nearby the spell's caster, hurling them at a foe.
Actuate Transmutation [Force] Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 3 Components: S, M Casting Time: 1 standard action Range: Personal Area: 10ft. radius Duration: Instantaneous Saving Throw: None Spell Resistance: No This spell directs any loose objects in the caster's vicinity at a single target in short range, up to 10lb. of weight per caster level. Depending on how cluttered the area nearby the caster is, and what kind of objects are in the area, this determines how many attacks the caster may make, and how much damage the objects cause. Attacks are made using the caster's base attack bonus + Intelligence bonus, as ranged touch attacks with Short range (25ft. + 5ft./2 levels). Level of Clutter Attacks Sparse (Desert or empty field) 3 Moderate (Woods, average room) 6 High (cluttered room, loose rocks) 9 Type of objects Damage Dirt, rocks, sticks d4 Made objects d6 Weapons d8 Material component: A steel spring, tied tight with twine. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 20 June 2019. Decorating the shoreline, down a little from the university and in the kind of district you'll find arty coffee shops that serve them in three separate shot glasses, are a pair of tower buildings- aesthetically pleasing, unbranded, and filled with office spaces. They're known locally as the 'Cherkhan Towers', after the Indian-based development company which owns them, and each runs to 59 storeys high, with 7 levels of extensive underground parking. The upper 15 storeys, as well as the capping penthouses on both buildings, are still inhabited by Cherkhan Holdings, and run an enormous, world-wide stock trading business, making fine gains in the market.
The mysterious owner, Mamun Cherkhan, is a reclusive figure, rarely seen without a dozen bodyguards. He is a well-built, handsome figure in his early fifities, always wearing an impeccable suit worth more than most cars, a neatly-cut mustache and beard, and a confident and disarming smile. If a Western movie were made about him, they'd cast George Clooney. He is a mover and shaker, sponsoring community organizations, especially those to do with his native West Bengal, a proud disability advocate, and is well-known in the halls of power. Those who have the chance to observe him closely notice a disfigurement about his hands and he often transfers his cane to his left hand to awkwardly shake hands with new people he meets. He seems to be able to do no wrong in business, and often anticipates exactly what another is about to say, or offer. He is known for shrewd and impresive investments. Cherkhan's personal office takes up an entire room, glass on every side, and is filled with ancient relics- a suit of seventeenth-century Mughal period armour, a stand of tarnished but still keenly sharp kukri blades, paintings worth millions, hand-woven deep-pile rugs with intricate details. He is clearly a man who enjoys his level of prestige and power, and wants others to feel his presence. Cherkhan is also a villainous Rakshasa, an immortal and evil tiger-spirit, and has devoured no less than three of his own employees, and two poor individuals who happened to share an empty elevator with him, over the past five years, in addition to countless others who have crossed his path in a quiet alley or darkened street. He knows no bounds in his depravity, and exalts in employing others to clean up his villainy, thriving on their uncomfortability and guilt. He is truly a villain par excellence, and knows enough of the Secret World to avoid crossing the edicts of the Archons, too far. How you can use Mamun Cherkhan in your game: - As a CR 10 creature, Cherkhan makes an ideal BBEG-level villain for an O7 game- scheming, politically powerful, legally near-untouchable, and able to threaten high-level characters on his own. He can instigate a lot of plots without having to be personally involved, and as a creature with innate magical talents as well as an interest in the material world Should you wish for an NPC to be your campaign's villain without making them some sort of eldritch abomination, he'd do very nicely. - If you want to make your game a little morally compromising, having one or more of your PCs employed by Cherkhan Holdings makes a good way to bring them together- investigating a competitor, concealing some horror, or researching ancient secrets and seizing them before Cherkhan's rivals can reach them. As they come to realize more about the Secret World, they could start to realize something very uncomfortable about their employer. - Alternately, your players could have crossed paths with the wily Mamum Cherkhan in their backgrounds, uniting them against the mighty Tiger of West Bengal. Reaching a point where they could even confront him personally will be a quest worthy of legend, and likely to end in their unmarked graves. Garzim is a mercenary mage, hard as adamantium nails, as mysterious as the kindness of a Dragon, and more dangerous than a nest of Viper eels.
He can be found in the dark corner of the tavern, his face shrouded in an umbral cloak, his staff forged of the spine of his enemy. He is a dangerous man to cross, and even powerful warlords have quailed before his might. No-one cheats him and lives. He is well-respected for his impeccable timing in all he does, and has plans which not even his employers could possibly understand. No job is too dirty, no task too difficult. Garzim is a name to be feared and respected. Who else could have accomplished the burning of the Ronolas River, or the capture of Lirdien's Bluff without a single fireball? All of the above is merely a persona, a bluff designed to keep the young half-elf mage Drenio in drinks and out of too much trouble. He lurches from disaster to disaster, desperately trying to stay out of trouble and keep his skin intact. He took on the identity of his master Garzim, actually a feared and respected mercenary mage, who died under the tender administrations of several enthusiastic courtesans a few years back. Since then, he's been trying to pay off his old gambling debts and just stay allive, but keeps finding himself courted by dangerous and powerful people who require, nay, demand, his services at any cost, usually at the point of a sword. Statistics: Drenio is a 5th-level Illusionist, way out of his league and overcommitted. He relies on several of his old master's belongings, including a staff that floats beside him when commanded, a hood that shrouds his face in impenetrable darkness but allows him to see out, and garments that are impenetrable to blades and resistant to magical effects. All of these assist in building the myth around his (non-existent) vast power. His wily cunning and weasel desperation have got him out of as many situations as his keen intelligence. How you can use Garzim in your game: - The Player Characters might hear about the exploits of a powerful mercenary mage, someone very dangerous and accomplished. They might even spy him in the distance, lurking mysteriously, but not actually taking any actions that they can see. Everyone around treats him with quite a deal of respect. - Garzim might be sent after your PCs, to interfere with whatever they're doing. He'll do a lot of levitating and seeming intimidating, but will generally hold off on any actual spellcasting. If pushed, he'll likely drop the ruse and try to flee. - Your PCs might hear that Garzim has been hired by the forces of their enemies, and he certainly has a ferocious reputation. If they get a chance, they might try to eliminate or cut off the payment for Garzim. Doing a little research could lead them to Garzim's current lair, where they can confront him, revealing the startled young apprentice desperate for assistance. He offers them the payment their enemy gave them, if they can spirit him out from behind enemy lines. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 19 June 2019. Those who commit themselves to the worship of Devils in life are simultaneously rewarded and punished in the Hells when they die. The Gorger Cardinal, a corrupt and wicked churchman of a righteous faith, had nothing in life but the best of all things- wine, sexual partners, and gratification of every desire, in private. No vice was off-limits, no sin was too great. In the moment of his church's need, he was not at his post, he was busy stuffing himself with illicit morsels. Thus, he died, and his church was doomed for lack of attention.
The Gorger Cardinal is now one of the Ten Thousand Kings of Hell, ruling a Court that slavishly worships him and serves his every need, but he cannot taste any pleasure, nor feel gratification of his constant need for release. He has grown so corpulent that he cannot leave, so he can only experience what is brought before him. He slobbers grossly, given over only to appetite and craving, and these desires have grown ever more exotic and dangerous over time. Statistics: The Gorger Cardinal possesses the powers of a Huge-size Pit Fiend, with his wing attacks replaced by tentacle slams. He has a Dexterity score of only 1, and a maximum Movement speed of 10 feet per round, although he also has the spellcasting abilities of a 20th-level evil Cleric. The Gorger Cardinal's servants bear a little more weight than usual, and their eyes linger a little too long on something they desire. How you can use the Gorger Cardinal in your game: - The Gorger Cardinal is often a patron for warlocks and clerics who act deliberately in false faith. Warlocks who serve him often keep secret closets or shrines with finery and lavish goods for themselves. They crave worship and power, and may come into conflict with player characters who would root out corruption. - Venturing into the Hells might cause player characters to come into contact with the Gorger Cardinal. Although he is not warlike, his servants might capture potentially useful assets in order to bring them before him. He might have use for them against his foes, and could even offer them some of his fabulous wealth... maybe not quite the thing they're desiring, but something useful. - PCs who serve another of the Kings of Hell might come into conflict with the Gorger Cardinal's forces, undermining and burrowing into other faiths. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 18 June 2019. This spell, one of the rare 'white necromancy' spells, calls up a helpful unquiet spirit, and then speeds it on its way to the Halls of the Dead.
Spirit Advocate Necromancy [Language-dependant] Level: Cleric 4, Sorcerer/Wizard 3 Components: V, S, M/DF Casting time: One minute Range: Touch Target: One grave touched Duration: One hour Saving throw: None Spell Resistance: No This spell conjures the spirit of somone laid to rest as an incorporeal spirit, unable to interact with any physical objects but able to give verbal advice. The spirit is able to speak to the caster, and hear them, but may need convincing to co-operate with what the caster asks them, as if they were still alive. The spirit conjured may only have been dead for up to one day per caster level, and must not have been protected by a magical Gentle Repose spell or similar effect. They can only remember facts which happened within one week of their death, per caster level. When the spell duration ends, whether the spirit has co-operated with the caster or not, the spirit is hasted on their journey across the desert of souls, and grants them Spell Resistance 20 against any other Necromancy spells used on them. Material component: Two pieces of gold from the plane of the Dead. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 17 June 2019. Dragons are a funny sort of beast- I mean, D&D is literally about them, but you don't want to overuse them and make them meaningless. It's not much fun if you're fighting 1-HD dragons from your first adventure, they just lose the specialness that makes them interesting.
So, how do you make your dragons threatening, and present in your game world but not constantly present in your game? Well, hearing about them in the world is a good way to establish how dangerous they are. If your Player Characters have all just been beaten up by some town guards, if they later hear that ten of those same town guards were killed, and the payroll wagon that they were guarding was set on fire by a dragon attack, they gives your players a metric to work out how worried they should be, and whether this mission might be too dangerous for them. In my current game, my players have taken over an old, damaged, small keep, and they're establishing a thriving village, including a tavern that makes Oat-beer. They've read the accounts of the previous Lord establishing that he used to send knights after a particular dragon in his area, and lost enough of them that he established a compact to just give it tribute of twenty cows a year, to leave the area alone. A lot of this comes down to defining what it is that makes your dragons dangerous, and using that in the way you tell your story, even if it gets chopped up in a few rounds by your heroes anyway. So when a dragon arrives, you can have it sail through the air majestically, where your archers and spellcasters can be throwing things at it for a few rounds before it even arrives. But when it crashes through the roof of your favourite tavern, breathing fire down into the room below and just plain incinerating a bunch of commoners nearby, that's going to give it an entrance worthy of the T-rex from Jurassic Park. When it hits with its claw attacks, describe how it's shredding chain mail with its talons, rings bursting off and flying through the air with the target's blood. When it bites someone, it's hungrily chomping them down or tearing chunks out of them, not just "it hits, <roll> for 22 damage". And when it breathes fire (or lightning, or whatever), let them know that the heat is like a furnace and how wooden scenery nearby is scorched, or how the bricks nearby start to smoulder, or how an iron fence wilts under the heat. This applies to all kinds of creatures, not just dragons, but dragons tend to be one of the things where the game just doesn't quite get things right between storytelling and gameplay balance. The more you use storytelling as the game, and the dice rolls as a way of adjudicating that, rather than the numbers being everything, the better your game will get. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 16 June 2019. The Faded House is one of those creepy houses everyone has in their neighbourhood somewhere- that one where that guy killed his wife, that one where someone totally saw a dead guy through the window, that one that's been empty for years, and yet somehow the town council haven't gotten around to condemning it. Animals won't even go near the place, no matter how much you drag 'em. And everyone knows that means a place is evil!
And yet... And yet you feel like you should explore it. You feel drawn to this place. Even crossing that picket fence seems to feel a chill on your skin, no matter how many layers you wear. Colours bleach to almost black and white, and your breathing comes just a little faster, with a lump in your throat. Something doesn't want you here, and you've entered the Invisible World, out of step with mundane reality. Those who can Pierce the Veil can sense that the Faded House and its grounds have a strong supernatural aura, concentrated in the windows or whatever parts of the inside of the house can be glimpsed. They can also sense a strong feeling that the House itself is somehow aware of them, as well. While piercing the veil, normal colours and scents can be seen, but they fade again swiftly if someone stops concentrating. The House itself varies in layout- use whatever haunted house layout you can get your hands on. It doesn't always match up to the external dimensions of the building, either. The inside is always dim, and any light sources brought in are unreliable, dimmed, or even unable to function at all. The curtains are nearly always drawn, and the furnishings seem very old - dusty velvet-upholstered lounges, bentwood antique dining chairs, and ancient and heavy oaken doors. The inside of the house seems to drink up sound, leaving each room curiously isolated and heightening the sense of aloneness. The worst feeling seems to come from the attic, or the basement, or the secret room behind the wardrobe in the master room, or that dark stain on the floorboards in front of the fireplace in the ballroom. Piercing the Veil inside the house leads to an immediate sense of overwhelming gloom and a dread attention drawn to the observer, a feeling of lurking and immediately impending doom. Those who continue to concentrate draw the attention of animated shadows that seem to crawl across the floor, defying any natural light direction, and swarm the character (1d4+2 Lesser Shadows). Certain things within the house will give clues as to the identity of the house's owner- the diary of an angry stockbroker who just snapped one day, letters from a hateful dowager determined to choke the joy from her ungrateful descendants, hallucinations of a young mother who shook her little daughter just a shade too hard one day. Interacting with each of these hints is likely to conjure up resentful spirits - a Shadow and a number of Lesser Shadows, which will enact their rage on any creatures nearby. Finding the clues within the Faded House leads to grim understanding of what the master did, and why, then inexorably leads back to the place which has been found- the odd stain, the secret room, the attic staircase or basement door, and finally to the master of the house itself, an embittered spirit sustaining itself on hate and murdered victims, drained of all life energy. This is a Greater Shadow, which first calls up flickering lesser shadows to wear down its foes before descending upon them, to savour their last moments itself. Canny player characters might try to pull aside the curtains and weaken the creature with bright sunlight, reducing its Strength damage to 1d4 points per attack. This reduces its lethality, but still makes it a dangerous foe. With the master of the house's final death, the object anchoring it can be recovered and burnt- the stockbroker's account folder, the dowager's prized jewel necklace, the mother's baby blanket. This fire quickly spreads, even if the object is taken out into the grounds, and the house seems to shudder and spit fire from each of its orifices, quickly collapsing into a smoldering ruin. How you can use this in your game: - Much like one of Voldemort's Horcruxes, a powerful Goetic Spirit (or maybe even an archon, but don't say it too loudly) is strengthening its power by causing a Faded House to come into being. It has manipulated events like dominoes to force a situation, meddling until someone snapped. Breaking this anchor will slow the spirit's plans... hopefully. - A foe or informant has fled into the Faded House to try to hide out from your player characters, desperate to evade them. Can your players find the target before the master devours their soul, and the knowledge they hold, forever? - The Faded House may also play a part in a player character's origin, with the supernatural events that opened their third eye having been caused by surviving the events within. Returning to confront the spirits within could wrap their story up, making it a personal arc rather than as part of the game's overall story arc. Hellions are minor demons, often used as foot soldiers in Abyssal armies. They are plentiful and dangerous individually, but can wear down more skilled opponents by virtue of numbers.
Hellions are loathsome, grey-skinned beasts with typical "demonic" features- a sinuous tail, sweeping horns, and taloned hands and feet, as well as a vile grin full of sharp teeth and slobber. They often scamper on all fours, but can walk on their feet, adopting an alien gait when they do so. Although they possess little in the way of skill, their numbers and determination can wear down opponents, and Abyssal generals often think nothing of hurling thousands of these at the walls of an opponent to keep them busy while more powerful demons enact their own plans. Statistics: Hellions are 4-HD Chaotic Evil outsiders. They can slash opponents with their claws for dagger-equivalent damage, or bite them in a grapple. When on all fours, they have a movement speed of 40ft. per round, making them fast enough to run down most humanoids. They possess standard demonic resistances, but most have no magical powers or talents, relying solely on quantity. The one major benefit they gain is that a Hellion gains a +1 bonus to damage for each Hellion which has already damaged the same opponent within the same round, allowing them to escalate and tear down powerful foes together. Hellions may be summoned by other demons, usually arriving a dozen at a time. How you can use Hellions in your game: - A single Hellion makes for a dangerous, but not overwhelming, threat for a low-level party- perhaps a straggler or looter that needs to be overcome to find shelter, escape, and so on. - In games where your PCs are able to take on higher-level demons, these can be used as disposable minions to 'soak up' some spell slots, and wear down your PCs. If you need to make them more threatening, turn them into a mob, letting them have a shared pool of hit points and function similarly to a swarm, inflicting damage on anyone who is in their area. - Powerful Hellions often advance as Warlocks, gaining the ability to hurl eldritch blasts of energy. This makes them much more dangerous, as ranged weapons can threaten even targets who don't close to melee range. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 15 June 2019. Lumpen is an unfortunate and uncoordinated Earth elemental, who has been 'living wild' since being called to the Material Plane many centuries ago. He does not understand 'living' things, or the need to eat, or sleep, but is very curious. He is also a complete coward, and will flee if threatened.
Lumpen towers over most humanoids at about 16 feet tall and over 5,000 pounds, but is covered with moss and dirt. If spotted, he will often try (very poorly) to hide, or just hunker down and 'pretend' to be a rock for a few days. Those who wish to befriend the gentle giant will need to have patience and a calm demeanor. Statistics: Lumpen is a Large Earth Elemental with an Intelligence score of about 8. His eyes are gleaming black obsidians, giving him a very soulful look. When he speaks, which is rare, he sounds like a harmonic rumble from deep within. How you can use Lumpen in your game: - Townsfolk who have witnessed Lumpen in the woods might call for adventurers to hunt the giant who is no doubt coming for their farms RIGHT NOW! Those with a little curiosity will find that Lumpen was merely attempting to get to meet their cows, who were unafraid of him. - Finding Lumpen a secure place in the woods where he won't be at threat could be a quest for friendly PCs, whether that involves locating a suitable area, clearing out the region of threats, or fighting off a Xorn that comes hunting for the tasty rock-creature. Those who win his friendship might find his talents at earth-shaping to be tremendously helpful. - Finally, a powerful PC might attempt to help Lumpen to return home to the Earth elemental plane. Although he will appreciate the assistance, he can do little against the monstrous creatures that lair here and will threaten those who attempt to bridge the gap between planes. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 14 June 2019. Alaunquarra is a famed and well-respected wizard, open 'face' of The Bright, and also highly placed in the Nefa Aethel, the Queen's secret police. She is charming, personable even to non-citizens, and well-liked. She often attends public masquerades, and can be seen to step in and stand up for non-Elven rights.
Alaunquarra is also a ruthless and lethal individual with no moral qualms. She once cultivated a friendship with a human family over the course of thirteen years before turning their operations over to the secret police, leaving the children homeless and the adults tortured for further information on rebels. She walked away not shedding a tear for any of the individuals involved. Statistics: Alaunquarra is a Lawful Evil 3rd-level Rogue, and 7th-level Wizard. She is an incredible liar, and has a will of iron, defying some spells cast by those highly-ranked above her. She often wears robes enchanted to the hardness of armour, and bears a small courtier's fan that can transform into a bladed weapon equivalent to a short sword at the flick of a wrist. When in public, she wears an open mask that protects her from hostile magic. How you can use Alaunquarra in your game: - As the public face of The Bright, Alaunquarra might cross paths with a group of rising rebellious Player Characters bringing them out of a dangerous situation with her wits and spells. She can get them into contact with other members of The Bright, and even non-Elven rebel leaders. Her information sources are uncannily accurate, leading PCs to raids when the police guard is at its lowest, or to foes who threaten them. - If your PCs begin to suspect her, Alaunquarra is likely to stage some kind of rescue operation where they can witness her bloody torture for their identities and secrets about them. She is willing to trust in their capability and capacity for healing her afterwards to see her through, and her servants in the secret police know better than to disobey her orders. - As an enemy, Alaunquarra is resolute and malignant, using every scrap of fact she can find out about someone to use against them. Between her spells and her street knowledge, little can escape her. If your PCs have families, she will find them. If they hide, she will track them with magic, recalling tattoos, distinctive trinkets they possess, or arcane marks she has placed upon their skin. She is a truly challenging foe, and one with vast resources at her disposal. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 13 June 2019. The Bright are an organization of mysterious Elves who do good acts under the guise of masks, disguising their identities to build the renown of the group as a whole. Each member is gifted a golden sun-mask, depicting an idealized and serene face. They fight to defend those living in the Elflands, ruled by Queen Ilivriia, and represent some of the most renowned warriors, spellcasters, and daring swashbucklers of the realm, and are beloved by all who see them.
It is also little-known that these mask-wearing heroes are also the members of the Nefa Aethel, the Queen's secret police. They secretly serve the aims of Elven racial supremacy, and do wicked deeds in silent secrecy to build the reputation of their agency as all-knowing and all-powerful. They act with anonymous impunity and sneering disdain for non-citizens, and rumours say that they even commit evil deeds in order to drive the reputation of The Bright. Statistics: When The Bright are seen, they often turn up in teams of 5-6 at a time, and are usually minimum 5th-level characters, who are well-equipped for their level. Some are up to 9th level, although they dress identically. Their masks protect their identities and alignments while worn, although they are not magically secured. How you can use The Bright in your game: - A Player Character (an Elf, naturally) might have witnessed or even been personally rescued by a member of The Bright in their past. Naturally, they will remember the heroic organization well! A PC (who isn't an Elf) might remember these less fondly, gathering intelligence that was capitalized on by the Queen's secret police later on. - PCs who encounter The Bright in their adventures might appreciate the assistance, although the information they ask in return might seem trivial to begin with... - Discovering that The Bright actually serve the Nefa Aethel would be quite a discovery, although it will make enemies of a large, well-renowned organization of Royally-backed operatives. It means that anyone discovering such a thing has a lot of enemies quickly, willing to do very dangerous things to those who threaten their whole way of life. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 12 June 2019. The art of fighting people has hundreds of different schools of thought, thousands of different stances and techniques, and still no consensus on the One True Way of doing stuff. Now imagine expanding that learning to creatures with completely dissimilar body types, physiologies, and even whether those creatures have vital spots or not.
So warriors can certainly just "get out there and flail a sword at something", but it feels rather inelegant. Where exactly can prospective fighters learn that a dragon's heart is actually about two ribs lower than a human's? Or that giants have a high centre of gravity, making them particularly vulnerable to trips and falls? Or that salts neutralize the acids of specific kinds of Oozes, but definitely not other types of oozes? In order to represent this, here are some feats for those who have studied different types of creatures. Skerbynom [Combat] You are trained in Skerbynom, the Gnomish art of giant-wrestling. Requirements: 4 ranks in Knowledge (Local) Benefits: You gain a +4 competence bonus to Armour Class against melee attacks made by creatures with the Giant type, and you gain a competence bonus on Grapple checks against them equal to +4 per size difference (Medium-Large is one size difference, Small-Huge is three sizes difference, and so on). Thuridan Raloynor [Combat] You have trained in Thuridan Raloynor, the Elven art of evading powerful blows, originally formulated for battle against Orcs and their kind. Requirements: 4 ranks in Knowledge (Local). Benefits: When an opponent attacks you using the Power Attack feat, the penalty they take on attack rolls to gain benefits from Power Attack is 2 points higher than it would be. In addition, if a foe charges you, you gain a +1 circumstance bonus to Armour Class against their attacks. Dragonbane School [Combat] You have trained in battling dragons and evading breath weapons. Requirements: 4 ranks in Knowledge (Arcana). Benefits: You gain +2 damage on any weapon attacks against a Dragon type creature within 30 feet, and a +2 bonus on saving throws against any kind of breath weapons. Hirdamadra [Combat] You have trained in Hirdamadra, the way of a thousand cutting blades. This school teaches the art of battling tentacled things that should not be. Requirements: 4 ranks in Knowledge (Dungeoneering). Benefits: You do not incur an attack of opportunity for attempting to sunder a natural weapon used by an Aberration-type creature. In addition, your slashing attacks against an Aberration-type creature gain a +2 competence bonus on damage rolls. Vanhal's Stakewondo You have learned to do battle with the most foul of parasitic undead- the Vampyr! Requirements: 4 ranks in Knowledge (Religion). Benefits: When you use a wooden stake (dagger), it does not count as an improvised weapon. You may make critical hits against Vampires and Vampire Spawn using a wooden stake, as if they were living. This instantly triggers the Massive Damage rules for these creatures, if you are using these in your campaign. How you can use these in your game: - Particularly effective warriors might recognize the fighting styles of other warriors as they battle different types of creatures. They will likely try to teach particular techniques to others, as well. - If a new Player Character is introduced, they may wish to be a specialist against particular types of creature. This might allow them a fun way to do so, without overspecializing their character. - Clever enemies might also be specialised in battling types of creatures. Drow might have particular training for battling creatures without darkvision, for example. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 11 June 2019. Tel Halatha is convincingly the finest of palaces in the Southern Cities, and the one which has resisted the Fleshblight best. It is located on the shores of Lake Zabiden, and its walls are quarried from only the whitest marble. It is ruled by Prince Kooroush, a canny and thoughtful scholar who values his soldiers well.
Life in Tel Halatha is regularly at threat from the monsters of the deep deserts, but comfortable for the remainder of the time. Traders come from all over, even from other continents, for its famously well-bred horses and its wine, noted for crisp tones and sweet aftertaste. Its customs can seem strict to outsiders, but those who live here understand the harsh requirements of living in a city under attack almost at random by monstrous outside forces. Statistics: Lawful Neutral city; Population about 12,000 inhabitants; Wealth high. How you can use Tel Halatha in your game: - The wines of Tel Halatha are known and exported all over, and considered to be "pretty good"- an adventurer might buy a cheap bottle for 20 gold pieces to splash out for a night, while presenting a fine bottle costing about 200 gold pieces to a noble or ruler makes a considerate and prized gift. Its horses are even more valuable, costing 5-10 times the normal amount for horses in the Player's Handbook, but usually well worth that cost for anyone wanting a fine-quality steed. - Traveling to Tel Halatha to meet Prince Kooroush for some piece of sage advice he possesses would make for quite a journey, and they might be conscripted in a battle against the Corrupted Fleshblight creatures which shamble from the desert periodically. - In direst circumstances, Prince Kooroush might call for aid from adventurers or mercenaries to mount an attack against the Fleshblight creatures, seeking out the caverns in the deep deserts where they roam, and gaining a measure of their strength. Little does he expect the titanic monsters which have become corrupted as well, and the seething pits of degeneration which exist out of sight of civilization. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 10 June 2019. |
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