A hateful and powerful undead spirit, this creature is used as a threat to wicked children. Legends of this dread being terrify even adults, and the very sight of it can cause the blood to run cold and the stomach to churn. Constantly surrounded by an aura of harsh crimson light, the Bloodybones can leech the life essence of a foe with just a gesture, draining an adult in moments. It moves with a jerky, unnatural motion and is unnaturally resistant to damage.
No-one is sure of the origin of this creature, although some stories variously tell that it was once a nobleman or -woman) who bathed in the blood of the innocent to stay youthful, or that its hatred springs from some great betrayal in life, or merely that it was once a hateful individual who so despised misbehaving children that it returned from the realm of the dead. BLOODYBONES Medium undead, neutral evil Armour Class 14 Hit Points 66 (12d8 + 12) Speed 15ft. Str 16 (+3); Dex 17 (+3); Con 13 (+1); Int 8 (-1); Wis 14 (+2); Cha 16 (+3) Damage Resistances Acid, cold, fire, lightning, psychic, radiant, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing and slashing from nonmagical weapons Damage Immunities Necrotic, poison Condition Immunities Charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned, stunned, unconscious Senses darkvision 60ft., passive Perception 12 Languages Understands common but does not speak Challenge 6 (2,300 XP) Blurmotion. As a bonus action once per round, bloodybones can use the dash action. Terrifying Aura. Bloodybones sheds dim light within a 30 foot radius, in a harsh crimson. Each creature within the light aura that can see bloodybones must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw at the start of its turn or be frightened for as long as it can see bloodybones. ACTIONS Bloodleech. Bloodybones gestures at a creature within 60 feet whose current hit points are lower than their maximum hit points. As blood runs from any open wounds and flies to bloodybones, the creature must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or take 16 (3d10) necrotic damage. Bloodybones gains a number of temporary hit points equal to the damage taken, and its current and maximum hit points increase by 5 (1d10). A creature reduced to 0 hit points by this attack is slain instantly as their flesh liquefies into bloody tissue, and at the start of the next round, animates as a Skeleton. Claws. Melee weapon attack: +6 to hit, reach 10ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d10 + 3) slashing damage. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 16 November 2021. Note: As with all major character choices, this should be discussed with your GM, and the game setting carefully considered before inclusion. Although firearms have been in use since the 10th century AD, many GMs find that firearm use do not suit the settings or themes of their campaigns, particularly if these are set in an early-Medieval or Ancient milieu.
Pistoleers, specially-trained soldiers who make use of flintlock weapons, are experts at their craft. Responsible for the engineering and maintenance of their own weapons, as well as for taking the battle to their foes with thunderous noise and swift action. Firearm Proficiency From 3rd level, when you select this archetype, you gain proficiency with the pistol and musket, as detailed in the Dungeon Master's Guide (pages 267 - 268). In addition, you gain proficiency with tinker's tools. Fine Aim From 3rd level, when you choose this archetype, you can use your action to take aim at a creature or object you can see within range. This grants advantage on your next ranged attack roll against that target before the end of your next turn. However, if you are damaged or disturbed before you make this attack, you must make a Constitution saving throw, as if maintaining concentration on a spell. Precision Shot From 3rd level, you gain the ability to make a firearm attack that lands with great precision. Once per round, if you have advantage on your attack roll, you can deal an additional 1d10 damage of the same type as the weapon's base damage (for example, a bullet from a pistol normally inflicts 1d10 piercing, a precision shot would increase this to 2d10 piercing). From 10th level, this additional damage is increased to 2d10. Lightning Reflexes From 7th level, your reactions at evading attacks and missile weapons are finely tuned. You gain proficiency in Dexterity saving throws. In addition, your Armour Class is increased by 2 against ranged attacks. Quick Fingers From 7th level, you can ignore the loading quality of pistols. Thunderous Volley From 10th level, you can use your reaction while armed with one or more firearms to make a ranged attack against any number of creatures within 10 feet of a point you can see within your weapon's range. You must have enough ammunition for each target, as normal, and you must make a separate attack roll for each target. Professional Warrior From 15th level, your weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20. Hunter's Eye From 18th level, you can take aim as a bonus action instead of an action. Sometimes, just surviving and getting out is an adventure in itself! While confronting a dragon in its lair reduces the chance of collateral damage to bystanders, the same doesn't exactly hold true if the dragon decides to pay you a house-call. A dragon can wreak unimaginable disaster on a densely-populated area- even if its breath weapon doesn't kill people immediately, the property damage can be colossal (for example, the damage from the Battle of New York in the Avengers movie is estimated at around US$80 billion).
Here are some encounters you can use to build up the stakes and wear your characters down before they get to deal with your big threat, whatever it is- a dragon, giants, a portal full of monsters, a big beam of light shooting into the sky. - Escaping a building as it collapses around you - Helping civilians trapped under wreckage - Scaring away opportunistic looters from an armory or treasure-vault - Dealing with a squad of enemies who are advancing through the rubble - Exploring a toppled ruin, now sideways, that bridges a moat, crater, or crevasse - Helping civilians get to safety while destruction rains down from above - A rooftop battle, as the building falls away - Finding an underground haven and negotiating with the thieves' guild to give shelter - Dodging the notice of a colossal beast or flying creatures from above Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 13 November 2021. This technomagical component forged for the Last War allows a warforged to assume a new role- that of magical artillerist.
ARMCANNON Weapon (ranged weapon), very rare (requires attunement by a warforged) An armcannon is a magical weapon that attached to one arm, becoming inseperable from you as long as you're attuned to it. To attune to this item, you must hold it against your forearm for the entire attunement period. As a bonus action, you can retract the armcannon into your your forearm or extend it from there. While it is extended, you can use the cannon as a ranged weapon, and you can't use that hand for other purposes. The armcannon is a ranged weapon that deals 3d8 radiant damage on a hit, and has range of 100/300, with the Heavy and Loading qualities. Once it has been fired three times, the armcannon cannot be used again until you have finished a short rest, unless you spend 1 hit die as a bonus action to refresh all expended uses. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 12 November 2021. Some sorcerers are gifted or inherit power from great spirits, while others experience terrible magic in the womb that affects them for the rest of their life. However it is gained, this can grant them the necromantic power to harvest energy from those slain by their magic, and even control over the undead.
Inheritance of the Grave From 1st level, when you select this bloodline, you gain either Chill touch or Spare the dying as a bonus cantrip. Soul Harvest From 1st level, when you reduce a creature to 0 hit points with a spell of 1st level or higher, you can use your reaction to harvest the soul energy of one of the creatures slain, which is visible as a spectral energy that swirls around you momentarily. You can only hold one spirit's soul energy at a time, and for up to one hour before it dissipates. While you hold a spirit's soul energy, you start each turn with a number of temporary hit points equal to 5 + your proficiency bonus. As an action, you can choose to consume the spirit energy, restoring a number of hit points equal to 1d6 per point of your proficiency bonus. Once you have used this ability, you must finish a short rest before you use it again, unless you choose to spend 1 sorcery point to refresh it. Bonus Spells The secrets of necromantic energy trickle through your veins. At the sorcerer level indicated below, you learn one of the spells listed, which must be of a level you can cast. This spell does not count against your known spells. In addition, when you reach the listed levels, the appropriate spells are added to the list of sorcerer spells for you, and you can learn them with your allotment of known spells. Sorcerer level 1st: Arms of Hadar, ray of sickness Sorcerer level 3rd: Gentle repose, ray of enfeeblement Sorcerer level 5th: Animate dead, spirit guardians Sorcerer level 7th: Death ward, guardian of faith Sorcerer level 9th: Antilife shell, contagion Necromantic Affinity Starting at 6th level, you have resistance to necrotic damage. In addition, any time you are subject to necrotic damage from an attack, you can spend 1 sorcery point as a reaction to gain immunity to necrotic damage and resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and necrotic damage from nonmagical weapons, until the start of your next turn. While this is in effect, your visage becomes haggard and pale, as if you are grievously wounded or dead. Wraith Form From 14th level, you can transmute your own form into a pure spirit form for a short time. As an action, you can polymorph into a Wraith for up to 1 hour. Once you've used this ability, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest, or unless you spend 5 sorcery points. Necrotic Mastery From 18th level, your type changes to Undead, and you have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks. When you use a sorcery point to activate your necromantic affinity feature, you instead have immunity to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks. In addition, when you spend sorcery points to use a metamagic effect on a spell, you can also choose to change the damage type of the spell to necrotic, at no additional cost. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 11 November 2021. "The Daydream Dealer" reads the lovingly hand-painted sign outside what seems to be a cave mouth, welcoming you in. Inside, warm air makes the cavern surprisingly appealing, and a scattering of fresh flowers and soft autumn leaves belie the weather outside. A scattering of dimly-glowing stones illuminate the interior as an entrancing voice calls to you.
"Welcome, I'm interested to see what you have to trade. You may call me Carnelia, may I have your names?" comes the greeting from the reclining merchant, a long-haired woman wearing a crown of leaves. Here are some of the wares a Fey merchant might offer, and the price they might ask: 1 - A dead name: For the cost of a name no longer wanted, you can have one someone else has discarded. If you give it to someone else, they will believe it is yours unless they have information to the contrary. If subject to a curse that uses this name, you have advantage on the saving throw.. 2 - Silver tongue: For the cost of an absolute truth, never before spoken, you can purchase a potion of quicksilver-fluid chrome-bright liquid which can be drunk. Once within the next hour, when you make a Charisma check, you can replace the number you roll with a 15. Additionally, no matter what you say, magic that would determine if you are telling the truth indicates that you are being truthful. 3 - Unwanted child: For the cost of an unspecified favour later, a childless couple can have their very own baby. Well-behaved, quiet, and with the stare of an 'old soul', this cherubic babe does not age or grow for fifty years, until it transforms into a full-sized Doppelganger. Like a cuckoo, it harbours little love for its adoptive parents, even if treated well. 4 - Brave spirit: Perfect for when you need confidence for a special event, this garish neck-cloth imbues you with not only certainty, but social grace. While worn, your Charisma modifier is increased to +3 unless your natural modifier is higher, and you can add a number equal to your proficiency bonus to any Charisma-based checks. At midnight, or when you take it off, it loses its magic, and your Charisma modifier becomes -2 until 1d4 long rests have passed. 5 - A Delicious Secret: This will cost a secret of its own, one that you don't want to tell. However, for this juicy price, you will learn something that the merchant couldn't possibly know- the location of a lost treasure, the name of a villain, the identity of a murderer. 6 - Deepest Wish (dot com?): This, the most valuable of goods available, can solve your deepest desire- at least for a little while. As with any Fey gift, what you get might not be what you actually bargained for, and it's likely to be only a cheap facsimile, perhaps forged of illusion magic or one that falls apart as it's being used. This comes at the princely cost of the promise of your firstborn child- whether you already have one or will do later. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 10 November 2021. Often confused with Imps, these minuscule fiends have a particular purpose- that of the gradual corruption and downfall of mortals. While they possess little power themselves, they offer hints at greater power as rewards or in exchange for particular acts. Many take on a somewhat-humanoid guise with magic, either clothing themselves in harmless formal garb, or even appearing as some kind of miniature semblance of their target. Their true form seems to be either a bipedal or quadrupedal lizardlike fiend with a bizarrely-articulate face and eyes.
Advocate Devils can appear when someone uses the Find familiar spell, offering their service instead of the usual spirit taking the form of an animal. If their service is declined, they politely accept and leave. However, if their services are accepted, they request to seal the deal with a drop of the caster's blood, which they greedily drink down. If accepted, the advocate remains until dismissed, completing any services to which they are sworn before leaving. ADVOCATE DEVIL Tiny fiend (devil), lawful evil Armour Class 14 Hit Points 7 (2d4 + 2) Speed 20ft. Str 6 (-2); Dex 18 (+4); Con 12 (+1); Int 17 (+3); Wis 14 (+2); Cha 16 (+3) Skills Deception +7, History +7, Insight +4, Persuasion +5 Damage Resistances Bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical weapons Damage Immunities Fire, poison Senses darkvision 60ft., passive Perception 12 Languages Infernal, Common Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) Advocacy. As an action, an advocate can cast Guidance or Resistance. As a ritual, the advocate can cast Augury or Contact other plane to request assistance from a powerful fiend. These services are provided at a cost, and often the advocate requests that their 'client' commit some kind of minor evil act in exchange. Change Appearance. As an action, an advocate can change their appearance, including their skin colour, clothing (if any), and body shape, although they remain a tiny creature and their statistics are unchanged. Devil's Sight. Magical darkness doesn't impede the advocate's darkvision. Fiendish Knowledge. An advocate doubles its proficiency bonus on Deception and History checks. ACTIONS Bite. Melee weapon attack: +4 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 1 (1d4 - 2) piercing damage. Not all spirits that remain in the realm of the living are vengeful or violent- some merely wish to watch over loved ones or a beloved community. These spirits lurk, eerie but insubstantial and generally harmless, on the outskirts of a city or town unless their loved ones are threatened. Then, their rage manifests with a frightening glow and the rattling of chain-links.
In some regions where undead are accepted as a part of life, wandergheists have been employed for civic purposes- carrying lanterns to light dark streets, supervising children crossing busy roads, and so on. WANDERGHEIST Medium undead, unaligned Armour Class 12 Hit Points 18 (4d8) Speed 0ft., fly 30ft. (hover) Str 1 (-5); Dex 15 (+2); Con 10 (+0); Int 9 (-1); Wis 9 (-1); Cha 6 (-2) Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lightning, radiant, thunder Damage Immunities necrotic, poison; bludgeoning, piercing and slashing from nonmagical attacks Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, unconscious Senses darkvision 60ft., passive Perception 9 Languages understands all languages it knew in life, but can't speak Challenge 1 (200 XP) Bright Presence. A wandergheist glows with a cool bluish radiance, shedding bright light in a 20-foot radius and dim light for another 10 feet beyond this. The light causes body hair to rise unnervingly, but causes no harm. Chains of Responsibility. As an action, the wandergheist can manifest a tangle of rusty iron chains from beneath its shroud for up to 1 minute. This allows it to use the chain attacks listed below in its profile. Incorporeal Movement. The wandergheist can move through other creatures and objects (such as newly-constructed walls, or objects which have been relocated) which were not present during its life, as if they were difficult terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it ends its turn within an object. ACTIONS Radiant touch. Melee weapon attack: -3 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 10 (3d6) radiant damage and 3 (1d6) necrotic damage. Chain attack. Melee weapon attack: +4 to hit, reach 60ft., up to four targets. Hit: 7 (2d6) bludgeoning damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 12). At the end of its turn, the wandergheist can choose to move any number of targets grappled by its chains up to 10 feet, as long as they do not leave its reach. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 9 November 2021. Bards who have studied from the college of theology (sometimes known as 'preachers') are well-instructed in divine magics. While they do not wield the full might of a cleric, their powers tend to take on more of a religious tone, and they are expert orators, given to stirring speeches and well-timed parables.
Bonus Proficiencies From 3rd level, when you select this college, you gain proficiency in Persuasion or Religion. In addition, you learn the Guidance cantrip, which does not count against your number of cantrips known. Channel Divinity From 3rd level, you gain the ability to channel divine energy directly from your deity through your bardic words, using that energy to fuel magical effects. You start with one such effect: Turn Undead, and gain more effects usable at higher levels. When you use your Channel Divinity, you must choose which effect to create. You must then finish a short or long rest to use it again. Beginning at 14th level, you can use your Channel Divinity twice between rests. Some Channel Divinity effects require saving throws. When you use such an effect from this class, the DC equals your bard spell save DC. Channel Divinity: Turn Undead As an action, you present your holy symbol and speak words censuring the undead. This uses one use of your bardic inspiration. Each undead that can see or hear you within 30 feet of you must make a Wisdom saving throw. If the creature fails its saving throw, it is turned for 1 minute or until it takes damage. A turned creature must spend its turns trying to move as far away from you as it can, and it can't willingly move to a space within 30 feet of you. It also can't take reactions. For its actions, it can only use the Dash action or try to escape from an effect that prevents it from moving. If there's nowhere to move, the creature can take the Dodge action. Bonus Spells From 3rd level, when you select this college, your teachings allow you access to additional spells. At the bardic levels detailed below, the listed spells are added to the list of bardic spells which you can select. If you gain access to a spell that doesn't appear on the bardic spell list, the spell is nonetheless a bard spell for you. Bard level 3rd: Ceremony, command, prayer of healing, warding bond Bard level 5th: Beacon of hope, remove curse Bard level 7th: Aura of life, guardian of faith Bard level 9th: Dispel evil and good, hallow Evangelize From 6th level, you are an expert at using your stirring words and messages of faith to inspire the masses. When you use your bardic inspiration to grant a creature one of your bardic inspiration dice, you may also choose one additional creature within range to gain a d4 bardic inspiration die. Channel Divinity: Invocation of Faith From 14th level, you gain access to a new use of Channel Divinity, striking awe into the hearts of those around you. As an action, you hold high your holy symbol and spend one use of your bardic inspiration. Creatures of your choice that can see and hear you within 60 feet must make a Wisdom saving throw or become prone. Creatures that are hostile to you become blinded until the start of your next turn if they fail the saving throw. While in a real-life setting, most people have some kind of self-preservation instincts that make them hesitate or value their own lives, with D&D being a fantasy game, most players want to tell a story of heroism, and will fight until their (character's) dying breath. The preponderance of healing and revivifying spells generally don't help here, treating wounds as being quite temporary, non-debilitating, and relatively painless inconveniences.
So, how can you change that? How can you make defeat more than just a case of having to sit out or roll a new character? Capture for ransom is a time-honoured tradition popular with bandits, mercenaries, and other civilized beings (while Orcs might eat you, Hobgoblins are much more likely to want some kind of recompense for their effort, and the potential casualties they'll face in taking you down. Enemies armed with nets or manacles can change up the flow of an encounter, and seeing someone downed be targeted for an attack that isn't going to harm them very well may alarm your players more than a failed death save would. However, you can't just arm every creature with manacles... can you? The rules on knocking creatures out from the Player's Handbook are quite short and simple- they simple say that "When an attacker reduces a creature to 0 hit points with a melee attack, the attacker can knock the creature out. The attacker can make this choice the instant the damage is dealt. The creature falls unconscious and is stable." On inspection, this can actually be a little more fiendish that a quick read-through would make you think- unconscious creatures don't get to roll death saving throws, so they can't just "wake up" and feel better unless someone takes a hand in healing them. This can turn the tables quickly if you have enemies who focus their damage on one target at a time and beat them down. This means that you can use some big-hitters like Assassins, or at a lower level, Spies or back-alley cutthroats, to pump up your damage but not have to 'worry' about killing your PCs off. Instead you can hurt them in much nastier ways- in their coin-purses! Honourable bandits might help themselves to some loot, dump the PCs' weapons a mile away, and leave them tied up by the side of the road. Dishonourable ones might take their armour and weapons and dump them down a well, tattoo or mark the PCs as condemned criminals, or cause some other kind of complications, like stealing valuables or highly-prized items. Be careful, because these can easily lead to players vowing eternal vengeance, even on enemies who have actually spared their lives. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 6 November 2021. This stately and ornate Elven-made helm draws the eye and imbues the wearer with grandeur. It was originally made for the Captain of a cavalry brigade, but was lost in battle against a horde of Orcs in times past. Since then, it has passed from owner to owner, before being added to a pile of treasure somewhere in a dark and dingy hold.
The family of those who once owned it would pay a valuable price for its return, or might commission other adventurers to recover it from someone who wishes to retain it for their own use. HELM OF GLORY Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement) While wearing this helm, you have advantage on Charisma saving throws. This helmet has 3 charges. While wearing it, you can use a bonus action and expend a charge to cast Divine favor on yourself for 1 minute (no concentration needed). The helm regains 1d3 expended charges at dawn. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 5 November 2021. A staple of fantasy movies through the decades, the vertical labyrinth is a hard one to pull off, but especially cool if you can do it with a physical model. This merely consists of a series of interlocking bridges, usually within a cavern or room to give some limitation, where creatures within can walk the stairs to navigate the maze and reach their destination. A variety of more dynamic routes can be taken, including jumping from place to place, or crawling along, down, or up surfaces. These bridges and columns can also be damaged or destroyed, allowing for perhaps more rapid transit than originally planned, such as in the Bridge of Khazad-Dum scenes of the Fellowship of the Ring.
But how can you effectively map and plot out something like this? Starting with a basic map is a good start- use a blank crossword, or generate something from a resource similar to Donjon. You want some fairly small sparse rooms (landings) and twisting corridors (stairs, bridges, and so on), to begin with- this is just giving you a framework. Once you've got a basic layout, work out heights- where your top is, where your landings touch the sides, and what's at the bottom- lava, bottomless pit, spikes, rough rocky floor. You may want to have some way for PCs who fall to save themselves by falling to safety or grasping on, because killing a character on the basis of one failed saving throw does not make for fun gaming, generally. Once you have your general levels, try to work out what additions are necessary to join them- a steep staircase, a switchback landing, or perhaps the stairs that once joined these levels are gone, and descent via rotting ropes, enormous spiderwebs, hanging vines, or a leap of faith are the only way to reach them, whether or not the journey will be able to be made in reverse. Lastly, populating your vertical labyrinth. While navigating challenging terrain can be exciting, if there's no pressure, it turns into a simple and laborious problem-solving measure, and half the players go to their phones while someone dusts off the "Explorer's kit" they've had on their character sheet since level 1 and starts plotting out piton use and rope. However, throw some marauding Spiderdrakes in, an army of Goblins chanting some kind of name as a fiery light follows them, or a few well-hidden snipers on concealed balconies, and suddenly you've got seat-of-the-pants decision-making happening, and tactical movement becomes important due to calculating how quickly you can get down to the next level, or how far you can fly or leap in a turn, or what weapon range you're in. And you can always spice this up with the usual dungeon-dressing- darkness, traps, crumbling architecture that can force plans to change, and throw in some time pressure for fun- can you reach the platform where the evil cultists are, before their ritual is complete? Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 4 November 2021. D&D's Hags are canny manipulators, and although they have skin like iron and tremendous strength, they shouldn't be starting a straight-up fight. They'd much prefer to sow chaos by turning friend against friend, whether by honeyed words or by magical domination. Hags should have allies and protectors, whether enchanted knights, fooled town burgomeisters, or innocent civilians who will protect the hag from danger.
You can consider adding the following ability to any kind of hag to make the encounter more challenging: Beguiling Influence. The Hag can use charm person as a ritual (saving throw DC is Charisma-based). Any creature that remains charmed for 24 hours becomes charmed permanently, which ends immediately if the hag attacks the creature. Having defenders adds an extra dimension to battling one- do you cut your way through its unwitting defenders, or try to neutralise them nonlethally? Even if a defender's life is spared, even if the wool is pulled back from their eyes , will they ever forgive the PCs for shattering their world-view? This could be a way to lead to an NPC returning to even the score, or as a nemesis who wants to destroy their worlds just as entirely. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 3 November 2021. Among the highest commanders of their villainous legions, Stygian Cardinals are the mystical and moral backbone of their people. Each is personally a conduit to the higher powers which they serve- the Archdevils and the Kings of Hell, wielding mighty arcanum and incantations to bring about the ruin of the mortal realm. Chief among their abilities is their utterance of Dark Speech, bringing agony and decay to all living things. Indeed
Each wears a decorated silver skull-faced helmet and ornately-wrought armour, and it is said that these individuals have authored lesser copies of the books of vile darkness. Many carry an appropriately vile tome with them when they take the field, empowering their abilities. STYGIAN CARDINAL Medium humanoid (Stygian, Devil), lawful evil Armour Class 16 Hit Points 104 (16d8 + 32) Speed 30 ft. Str 13 (+1); Dex 14 (+2); Con 15 (+2); Int 18 (+4); Wis 15 (+2); Cha 21 (+5) Saving Throws Wisdom +6, Charisma +9 Damage Resistances Cold, fire, necrotic, poison, radiant Skills Arcana +8, Deception +9, Insight +6, Persuasion +9 Senses Truesight 60ft., passive Perception 12 Languages Infernal, understand but do not speak Common Challenge 11 (7,200 XP) Devil's Sight. Magical darkness does not impede a Stygian cardinal's vision. Master of Dark Speech. Stygian cardinals are masters of Dark Speech, and can call on its powers for many effects. As an action, the stygian cardinal can use Dark Speech to create one of the following effects using a 5th-level spell slot (saving throw DC 17): Banishment, confusion, destructive wave, dominate person, silence. Mystic Arcanum. The Stygian cardinal's spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 17, +9 to hit). While holding their vile tome, the cardinal can cast each of the following spells once per day: Divine word, earthquake, power word stun, power word kill, word of recall. ACTIONS Eldritch blast. Ranged spell attack: +10 to hit, range 120ft., up to three targets. Hit: 11 (1d10 + 6) force damage. Ruby-tipped rod. Melee weapon attack: +5 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d8 + 1) magical bludgeoning damage and 7 (2d6) necrotic damage. REACTIONS Counterspell (Recharge 5-6). The Stygian cardinal can cast counterspell when a creature it can see within 60 feet casts a spell. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 2 November 2021. |
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