Monday Recap: Puzzling, isn't it?

It's time for Hyon!

(Quick note: Due to some scheduling mix-ups, I didn't get a chance to post an article on Friday. Unfortunately, due to my writing schedule, I'm going to have to push the Failed Magic Items (G) article off until June 29th. That way, we'll still have the next Creature Loot article up this week. Again, apologies for the missed upload! -Jon)

Hello everyone, it's Makayla again. It's been a bit since we last had a session for Jandar's Lions. Hopefully it was worth the wait.

This article is part 3 of a series. The campaign is ongoing.
| Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 |

Jandar's Lions: Puzzling, isn't it?

Jandar's Lions Crew:
Makayla: Dungeon Master
Jon: Captain Jandar Monroe, Human Paladin, Explorer of the Horizon (As of 1 week ago), tries not to kill things.
Wes: Barry the Basher, Mountain Dwarf Barbarian, has many memories of his mother, superb angler, can't write.
Tom: "Barth" Perth, Human Rogue, likes to challenge Jandar with moral quandaries, can't take a hit or drink alcohol.
Shannon: Otaroinae “A’ro’wan” Kalepeach, Water Genasi-Halfling Coast Druid, thoroughly enjoys being in and around water, likes to 'kelp' people.
NPCs: Lin and Dekkard: High Elf Blade Bard and Mountain Dwarf Eldritch Knight, First-Mate and Purser, respectively. Jandar's Friends.

When we last left our heroes, Jandar and co. had found a peculiar island. However, there was a more pressing matter at hand: Hyon DeDonta's ship. Hyon was the ruthless captain that Jandar initially had served under 10 years ago. Jandar prepared his crew for battle, preparing for whatever may come.

When the two ships were within shouting distance, the two captains exchanged words, with Jandar attempting to diffuse the situation, and Hyon refusing to hear out Jandar. While this occurs, Jandar had Otaroinae go underwater and attempt to disable Hyon's ship's rudder. She managed to cast Entangle on it, and prepared to climb up to the enemy's deck.

After the ships were within boarding distance, Jandar and co. (minus Lin) managed to board Hyon's ship. Otaroinae managed to Thunderwave a pair of the crew, Dekkard knocked one out with ease, and Barth threw a man overboard. Barry held off another crew member while Jandar cast Compelled Duel on Hyon, and proceeded to attack him with Divine Smite.

The battle swayed quickly in Jandar's Lions' favor, with Barth killing the helmsman without remorse, and Barry knocking out a crewman fighting Dekkard. Jandar managed to take down Hyon without so much as a scratch on himself. Jandar held his blade over Hyon's neck, and told him to call off his crew. Hyon reluctantly did so before passing out. Jandar took Hyon's magic pendant as spoils for the battle.

A brief look over the ship after the battle revealed that a pair of rowboats were missing, having gone ashore to the island. In addition, Barth found some Cast Off Armor in the hold, and Jandar took the Cast Off Chain Shirt, while Otaroinae and Barth both took a set of the leather version.

Jandar briefly contemplated taking both ships and leaving those on the island to whatever fate befell them, but Otaroinae managed to convince him that it might be worth checking out. Hyon wouldn't have come to the island for no reason, so Jandar interrogated one of the crew, learning they brought digging supplies and were investigating something that the captain was keeping quiet about.

Jandar gave orders to Lin and Dekkard to shoot at any enemies approaching the ship, saying that their own safety should come first. He gathered his adventure team and set off in a rowboat for the island, with two additions: Hyon (tied up and being held like a backpack by Barry), and the dead helmsman brought along by Barth, who convinced the captain it was so the corpse could be properly buried.

As they arrived at the island, the shape seemed strange. There was sand up to a set of large, stone spires leaning inwards, with a hole in the middle where the sand had been dug out, revealing a cave. The group entered the cave and began investigating. The walls were oddly shaped, shaped like a wave about three meters wide and a half meter deep. Barry identified the stone as being something similar to petrified stone or a fossil. Definitely not a natural formation.

Surely not suspicious. Not suspicious at all.

The crew delved deeper into the cave, eventually hearing sounds echoing off the walls. Jandar put out his torch and the crew was able to perceive light further ahead. They formulated a plan where  Otaroinae would put out the torches, and Barth would throw the dead body over to them. They pair were relatively close when one of the enemy crew noticed them. Barth still threw the body, and Jandar and Barry started running to catch up to them. Otaroinae meanwhile got a good look at the wall, and realized it was wooden, with intricate carvings all over it.

After reaching his friends, Jandar recognized the first mate of Hyon's crew, Richardson, and called out to him. They talked briefly, with Jandar having Barry show that they had knocked out Hyon. Jandar managed to convince Richardson to take Hyon's ship as his own. Richardson then walked away, saying that they were wasting their time with Hyon's theory that the wall could be opened, mentioning that Hyon had been looking for something related to Fharlanghn. In addition, Jandar warned him not to leave quite just yet, as he had given the rest of his crew standing orders to shoot at anyone leaving that wasn't Jandar and co.

Jandar, intrigued by this, went up to the wall and ran his hand along it. As his hand touched the center, it started glowing bright purple, with the light continuing to spread throughout the carved patterns. The archway carving in front of Jandar faded, revealing a hallway into a large, lit chamber. He called back to Richardson, who came back and seemed baffled, yet uninterested, turning around and leaving it for Jandar and co. to explore.

The group, with Hyon and dead helmsman (that Barth picked back up) in tow, entered what Jandar's Divine Sense and Otaroinae's Detect Magic showed was a powerful area. The area was hallowed and contained all forms of magic. The chamber was cubic, moderately lit. The walls, floor, and ceiling appeared to be made from a smooth, grain-less dark wood, with spherical purple lights moving just underneath the surface continually in intricate patterns. An indentation where the walls meet the ceiling and the floors is glowing faintly purple and appears almost white, providing enough light for the whole room.

Like a whole room made of this

The archway behind them glowed, and the 'door' faded back into existence. With only the archway in front of them open, the group pressed forward into the hall it led into. As each of the group entered the hall, a light appeared on the door in front of them. Jandar found it odd that one did not appear for Hyon.

Hyon had finally managed to wake up, finding himself in an awkward position, being bound and held like a backpack by Barry. Jandar attempted to get information on what this place was, but Hyon told him simply that it wasn't what his crew had thought it was, and he refused to say much more than that. He seemed to be extremely annoyed that Jandar had simply touched the wall to open it. The group decided to ignore him ignoring them and continued forwards.

As the group approached the door, the four lights spun in a circle around the center of the door. Jandar put his hand on the door, and it opened in the same way as the first. The four lights went across the walls and rested above four of the five doors in the room, each door's edge lighting up purple. The fifth door, directly across from them, had a red glow around its edge. Each of the doors had a different pattern in its center.

Jandar decided that each person should put their hand on the door that most represented them at the same time. Otaroinae went to the wave pattern door, Jandar went to the light pattern door, Barry went to the Mountain pattern door, and Barth went to the unknown pattern door. The unknown pattern was many lines going to (or from) a central point. Each of them put their hands on the doors at the same time, and the four doors opened.

Inside the wave door, Otaroinae saw a pool of water. Inside the light door, Jandar saw plinths with objects on them. Inside of the mountain door, Barry saw suits of armor. And finally, inside of the unknown door, Barth saw a pillar with something glowing red around it.

The group decided to take on the water door first. Inside the room with the pool of water in it, they found a hole in the wall above the water, and two passages below the water. One of the passages below had a grate in front of it. The group did what they had done in the past, and tied a rope to Otaroinae. 

Otaroinae went into the open passage and found one of the purple lights stationary in a convex part of the wall. She touched it and watched the light drop to the floor, pass under the grate, and light up another convex part on the other side of the grate. Shortly thereafter, the light came back and the grate closed. She came up and told the rest of the crew that she would head to the other side.

After repeating what she had done before, Otaroinae quickly swam after the light, crossing over to the other side of the grate. She went further forwards and found the passage turned upwards, ending up on the other side of the hole in the wall. In this room, there were two convex light holders on opposite walls, however they seemed to do nothing when pressed alone. The group had a quick discussion through the hole in the wall, and it was decided that Barry would go with Otaroinae to press the other convex light holder.

After another brief swim, Otaroinae and Barry pressed the lights in unison, and the lights zipped out through the hole in the wall, passing through the water pool room and out into the main chamber. Jandar went out to check, and the lights had combined into one light at the bottom left side of the red glowing arch. He deduced that they would have to solve the other three puzzles as well in order to advance.

The group left the wave door and moved onto the light door room. In this room, the group found sixteen plinths with holy symbols on them. There were three plinths that had a light on the wall behind them, and an empty plinth in the center of the room. Jandar became excited when he found one dedicated to Fharlanghn. When he picked it up, it glowed in his hand. He tried putting it on the central plinth, but it didn't react. He tried putting it on the plinth closest to where he found it, and the light seemed to react.

Fharlanghn: God of Adventure!

Jandar then went to another section of the room, where the symbols looked damaged, and he found one dedicated to The Raven Queen that seemed to be desecrated. After having Otaroinae repair it, he tried putting it on the central pedestal, and the light from the Fharlanghn symbol went down the wall, across the floor, and into the plinth below The Raven Queen's symbol. One quick Divine Sense later, and Jandar found a Pelor symbol and a Beory symbol that were also empowered.

After placing the remaining two symbols on their respective light plinths, the lights all entered the plinth below The Raven Queen's symbol and spun around. Jandar watched the desecration leave the symbol, and the lights then left the plinth and left the room. With another puzzle solved, and another light on the red edged door, the group felt they were making progress.

The group then advanced to the unknown door, wanting to leave what they felt might be a battle until last. They found themselves in a large room with a pillar in the middle that had lights at the top of it, but appeared dangerous to climb. The pillar was surrounded by a glowing red area that felt as if it would be hot when Jandar put his hand over it, yet did nothing to the water that Otaroinae poured onto it. In the corners of the room, there were white lights on the walls, floor, and ceiling. Jandar ordered everyone to a corner, and once again had everyone touch the white lights at the same time.

The group did so, only to find that another light appeared next to the light that they had just touched. Jandar once again counted down and had everyone touch the lights at the same time. As they did so, they fell onto the walls. Jandar took a moment, realized what had happened, and proceeded to walk up the wall which was now his floor. Barth, still holding a dead body, found that the body was still pulled towards the actual floor. Barry noticed the same thing with Hyon still tied to his backside.

After a quick test to see if two people could stand on the same wall at the same time, and a brief meeting, the group had a plan. Barry put Hyon down and Otaroinae tied a rope around her waist. Barry went onto the wall, picked up and carried Otaroinae up the wall. After crossing over to the ceiling, Barry carefully lowered Otaroinae down so she could touch the part of the pillar holding the lights. As she did so, the lights went down the pillar and out of the room.

With another puzzle down, and having returned the groups gravity back to normal, they headed into the final door. There they found three sets of armor standing in the center of the room, with a fourth set of armor standing in front of a sword pedestal at the far side of the room. To the left of the door leading in was a greatsword in another sword pedestal.

Jandar, feeling that a battle would happen either way, decided to have everyone attack the armor directly to get them out of the way. The group did a synchronized attack, however nothing happened. When Barry put Hyon down and pulled the greatsword out of the pedestal however, the armors activated. The group attempted to damage the armor, however their attacks simply pushed the armor away from them. In addition, the armor's weapons didn't hurt, but did push them back.

Jandar kept one suit of armor busy with Nature's Wrath, while Barth kept another set busy after reluctantly putting the corpse he was carrying down. Otaroinae decided to try to run forwards to help Barry as he ran around the armor Barth was attacking. After exchanging attacks and knocking each other around a bit, Barry and Otaroinae managed to get right in front of the empty sword pedestal. As the pair put the sword in the pedestal, the armors stopped their attack, and light left from the pedestal and out of the room.

With the final puzzle solved, the group went back into the main room (after picking up Hyon and the helmsman), to find the red edged door now had a glowing purple edge. They opened the door, went down the hall it led to, and opened the door on the other side.

The group found themselves in a massive chamber with white lights in different parts of the walls, and darkened archways with doors lining the floors, walls, and ceiling on multiple levels of the megastructure. Above them was an astonishingly large ring structure made of gold with a purple gem to one side and a green gem to the other. In the center of the room on the level they were on was a platform with a box on it. The platform was connected to a bridge directly in front of them.

Jandar, acting boldly, took the first few steps towards the box before realizing that his crew wasn't following him. For them, the bridge simply wasn't there. He continued forwards, investigating the box, realizing it was some sort of puzzle box. As he picked it up, light shone everywhere.

As the light faded, the group found themselves back inside of the cave they were in before, however they were standing among the wreckage of some kind of ancient ship. The group took a brief check of the surroundings before beginning the trek out of the cave. Jandar had come to a realization about what the island likely was, believing it to be a purple worm that had swallowed this ship shortly before being petrified. Jandar also began messing with the puzzle box, finding that parts of the glowed, while others did not.

No, not that kind of puzzle box

The group found Richardson and the rest of the excavation crew waiting at the entrance of the cave. A short discussion later, and Richardson was the proud captain of Hyon's former ship, much to Hyon's dismay. Jandar and co. gave the all clear signal to Lin and Dekkard before burying the helmsman and leaving Hyon on the island.

Finally back aboard The Golden Duchess, Richardson and Jandar had a brief talk, with Jandar trying to set Richardson down the right path. As the two ships parted, with Richardson's ship dumping some supplies in the island's direction, Barry came to a realization.

"Wait, Captain, did you want me to untie Hyon?"

Jandar panicked and shouted to Richardson, "Send him a dagger or something to cut his ropes!" One arcane cannon fired dagger later, and the island began sinking into the horizon. The group ended the day with a celebratory meal of more shark meat, and some drinking.

That night however, Jandar had a dream. He was back inside the puzzle box chamber, with all of the doors still darkened. Seeking to explore, he tried to open the doors to no avail. He then found himself outside the wall, watching Hyon try everything to try to get inside, but constantly failing.

As Jandar woke up, he saw the puzzle box glowing brightly, and then fading back to it's normal state.

Onward, to the next adventure!

So this was a bit of an awkward one for me, as I'm still not used to running combat situations. In addition, bad rolls (except constitution saving throws) ruined Hyon's former crew's day. They literally had...

No Dice.

Thanks for reading! Take care!

What's my Status

Better check the web

Recently, I've been running games that get into higher character levels. It's interesting to create scenarios that challenge high-level players, and I definitely think battles with multiple stages or plenty of minions is the best way to go.

But in a couple of my recent games, I discovered the amazing power of inflicting status effects upon the characters.

See, D&D is based on a system called Bounded Accuracy. That means that no matter how strong your attack is, it will only ever be so accurate. That's actually a very useful system, because it means an AC of 16 is useful from level 1 all the way up to level 7 or 8. You get a lot of mileage from your saves and defenses.

So, because of this, +1 weapons and armor are considered amazing boons. But the flip side of this coin is that they still needed to make players feel stronger as they leveled up. The solution? Hit Points and Damage.

At level 5, 11, and 17, the player characters get a major boost to their damage. The melee fighters get two or more attacks, cantrips get stronger, additional effects get a boost (such as the paladin's smite and the barbarian's rage), and the dedicated spellcasters get to enter a whole new class of damaging spells. A wizard gets Fireball at level 5, Disintegrate at level 11, and Meteor Swarm at level 17.

But the attack bonuses and spell save DCs don't grow as quickly or as high. A maxed out fighter has a +11 to their attack, and the monsters they would fight at that level usually have 20-22 AC. Meanwhile, the level 1 fighter has a +5 to hit, and is fighting monsters with 13-15 AC.

Basically, if you want to make your monsters tougher, a single point of AC is worth dozens of hit points, especially at higher levels.

This is what makes status conditions so powerful. Many status conditions impose disadvantage on the player's attacks. Disadvantage is a huge blow to the accuracy of an attack. And advantage is a huge boon to saving throws. That's why so many powerful creatures have Magic Resistance (advantage on saving throws made against spells).

When attacks miss, the players have to take another round to try and hit their target. And anything that makes a fight lasts longer is perceived as adding difficulty. It's not just a matter of the characters taking more damage on their turn. Except at low levels, your players will have a generous pool of hit points compared to the damage your monster can put out. It's about making the battle feel like an epic struggle rather than a 4-on-1 beatdown.

So, how do we set up our players with status effects, to make a fight feel more epic?

Status Effects

Before we dig into the various effects, let's talk about monster intelligence.

While carefully avoiding the subject of player intelligence

You, as a GM should strive to make each monster fight feel unique. After all, these are different creatures entirely. The way a bear uses their bite attack should be different that the way Demogorgon does. The way you accomplish that is by looking at their mental stats.

As described in this great blog article, a monster will act differently based on its Intelligence and Wisdom score. A creature with good intelligence will be able to recall the PC's weaknesses at a glance, while a monster with high Wisdom will be able to figure them out during the combat.

So, if you have a monster that inflicts a status effect based on a Constitution saving throw, you have to decide how effectively the monster will use it. With INT 7, it will use it's effect on everyone it is able to. With INT 11, it might target the frailer members of the party. With INT of 15 or higher, it will likely be able to determine exactly what the PC's Con saves are based on their build and class before the battle begins.

On the flip side, a monster with WIS 7 will attack indiscriminately, a creature with WIS 11 will try to change targets if it notices the enemy is resisting its attack, and a creature with WIS 15 or higher will quickly change targets to determine where it can do the most damage.

Aside from knowing the strong saves of your party (Dexterity, Constitution, and Wisdom), your monsters can also get information from an extremely visible part of the player character: their race.

• Dwarves have advantage on saves against poison and resist poison damage. Any creature that has a poison attack and might have encountered dwarves will certainly know this.
• Elves and Half Elves have advantage on saves against the charmed condition, and can't be magically put to sleep. Most humanoid spellcasters will have learned this during their training.
• Halflings have advantage on saves against fright. If a creature relies on fright for its attacks (such as the Quasit or Yeth Hound), it will likely be cautious around halflings.
• Gnomes have advantage on Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws against magic. Fortunately, there is only one strong save out of those three, but this will also be something any spellcaster will have learned.

In conclusion, use these status effects, but use them according to the intelligence and experience of your monsters.

Now, let's go through the status effects and what can cause them!

Banished

The banished condition comes in two flavors: temporary and permanent. The temporary version is based on the Banishment spell, and only happens when the target is currently on their home plane of existence. This requires concentration, so it's not a great choice. If the status is caused by the Plane Shift spell, or the target is away from it's home plane and concentration is held for a full minute, the effect is permanent. This is a hugely powerful status, as it effectively removes a character from the fight. I would only consider using this effect as the temporary version, or after the party is level 13 so a magic user can cast their own Plane Shift spell.

• Creatures: Androsphinx, Arcanaloth, Archmage, Dao (Plane Shift), Death Knight, Death Slaad (Plane Shift), Djinni (Plane Shift), Efreeti (Plane Shift), Githyanki Knight, Githzerai Zerth (Plane Shift), Guardian Naga, Gynosphinx, Lich, Marid (Plane Shift), Rakshasa (Plane Shift)
• Others: Banishing Smite, Banishment, Maze, Plane Shift, Prismatic Spray, Prismatic Wall

Blinded

Blinded, as many Final Fantasy players know, is one of the simplest status conditions. It imposes disadvantage on the target's attack rolls, and attack rolls against the target have advantage. Also, the target can't see. This is actually a real hamstring for spellcasters, whose spells nearly all say they require the target to be seen. Even Magic Missile is stopped by this condition! The blinded condition is also caused by a monster swallowing a PC, which means the Wizard can not cast Fireball inside the Tarrasque, even though it's right in front of them. But that's just Rules as Written. If your Wizard wants to blow themselves up, you should let them.

• Creatures: Cloaker, Darkmantle, Deep Gnome, Demilich, Dust Mephit, Faerie Dragon, Giant Frog (swallowed), Giant Toad (swallowed), Gibbering Mouther, Kraken (swallowed), Mummy Lord, Purple Worm (swallowed), Remorhaz (swallowed), Shambling Mound (swallowed), Smoke Mephit, Solar, Tarrasque (swallowed)
• Others: Blinding Smite, Blindness/Deafness, Color Spray, Contagion, Divine Word, Feign Death, Holy Aura, Hunger of Hadar, Prismatic Spray, Prismatic Wall, Sunbeam, Sunburst

Charmed

Bards: are they charming, or just disarming?

A lot of the charming abilities in the Monster Manual come with extra effects, but don't forget the basic charming status: they can't target the charmer, and the charmer has advantage on social checks against the target. That might include Insight, Investigation, or Animal Handling, since it's not limited to Charisma checks. Also, simply charming a target doesn't necessarily change their opinion of them. They could still be hostile towards other members of the charmer's group, but most of these monsters operate alone anyway.

• Creatures: Aboleth, Beholder, Bone Naga, Cambion, Death Tyrant, Dryad, Faerie Dragon, Harpy, Oni, Rakshasa, Spirit Naga, Succubus/Incubus, Ultroloth, Vampire
• Other: Animal Friendship, Awaken, Charm Person, Crown of Madness, Dominate Beast, Dominate Monster, Dominate Person, Geas, Hypnotic Pattern, Mass Suggestion, Modify Memory

Confusion

Aside from the actual Confusion spell, these creatures cause the PC to roll a die to determine what their movement or action will be, or simply negate one of their actions entirely. These effects can usually be targeted by a Dispel Magic spell, so if the creature isn't using the actual spell, you should figure out what spell level the listed effect would be equivalent to.

• Creatures: Faerie Dragon, Gibbering Mouther (non-spell), Glabrezu, Pixie, Spectator (non-spell), Umber Hulk (non-spell)
• Other: Confusion

Deafened

Likely the most useless of all the status effects, with only a few exceptions. If you are looking at countering a spell that requires being heard by the target, you could deafen your own monster to stop the spell. Not really a good option, though, unless your party has a Bard in it.

• Creatures: Androsphinx, Deep Gnome
• Other: Blindness/Deafness, Divine Word, Silence, Storm of Vengeance
• Spells that require being heard: Animal Friendship, Compulsion, Dissonant Whispers, Divine Word, Enthrall, Mass Suggestion, Suggestion, Vicious Mockery

Dominated

This status involves taking over the PC for a certain amount of time. For many of these creatures, this is accomplished by the Dominate Person spell. Using this status means you'll have some issues with player agency. You should work out ahead of time how you want to handle that, since it will likely cause contention at your table. But if you do it right, Dominated is a powerful status that can redirect some of that big damage to other parts of the party instead of at your monster.

• Creatures: Ghost, Intellect Devourer, Lich, Mind Flayer, Rakshasa, Yochlol
• Other: Dominate Beast, Dominate Monster, Dominate Person, Geas

Frightened

Another classic status, fright causes a blanket disadvantage on checks and attacks while the feared creature is in sight. It doesn't grant advantage, however, so your monster won't get any special bonus. But if you decide to let the monster flee, the players who are frightened won't be able to follow! The best of these monsters will cause a fear effect to happen automatically on their turn. This can completely negate the flanking advantage usually afforded to players when they fight a large creature.

• Creatures: All Adult/Ancient Dragons (automatic), Androsphinx, Arcanaloth, Banshee, Beholder, Beholder Zombie, Chain Devil, Cloaker, Death Slaad, Death Tyrant, Demilich, Ghost, Green Slaad, Grey Slaad, Lich, Mummy, Mummy Lord, Nalfeshnee, Pit Fiend (automatic), Quasit, Scarecrow, Sea Hag, Spectator, Tarrasque (automatic), Ultroloth, Yuan-Ti Abomination
• Other: Antipathy, Eyebite, Fear, Hallow, Phantasmal Killer, Symbol, Weird, Wrathful Smite

Grappled

Pro tip: Grow out your hair and grapple with it to keep your hands free

A very useful status if you know how to use it. The best way I've heard of is to combine it with Prone, so until the creature breaks the grapple they can't stand up. Also, you can move while grappling a target, meaning a monster could drag the PC to a cliff edge and use the Shove action to push them off. This is probably a status effect for more intelligent creatures, though any creature can take the Grapple action.

• Creatures: Ankheg, Behir, Chain Devil, Chuul, Constrictor Snake, Couatl, Crocodile, Giant Constrictor Snake, Giant Crab, Giant Crocodile, Giant Frog, Giant Octopus, Giant Scorpion, Giant Toad, Gibbering Mouther, Glabrezu, Grell, Kraken, Kuo-Toa, Kuo-Toa Whip, Lizardfolk Shaman, Marilith, Mimic, Mind Flayer, Octopus, Otyugh, Remorhaz, Revenant, Roc, Roper, Rug of Smothering, Salamander, Shambling Mound, Tarrasque, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Vampire, Vampire Spawn, Vine Blight, Water Elemental, Water Weird, Yuan-Ti Abomination, Yuan-Ti Malison
• Other: Grapple Action

Incapacitated

This status is rare to find on its own, only because it's a part of many other statuses. Normally, a monster will simply use the other status. It prevents actions and reactions. This includes bonus actions.

• Creatures: Harpy, Myconid Sovereign
• Others: Banishing Smite, Banishment, Feign Death, Hypnotic Pattern, Modify Memory, Symbol, Tasha's Hideous Laughter, 

Invisible

This is a great status, especially for very mobile creatures. It can cause some confusion in adjudication, though, so here's how I do it. If a creature goes invisible, the players can attack it with disadvantage until it moves. Then, the players have to declare which 5-foot square they are targeting with their attacks. If they make a DC 15 perception check as an action on their turn, I give them a 15-foot square where they heard footsteps coming from. If they target right, they can attack with disadvantage. If they guess wrong, the attack simply misses. Note that unless the creature has Greater Invisibility, they will become visible when they attack or cast a spell.

• Creatures: Arcanaloth, Archmage, Barlgura, Dao, Death Slaad, Deva, Djinni, Drow Mage (Greater), Duergar, Efreeti, Faerie Dragon (Greater), Green Hag, Green Slaad, Grey Slaad, Gynosphinx (Greater), Imp, Invisible Stalker (Greater), Lich, Mage, Marid, Nycaloth, Oni, Pixie (Greater), Quasit, Rakshasa, Solar, Sprite, Ultroloth, Water Weird (in water), Will-o'-Wisp
• Other: Greater Invisibility, Invisibility, Mislead, Sequester

Moved

These effects move a creature against its will. This is excellent for avoiding Opportunity Attacks, pushing targets off cliffs, slamming them against walls, or breaking grapples.

• Creatures: Air Elemental, All Bronze Dragons, Balor, Beholder, Cloud Giant, Death Tyrant, Djinni, Dragon Turtle, Druid, Githyanki Knight, Kraken, Lich, Merrow, Roper
• Other: Gust of Wind, Shove Action, Thunderous Smite, Thunderwave

Paralyzed

Usually, you can only target a single creature with this status, but that's enough. This is one of only two statuses that allows attacks within 5 feet of the target to automatically become critical hits. Add the other effects (incapacitated, auto-fail Strength and Dexterity saves, attacked with advantage) and this is a death sentence to most PCs. it's best to wait until they are at least level 3, and have access to Lesser Restoration, before you bust it out.

• Creatures: Abominable Yeti, All Silver Dragons, Androsphinx, Arcanaloth, Beholder, Beholder Zombie, Bone Naga, Carrion Crawler, Chuul, Cult Fanatic, Death Knight, Death Tyrant, Ghast, Ghoul, Giant Centipede, Giant Spider, Giant Wasp, Giant Wolf Spider, Grell, Guardian Naga, Kuo-Toa Archpriest, Lich, Mummy, Mummy Lord, Pentadrone, Phase Spider, Pit Fiend, Revenant, Sahuagin Priestess, Scarecrow, Spectator, Spirit Naga, Thri-Kreen, Yeti
• Other: Hold Monster, Hold Person

Petrified

The Petrified status is as close as D&D 5e gets to save-or-die. But usually this status requires multiple turns to take effect, meaning it may not even trigger over the course of a single battle. It's okay to use this one early, but if you expect it to be anything but instant death, you should let your players get to level 9, when they gain access to Greater Restoration.

• Creatures: Basilisk, Beholder, Cockatrice, Death Tyrant, Gorgon, Medusa
• Other: Flesh to Stone, Prismatic Spray, Prismatic Wall

Poisoned

Of all the statuses in D&D, Poisoned is probably the easiest to find and the most difficult to make stick. Most players have a decent Constitution score to buff their hit points, and three of the twelve classes have proficiency in Constitution saves, including the extremely common Fighter class. However, it grants disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks, making it great for hamstringing a non-Fighter. Just remember that spellcasters who use saving throws won't be affected! For added bonus, poison a creature that is being grappled. They won't be able to escape by using Strength checks!

• Creatures: Bearded Devil, Bone Devil, Carrion Crawler, Chuul, Couatl, Death Dog, Deep Gnome, Dretch, Drow, Drow Elite Warrior, Erinyes, Ettercap, Flumph, Gas Spore, Ghast, Giant Centipede, Giant Spider, Giant Wasp, Giant Wolf Spider, Grell, Hezrou, Homunculus, Myconid Sovereign, Otyugh, Phase Spider, Pit Fiend, Pseudodragon, Quasit, Sprite, Thri-Kreen, Troglodyte, Vrock
• Other: Ray of Sickness

Polymorphed

Baaa humbug

Being Polymorphed is an awful way to go. There are very few monsters that can inflict this status, and they are both summon-able or familiar-able by the PCs. If you do manage to pit the PCs against a monster that can Polymorph, good options are tiny beasts such as Weasels or Cats. Don't do anything that can't breathe air (like a seahorse) since they will die and reform next round. Your goal should be to (a) make the PC lose a turn's worth of actions and (b) potentially make them take overspill damage when their allies attack them to change them back.

• Creatures: Faerie Dragon, Pixie
• Other: Polymorph, True Polymorph

Prone

Prone is one of the most common status effects, and one of the most useful. It gives the target disadvantage, and grants advantage to melee attackers. But because it can be ended by the creature expending half its movement, the best way to utilize this condition is with multiple enemies (so one can cause the condition and another can take advantage of it), or with a grappler (can't spend half your speed if your speed is 0!). Also, don't forget that the Prone condition grants disadvantage to ranged attacks, meaning it can be situationally useful against parties ranged attackers.

• Creatures: Allosaurus, Androsphinx, Ankylosaurus, Boar, Bulette, Dao, Dragon Turtle, Elephant, Elk, Empyrean, Galeb Duhr, Giant Boar, Giant Crocodile, Giant Elk, Giant Goat, Giant Sea Horse, Gibbering Mouther, Gladiator, Goat, Gorgon, Goristro, Hobgoblin Warlord, Lion, Mammoth, Marid, Mastiff, Minotaur, Minotaur Skeleton, Panther, Rhinoceros, Saber-Toothed Tiger, Stone Giant, Tarrasque, Tiger, Triceratops, Unicorn, Warhorse, Wereboar, Weretiger, Winter Wolf, Wolf, Worg
• Other: Command, Destructive Wave, Earthquake, Grease, Shove Action, Sleet Storm, Tasha's Hideous Laughter, Thunderous Smite

Restrained

You might be surprised to hear that the Restrained condition is the most common one in the Monster Manual. That's because it's often granted as a part of the bite/swallow combo. Much like the blinded condition, this means creatures inside the belly of a beast won't easily be able to cut their way out. In other situations, Restrained is an enhanced form of Grappled, which actually imposes disadvantage on the target's attacks and Dexterity saves, while granting advantage on attacks made against them. use with multiple creatures for greatest effect.

• Creatures: Barlgura, Basilisk, Behir, Beholder, Chain Devil, Cockatrice, Constrictor Snake, Couatl, Crocodile, Death Tyrant, Djinni, Drow Mage, Drow Priestess of Lolth, Druid, Dryad, Ettercap, Gelatinous Cube, Giant Constrictor Snake, Giant Crocodile, Giant Frog, Giant Octopus, Giant Spider, Giant Toad, Gorgon, Grell, Kraken, Kuo-Toa, Lizardfolk Shaman, Medusa, Mud Mephit, Otyugh, Purple Worm, Remorhaz, Roc, Roper, Rug of Smothering, Salamander, Shambling Mound, Tarrasque, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Unicorn, Vine Blight, Water Elemental, Yochlol, Yuan-Ti Abomination, Yuan-Ti Malison
• Other: Ensnaring Strike, Entangle, Evard's Black Tentacles, Flesh to Stone, Imprisonment, Prismatic Spray, Prismatic Wall, Telekinesis, Web

Slowed

Of the status effects that don't immediately remove a creature from combat, Slowed is one of the most effective. Action economy is a huge part of D&D 5e, and halving it is brutal. If a player character is Slowed, they will likely be the target of a Dispel Magic  effect as soon as the party can cast it.

• Creatures: All Copper Dragons, Beholder, Death Tyrant, Stone Golem
• Other: Slow

Stunned

This status is a powerful, but usually short-term condition. It's generally limited to stronger monsters, and can really hamper a low-level character. Not only can the player not perform any movement, speech, or actions, they also automatically fail Strength and Dexterity saving throws. Combine with breath weapon attacks for maximum fun!

• Creatures: Empyrean, Glabrezu, Intellect Devourer, Lich, Mind Flayer, Mummy Lord, Myconid Adult, Myconid Sovereign, Otyugh, Vrock
• Other: Contagion, Divine Word, Power Word Stun, Symbol, 

Unconscious

Sleeping on the job? Your punishment shall be a critical hit.

A very useful status, Unconscious is a terrible thing to be in combat. Any sleep effect will force Unconsciousness, as will a few other effects. Note that Elves and Half-Elves are immune to all of these. When this status takes hold, your more intelligent monsters should take advantage of the target's unconsciousness to get a free critical hit in. This hit should always wake the target, though. Nobody gets stabbed and stays asleep.

• Creatures: All Brass Dragons, Beholder, Bone Naga, Chasme, Couatl, Death Tyrant, Drow, Drow Elite Warrior, Dust Mephit, Homunculus, Jackalwere, Night Hag, Oni, Pixie, Spirit Naga, Sprite
• Other: Eyebite, Sleep, Symbol

Weakened

This isn't a common status, but a useful one if you have a monster that is facing a Barbarian or Fighter. However, it tends to rely on Concentration (unless you are a dragon), so at least your Concentration checks won't be as harsh.

• Creatures: All Gold Dragons, Night Hag
• Other: Ray of Enfeeblement

No matter how you use them, status effects can tilt the favor of a battle away from the players and put your monsters on a much more even playing field. Don't neglect them!

Thanks for reading!

Old News: Orphan Quest and the 3 Why's

People with living parents in this picture: zero (one if you count Asmodeus as the tiefling's dad)

Well, another week has gone by without much happening in the realm of Ahneria. I'm still prepping for the upcoming Valley of the Lords campaign, and if you hadn't noticed, the Creature Loot articles are back, so I'm definitely staying busy. But I'm not actually running anything at the moment.

That's not to say D&D isn't happening in my group, since we now have several other Dungeon Masters among our number who have been prepping or running their own campaigns. There should be a proper Monday Recap next week!

In the meantime, I'm going to talk about my first 5th edition campaign, and the story-crafting philosophy that went into creating the plot.

Orphan Quest

One of the subtlest techniques in a Dungeon Master's arsenal is lampshading (warning: TV Tropes link). I knew it was an extremely common trope in D&D for characters to start the game as orphans, so I literally made my first game Orphan Quest, where everyone stared in an orphanage.

This resulted in the rest of my players wanting to do something different, to distance themselves from that first, big campaign. Since then, I've had very few orphans in my games, and a ton of great plots about family connections. The same thing happened after I made the incredibly spoofy edgelord  character Kaim'ango. Nobody wanted to play an edgy character because I had already used all the tropes.

So, the players started in an orphanage. Our first session was kind of a session zero, where we made characters together and then sent them on a short adventure. I had them cut their stats in half to pretend they were children, and they did a small stealth mission against Sebastion, an evil knight that would become the main antagonist of the campaign.

After that first session, I had them all go their separate ways to gain their class training. The Tiefling Rogue Orianna trained in Garton, the Half-Elf Bard Leigh learned her craft from a group of spies called the Cobblestones, and Half-Orc-Half-Halfing Keth gained skill in the crime-ridden city of Drudgeton.

When they came back together, they were all recruited by the Cobblestones to see what Sebastion had been doing, since he was acting as the King's personal guardian. They were also given a mentor named Hilde, who was Leigh's personal trainer. They had a few adventures in their home town of Wayford, the Garlancian Circus, Drudgeton, and elsewhere as they followed Sebastion's trail from Wyaford to Garton.

Along the way, Sebastion hounded them at every turn, even forcing Hilde to give up her life to allow the group to escape his wrath. When the group finally reached Garton, they met with the leader of the Cobblestones and were tasked with investigating Sebastion's ties to the country of Norstone, north of Garlancia.

They discovered Leigh's sister was actually the Queen of Norstone, and there was another layer of evil happening beyond Sebastion. It was revealed that a Norstone wizard, Prindle, had entered an infernal contract to gain power and start a war between the two countries. Sebastion himself was a devil known as a Rakshasa.

The heroes saved the king (who had been held captive by Sebastion), and made it to the war just in time to stop Prindle. Unfortunately, they also opened up a portal to the Nine Hells and got trapped there with a portion of the Garlancian army.

After being invited down to the bottom layer of the Hells, they got a tour of each layer and met with Asmodeus himself. Sebastion showed up in his final form, which they defeated to earn their freedom. But Asmodeus had put fine print into the contract that only allowed Orianna and Leigh to escape. Keth and their allies had to stay in Hell.

Orianna and Leigh returned to Garton, got famous, and got married. And that's where we ended.

The 3 Why's

Everyone asks why I'm a wizard, but never how I'm doing...

The plot of this campaign is what Angry would call an Onion Campaign. It started with a plot to fight a single bad guy and opened up into wars, wizards, and Hells. At each turn, they made progress forward, but new, greater problems were revealed.

I created this plot by using a method called the 3 Why's, which is normally used to get better answers from evasive people. If someone is trying to hide something from you, you keep asking why until they reveal the real reasons why they did or did not do something.

In a campaign where the plot keeps escalating, the players are essentially asking those "Why" questions of the setting. Each time they get an answer, a new question appears.

In my campaign, the questions were as follows:

1. Why is Sebastion working for the king? Because the king is being controlled by devils
2. Why is the King being controlled by devils? Because a wizard is trying to start a war
3. Why is a wizard trying to start a war? To gain power from the devils and open a portal to the hells

Because I started the campaign by asking these questions, I had the ability to foreshadow things very early on in the campaign. Sebastion wasn't just a bad guy, he was a bad guy with mysterious infernal powers. In this way, the plot progressed naturally rather than seeming like I was pulling plot points out of nowhere.

It also gave me a clear progression for the characters as they learned more about the world. By making each "Why" happen on a new tier of play, I could craft games that appropriately challenged my players from day one. in a combat-oriented game, it's important to have final villains that will actually provide combat challenges for the players when they reach the final level of your campaign.

I'm currently using this process to build lore for the Valley of the Lords. I just take each element of the story that is known to the players (orcs, ancient lords, humans and dwarves aligning, etc) and add a few layers of story behind it. By the time I'm done, there will be a rich collection of motivations for me to draw from when it comes time to fill the world with people and things.

Then, when the Orc Lord opens a portal to the Nine Hells, the players won't be surprised!

Thanks for reading!

Creature Loot: Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes A - C

D&D: Bald is Beautiful Edition. Brought to you by Chris Perkins

From the darkest depths of the Blood Wars... from the deepest Elven Glades... from the Mines of the Dwarves and the farms of the Halflings... from the distant Astral Plane, where the Gith endlessly battle...

Creature Loot is back! Woooo!

A few things of note before we begin. First off, I'm still going to be updating the Index, and once this is done I'll be putting out a PDF like I did with the others. I've been learning a lot about creating PDFs of my work, so hopefully the process will be quick this time.

Secondly, this is going to become a bi-weekly series. There are two reasons for that: First, these monsters are much larger in scope and require more research and consideration. If I'm going to stat out a Demon Lord, that's 20+ pieces of loot, some of which will need to be historically accurate to stats that have been in previous versions of the game. I'll be digging into that quite a bit to make sure my work is the best quality it can be.

The second reason is that I want to continue the Failed Magic Items series. If you haven't checked them out, they are hilarious. I think that will deserve a PDF as well when all is said and done.

Finally, I want to make a request for these articles. The blog has become a lot more active recently, especially the Creature Loot articles, if you can tell from the sidebar. If you have any feedback, error correction, or suggestions, please comment them below. Then, I can workshop the items in question and make sure they are of the best quality when the final PDF comes out.

Thanks, and enjoy!

Allip (5) - undead (religion)

• 2d4 Wisps of Shadow: Destroyed if exposed to sunlight. 5 of these can be carefully crafted (conjuration) by a spellcaster into a Shadow Crossing, a portal that leads to the Sshadowfell. The portal is permanently affixed to the location where it is crafted. 20 of these can be mastercrafted (transmutation) by a spellcaster into a Portable Hole.
• 2 Vials of Ectoplasm: No immediate use. Can be crafted (alchemist's supplies) into a potion of Invisibility or an Oil of Etherealness.
• 1 Maddening Whisper: Must be harvested at the moment of the Allip's demise. A creature within 5 feet of the Allip when it dies can choose to make a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw, on a failure taking 7 (1d8+3) psychic damage and using its reaction to make a melee weapon attack against one creature within range if possible. If the creature failed their saving throw, they gain the Maddening Whisper, which is a short phrase hinting at the Allip's terrible secret. If more than one creature attempted to gain the Maddening Whisper, the creature with the lowest roll on their Wisdom saving throw gains the secret.

A face that just screams "hugs"

Astral Dreadnought (21) - monstrosity (nature)

• 1 Astral Dreadnought Eye: Difficult to transport, as big as a small creature. Requires attunement. While attuned, the holder can cast Antimagic Field once per day. The holder cannot be surprised while attuned to the eye. Can be mastercrafted (smith’s tools) into a grotesque Spellguard Shield. The holder of the shield cannot be surprised while attuned to it.
• 2 Astral Dreadnought Claws: Difficult to transport, as big as a medium creature. No immediate use. Can be mastercrafted (smith's tool) into a magical greataxe that deals 3d6 damage on a hit, and requires a Strength score of 20 or greater to wield. On a critical hit against a target in an astral body, the wielder can choose to cut the silvery cord that tethers the target to its material body instead of dealing damage.
• 5d4 Astral Dreadnought Armor Plates: Difficult to transport, as big as a medium creature. Acts as a +2 Shield that requires a strength score of 20 or greater to wield. Can be mastercrafted (smith's tools) into a set of +2 Plate Armor that requires attunement. The attuned creature can treat the Astral Plane as its home plane when targeted by the Banishment spell or similar effects.
• 5d4 Astral Dreadnought Teeth: Acts as a magical shortsword. 4 of these can be mastercrafted (smith's tools) into a magical greatsword that deals 2d10 damage on a hit, and requires a Strength score of 20 or greater to wield. On a critical hit against a target in an astral body, the wielder can choose to cut the silvery cord that tethers the target to its material body instead of dealing damage.
• 2d4 Astral Dreadnought Horns: Difficult to transport, as big as a small creature. Acts as a magical battering ram. Can be mastercrafted by a spellcaster (enchantment) into a Beacon of Psychic Projection. When the Beacon is complete, any creature that begins its turn within 60 feet of the Beacon must make a DC 19 Wisdom saving throw taking 15 (2d10+4) psychic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
• 1 Astral Dreadnought Heart: Difficult to transport, as big as a large creature. No immediate use. Can be mastercrafted by a spellcaster (conjuration) into a Demiplanar Bracelet, which requires attunement. A creature wearing the Bracelet can use an action to place their hand on a flat surface, such as a wall or floor, and create a portal to a Demiplane, as if they had cast the Demiplane spell. The Demiplane resembles a stone cave roughly 1,000 feet in diameter with a ceiling 100 feet high. Once a portal to the Demiplane has been opened, it remains in place for 1 hour, and cannot be opened again until the next dawn.
• 1 Astral Dreadnought Tail: Difficult to transport, as large as a medium creature. No immediate use. Can be mastercrafted (alchemist's supplies) into a potion of Astral Potency. A creature that drinks the potion has their astral tether strengthened for 1 hour. During this time, if the creature enters an astral body (such as the one created by an Astral Projection spell), their silver cord cannot be cut by an effect that would otherwise sever it. This effect can be suppressed by an Antimagic Field.
• 4 Hoards of Demiplanar Donjon Refuse: Each hoard is equivalent to a Challenge 17+ Treasure Hoard. The magic items and valuables are mixed in with ruined structures, ships, and the bones of creatures. At the DM's discretion, a magic item found in the hoard can be replaced by an object from the Creature loot tables that can be crafted into the original item.

Balhannoth (11) - aberration (arcana)

• 4 Balhannoth Tentacles: Acts as a whip that deals 2d6 slashing damage on a hit.
• 1 Balhannoth Hide: Acts as a blanket. Can be carefully crafted (leatherworker's tools) into studded leather armor that requires attunement. A creature attuned to the armor can cast Invisibility on itself, and can do so three times before the armor cannot be used in this way until the next dawn.
• 2d10 Balhannoth Teeth: 20 teeth act as a bag of caltrops. Can be carefully crafted (jeweler's tools) into dice that roll better when you wager something you truly desire (advantage on rolls made to determine the outcome of a dice game).
• 1 Heart of the Balhannoth: Creatures within 1 mile of the Heart experience a sensation of being close to whatever they desire most. The sensation grows stronger the closer the creatures come to the Heart. A creature can spend 10 minutes using the Heart to cast Mirage Arcane. This destroys the Heart. When cast this way, the spell always makes the surrounding area appear to be a place sought by the creature casting the spell. 
• 1 Balhannoth Skull: No immediate use. Can be mastercrafted (smith's tools) into a grotesque Helm of Teleportation (DMG pg. 174).
• 2d4 Balhannoth Bones: No immediate use. Can be carefully crafted (alchemist's supplies) into a Potion of Detect Desires. For 10 minutes, the potion allows a creature to sense the emotions of creatures within 30 feet of them, even if the user can't see them. This effect is blocked by 2 feet of rock, 2 inches of any metal other than lead, or a thin sheet of lead. Additionally, during this time, the user can use an action to force a creature within 30 feet to make a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, the creature's strongest desire is revealed to the user.

Berbalang (2) - aberration (arcana)

• 1d2 Berbalang Eyes: A creature can use its action to consume an eye. The eye then produces a spectral duplicate of the creature in an unoccupied space within 60 feet of it. While the duplicate exists, the creature is unconscious. A creature can only have one duplicate at a time. The duplicate disappears when it or the creature drops to 0 hit points or after 10 minutes. The duplicate has the same statistics and knowledge as the creature, and everything experienced by the duplicate is known by the creature. All damage dealt by the duplicate's attacks is psychic damage.
• 1d10 Odd Bones: Each is from some strange creature. Casting Speak With Dead on an Odd Bone allows you to learn one fact or secret from the creature's life. The DM should use this opportunity to present rare and forbidden knowledge, data on distant planes of existence, and lore about Celestials, Fiends, or Gods.

Are you ready for more? Boneclaw is ready

Boneclaw (12) - undead (religion)

• 1 Boneclaw Skull: Requires attunement. Can be used as an arcane focus, and grants an attuned creature resistance to cold and necrotic damage. After 1d10 days, the skull reforms into the Boneclaw, teleporting to within 1 mile of its master if necessary. If the Boneclaw's master dies, this item crumbles into useless dust.
• 2d4 Boneclaw Claws: Acts as a magical pike. A creature wielding the Claw can use its reaction to make one melee attack with the Claw in response to a visible enemy entering its reach.
• 2 Boneclaw Eyes: A creature hold in eye can swallow it as an action. If the user is in dim light or darkness, each creature within 5 feet of them must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or take 34 (5d12 + 2) necrotic damage. The user then magically teleports up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space they can see. The destination space must be in dim light or darkness.
• 2d8 Boneclaw Teeth: 20 teeth act as a bag of caltrops. Can be carefully crafted (jeweler's tools) into dice that always favor the evilest creature in the game.
• 2d6 Bones of the Fallen Lich: No immediate use. Can be carefully crafted by a spellcaster (necromancy) into a Potion of Shadow Stealth (for 1 hour, while in dim light or darkness, the user can take the Hide action as a bonus action).
• 1 Tome of Darkness: Incomprehensible to those who are not Wizards. A month of study will yield a method to become a Lich. These requirements allow a wizard to create or obtain a Phylactery and a Potion of Transformation. Additionally, the method requires the ability to cast Imprisonment to transfer their soul into the Phylactery. A PC that is turned into a Lich becomes an Evil NPC under the DM’s control. The details will vary from book to book, but the ritual may involve any of the following:
  • Forming a Pact with a Fiend, Evil God, or Dark Power
  • Ritual Sacrifice or Murder
  • Using Material Components only gained by killing Celestials
  • Being a Master (14th level or higher) of Necromancy
• 2d4 Wisps of Shadow: Destroyed if exposed to sunlight. 5 of these can be carefully crafted (conjuration) by a spellcaster into a Shadow Crossing, a portal that leads to the Shadowfell. The portal is permanently affixed to the location where it is crafted. 20 of these can be mastercrafted (transmutation) by a spellcaster into a Portable Hole.

Cadaver Collector (14) - construct (arcana)

• 1 Cadaver Collector Shell: No immediate use. Can be mastercrafted (smith's tools) into a Set of Splint Armor. A creature wearing the armor has resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks that aren't made with adamantine weapons.
• 2d8 Tattered Weapons: The DM selects the appropriate number of martial weapons from the Player's Handbook (page 149). These weapons count as Tattered.
• 2d6 + 5 Corpses: Each corpse was a mighty warrior in life. At the DM's discretion, they might wear armor, have tattoos, or have unique appearances that can be used to identify who they were in life.
• 1 Paralyzing Breath Sac: As an action, a creature holding the Sac can release a spray of Paralyzing Gas in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a successful DC 18 Constitution saving throw or be paralyzed for 1 minute. A paralyzed creature repeats the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
• 2 Cadaver Collector Gauntlets: No immediate use. Can be carefully crafted (smith's tools) into a Cadaver's Fist, a gauntlet weapon that deals 1d4 bludgeoning damage and 1d10 necrotic damage on a hit. The Cadaver's Fist has the Heavy property.
• 1 Cadaver Collector Engine: A creature that dies within 15 feet of the Cadaver Collector Engine cannot be raised from the dead by any means short of a Wish spell, and its soul remains bound to the material plane. These effects end if the creature's body is taken further than 15 feet from the Engine. The Engine has AC 10 and 50 hit points. If a creature deals at least 16 necrotic damage to the Engine with a single spell or attack, the Engine starts. Up to 6 corpses within 15 feet of the Engine produce a Specter, which fight on behalf of the creature who started the Engine. If a body is moved further than 15 feet from the engine, the Specter associated with that body disappears. If the Engine is reduced to 0 hit points, all Specters created by it disappear and the Engine becomes non-functional. Otherwise, the Specters exist until they are killed.

Choker (1) - aberration (arcana)

• 1d4 Choker Tentacles: Acts as a whip that deals an additional 3 (1d6) piercing damage on a hit. If the target is a large or smaller creature, it is grappled (escape DC 15). If the attack is a critical hit, the target is also restrained, and can't breathe or speak until the grapple ends. While a creature remains grappled in this manner, the whip cannot be used to attack. 

Clockworks

Bronze Scout (1) - construct (arcana)

• 1d4 Scrap Metal: No immediate use. Can be crafted (smith's tools) into a dagger, handaxe, light hammer, mace, sickle, or spear.
• 1 Bronze Scout Engine: The Engine has AC 10 and 7 hit points.  If a creature deals at least 3 lightning damage to the Engine with a single spell or attack, the Engine starts. The engine does not start if the attack reduces the Engine to 0 hit points. Each creature in contact with the ground within 15 feet of the Engine when it starts must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw, taking 14 (4d6) lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. After the Engine is reduced to 0 hit points, the Engine becomes non-functional.

Hey! Where's the poison filling?

Iron Cobra (4) - construct (arcana)

• 2d4 Scrap Metal: No immediate use. Can be crafted (smith's tools) into a dagger, handaxe, light hammer, mace, sickle, or spear.
• 1 Vial Iron Cobra Poison: You can use this poison in this vial to coat one slashing or piercing weapon or a piece of ammunition. Applying the poison takes an action. A creature hit by the poisoned weapon or ammunition must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or take 13 (3d8) poison damage.
• 1 Vial Iron Cobra Paranoia Poison: You can use this poison in this vial to coat one slashing or piercing weapon or a piece of ammunition. Applying the poison takes an action. A creature hit by the poisoned weapon or ammunition must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, it must use its action on its next turn to make one weapon attack against a random creature it can see within 30 feet of it, using whatever weapon it has in hand and moving beforehand if necessary to get in range. If it's holding no weapon, it makes an unarmed strike. If no creature is visible within 30 feet, it takes the Dash action, moving towards a creature within 60 feet.
• 1 Vial Iron Cobra Paralyzing Poison: You can use this poison in this vial to coat one slashing or piercing weapon or a piece of ammunition. Applying the poison takes an action. A creature hit by the poisoned weapon or ammunition must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or be paralyzed until the end of its next turn.

Oaken Bolter (5) - construct (arcana)

• 2d4 Scrap Metal: No immediate use. Can be crafted (smith's tools) into a dagger, handaxe, light hammer, mace, sickle, or spear.
• 1 Oaken Ballista: Acts as a Ballista (DMG pg. 255) except that it has +7 to hit, a range of 100/400 ft., and deals 15 (2d10 + 4) piercing damage on a hit.
• 2d4 Harpoons: Acts as a javelin. A creature hit by the Harpoon is grappled (escape DC 12). While grappled this way, a creature's speed isn't reduced, but it can move only in directions that bring it closer to the creature that threw the Harpoon. A creature takes 5 (1d10) slashing damage if it escapes from the grapple or if it tries and fails. The creature that threw the Harpoon can use its action to pull a creature grappled by the Harpoon 20 feet towards it in a straight line.
• 1 Oaken Bolter Engine: The Engine has AC 10 and 15 hit points.  If a creature deals at least 9 piercing damage to the Engine with a single spell or attack, the Engine starts. The engine does not start if the attack reduces the Engine to 0 hit points. Each creature within 20 feet of the Engine when it starts must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 17 (5d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. After the Engine is reduced to 0 hit points, the Engine becomes non-functional.

Stone Defender (4) - construct (arcana)

• 2d4 Scrap Metal: No immediate use. Can be crafted (smith's tools) into a dagger, handaxe, light hammer, mace, sickle, or spear.
• 2 Stone Defender Shields: Acts as a large shield with the Heavy and Two-Handed property. A creature wielding the Shield can use it as a weapon. The Shield deals 2d6 Bludgeoning damage on a hit, and if the target is large or smaller, the wielder can use a bonus action to try to shove the creature.
• 1 Stone Defender Engine: The Engine has AC 10 and 13 hit points. As a reaction in response to being hit by an attack roll, a creature can attempt to attack the Engine. If the creature deals 11 or more points of bludgeoning damage to the Engine, the Engine throws a gear shaft in front of the attack, granting a +5 bonus to the holder's AC and potentially causing the attack to miss. 

Corpse Flower (8) - plant (nature)

• 1d6 + 3 Corpses: Each corpse was a victim of the Corpse Flower. At the DM's discretion, they might wear armor, have tattoos, or have unique appearances that can be used to identify who they were in life.
• 1d3 Corpse Flower Tentacles: Acts as a whip. On a hit, the target must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or take 14 (4d6) poison damage)
• 1 Corpse Flower Stench Polyp: Each creature that starts its turn within 10 feet of the Stench Polyp must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw, unless the creature is a construct or undead. On a failed save, the creature is incapacitated until the end of the turn. Creatures that are immune to poison damage or the poisoned condition automatically succeed on this saving throw. On a successful save, the creature is immune to the stench of all corpse flowers for 24 hours.
• 2d4 Corpse Flower Petals: No immediate use. Can be carefully crafted (alchemist's supplies) into a Potion of Necrophagia. A creature that drinks the potion can spend 10 minutes to consume the corpse of a dead humanoid creature. Upon the completion of the meal, the creature regains 11 (2d10) hit points. The effects of the potion fade after 24 hours. 

Well, that's all for now. As is tradition, the next few articles will all be focused on the letter D. We'll kick things off with some all-stars from the Abyss!

You got something on your.. um.. never mind.

Thanks for reading!

Innate Magic People Part 3

This time, the artist is d-torres, a purveyor of the slightly weird

In Ahneria, nearly everyone can cast a little bit of magic, but some people can cast full-on spells. I decided it would be fun to detail out a set of NPCs based on the first level spells. As I said in the previous article, these are people who are somewhat common, but might have gained notoriety or fame based on their abilities.

This is the third in this series, and we finally get to third level spells. If these spells are properly applied, they can really change the way a person interacts with the world, so expect to see some powerful people.


Naddax Kront’tane
Spell: Flaming Sphere (PHB pg. 242)
The underdark city of Umo Ta’lari has only recently come under the salvation of Father Kront’tane, an imposing man with burning eyes and a deep voice. His church has a burning ball of fire at its peak, a holy sign granted to the city by the gods that this is the path of true worship. But the boon is not from the Gods, but Father Kront’tane himself. He is using his power to gain the servitude of the people of Umo Ta’lari, and some of them are beginning to get suspicious. He might need help quelling a rebellion, or the cityfolk might need help starting one.

Sister Doris
Spell: Gentle Repose (PHB pg. 245)
Sister Doris, always dressed in a smock and habit, runs the local cemetery, and is careful to keep the bodies of the fallen protected from necromantic magics. However, her work keeps her away from others, and she is feeling quite lonely. She is looking for a companion, or someone to do her job while she visits some relatives.

Andre Blankenship
Spell: Gust of Wind (PHB pg. 248)
In his heyday, Andre Blankenship was the loudest bugler for the Blackwell Army. He was so loud, in fact, that his playing was used as a signal to coordinate military attacks, giving the army an immeasurable advantage. But now, the war has ended, and so too has Andre’s duty. He is looking for a place to continue playing is favorite instrument, but he’s too loud to join any groups. He needs help finding work, or figuring out how to soften the volume of his instrument.

Dawynn
Spell: Healing Spirit (XGtE pg. 157)
Dawynn is an elderly elven druid, deeply connected to the land and its magic. She is especially sought out for healing, as he magic is drawn from the natural power of the world and grants its recipient deep satisfaction. Dawynn is nearing the end of her life, and after deep contemplation, she wishes to join the Fey Courts of the Summer Queens. But the faerie are a prideful bunch, and they are unlikely to accept just a simple healer. Dawynn needs help completing a deed of great mystery or intrigue, so she may live her final years out in peace among the fey.

Zumin Ravenbrow
Spell: Heat Metal (PHB pg. 250)
In the fencing pits of Djelki, Zumin Ravenbrow is a bit of a local legend. He doesn’t have a perfect winning streak, but nearly all of his wins come from disarming his opponent. His secret? Just a bit of heat on the handle of a rapier during a strike, and the sword is on the ground, his opponent thinking it was his sword that dealt the stinging blow. But Zumin has recently been asked to enter a mixed-weapon duelist’s tournament, which includes wooden weapons like staves and clubs. His pride demands he rise to the challenge, but he needs someone to train him to fight opponents who are still armed!

Stody Crimson
Spell: Hold Person (PHB pg. 251)
In the stronghold of Cumarine, Stody Crimson is a transporter of some of the vilest criminals in Isoware. His unique ability to restrain problem inmates with his magic has earned him a top spot among the guards. But now, a devilishly clever mastermind, Diazoll Stiox, has been captured and needs to be taken to trial. Stody is worried his mental magic won’t be enough to restrain the villain, and is looking for someone to help him guard this prisoner.

Casting spells like Gnome-body's business

Shai Luem
Spell: Invisibility (PHB pg. 254)
Shai Luem leads the White Foxes, a small gang in the big city of Wrylax. She came into power thanks to her incredibly useful ability to turn invisible, and ever since has been leading her incredibly stealthy gang to greater and greater heists. She uses her ability to train new recruits in the art of stealth and awareness. However, Tiri Serse, a new recruit, doesn’t think training against an invisible thief is fair, and Shai is worried that this dissent will spread through her ranks. She needs someone outside the gang to create an “accident” that will teach the kid a lesson.

Williem Learlock
Spell: Knock (PHB pg. 254)
In Castle Phloxi, Williem Learlock acts as the groundskeeper and locksmith for the King. He is excellent at his job, and his ability to instantly open any door in the keep allows him to catch thieves, spies, and servants caught in throes of passion. Last night, he was in the middle of catching a gardener and a handmaiden making out in a closet, and the loud noise from his magic woke a Duchess visiting the castle. Duchess Jessamine was at Castle Phloxi for her wedding today, and is absolutely furious. Now, Williem needs someone to calm the Duchess before he loses something dear to him, and not just his job.

Ariadne Keene
Spell: Lesser Restoration (PHB pg. 255)
Ariadne Keene is the Head Nurse at Lady Puffsnoggles’ School for Magical Misfits. She’s well known for curing up illnesses in an instant, using her magic to patch up colds and keep pneumonia at bay. But recently, a dark creature slipped into the school and nearly drained the life of Carmine Winter, a much-loved student at Lady Puffsnoggles’. Her magic simply isn’t enough to help the lad, and she’s looking for someone to restore him to his former self.

Kromdal Fargrun
Spell: Levitate (PHB pg. 255)
Ever since he was a lad, Kromdal Fargrun has had a perfectly rational fear of heights. It was rational because he often began to float up into the air, seemingly at random intervals and heights. He never knew when he’d stop floating up, or when the spell would end and send him hurtling back to the ground. After a few traumatic experiences that a well-placed net couldn’t fix, he began working in the local mine at a young age. The constant ceilings provided a deep comfort, as did the requirements that each dwarf in the clan be tied down while working on steep slopes and vertical tunnels. But now, Kromdal has been asked to start work in the ambitious Ranvian Conduit, a project to construct a huge vertical shaft for resource transportation. He needs help controlling his powers or getting over his fears, or he risks losing his job.

Isolde Juniper
Spell: Locate Animals or Plants (PHB pg. 256)
Granny Isolde Juniper is famous in the city of Xycrest for two things: her plant collection, and her apple pies. She works as a herbalist, offering medicines made from rare ingredients and strange plants. She also knows exactly what plants are in season for nearly five miles outside the city walls, without even leaving her house! But recently, a young girl named Dahlia Farvarrow came down with a fever that even magic didn’t seem to phase. The only solution is to find the Healing Pale Cress, a rare flower that can supposedly cure any illness. Granny Juniper needs an escort to help her cross the country and find the rare herb.

Sometimes, a little magic goes a long way

Eon Moolman
Spell: Locate Objects (PHB pg. 256)
Most people who lack organization claim they know where everything is in their mess. But that’s even more true for Eon Moolman, who can tell, with pinpoint accuracy, the location of any item in his villa. It’s especially impressive, since most of his villa is stacked with knick knacks, odds and ends, and trash from a lifetime of collecting. But recently, a thief stole a small music box from his home while he slept, and he can’t track down something outside the confines of his home. The box has deep sentimental value to him, and he’ll pay good money to get it back. Or at least, he’ll let someone pick some interesting stuff from his collection.

Desa Kashim
Spell: Magic Mouth (PHB pg. 257)
Lady Desa Kashim, Ventriloquist extraordinaire, recently faced every performer’s worst nightmare. It was right in the middle of the show, when she was having several dummies sing in harmony, a highlight of the act. She hadn’t had much time to prepare, and one of the dummies sang the name of King Gerren - the hated rival of King Merren, whose court she was performing in! Now, she’s in jail, and looking for someone to pay her bail or clear her name.

Wyatt Narcine
Spell: Magic Weapons (PHB pg. 237)
During the War of the Everborn, Wyatt Narcine was key in several decisive victories for the country of Vothua. His blessings, granted by the War God Kyln, imbued magical strength into the blades of the warriors of Vothua. But in the end, Vothua was defeated by the Knights of Ashax. Ashax is now holding Vothua’s former soldiers on trial, and Wyatt needs to prove his talents are worth keeping him alive for. He needs someone to speak on his behalf, or prove that his powers can be used for the good of Ashax.

Nishih Massi
Spell: Maximilian's Earthen Grasp (PHB pg. 161)
Nishih Massi runs the crypt of the small town of Greypost, and is an unrelenting practical joker. She uses her powers to make shadows appear around corners, tap visitors on the shoulder, and rearrange candles when nobody's looking. It’s all very hilarious to her. But the joy of her pranks has been lost on traveling priest Avedis Artinian, who immediately declared the site shut down when he arrived in Greypost and experienced her antics. Now, Nishih needs to figure out a way to reopen the crypt and get her job back, or at least drive Avedis out of town.

Isac Lundin
Spell: Melf's Acid Arrow (PHB pg. 259)
The care of the Iris River has been passed down the Lundin family line for generations. Now, Isac Lundin, a young and magically skilled ranger, has been granted the honor of taking care of the source of the River, a mystical spring that spurts forth from the ground without any sort of origin. But while chasing hunters away from the sacred site, Isac’s arrow of acid struck the source of the River, causing the water to become spoiled. He is looking for someone to help purify the river as penance for his actions.

Nikos Kyprou
Spell: Mind Spike (PHB pg. 162)
Nikos Kyprou is well-known as a doctor specializing in migraines and headaches, especially for the rich and famous. But he runs a small business on the side, where he uses his magic to set lower class people up with his clients. He causes a headache in the well-to-do’s that visit him, then tracks their location, ensuring they will come across the  commoner that seeks them. As soon as the noble sees the peasant, he makes the headache vanish - which has been mistaken for love on more than one occasion. But recently, one of his lower-class clients, Jesstin Belling, turned out to be a real jerk, and the plan didn’t work. Now, Jesstin is threatening to expose Nikos’s secret, and Nikos is looking for help maintaining his cover.

A side effect of this project is I have plenty of random characters to fill my games

Aeres Cadogan
Spell: Mirror Image (PHB pg. 260)
In the monastery of Ostrus, Master Keenak teaches his students to be one with their mind and body. But a young acolyte, Aeres Cadogan, is having difficulty with this. She is able to create illusory duplicates of herself, and Master Keenak’s philosophy isn’t really helping her figure out how to be one when she is naturally many. She is looking for a new teacher, or maybe someone who can escort her to a different monastery.

Victor Vântu
Spell: Misty Step (PHB pg. 260)
Victor Vântu is a paranoid and secretive prince. He built a special room in the back of his castle that is completely sealed off, with no doors and windows, and magically reinforced to keep it from being harmed. The only way in was for him to look at a painting of the room and use his magic to teleport inside, since the painting was detailed enough to act as if he could see where he was teleporting. But after an assassination attempt on his life, Victor’s painting was damaged and he can’t get back into his room. He’s looking for an artist to replace the painting, and they need to have an uncanny ability to create realistic images.

Delia Tawnycress
Spell: Moonbeam (PHB pg. 261)
In the Mercenary Company of Vrahir, Delia Tawnycress specializes in finding shapeshifters and invisible threats. She uses her magic to expose them, then disposes of them with a wide array of poisons and blades. But she recently got a call to hunt down a Yochlol, a shapeshifting demon of great strength. The problem is, she and K’eon Saiz, the mercenary specializing in demon hunting, are bitter rivals. She’s looking for someone to join her on this job before she and K’eon end up killing each other.

Tristan Mendoza
Spell: Nystul's Magic Aura (PHB pg. 263)
Tristan Medoza runs The Third Wish, a small magic shop in the city of Leviaren. He dabbles in the arcane but tries to avoid the divine, as every cleric and paladin he meets swears he is an angel and declares fealty to him. At first it was interesting, but now he just wants to be left alone. And in a few days, a massive congregation of clerics is scheduled to occur in Leviaren. Tristan is looking for someone to run his shop while he gets out of town for the week.

Allegra Rapture
Spell: Pass Without Trace (PHB pg. 264)
The city of Flurus has spared no expense in finding the safehouse of Allegra Rapture, a notorious criminal that seems to make outlaws disappear from under their noses. Now, they have brought in a Gold Dragon named Hiorvu to investigate, a creature obsessed with justice and capable of great perception, not to mention its ability to shapeshift into a humanoid. Allegra is looking for help all over the underworld for those who can help her combat the city’s draconic trump card.

In Ahneria, it's best not to judge a person until you know if they can cast a Fireball at you

Rowan Jolho
Spell: Phantasmal Force (PHB pg. 264)
Since he was a boy, Rowan Jolho has gotten advice from Jarrah, an elvish creature that only he could see. This isn’t all that unusual - children often have imaginary friends. But trouble came when Rowan tried to stop listening to Jarrah. Jarrah didn’t appreciate that very much, and started tormenting Rowan. At first, it was simply teasing, but then cuts and bruises started appearing on Rowan’s skin. His parents tried divine and arcane magics, but Jarrah won’t go away. They are looking for help confronting this strange invisible foe.

Ivi Condu
Spell: Prayer of Healing (PHB pg. 267)
In the fields of Glynhorn, Ivi Condu is considered a fine elven priest of Corellon Larethian. They deliver rousing speeches to the congregation, comforting and refreshing those who hear them. But recently, Ivi was taken by the wanderlust so common to elves, and they wish to be free from their duties to the community. But the other elves have grown accustomed to the pleasures of Ivi’s sermons, and are asking them to find a replacement before they leave on their journey.

Shemsia Iyasu
Spell: Protection from Poison (PHB pg. 270)
Shemsia Iyasu is a bit of a myth among the wizards of Sireth. She’s real enough, but her claims of being able to guide travelers through the planes of the Abyss are a bit far-fetched. However, last night, a demon appeared in her home, driving her out and taking over the place. The rumors were true, but now Shemsia needs help ousting this unwelcome visitor from another plane.

Lemuel Darge
Spell: Pyrotechnics (XGtE pg. 163)
Princess Tesfaye Biru is widely considered the most beautiful woman in all of Coralis. She’s caught the eye of every man in the capital, but none more so than Lemuel Darge, the Royal Firework maker. However, he’s been regularly scarred and disfigured by his work, and isn’t exactly of noble blood. He needs help convincing the princess that his love is true!

Sorin Coscis
Spell: Ray of Enfeeblement (PHB pg. 271)
Sorin Coscis was once the head torturer for the Artremu Empire. His favorite method was forcing his subjects to hold heavy objects above their heads, then slowly weakening them using his magic until they gave in or were crushed from the pain. But the Artremu Empire was recently overthrown by the Republic of Calarai, and torture is now heavily frowned upon. Bereft of the glory and salary of his former life, he’s looking for someone who could use his skills in interrogation.

Ibiscus Overscape
Spell: Rope Trick (PHB pg. 272)
Ibiscus Overscape lives two lives, both of them quite notorious. By day, she is Hibiscus, a “Rope Tamer” that uses her magic to perform for nobility. By night, she uses her abilities to conduct elaborate heists as Ibis Overwall. Many people have made the connection between the show-woman Hibiscus and the criminal Ibis Overwall, but by the time they figure things out, she’s gone, off to the next city. But heavy rain has prevented her from leaving the city of Tsunaloch, and Ibiscus is looking for a safe place to hide out from the authorities until she can flee.

Sigurd Abway
Spell: Scorching Ray (PHB pg. 273)
The Church of the Bright One is a prestigious and tightly-held society within the city of Hyran, and anyone who rises in its ranks is sure to live a life of honor and luxury. Archbishop Abway has worked hard to get to the high ranks of the organization, despite his shameful secret: he can cast arcane magic, a forbidden art among the constituency. A commoner recently learned about this fact when she saw the Archbishop heating his tea with his hands, and Sigurd needs someone from outside the church to keep her quiet before he is exposed.

Just doing my job, sir

Eleni Oromo
Spell: See Invisibility (PHB pg. 274)
Elani Oromo is a high-ranking guard at the Palace of Kahsou. She has shot up through the ranks recently because of her unbelievable capture of magical assassins heading for King Shale - and not only once, but twice! She has been enjoying the benefits of his promotion, but the other guards have been quite suspicious of her abilities and jealous of her rank. She’s begun to face hazing from the other guards, and needs help improving her reputation.

Khione Myst
Spell: Shadow Blade (XGtE pg. 164)
The Black Blade of the Wraithborn has been the subject of much speculation and fear over the years. However, its wielder, Khione Myst, has always done enough good in the world that the rumors have been found baseless. But Khione has been doing less work recently, getting tired of a hero’s toil. Gossip and rumors are starting to spring up once again, and Khione needs help quelling them.

Iyas Nyakio
Spell: Shatter (PHB pg. 275)
Iyas Nyakio, the Royal Architect of Rileth, also dabbles in his own brand of explosive demolition. He is fortunate that King Jungso often demands buildings be rebuilt or moved around, because it keeps his pockets full and his workers happy. But during a demonstration to a visiting magistrate, Iyas injured a worker and embarrassed the king. Now, his job is in peril, and he needs help building a magnificent tower to appease the King. But, he’s having trouble finding hands that are willing to work with him.

Cua Ka Thao
Spell: Silence (PHB pg. 275)
Since she was a young girl, Cua Ka Thao couldn’t speak or hear anything. She lived in a world of abject silence, and for some time she was accepted and assisted by her friends and family. But people began to notice they couldn’t speak as loudly around her, and eventually her silence emanated to anyone near her. She was cast out of Tapolog, and given enough to live on, but nobody to travel with. She still longs for love and companionship, though she will never be able to say so.

Samira Momeni
Spell: Skywrite (XGtE pg. 165)
Samira Momeni is the best party planner in the city of Kloria. She uses her magical talents to “Personalize the Skies” for her clients, granting them their own personal messages in the air over their parties. This particularly appeals to the nobility, who love the idea that everyone in 5 miles could know they are throwing a gala. But this does leave Samira a bit preoccupied during the party itself, and the gala she is currently running is missing a pair of swans specifically requested by the host. She’s looking for someone who can go capture some swans for her while she maintains the party.

Chief Kaskae
Spell: Snilloc's Snowball Swarm (XGtE pg. 165)
As a young boy, Chief Kaskae of the Ikiaq tribe would play with his brothers, throwing snowballs back and forth across the icy plains. He always won, but never boasted or bragged about it. He always stayed on good terms, to make sure his brothers would want to play with him again. Those diplomatic skills now serve him well as the Chieftain of his tribe, but he’s still an incorrigible prankster who loves throwing snowballs at his friends and family. His brothers, Kanosak and Qilaq, think he needs a wake-up call to get him to break his childish habits, and are looking for someone to stage an attack on the tribe and bring him to his senses.

Nilam Kipli
Spell: Spider Climb (PHB pg. 277)
Nilam Kipli is a famous monk with a rather large following. She claims to have reached enlightenment by hanging upside-down from the ceiling for several weeks. Nilam teaches about new perspectives, dealing with pain, and not wearing dresses. However, a new spiritual leader, Hamda Jammat, has been claiming to gain enlightenment from holding his breath underwater. She’s quickly losing followers, and needs help re-establishing her congregation.

Just a humble gardener

Radomir Dobrowski
Spell: Spike Growth (PHB pg. 277)
Evil Overlord Barnaby Scourge likes to keep his castle grim, foreboding, and tidy. And part of that task is accomplished by Radomir Dobrowski, his Evil Gardener. Radomir is working on a beautiful spike garden for his master, but since spikes are his specialty, he doesn’t quite have the skills to get some large carnivorous flowers to offset the greenery. He’s looking for some poor saps (or evil explorers) to gather some large deadly plants for him.

Nox Turness
Spell: Spiritual Weapon (PHB pg. 278)
Knightess Nox Turness is a feared warrior in the lands of Awykos. Her magic weapon is bonded to her soul, and it changes every time she slays a foe. The weapon takes on the form of her late opponent’s weapon, and she has been trained in the use of every weapon known to man in order to become a great knight. But recently, she was tasked to kill a massive demon with a gargantuan sword. She can barely lift the thing, much less kill a foe with it. She needs someone to help her wield the sword and crush an enemy with it so it reverts back to a normal weapon.

Kamil Luckow
Spell: Suggestion (PHB pg. 279)
Several years ago, Prince Edwin Lundvik, an intelligent and ambitious young man, was researching ancient lore when he stumbled across a forbidden secret, which burrowed into his mind and took control of him. The King discovered the cause of the Prince’s change in behavior, and summoned Kamil Luckow, a local hypnotist, to convince the Prince he was still his normal self. So far, things have been kept quiet, but Kamil is tired of hypnotizing the Prince three times a day. He’s looking for someone to modify the Prince’s memory so he can get back to his life.

Bansari Mirza
Spell: Warding Bond (PHB pg. 287)
Bansari Mirza Is the bodyguard of Duchess Odeta, and the two are never without each other. Bansari uses a special magic to ward her mistress from harm, taking some of the damage herself. But when an assassin finally made an attempt on Duchess Odeta’s life, it was Bansari that ended up seriously injured. Now, Duchess Odeta is looking for a healer that can stop the deadly venom meant for her.

Kylan Hildor
Spell: Warding Wind (XGtE pg. 170)
The War between Jorphis and Vlihalm is going well. General Kylan Hildor, known as the Howling Wind, stands atop the battlements of Castle Jorphis and directs his troops fearlessly, arrows flying away from the winds that surround him. But recently, rumors have begun circulating that the army of Vlihalm is developing a ballista so great that General Hildor’s winds won’t be able to deflect it. The General is looking for spies to infiltrate Vlihalm and destroy any plans they might be creating.

Drow gotta do what a Drow gotta do

Drisdriira Olonrae
Spell: Web (PHB pg. 287)
Drisdriira Olonrae is a young Drow woman who has been blessed with Lolth’s power of webs ever since she was a little girl. As soon as she came of age, she was entered into the Order of Priestesses, and her family expected great things from her. However, she turned out to be an utter disappointment in every area but magic. She can’t remember the prayers and rituals, she has accidentally insulted the high priestess on multiple occasions, and she nearly lost her head when she forgot her manners before the Matron Mother of House Vierlae. The Priestesses have tasked her with finding and capturing a traitorous Drow in the underdark city of Olhrion, and she needs an escort to get her there safely before she loses her only chance at a better life.

Serije Gogov
Spell: Zone of Truth (PHB pg. 289)
They say the Hall of Justice in Panying is the safest place to negotiate, but also the worst place to keep secrets. That’s because the corridors are stalked by Serije Gogov, a shifty man who often passes as a janitor in the Hall. He uses his powers to force high-ranking parties to tell the truth, then sells their secrets to their rivals. But recently, King Azarah of Nagr has traced a leak of information back to the Hall of Justice, and is hatching a plot to expose whoever sold his secrets. Serije needs help hiding away until the pressure has eased.

Vasilika Turpin
Spell: Animate Dead (PHB pg. 212)
Vasilika Turpin doesn’t get along with other people. It might be the skulls on her robes, her dark makeup and hair, or maybe the fact that she mostly hangs out with the undead. From a young age, Vasilika found comfort in those that obey her commands and can’t talk back, but that preference has gotten her ousted from civil society. At first she was alright with it, but after years of fending off knights and mercenaries, she’s gotten a bit jealous of people who can live normal lives. She’s tried to rejoin society, but invariably gets frustrated when people don’t obey her commands. Vasilika is looking for someone to help her understand how to fit in again, but who also won’t disobey her in the meantime.

Morvarax Iruuth
Spell: Aura of Vitality (PHB pg. 216)
The Utherzex Hunters are one of the strongest teams in the Iruuth clan. That’s because they have a little secret: Morvarax Iruuth, a young dragonborn boy who always accompanies them on hunts. He stands in the center of the group while they take on Gnolls, Goblins, and other monsters, firing arrows and healing the more experienced hunters. However, the Boqra Hobgoblin Tribe has recently been using explosive urns to attack the Utherzex Hunters, and they are worried Morvarax will get hurt. They are looking for some sort of magical fire protection for him.

Uridove Primalis
Spell: Beacon of Hope (PHB pg. 217)
Uridove Primalis is the Warrior Queen of Twai, and she is known for her fierce and inspiring presence on the battlefield. She rides forth with her trusted knights, the Moriwa Legion, and they decimate their foes. But recently, their enemies have gotten more dangerous. No longer fighting goblins and gnolls, they now face Orcish armies. The Moriwa Legion is fearful that their Queen will fall in battle, and is looking for some better armor for her. Something powerful and perhaps legendary would do the trick.

Caito Qilan
Spell: Bestow Curse (PHB pg. 218)
Ever since Caito Qilan began to come of age, he noticed his life had a sort of equilibrium. Whenever he was happy, ill luck would befall those around him. A kind and empathetic person, this troubled Caito greatly. He resolved to keep himself from getting overly joyous, so those around him didn’t have to suffer. But recently, he crossed paths with Xan Lee, a charming boy from the city of Eldim. They’ve spent time together on several occasions, and Caito finds it hard to restrain his happiness when Xan is around. He’s looking for some powerful good luck charms to give Xan as a gift, so the same fate doesn’t befall the others in his life.

Not the brightest knight in the night

Lila Mirro
Spell: Blinding Smite (PHB pg. 219)
Lila Mirro is a paladin, serving the God of Light, Pelor. She shines her armor to a mirror polish every day, so she practically glimmers even when she isn’t in the sunlight. And when she unleashes her signature Blinding Smite, her armor makes the radiant flash even more effective! But recently, she was asked to defeat the Mud Monster of the Brakenridge Swamp. Such a beast would surely dampen her powerful brightness, and she’s looking for assistance. Another paladin would be nice, or maybe just a wizard who can magically clean her armor in the battle.

The Glimpse
Spell: Blink (PHB pg. 219)
The people of the town of Delvinshire are looking for help. They believe a strange spirit is stealing their food and belongings! It only appears for a brief moment before it blinks back out of existence. They call it The Glimpse, and they will pay what little they have if someone were to rid them of it.

Constance Trader
Spell: Call Lightning (PHB pg. 220)
Constance Trader has always been rained on as long as she can remember. It’s not her fault, the clouds just open up into a downpour wherever she goes. After leaving her hometown, she quickly found work watering farmer’s crops and obscuring enemy intel for the army of Rokinu. But this year, the rainy season has gone on especially long, and she’s hurting for money. Nobody needs her services when nature is already providing! She’s looking for work, or someone to figure out how to otherwise use her powers.

See you in a couple weeks, when we really power through the third-level spells.

Thanks for reading!