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A Nice Puppy Demon: The Shoosuva

7/8/2023

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​Image courtesy of Wizards of the Coast-
My favorite summoned-demon-to-a-victorious-ravenous-war-band-of-gnolls is on the table this week!

A Shoosuva is a hyena-demon gifted by Yeenoghu (the gnoll god) to an especially powerful Gnoll (typically a Fang). A Shoosuva manifests shortly after a Yeenoghu-centric war party achieves a great victory, emerging from a billowing, fetid cloud of smoke as it arrives from its "air dnd" in the Abyss.  In battle, the Shoosuva clamps its jaws around one victim while striking out with the poisonous stinger on its tail to bring down another.  A creature immobilized by the poison becomes easy pickings for the savage gnolls nearby.
Each Shoosuva is bonded to a particular favored Gnoll of Yeenoghu and fights alongside its master. A gnoll that has been gifted with a shoosuva is second only to a Flind in status, and carries with them a sense of dread for any who oppose the approaching slaughter.

Let's Go A Little Deeper

Shoosuvas have a history deeper than 5th Edition.  
  With the prevalence of the gnoll in Dungeons and Dragons legacy, the Shoosuva went hand in hand, though their art has certainly evolved.
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An artist's example of the emaciated, nearly humanoid Shoosuva from 1st Edition Dungeons and Dragons.
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By 3rd Edition of Dungeons & Dragons, the Shoosuva are much more...furry.
But I prefer its most recent rendition in 5th Edition.  The patchwork fur, as if striated from a living corpse; the exposed rib cage, with light emanating from within, so when the thing opens its maw, the nauseating yellow glow from within pours out, the last thing a victim sees before it chomps down on their head.  Leprous throats, glowing and bloated eyes, and vicious, jagged teeth...don't you just wanna' hug him?
  You'll have to stand on your tippy-toes - these good boys are 6 feet tall, with a series of bony spikes and ridges running up the spine, ending in a glistening, barbed tail with a poisonous stinger (which causes paralysis).  Super fun.  You want one of your own?  Then you'd better stock up on spare carrion, as this thing's favorite food is rancid meat.  Though you might be able to coax it with your wit and wiles, as, especially by gnoll standards, these things are pretty smart (Int 6-8), but not THAT smart.
  Getting a cleric on your side to turn or tame one might be a wasted effort, too.  Though they look undead, their forms seemingly powered by that necrotic light within their torsos, their demonic lineage grants them the tell-tale resistances to such radiance, along with the standards of energy damage - most are resistant or immune to things like Lightning, Fire, Poison, and Cold, not-to-mention that ever-tricky "damage from non-magical weapons" deal.
  By the numbers, a Shoosuva is a hefty beast for most middle-level adventurers, and a deadly encounter for young parties.  Thing is, they're rarely alone; fighting alongside a gnoll war band and, most likely, a seasoned gnoll warrior who's a cut above their fellows.  Their demonic nature cuts most damage in half and you can kiss that charm spell goodbye.  Their natural armor isn't amazing, but they make up for it with a boatload of hit points and an extra attack.  Plus, they share the gnoll's iconic Rampage ability, so the moment the wizard goes down, you can bet he's coming for your cleric next.  The thing to really watch out for is its Tail Stinger - it's got a 10-15 foot reach, rocking d8s in damage, and a nasty Constitution save or be PARALYZED (hits become crits, yo).  Creatures can repeat the saving throw at the end of their turns, if they survive that long.

How Much Is That Demon In The Window?

Alighted in the face of battle, Shoosuva charge in with savagery and wild abandon, pulling in as many foes as possible to rend asunder.  A Shoosuva fighting alongside their bonded Gnoll will coordinate dangerous and vicious tactics, alternating from riding and vaulting the wild Gnoll into foes, feinting with their poisonous tail while the Gnoll fells attackers immobilized by the venom.  Nasty stuff.
  In a war band's hierarchy, a Shoosuva's companion answered only to a Flind, but even that could be usurped in the loose tribal nature of a Gnoll pack.  
  If you were to summon a Shoosuva directly, without the chosen of Yeenoghu, a powerful shaman could acquire instructions on how to summon their hyenadon companion - some induce visions by gorging on bad mushrooms and wandering the wastes, while others keen on linguistics may yet uncover the sparse written tomes on slabs of rock in the deep, dark caves of precursor war bands.  Often the ritual involves taking the skull of a previous shaman or witch doctor, carving it into the shape of a hyena skull, then smashing it onto the ground; if it's favorable, the current shaman may utter Yeenoghu's name, opening a gate to call the Shoosuva.  But these fine puppies only hang around for an hour or until slain, and do not bond to any favored warrior.
  You could, of course, attempt to just ask Yeenoghu directly.  Pray really hard, and maybe he'll port in a Shoosuva to hang out and solve a little problem you've been having.  You could do that...though even the most faithful will get silence, or worse, they get a Shoosuva who promptly kills them for being unable to solve their own problems.  If you are graced with a new puppy pal, the thing would only stay for minutes or even seconds; just long enough to maul a paladin or two, and then he's outsville.

Shoosuva in Ionian Lore

The gods are tricky beasts, and Yeenoghu is one to involve himself in the lives of his followers through portents, visions, and signs.  To his sovereign best, however, a Shoosuva was crafted as a personal bodyguard and intermediary to his favored warriors.  Shoosuva in Gnoll translates directly as "returner", and were believed to be the reincarnations of Yeenoghu's greatest disciples; a glimpse of the honorable next step for his favored here in the material.  Die in glorious battle and return one day in this new form to fight again.

As the tides of time passed and Asmodeus led his mythic Consolidation, Yeenoghu and his disciples fled a collapsing Abyss and held court among the stars.  This disruption led to the ascension of another demigod to bless the Gnoll tribes...and free them from their fiendish hunger, a ripple that erupted across the magical bindings of a Shoosuva and their companions.  Suddenly, a demon bound for life began a journey all their own.  
  Would they wander the wastes of this new world?  Find packs of their own, or evolve into something new?  Only time (and games), will tell.


See you at the table.
​-Adamus 
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Monster Of The Week: Girallon

6/10/2023

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The massive Girallon is something I have unleashed upon unsuspecting players, lumbering out of tundra caves and ruling over cursed, temperate forests.  
  For those unfamiliar, a Girallon looks like an oversized ape with pale tan skin and white fur.  Sharp fangs threaten from their bulbous heads, and vicious claws seek to rend.  The most surprising element many will notice, however, are its two additional arms protruding from the torso, a feature that cements this as a dangerous monstrosity.

Kings Of The Broken Tower

The giant white apes reside as the sentinels of warm forest environments teeming with life.  Adept climbers, the Girallon only nests in trees or structures that can support its nearly half-ton weight.  Ruined cities retaken by the forests of the world, shattered towers, and abandoned castles are the jungles they rule (and are the best "branches" to support them).  Scaling battlements and walls, a Girallon will perch on tower tops and lookout hooks, anything to keep an eye on the surrounding landscape.

When branches cannot abide, Girallons stalk the forest floor.  They lurk in narrow ravines, under natural bridges, and in shallow caves.  Despite their size, a Girallon can be quite stealthy while awaiting prey.

Band Of Brothers

However, Girallons rarely live alone.
  Forming loose bands of several individuals, including mates and offspring, led by an alpha elder, Girallons create conclaves deep within a lair.  While on the hunt away from their band, they use roars and body language to communicate over great distances.  While each individual typically hunts alone and far from the others, each successful kill is shared among the group, the best spoils going to the caregivers.  The alpha leader may organize members to work together to make a big kill or defend the lair, and in both cases, a success is blanketed among the group.  The Band and its survival always takes precedence.
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Seeing the peaceful nature among their own kind, other intelligent observers have sought to establish relationships or alliances with the creatures.  Beings will learn how to approach their leader, and offer food or shiny gifts as appeasement, but every Band is different.  It would take quite a scholar to learn the sophistication required to move from Band to Band, without angering rival groups.
  Less enlightened folk have tried to tame or subjugate the monsters.  For instance, some crime lords will send wood elves to capture a young Girallon, training them up to serve as the guard to a city's thieves' guild.  But care be to one that would keep a Girallon in bondage, for the creature could revert to its predatory nature at any moment.

By The Numbers

A Girallon is a Large Monstrosity without an alignment, but just because they're neutral doesn't mean they won't rip you limb from limb.  With hit points ranging from upper 50s to low 90s, these guys will fight for the long haul at mid-level.  They've got natural armor, so even your dagger wizard can hit them, but the real question is what happens after.
  FOUR ARMS.  Count 'em, four!  And each one gets an attack.  Also, they bite.  So that's five attacks each round, with Bonus Actions that allow extra movement.  These guys move like monks, and they climb at the same speed (40-50 feet).  When they hit, we're talking D6-D8 damage with a solid +4 Strength bonus.  If you're fighting one of my Band Elders, double those dice and expect a +5 modifier.
  Despite their immense overwhelming attack economy, a decent party with even marginal balance will be fine in combat with one of these.  However, if ever they find themselves on the unlucky end of a GROUP HUNT, this can get bad very quickly.

Girallons In The Ionian Worldscape

The original sage's lore for the Girallon paint them as so much more than gigantic apes.  Their hereditary affinity for ancient ruins and their strange anatomical appearance lead many historians to believe that they were created or manufactured through magical means - a guardian for some lost empire long ago.  
  In my worlds and others, the Girallon lost this purpose whenever that civilization fell, turning feral and spreading out into the realms at large.  However, tales of intelligent Girallon tribes have made their way into the bardic lores.  These mythic monstrosities communicate through sophisticated sign language and evolved vocalizations, their own form of Beast Speech.  Some bards even say a few can lurch their way through Common.  More importantly, they have learned to use their superior strength and dexterity to industrialize - creating armor, weapons, and simple tools. 
If you're keen on a death wish, one can try to find them in the fog-covered continent of Vysoria, beyond the Great Expanse to the east from our central continent.  A few have ventured there; wayward, plucky scholars with dreams of discovery glinting in their eyes.
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...None have returned...



Now go eat a banana.
​-Adamus
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Cracking The Cleric

5/29/2023

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Let's talk about Mercy.

  Overwatch, after its numerous snowflake "scandals" on showing athletic busts and butts in a fantasy world, remains one of the top tier titles in the first-person team shooter world.  All of the assembled heroes cover distinct roles to help fill out an effective team: Defense, Offense, Tank, and Support.  These are pretty straight-forward, but let's cover our bases.
Defense: defensive units excel at holding down a location and laying out damage to DEFEND a position.  Widowmaker, Bastion, and other sniper types fit this model.
Offense: offensive units are fast, mobile strikers with high damage output, but don't do well in heavy fire.  Folks like Reaper and Tracer do best here.  
Tank: with shields, crowd-control, and high health, tanks pull aggro from enemies and keep the fire on them cuz they can take it.  The big boys and girls of Reinhardt and D.Va are your go-to's here.
Support: support is the backbone of a team.  Buffing, building, and healing, characters here keep everyone up while bogging down your foes.  Mercy is the easy example here, but folks like Symmetra and Zenyatta fill in too.

Now, just like in any decent game, these roles serve merely as a guideline in and not a concrete directory of what hero to pick in any given round.  Meaning, not unlike Dungeons and Dragons and others of its ilk, characters can pivot when the situation deems it necessary.  However, Mercy shouldn't be relied on to make kills.  Sure it's possible, but that's not really the thing to do.
  Now, I've been a Mercy main before, and the weird thing is that...not a lot of people are.  In fact, the majority of players are the other three.  I go in order of priority = Support, Defense, Offense, Tank.  I LIKE being the healer when I'm playing with others.  Same thing happened in City Of Heroes (back when it was good).  Of my 6 characters, 3 were healers, and 2 were built to be the best support characters in the game.  I could stick myself in the melee and burst low healing to allies, while I cue large healing to the tank, and prep resurrection for the strikers that went in over their head.  And, if someone pulled aggro and died in a tunnel somewhere, I could teleport their body next to me and queue their resurrection next.  Every battle was a tactical switchboard between positioning myself enough out of harm's way to keep healing, and tracking the output of my allies to keep them moving, which in turn pulled enemies off of me.  MUCH grinding later, I could burn area buffs on top of everyone else, making my team way more effective at their jobs.  It was a lot at once, but I need that kind of strategy stimulus.
  Being "the healer" had a bunch of social benefits, too.  I'm never without an invite to an adventure.  EVERYONE needs a healer, and you learn quickly what kind of group you're signing on to.  Some are obnoxious, others are happy to play, but everybody gets in over their heads at some point.  You learn to manage the group's needs while cueing them into threats; a few times I was gifted the "team leader" mantle after running with a specific crew, because I was good at recognizing where the AI would move and would at least offer my two cents to keep everyone alive.  (Resurrection has a countdown timer, so you can't wait around to get folks back into the fight - if it goes to zero, they return to the HQ spawn point and it takes FOREVER for them to come back to y'all).  There are jerks in every party, but most of my interactions were positive, and when I was playing a lot over the summer between college breaks, I found and kept a solid crew of 3-4 other players that vibed well on missions.  It was a good time.

Psychologically speaking, I'm sure my therapist has a few things to say, so I'll paraphrase.  
  Support classes are acts of service at their core - their main goal is to make the team around them better and to make their foes worse (buff/debuff).  They are absolutely essential, but they require checking your ego at the door, at least in the beginning.  They don't feel heroic, despite making the hero even better...in the background.  They're also the main healers in a game - later levels net powers that can SAVE encounters in a single round, but the majority is still mitigating damage.  They also have to be protected, and sometimes it's hard to prioritize defense over offense, so a support character needs to also take care of themselves...something I needed to learn in the real world, but that's another story.
  My point is that for all their benefits, people still look down on the Support characters in any genre.  They're a lot less flashy,  lacking on NOVA, and often get to be the butt of the joke for no discernible reason (until you need a medic, that is).

Clerics Are Machines

There are two board game types I excel at: Deck Builders and Machine Builders.  Deck Builders involve starting with a base deck of cards (or some shuffled resource) and buying/trading for other cards to add to your deck.  The cards you add make your deck more efficient, effective, and versatile, until you are unstoppable.  Machine Builders are similar - start with a basic flow of resources and production, and use that production to upgrade your "machine" until it "comes online" and you really start wrecking shop.
  In Dungeons & Dragons, Clerics have been a staple of the experience.  Early in the editions, Clerics were the only class to tap into healing abilities, but in a lot of cases that was ALL they could do.  Later editions expanded on the Cleric's role, and they became the quintessential Control-Support, especially in the first two tiers of a campaign.  In 5th Edition, it is important to consider that, yes, healing is great, but the power of the Cleric is found more consistently in the rolling buffs and debuffs they can lay on the battlefield, and the consistent "chip damage" of spiritual weapons and guardians.  Thing is, they take a couple rounds to come fully online.  Here's how to do it.

Get Your Priorities Straight

Ruling Initiative is hard with this class.  You tend to have low or even negative Dexterity, prioritizing Wisdom and Strength instead, so without an Alert Feat to help out, you are at the mercy of the dice here.  However, make a Twilight Cleric and use their Vigilant Blessing to grant Advantage on initiative for one creature (including you, which is what I'm saying here).  Going first or close to it lets you turn on your buff and debuff abilities early, before enemies start restructuring your priorities.  If you go later in the initiative, chances are that you might be putting out the fires they set on your allies instead of getting the ball rolling into a boulder.
Priority 1 - Raise the Fallen/Fix the Broken: notice I didn't say "heal the party."  Damage is negligible until a character is unconscious.  We know this to be true as players; you are just as dangerous at 1 Hit Point as you are at 100 Hit Points.  The difference lies in how much punishment you can take until you go down.  On your turn, if anyone is down, get them up if you can.  Healing Word is clutch not for its healing amount but for its RANGE and economy.  60 feet, Bonus Action, get your people up, that's the BEST use of that spell.  Keep it locked and loaded for emergencies.  If you need the character up AND very healthy, you'll have to burn your turn getting them up instead with an "upcast" Cure Wounds (and at later levels, the obvious Heal).  In later levels, spells like Lesser/Greater Restoration, Revivify, and the Mass Cure Wounds/Heal live here.  In other words, always put out the fires first. 
Priority 2 - Prepare the Field: IF your peeps are healthy or at least standing, you can risk popping off a Bless or Bane as your Action on the party or the enemies, respectively.  Personally I would use Bless over Bane, as Bane requires a Saving Throw on your opponents (if they fail, they take a -1d4 penalty to all Attacks and Saving Throws, which is just embarrassing), meaning they can succeed against the effect, while Bless JUST WORKS.  Three allies add a 1d4 bonus to all their Attacks and Saving Throws.  The more you all hit, the faster the fight ends.
Subsequent Turns need to be spent taking care of Priority 1, while stacking on benefits (without compromising concentration) from Priority 2; spells like Sleep and Command are very powerful in early game, use them to effectively remove key enemies from the encounter for a round or two, or altogether if you don't kick them while they're asleep.  As you gain levels, though, your options get much more awesome.

Turn By Turn (Levels 1-4)

Early game you will likely be nervous about allies going down.  Characters have low hit points, low defenses, and all it takes is a lucky shot to knock out your tank.  Having a spell slot saved for Healing Word is going to be your main focus, which means you might have to clock a few fools in the face with your warhammer and draw some fire.  Lucky for you, a decent DM won't push a dragon on you at this stage, so your enemies should be in a similar boat as your party in terms of power level.  For the following, let's assume that the encounter is at least a little balanced.

TURN 1 - fulfill Priority 1; otherwise pop Bless (concentration) for three buddies.  Yeah, you didn't hit anything, but THEY WILL.
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TURN 2 - fulfill Priority 1 (this is always first, I'll stop saying it*); otherwise use your Bonus Action to cast Spiritual Weapon, then use your Action to Toll the Dead on the enemy that's taking the majority of the damage.
+ Spiritual Weapon conjures a floating, flying translucent weapon that can be moved and swung on subsequent turns as a Bonus Action (including the turn when you cast it).  It moves 20 feet, and it can't be hurt (can't flank, mind you, but it passes through objects and creatures).  It also deals Force damage, which a lot of our monsters aren't resistant to.  Plus, it is one of the few spells in the game that adds your Wisdom Modifier to the damage.  Best part?  It isn't concentration, so it's a perfect cog in your machine; it stays around for its duration - a lever you can always pull once it's out.

+ Toll The Dead is a cantrip that does more damage to enemies that have already TAKEN damage.  It requires a Wisdom Saving Throw to avoid the damage, but on a success, you're rolling 1d12 of necrotic damage.  (if they are uninjured, it's 1d8).  Counterpoint - a creature suffering from Bane is easy to gang up on with this spell in tandem.

Subsequent Turns - keep yourself out of direct damage lines to avoid concentration checks, and keep knocking them out one by one from a distance.  If you have the spell slots, use Command (1st level) to knock out an enemy for a round.

Turn By Turn (Levels 5-9+)

TURN 1 - *;  pop Spirit Guardians (concentration) for the field, with you at its center.  Then wade into range.  Sorry, my fellow DMs.
+ Spirit Guardians summons a 15 foot sphere of spirits (you at the center, 10 feet out surrounding you).  This field requires enemies entering it (like when you cast it) or starting their turn there to make a Wisdom Saving Throw.  On a failure, they take 3d8 radiant (if you're good) or necrotic (if you're evil) damage.  On a success, they still take half damage.  This spell is arguably the most effective radial chip damage in the game.  By now, your allies are beefier than early game, so switching to an offensive concentration, again, ends the fight faster.  And casting it even one level above 3rd, will give you an additional 1d8 per level to the damage (4th is 4d8, and 6th would 6d8).  Remember, they still take half damage on a success, so if they're in the range, they're guaranteed getting hurt!   
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TURN 2 - *; use your Bonus Action to cast Spiritual Weapon at the highest even spell slot you can afford (I mean it, I'll explain in a moment), then use your Action to Toll the Dead on that unfortunate soul.
+ If you cast Spiritual Weapon at an even spell slot above 2nd level, it does an extra 1d8 of damage per even level.  So, if you cast it at 4th level (which you gain access to at character level 7), it deals 2d8 + Wisdom Modifier every round you swing it AS YOUR BONUS ACTION.  Baller.  6th level = 3d8, 8th level = 4d8.  That's not nothing, and it perpetuates.  However, if you have defensive spells ready to go that use those even spell slots, buff the party first.

+ By now, Toll the Dead is dealing 2d12 of necrotic damage.  Given that most offensive cantrips for the cleric require saving throws, and it's got a long range, this is still an effective slam for damage output.

TURN 3+ - *; you are officially online.  If your allies are being forced to make a lot of saves and failing, it is still worth it to drop Spirit Guardians to bring up a higher level Bless (casting it at higher levels grants the effect to more creatures).

+ If YOU are under direct fire, it is also worth it to try the following "hack":  Use your Bonus Action to cast Sanctuary on yourself (it forces enemies to make a Wisdom save in order to swing at you), then take the Dodge Action (leaving Spirit Guardians active, and Spiritual Weapon waiting to be triggered).  As per RAW (Rules-As-Written), Spirit Guardians is a spell that was cast prior to Sanctuary, so its damaging effects are already in play, and therefore would not break the Sanctuary effect (if you attack, directly damage a creature, or cast a spell on a creature).  Coupled with Dodge, IF the enemy beats the Wisdom Save, they still swing with Disadvantage due to you Dodging.  If/when you are no longer a main target, use your Bonus Action to swing the Spiritual Weapon, breaking the Sanctuary, and return to business as usual.  [If your DM won't allow this in RAW, taking the Dodge Action while you bop enemies with your Spiritual Weapon is still super effective to buy time].  

Future Considerations

IF THINGS GET BAD
+ Word of Recall is one of the best GTFO spells in the game.  Period.
+ Channel Divinity is your Superpower.  Twilight Clerics use Twilight Sanctuary, which buffs their allies with Temporary Hit Points that scale well (and if they lose them in the duration, they can get more) and end debilitating effects like Charm or Fear on them.  It also lasts for 1 minute without Concentration, so it doesn't interrupt the machine.  Look at your additional Channel Divinity options for your Domain to consider your "superhero moments."
+ Heal (6th level) has other benefits.  On top of healing 70 HP, the creature is cured of Blindness, Deafness, and any Disease.
+ Mass Heal (9th level) is freaking amazing.  700 HP divided as you like within range.
+ When you need someone up and completely reset, Power Word Heal is your jam.  9th level spell to heal a creature up to their full HP and end any charm, fright, paralysis, or stun condition immediately.  They can also use their Reaction to stand if they like.
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STACKING THE MACHINE
Once you are online, stacking your machine with other spells becomes a mini-game in and of itself.  When and how to debilitate foes while still smacking them around with your Spiritual Weapon and Spirit Guardians is kind of bonkers.  Some spells to consider (with warnings and recommendations).
GUIDING BOLT (1st) - Clerics aren't big damage dealers, so Guiding Bolt helps us feel powerful.  If you hit, it's 4d6 radiant damage, with a temporary boon - the next attack made on the creature has advantage.  Great way to setup the Rogue.  Honestly, though, if damage is your goal, might I suggest:
INFLICT WOUNDS (1st) - nothing complicated.  Melee spell attack, 3d10 necrotic damage.  BUT, every spell level you cast above 1st adds another 1d10.  You can do 7d10 with a 5th Level spell slot.  When you need to take somebody out, THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT (also, it's an Attack roll, meaning it can CRIT).
GUARDIAN OF FAITH (4th) - a great "salt in the wound" effect stacked on top of Spirit Guardians, the Guardian of Faith floats in a fixed point.  When enemies enter its range (10 feet), they have to make a Dexterity Saving Throw.  On a failure, they take 20 radiant damage, or 10 on a success.  The Guardian is 10 by 10 and spectral; put him right on top of you, and his range equals that of your Spirit Guardians.  Only downside is that the Guardian vanishes once it has dealt a total of 60 damage (but at least it didn't burn your Concentration!) 
HOLY WEAPON (5th, C) - imbue a weapon, like that of an ally, to have them deal an extra 2d8 radiant damage when they hit with it.  You can also choose to end the spell and have it burst with radiance, which deals 4d8 radiant damage and can blind nearby foes.  It does, however, burn your Concentration (so there goes Bless or Spirit Guardians), but it DOES make your DPS offense just a little stronger.
HOLD PERSON (2nd) - devastating against Humanoids because it can Paralyze them, which means every melee attack has advantage, and if it hits...it CRITS! 
DEATH WARD (4th) - costs an Action and lasts 8 hours.  Put this on an ally, and if they drop to 0 HP, they instead drop to 1 and the spell ends.  An excellent insurance policy on an unlucky ally that buys you some extra action economy.
BLINDNESS/DEAFNESS (2nd) - though Constitution saves tend to be pretty strong, a Blinded opponent is a major boon in your favor.


I hope these recommendations add fun and flavor to your table.  
Happy Healing!
-Adamus

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Fixing The Eldritch Knight

3/18/2023

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Let's take a moment and talk about the Fighter.

  A standardized class across multiple fantasy tables, the Fighter solidified its home in Dungeons & Dragons as the quintessential bruiser and battle king.  You had the best armor, the best weapons, and you could take it as well as you could dish it.  Though that identity would fracture with the induction of the Barbarian and Paladin classes of 5th Edition (why hello there, NOVA damage), the core concept would remain the same.  
  My favorite Fighter version is easily found in Pathfinder 1E, where I'm rocking Feats at every level, building a shield wall monster that blocks everything and hits harder than a blunderbuss with a buckler.  That's my jam.  Customizable visionary characters who personify the idea of TANK - shrugging off blows while the wizard wrecks fools in the back row.  

Fast-forward to 5th Edition, and I think we can all agree that Fighter took a nerf arrow to the knee.  Subclass options, at least at the onset, left a bit to be desired in execution.  Overall concepts were promising, but once we started playing, adjustments in the name of game balance turned us off to future prospects.  

A little overview of our initial options:

The Champion

The basic fighter with a little more basics.  Big fan of increasing your threat range by +5% early on, rocking critical hits on a 19-20 at Level 3.  Blend that feature alone with a Barbarian mix with Action Surge and Reckless Attack and you've got a "crit-fisher" in 5 levels (plus, add on some Rogue levels and you won't be sorry when that Sneak Attack feature doubles).
  You'll get some nifty athletic and Dexterity buffs, and finally grab that sweet, sweet 18-20 critical at level 15.  In my honest opinion, that happens a bit too late, considering the wizard is about to be dropping Meteor Swarm on your dumb ass.

The Battle Master

AKA the "good one", Battle Master has been played quite well at a number of my tables.  You have sweet, versatile combat and utility options to trip, pull, push, and goad opponents, all while stacking on damage and forcing saving throws.  And the suite of Battle Maneuvers to make that happen is a big enough pool that you won't have the same Battle Master often.  Clearly the tactician of load out, a good Battle Master involves themselves intrinsically in the landscape of battle, scoring key moves and hits, and setting up their allies for greater success.  It keeps you in the action, and it was clearly made with this in mind.

The Eldritch Knight

The Fighter with a "blasting hand", the Eldritch Knight in concept is freaking awesome.  A sword-swinging badass with just enough magic for a sick one-two punch of arcane might and hard steel.  You get access to 4th level spells at max level, but I ain't complaining, and you can shoot off cantrips while still hacking into fools with your multiple attacks...per...round.  
Hey, wait a minute.
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So.  In case you weren't paying attention.
  The defining feature of a 5th Edition Fighter is that they can attack more often than any other class.  While everybody else caps at 2 attacks per Attack Action (shut up, Monks, those extras are your Bonus Action), Fighters cap at FOUR times per Action, and they get Action Surge to rock me Amadeus four MORE times if they so choose in a round.
  So you saunter into this class archetype, wind blowing in your Maybelline hair, and you summon a Firebolt as you brandish your sword, ready to kick ass and take names - and you get to swing once.  ONCE.  You burn your Action on the Cantrip, and you swing ONE FREAKING TIME.  And that's at SEVENTH LEVEL - where every other martial class is hitting at least twice, and your Wizard has access to 4th Level spells.  Feels a bit late, doesn't it?
"OH.  BUT IT GETS BETTER," he said mockingly.
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ARE.  YOU.  SERIOUS!?
  Not to sound ungrateful, but let's break this down.
Eldritch Strike sounds nice on paper.  Hit a dude, they have Disadvantage on a Saving Throw from a spell YOU cast before the end of your next turn.  That's nice, I guess.  Snag Hold Person and you've got a clutch setup for you and your allies; in fact, because you can switch up the order (in most cases) of your Bonus Action and Action economy, you can achieve this debut in the same round.  ...Still only hitting once, though, as that Bonus Action.
Arcane Charge is pretty nifty.  Wreck somebody sideways, then teleport to another across the battlefield and do it again.  That's cool - I admit it.  Still feels like something's missing, though.
Improved War Magic - at 18th level, you can now cast a Spell (which you've been doing anyway, maybe), and attack ONCE as a Bonus Action.  FACE.  PALM.
*Not featured in the screen cap is a neat little flavor perk where you can call your weapon to you as a Bonus Action.  ...More on that later.

Talk about a lackluster reception, and it isn't for lack of players trying.
  The flavor text of the Eldritch Knight sounds like the BEST TIME playing as a Fighter.  The versatility of low-level Wizard magic and blasting power, and all the standard Fighter perks, plus more Feats than anyone else (so customization options).  I've had a few players go for this build, only to be sorely disappointed by the extra features, to the point that they RARELY used their arcane abilities, defaulting to vanilla fighter most of the time (you know, the one that can attack eight times in a round?).
So without sounding too verbose or long-winded, I propose the following adjustments:  

Let Go Of The Action Economy Lawyering AKA "Let Fighters Fight"

Let's address the first Treant in the room - War Magic is downright mean to the Fighter's primary ability set.  Just swap it around.  Change the language like this: "Beginning at 7th level, when you use your Action to make a weapon attack, you may cast a Cantrip as a Bonus Action."
  "But what about spells that have a casting time of 1 Action!?" I hear you scream.  
Don't care.  Sorcerers get Quickened Spell, Eldritch Blast fires multiple separate rays, and Fireball has been around for three levels.  Get over it and let the Knight swing their weapon into a skeleton twice and rock a Firebolt on the sabertooth tiger gnawing on your Cleric.  It's their job - let them do it.
  And later, just upgrade the Bonus Action to a spell of 1st or 2nd level.  Yes, you're effectively "quickening" those spells, but the Fighter still burns their VERY LIMITED resources in the form of spell slots.  By 18th level, they hold no ability to be a more effective Wizard than the Wizard, but they CAN hit 3-6 times a round and unload a Hold Person beforehand.  Don't lie to yourself, you WANT that on your side.
Side Note: if you REALLY feel like they should sacrifice more to get that spell off, have them lose ONE of their attacks.  But not more than that.

Let Arcane Charge...Charge

Action Surge is most often used to put a little extra punishment on a single target - whether they're looking rough and ready to fall, or as a means to pull more threat your direction and lay in some extra damage - so Arcane Charge mixes that up beautifully.  By RAW, teleporting doesn't provoke Attacks Of Opportunity, so bamfing elsewhere doesn't get undermined by things like Sentinel.  
  To sweeten the pot a little more, I propose that IF you teleport, your first attack against the new target has Advantage.  Teleporting is not the same as running up on somebody - it's surprising, so let's give them something for it.  Nothing crazy here, but SOMETHING that sets it apart from, say, Misty Step.

Let Flavor Be...Flavorful?

Early DnD gets a little obsessive about picking things up and putting them down.  
  In previous editions and iterations, things like Swift Actions were burned to draw and drop, and, depending on WHAT you were interacting with, it would cost more.  According to 5E RAW, you can draw a weapon as part of making an attack, and picking up a dropped weapon can be done as part of your movement.  In fact, according to combat rules, the whole concept of drawing, dropping, and retrieving is very much UP TO THE DM in any circumstance.  The Player's Handbook provides examples of what you COULD do, but no grounded rule.
  ...So WHY is Eldritch Knight so specific?  
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Weapon Bond is actually super cool.  You're up against a gaggle of Rogues trying to get the jump on you at a gala (no weapons allowed, see?).  It gets to your turn as they scoff at you...and you just re-summon your weapon back to your hand.  That's awesome!  What a great "gotcha."  Do that with two weapons, and it's a massive hero moment!
  Except it burns your Bonus Action.  Now, here I'm sort of torn.  On the one hand, it's still special; it's magical, only you can do it, and sometimes cool stuff should cost something.  On the other hand, the Eldritch nature of the archetype is its whole flavor - a subtle summoned weapon for free feels cool enough to wave.  HOWEVER, those poor Warlocks have to burn a whole Action to summon their Pact Weapon and they gave up their whole-ass soul to an Eldritch muscle mommy.
Hmm.  Tell you what - keep the Bonus Action cost.  Cool stuff can cost something (it's just for a round, anyway).  BUT I propose adding one other benefit to your Bonded Weapons, a thing that is sorely lacking for Fighters, especially in a low Magic Item campaign.
  "Starting at 9th level, your Bonded Weapon strikes count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage."  No +1 longsword, but considering that Monks get that for their FISTS at 6th level, I'm not breaking anything that wasn't already cracked.

Also.  What's Up With That Spell Progression Freeze?

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You read that right.
  Take a look at levels 17-18.  No new spells known, no new spell slots, NO CHANGE WHATSOEVER.  
True, 16 gets a feat, and 18 is your archetype capstone, 17 nets you another Indomitable...  But NOTHING?  Even the Champion is owning fools on the battlefield with 15% crit-range, but you?  You just sit tight.  
Far be it for me to upset the laws of magic, but how about we allow the Eldritch Knight to replace a spell in those levels?  They've been playing for some time by then; they should know what works and what doesn't - so let them "re-spec" their power set a little.  "When you reach level 16, and again at 17th and 18th level, you can replace one spell you have learned with another spell equal to its level.  This spell cannot be changed once it is learned." 

  These tiny adjustments I ensure will make your Eldritch Knight more effective, exciting, and FUN to play, while still honoring the spirit of its origin.
For every failed dynamic, I used to throw myself into a complete overhaul of a class or archetype, or worse, made my own; flawed and devastating in ways I could never have imagined - all in an attempt to fix what was only minutely broken.  Grace (and age) have taught me that subtle adjustments carry the most elegance, and truly make all the difference.  
There ya go.  Eldritch Knight to Eldritch King.
You're welcome.
​-Adamus

These proposed adjustments, though allowed at my tables, are indeed HOMEBREW.  Be sure to ask your DM for approval before utilizing them.
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Monster Lore: The Pegasus and Their Nightmare

9/10/2022

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The monsters of Dungeons and Dragons sometimes fall into the swirling cyclone of the diametric.  Two sides of an arcane coin, unequivocally linked to one another.  Some grow out of opposition, while others are twisted transformations of one - a dark miasma of spitting fire and screaming madness.  
  With all my talk of pendulums swinging and balances shifting, my lens lingers on creatures of this influence.  They are fascinating to consider - beyond our stats and alignments, to explore the STORY of their nature and what gives way in the imagination's gates when you do.
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The Purity Of The Pegasus

  The white winged horses known as Pegasi soar through moon-touched skies, a vision of grace and majesty.  When glimpsed by mortals, they linger only for a moment, touching down for a drink from mountain springs or crystal lakes.  Intelligent and vigilant, any sound or sign from the local wildlife will send them back into the safety of the clouds above.
Born in dens of starlight in the realms of Arborea, the overwhelming positive good of a newborn Pegasus would spill out into the astral sky, alighting new stars and sending the nearby plants to bloom.  An equine marvel hatched from an egg, a Pegasus embraces flight almost immediately, its feathered wings glinting with astral efflorescence.  
  Pegasi nests are commonplace in Arborea, and the wondrous sentience of the creatures makes them loyal mounts to the Seldarine - the pantheon of Elven gods.  Faster and calmer than any wyvern, a Pegasus must be persuaded to serve their rider, entering a partnership that can last millennia.  The Seldarine will sometimes send Pegasi to the Material Realms to aid their followers or serve as messengers of their will, but depending on the forces in play, sending these faithful creatures has its own risks...
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The Twisted Amalgamate Of A Nightmare

A visage of hellish terror, a Nightmare often appears in a cloud of roiling smoke, its mane, tail, and hooves wreathed in fire.  The creature's onyx form moves with a wraith's speed, vanishing into the night in a burst of brimstone.  
  Though it can be ridden by the occasional antihero on a redemption kick, the Nightmare is a prime mount for creatures of exceptional evil.  Demons, devils, death knights, and liches all call this fiendish horse a steed, and many more repugnant souls seek to claim their own by summoning one from the Lower Planes.  Thing is, if you don't feed that hell horse a worthy sacrifice upon its arrival, it has no reason to stay loyal to you.  A good many cultists have been burned to a crisp due to this small omission in the fine print.

The Story Between The Two

This is where things get interesting.
  According to Dungeons & Dragons canon, a Nightmare isn't BORN, they are MADE.  It takes a dark ritual involving the torturous removal of a Pegasus's wings, the more brutal the better.  Literature is mixed, but the theme here is cruelty; the slower and more horrific the removal, the greater the Nightmare produced.  And this isn't a bait and switch situation; the Nightmare IS that tortured Pegasus, driven insane by brutality and dark magic. 
t's sick.  And I kind of love it.
  Because this relationship raises a few pathways that I want to consider:
First, the inner circle of the Seldarine would be indirectly responsible for the creation of a Nightmare in most cases, as these dark rituals often take place at the hands of mortals - or those directly tied to them.  To send a Pegasus as an avatar of the Seldarine opens them to possible capture through dark forces, perpetuating a dangerous silent war of astral attrition.  How insane to fathom an Archfey riding into battle only to come face-to-face with their old trusty mount, twisted by darkness and brutality.  
Second, the Nightmare retains the intelligence of Pegasus form.  This is no mindless beast bent to one's will, and though the rituals require sacrifice to link the mare to the rider, I would venture that a mental or verbal bargain is still required.  In fact, I could see the maddening steps of a certain ritual play out deliciously - fool a Pegasus into believing it is making a heroic pact and companion, only for the creature's true nature to slowly twist the poor being into its Nightmare; like a frog slowly boiling in the pot.  
  You're not breaking down a pet, you're convincing a sentient creature - this requires more nuance.  I like to think that every Pegasus has a name, a personality; hopes, dreams, goals, not unlike a heroic PC.  How does one twist and manipulate a hero into becoming a villain?  If the Star Wars prequels taught us anything, it was how NOT to portray one's turn to the dark side (sudden is bad writing) - what if this process could be more insidious?  Slow and manipulative, with a grand payoff.

Finally, the monster lore stated that the more brutal the shift, the STRONGER the Nightmare.  Which pulls me down the jackal hole.  If you have a particularly twisted or prolonged "ritual", could you create a "greater" Nightmare?  I'd imagine that Pegasi under the Seldarine would make names for themselves similar to their heroic riders.  Perhaps the greater the renown, the harder the fall.  Such a change might yield something along the lines of a Night Terror (or "Knight Terror"); the twisted mirror of a once great heroic steed.
  And if this is possible, could a Nightmare be redeemed?  Perhaps its flight is never restored, but its good nature and starlit white coat, with blue fire for its crest, restored.  What story could that creature tell?

As I research, I leave you with one more idea through the ether.  A Nightmare canonically can pass through the Ethereal Plane, carrying its rider and several others along for the journey.  Imagine what it sees in the mist of the dead.  Old soldiers failing to pass on?  The spirits of lingering beasts and the wisps of old sages?  Or do they see themselves...the Pegasus inside, a haunting specter of their past life. 
And does a Pegasus dream of its other possible lives?  Does its innate senses of fate and danger paint the picture of its dark future, its Nightmare, in cool reflections of mountain springs.  


The pendulum swings.  
Take care, lovely people.
-Adamus
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Monster Lore: Peryton

8/13/2022

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A Shadow Betrayed

A cursed mix of wings, talons, and a vampiric stag's head, the Peryton is a monstrous entity.  It is depraved relentless in its vicious pursuit to maim and devour the hearts of other creatures, holding a specific hatred for humans and elves.  Even injured, these creatures will hunt down detected foes, until at least one of them is dead.

Their feathering from a distance could be considered beautiful, and with wings tucked, settled upon the ground, the Peryton might pass for a lesser woodland being.  The moment one gets closer, though, you'll notice a good many things are off.

First, actually, would be the smell.  In this case, a lack of one.  Less sensitive noses would identify the creature as human, but those with a modicum of training or enhanced primal senses would pick no smell at all, coupled with an overwhelming sense of dread.  
  Standing over 7 feet tall, the Peryton's demonic stag face smiles with rows of razor-sharp teeth.  The plumage of their chest might tell you their gender (males tend to be blue, while females are a pale white), but soon you won't care.  Their antlers, jet black and harder than steel, are used to rend and impale, and their depraved form is resilient to all but magical weapons. 
As their eyes of orange flame pierce through the fog, any light that passes over them lies about their true form.
  For you see, the most peculiar element of a Peryton is their shadow.  This winged, evil beast will hiss before you, but its shadow will present as human.  Always.  Human.  


This oddity presents a plethora of curious theories, but few had evidence to match.
  Some Loremasters believe the false shadow to be an echo of the last creature the Peryton killed.  Given its penchant for violence against humans and elves, this was the prevailing theory for hundreds of years.  It wasn't until the haphazard findings of one Grenaldi Mayweather, a gnomish priest under the cover of twilight, who one night happened upon a nest of the creatures in the Ghastshadow Mountains.  She observed the flock tear into a pack of roaming Aarakocran, ambushed or set upon as they slept.  Just as history told us, the Peryton ripped open the chests of their victims, consuming the still-warm hearts with grim satisfaction.  Mayweather watched in dread curiosity, eager to solve the riddle of the shadow...  But the humanoid echo remained.  No winged shadows manifested.
  Mayweather was lucky to escape with her life, but returned soon after for more observation, this time with an elite guard to watch her back; the knowledge was too important not to be careful...

Hearts and Minds

It would also be Mayweather that would witness the first instance of a Peryton being born.  Though there are documented family units of a male and a female Peryton (though they'd be hard-pressed to care for their young, if not kill them), this instance within the nest involved two females.  
  Both left to hunt, smelling blood on the wind.  They were gone for hours.  When they returned, blood dripping from their claws, they delivered several chunks of flesh to the next to feast upon, and a still writhing human man!  Mayweather watched as her lookout - a young brown-eyed ranger - was clutched by one of the pair and pulled toward the other, like it was presenting a gift.  Firey smoke and twisting gray tendrils spilled from the one in waiting, before its teeth sank into the man's chest, ripping his beating heart from the cavity.  His body went limp, and Peryton female scarfed down the heart, her eyes shifting translucence in the penumbra.  
  Then Mayweather heard a sound that sent chills down her spine.  
Like an echo of a child's laugh.  A giggle in the gloom, small and innocent.  Then it grew, warping and dancing along the walls, raising in pitch and warble, until it is a chorus of cackling.  The other eyes in the nest rise and join in, their necks convulsing and twisting backward with the sound, a malevolent inversion of mirth and satisfaction.  The sound becomes a beast in and of itself, a roiling mass of whoops and hollers, striking chords and stark dissonance.  Vibrations spill out the mouth of the cave, whispers at the ears of the hidden spies, and shouts upon the walls that surround them.
  The guards around the gnome begin to clutch and claw at their ears, the cacophony bringing a few to tears.  Mayweather instinctually covers the sob of her closest ranger, insisting that he get himself together.
Then.
Silence.
  The smell of dread hits Mayweather's nostrils as she dares to peer into the nest.  All the Peryton stare straight ahead, their mouths gaping open - a frozen, terrifying smile.  Until they all snap their eyes...to her.

They made it out with one casualty.  Her second blue-eyed scout, snatched by a rogue talon before he could slip into the wooden door of a magnificent mansion.  
  Safe within the dimensional space, Mayweather vigorously wrote down her conclusions:
1. New Peryton are born by a female consuming the heart of a freshly killed humanoid.
2. Their shadows flicker into monstrous forms during the process of incubation.
3. When incubation begins, nearby Peryton gain heightened senses to protect the pregnant female, becoming even more violent.  The more there are, the stronger the pack's senses.
  Her fourth note she added weeks later, when her guards - while out hunting - were set upon by a pair of Peryton, seemingly tracking them for miles.  When they finally confronted the creatures, they were surprised to see two young Peryton, newborns - one with brown eyes and the other with blue, both with shadows of human form.  ...Felling the creatures was tough, but much worse for their psychology.  Poor guys.
4. Newborn Peryton share the eyes of the creature whose heart they were born from.  As they get older, and kill more for their own survival and pleasure, the blood tarnishes the eye color, shifting it to match the orange-red of the others.

Origin Theories

Mayweather and others theorized that the first Peryton was a cursed human or elf, twisted by a god of chaos.  The bards of old expanded upon this, marking its origin to infidelity, curses, and carrions feasting on cursed corpses.
  Given Mayweather's most recent expeditions, however, the clearest line exists through pure vehemence.  These aren't cursed humans - they were MADE by something.  Sometime in the first age, when great magics could be wielded by mere mortals, a wizard general - whose name is lost to time - sought a tactical edge against the elven and human alliances.  So he juxtaposed what he had on hand with fiendish blood.  An intellect unmatched, the alchemist rivaled the gods for a moment - before his heart was ripped from his chest...

Mind the shadows.  Watch the skies.
See you next time.
-Adamus
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Monster Of The Week: Pseudodragon

3/18/2022

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Went fought the drudgentree,
Found the sight bequeath to thee,
And discovered here, a chosen three,
Beneath the hallowed wood.

Curled in twain,
A thoughtful mane,
Sleeping, the book his thane,
I reached for the spine.

And there it was,
The subtle cost, very nearly a finger lost,
As the little drak nipped here and there,
Yipping as a small pup.

I rested my arm upon the book,
The drak curling into the nook,
Between the plates and mail,
I have inherited a new friend, 
Do not fail.

            -- Sir Horace Flagstone, of Leylocke
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Not Your Average Dragon

Pseudodragons dwell in the quiet corners of the fantasy realm.  Adventurers can stumble upon them in old libraries, nestled in the dark nooks behind dusty tomes.  Others will happen upon them sleeping in the hollow woods of a dense forest, curled around their subtle hoard of acorns and berries.  
  With sharp teeth, shiny scales, and a vicious hooked stinger for a tail, these tiny dragons look almost menacing while asleep, but once those eyes open, they are immediately playful.  If attacked, that stinger will be put to good use, rendering other beasts and aberrants catatonic for a few hours.  Though sometimes mischievous, a pseudodragon is not a social creature; they tend to keep to themselves and whatever makeshift hoard they have been gathering.  Magic users tend to seek pseudodragons as familiars, as their natural magical resistances and superior senses make them awesome companions.  But a dragon is still a dragon, and these little guys are no exception.  Mistreat or abuse your familiar, and they're out, severing whatever connection you thought you built.  They will not tolerate ill treatment.
  Though they cannot speak, pseudodragons understand both Common and Draconic, and may learn other languages as well.  They communicate through limited telepathy, granting simple ideas like hunger, curiosity, or perhaps affection.  They will also utilize common animal noises to indicate these simple responses; a purr for pleasure, a hiss for surprise or alarm, chirping to indicate desire, or a growl to communicate anger.  These noises and its limited telepathic imagery akins them to many as fantasy cats - which is, if you think about it, a pretty accurate analog.

By The Numbers

Seems weird to analyze these little dudes and dudettes by their stats - they're quite killable by just about anyone.
  Rocking a level 1 wizard's armor class and just as many hit points, they're not really meant for a frontline assault.  They have the rare feature of Magic Resistance, though, so saving throws are in their favor, but with such a low hit point count, anything that deals half damage might still fell them (bummer); difficult to charm, though!  Plus, their Sting attack can render an opponent poisoned if their Constitution is garbage.  Nothing to sneeze about (no, seriously, don't sneeze, it'll kill them).
 Out of combat, however, they're extremely useful.  Their telepathy reaches up to 100 feet, so they're excellent scouts and their keen senses make them ideal familiars.  Darkvision and blindsight don't hurt either.
  As a legit Familiar, Pseudodragons can communicate their senses up to a mile away from their companion, and they can share that sweet sweet Magic Resistance while they're hanging out.  The only downside to a Pseudodragon as a familiar is that if they can end that service whenever they like, and for whatever reason.  Moral of the story: treat your Pseudodragon well, otherwise they might not have your back when you need it.

Pseudodragons In My Worlds

These little buddies are so intrinsically in tune with the magical world that I have taken the liberty to codify a few with magical persuasions of their own.  Sure, you'll have the standard pseudodragon flapping around your nooks and crannies and old libraries, but if you dig deep enough and scour long enough, you'll undoubtedly run into one of these variants.
  Illusory - Pseudodragons don't have a specific language, instead communicating telepathically simple ideas.  Those that are steeped in illusion magic has found a way to interpret the innate basics of their school to help communicate better, manifesting in a sort of "thought bubble" above their heads communicating more intricate picturesque ideas.  I just love the idea of a pseudodragon with an ellipsis over its head as it ponders, and then watching it blip back and forth between steak and its studies; the ultimate SQUIRREL moment.  :)
  Evocata - a little friend who spends a lot of time around battle mages and explosives can evolve into a combustion dragon.  Highly emotional, passionate, and excitable, an Evocata will manifest its core magic in explosive bouts.  Get too excited?  Fireball.  Or Fog Cloud.  Or Plant Growth.  Get too sad?  Cast Darkness.  Get protective of their master, their binky, or their new bestest friend that they've known for five minutes?  Ray Of Frost.  Or Finger Of Death.  You know, TOTALLY NORMAL reactions.
  The list continues, and I have a feeling the more I play with this concept, the more hilarious it will become.  Does a Cleric use her Pseudodragon as her own personal lie detector because it's infused with Divination magic?  Does a diplomat use his to win over a crowd because he steeps in Enchantment?  The possibilities abound!  
(and now my players know...good luck)

See you at the table.
​-Adamus
  
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Re-Balancing Acts: 3 Character/NPC Studies

2/5/2022

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I've been running campaigns long enough that I've stacked up NPCs like Pokemon cards, ready to unleash them onto unsuspecting players.  Sometimes they work wonders, other times they suck wind through a straw.  Let's take a look at a few and see what I could have done better.  
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Jedrek Remo - Blackweave Monk
Gray Owls, Book 1 - 6th Age

Core Concept: Jedrek is a one-man army.  Built by a broken monastery as a final solution, a Blackweave monk wields the power of the broken weave.  Using his skin as parchment, a Blackweave covers himself in arcane runes and tattoos, each connected to an ancient power.  By engaging a tattoo, he can cast the spell that was inscribed upon him, wielding the cosmic powers of the lost tribes of wizards.  But once the tattoo was spent, the ink burns off of him, lost forever.
  A Blackweave can add permanent augmentations to his body by inscribing runes upon the skin, and burning them over 100 days.  These marks become infused scar tissue, sewn with residual power.  One can use this technique to add extra ways to manipulate their Ki, make their bodies more formidable, or make their minds sharper.
Version 1.0: A Way Of The Long Death Monk at Level 17, with a Level 14 Gunslinger as backup VS a party of five level 10 adventurers.  Low Con saves and lucky rolls on my end put the melee friends on the stun train pretty fast, but things got pretty close.  A Tattoo of Contingency - Revivify was placed on him as a last resort by his Compendium (the order branch), which saved his skin.  Using Step Of The Wind, he escaped, healed, and returned for his quarry, killing a PC and taking the body. 
  Notes: It was a tough encounter and a decent field test for the build, but he didn't use a lot of his tattoos.  As it stood, his action economy required use of his Bonus Action to engage a tattoo.
Version 1.5: The players, now at full force: 10 characters at Level 13 VS 1 Level 18 Long Death Monk.  Taking no chances, the resident pyro cast instead Telekinesis, holding Jedrek aloft and restraining him.  As Telekinesis is a contest of checks, not saves, Jedrek's Diamond Soul (proficiency in all Saving Throws) doesn't engage.  Good job party!  However, because of one small wording technicality in Jedrek's build language...he wasn't entirely shut down.  He still had access to ALL of his Weave, so every round he'd struggle against the Telekinesis (fail), then spend a Bonus Action to engage a spell that was laced onto him.  It was a "chip damage" fight; still interesting and dangerous, but felt off somehow.  It also took a long time.  They killed him and burned the body (evidence), and felt good about avenging their ally.

Future Adjustments: We finally figured out what was bugging me.  Engaging the tattoos can still be a Bonus Action, but I propose a few limiting factors.  Certain on 1 and 2, entertaining 3 and 4.
1) He has to touch the tattoo, which requires movement.  If he's restrained, he can't do that.  Telekinesis should have shut him down completely.  It's the anti-monk spell!
2) There should be a Ki cost to engage the spell.  Either Spell Level = Ki Points spent or 1/2 Spell Level (rounded up) = Ki Points spent.  Cantrips are always 1 Ki Point.
3) I'm considering a spell level limitation.  Like no spells above 7th...  Then again, even with a 20th level monk, using 9 Ki to cast that crazy Meteor Swarm that others at my level can also crank out ...as a Bonus Action...  Yeah, no.  We're limiting this crap.  No 8th or 9th level spells.  7th I MIGHT be okay with.  We'll play with it.
4) The Runes he's burned take up attunement slots, or 1/2 an attunement slot.  They take a lot to get, including cost and training (100 days, remember), but they *are* permanent; so someone with a lot of time and resources can add on Runes easily.  They already have a maximum of 3 Runic Augments before their body can't take the strain anymore, but after that we've got Bracers of Defense, a Ring of Protection, and a Cloak of Protection (a total +4 AC, and a total +2 to all saves).  With Runes that make your Martial Arts 1d12 (instead of 1d10), allow you to Hunter's Mark, and others that grant you Sneak Attack for Ki...  Don't want anyone to get too beefy too fast.

Why?: Action economy is too far broken.  He can be a better wizard than a wizard, and still PUNCH REALLY HARD.
Is the Blackweave dead?  Nah.  But it requires more tweaking as a subclass.  Monks have A LOT of options already, so it may serve better in another class (Ranger could be interesting), open-ended to all classes (needs some secrecy), or needs a few more limitations/refinement.
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Slyana Jedaya / "Sly" / Knight Of Sloth
D&D Campaign 2 - 3rd Age

Core Concept: The Daughters of Syn had been a consistent villain group all throughout campaign 2 on Tuesdays, and I'm a big fan of using common mythos and turning it on its head.  In this case, we're using the Seven Deadly Sins as our model.
  "Sly" is Sloth.  Laid back and lazy, this knight doesn't want to do much, instead opting for her familiar, Freya, to do most tasks for her.  But for all her laziness, if ever you were to hurt Freya, or try to hurt her more severely, she would finally show you her true power - frightening and efficient, she'd like to end the fight as soon as possible, so she can return to her nap.

Encounters and Impressions:  Sly was my absolute favorite side villain.  Every moment the party encountered her, they fell in love with her dry wit and lack of commitment.  She would often show up on the outskirts of a battle (showing that she was always watching for her mistress, Syndrosa), smoking a pipe and giving raucous commentary of the fight, quick to crack jokes or just shrug at veiled threats.  In fact, the first time she met the group, she helped most of them escape the Underdark (I wonder if that endeared her to them a bit).  She was really just gathering information on them at that point, but she really didn't care either way, so killing them would be boring.

Fight 1: The first real encounter with Sly involved the group trying to rescue a little girl trapped in the Underdark.  Sly had an amulet on her person with a soul trapped inside (but the party didn't know that, only that she had a nice amulet, it looked valuable).  The party turned into bugs and snuck into her room, while others tried to deal with Sly's partner, an Oathbreaker Paladin named Naz (Pride).  For most of the fight, the party simply kept Sly occupied as she played with them, always at the edge of caring.  It wasn't until Naz was killed that Sly began to show her true ferocity.  Sly's first boon involves Freya; the fire fox fuses with her form, granting her lycanthropic strength and speed, as well as some Greater Invisibility.  Couple this with the fact that she's already a Level 16 Druid by now...and we've got something serious on our hands.  The party has A LOT of close calls, but manages to kill her, her form crumbling away in strips of...ice?

Fight 2: MUCH TIME PASSES and the group assault the now Queen Syndrosa in her OWN LAIR, and are promptly defeated.  Despite this Full Party Capture moment, the players were SO HAPPY to find out that Sly was indeed alive, and the version they killed was some sort of Clone or Simulacrum.  Heck, she even helps them escape the follow-up encounter (again: she doesn't really care).  But upon returning to the Fortress of Syn, now better prepared and after taking out Lust and taking some weapons from Wrath, they come across the real Sly.  She toys with them a little...and then the Paladin kills the fire fox.
  A Storm of Vengeance, and A LOT of near-death experiences (2 deaths total, but yay Revivify), a well-timed Power Word Kill drops Sly for good (strange, she could have totally Counterspelled, but she didn't...).  The party was the SADDEST I have seen them after this fight - they didn't want it to end!


Build and Boons
Class: Druid 20, Circle of the Moon (not that she cares)
Standard Boons: Boon of Fortitude (HP +50, Temp HP Ward +20), Boon Fey Step (Movement +30 as a Misty Step)
Boon of the Fire Fox - grants the Knight a familiar in the form of a fire elemental.  This familiar can heal you from a distance and merge with you to grant extra physical bonuses and a burst of fire damage at the end of every one of your turns.
Boon of the Sloth - Aura of Relaxation (little things don't stress you out, Calm Emotions at all times, advantage on saving throws against being charmed).  Social power of Disarm (disadvantage for foes to resist your relaxed charm).  You have entertaining and informative visions involving the people you observe; you no longer sleep, but napping opens these visions to your perfect memory.  Whether you act on them...is totally up to you.
Is Sly gone for good? - Mmm.  Tricky thought; death can get weird in D&D, and resurrection moreso.  Depends on where her soul ended up, and who cares enough to get her back.  I have a feeling her return would not be an unwelcome one, at least by a few PCs. ;)
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ANOX / The Immortal General
D&D Pirates Campaign - 4th Age

Core Concept: A Circle Of Spores Druid hell-bent on conquering the world of beasts, controlled by the Mantle of the General; an ancient artifact forged by the Erlking of the Feywild.  Woof.  That's heavy.
  Anox was a product of the Erlking's choices; after the Archfey took the Helm of the Hunt, his purging Valkyries decimated the forces of Anox's predecessor, Gurlanik, the Fade.  To rectify this, Anox used his only son as a lure to other beings touched by Fey energy, and used his Circle to "seed" them with necrotic powers - and his control.  The resulting Treant-Hybrid army, coupled with the stolen Mantle's innate power to call nearby beasts under his command, Anox began preaching dominion over the Wilds beyond and amassing an army of druids who shared his ideals.
  His son, Darius, finally fed up with the loss of innocent life, formed his own pack of druids - attempting first a coup, then, when that failed, an all-out-assault upon his father, while freeing those that would be hunted for his dark purpose.  This betrayal marked the beginnings of Anox's madness, and the Mantle began to wrestle control away where it could.  Soon, the two entities became indistinguishable from one another, and the more Anox used the Mantle to augment his magic, the more it took from his mortal body...but he could not die as long as it was bound to him.


Boss Fight: This fight was...problematic.  There was a spore lair with infectious actions, a whole one on one duel where the PCs made strange tactical decisions and then got mad when they didn't work out.  And this was already a difficult campaign to run; huge mix of experience levels and play styles clashing all over the place.  If I were to run this in the now, 4 years wiser, I'm confident it would have been earned.  Honestly, I was still cutting my teeth on this one.
    There were personal stakes with a PC, which, in any other case, would have made this much more charged - the end result here...was confusing.  Misinterpretations of rules and descriptions, intentions, and flow; it got pretty awkward at times.
  What I WANTED to happen was a dynamic battle of shifting landscapes and status effects, a ticking time bomb of spore growth, and a possible moral quandary of tearing the mantle free to destroy it or don it yourself.  Instead, it was a jumbled mess with a few great moments (I'll give that to my seasoned players), tarnished by that constant confusion or rules-lawyering.  Different group, different time I guess.


The Build: Druid 18 [Circle of Spores], Warlock 2 [Great Old One*]
  The Warlock element of this build required a lot of homebrew.  This Great Old One ends up being the Mantle itself, a semi-sentient immortal object (one of my "Legacy Artifacts") that has held many hosts before, and draws power equally from the Shadowfell and the Feywild.  It had regenerative properties, negated by radiant damage, and the Mantle has its own suite of innate daily spells - it could even cast additional spell effects by placing levels of Exhaustion on its user.  
  At the time, I wasn't confident with custom Legendary Actions, but a second go would simplify Anox's action economy to that of a standard druid, and the Mantle would act with Legendary Actions of its own, illustrating the dichotomy of the two entities joined.  I could then drop better hints as to the artifact's nature, and I would allow the PCs to attack the Mantle directly, adding a puzzle to this duel of fates.
  As it stands, Anox - and myself - learned a lot from this boss fight, and we haven't seen the last of his character.  Perhaps a new version will retcon the old for us all. 


Anywho.
It's important to look back now and again.  To consider where our lessons lie, and what new adventures we can craft with them in mind.  Maybe I'll do this again - I've got plenty stashed in the mental basement.

If you enjoyed this, maybe say so, or check out the Patreon (it could always use some love).  
Stay warm out there.
-Adamus


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Monster Of The Week: Nothic

1/15/2022

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Benny Jimbob Leonardo Wolfgang III was a curious boy.  Carving ingots from the congealed remains of adventurers passed in the womb of gelatinous ooze, he pondered on intricacies of their deaths.  He wore these trinkets like trophies; cursed fingers, lost teeth, errant tongues...and one very curious music box.  They shook collected in this case, jangling to and fro like percussive reminders to never mess with a wizard...
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Pulling our visions into messy arcane studies, pits flanked by dangerous ooze, and dark caverns of mystery, we rest our eye upon one of my favorite little critters in this whole game.
  Sporting leathery skin and angry spikes, with claws for climbing, and a mouth often gaped, the Nothic is unnerving on its own, but its enormous, unblinking eye sets it far apart from its other cave kin.  Despite its stark appearance, though, the Nothic can form rich bonds and motivations, even spilling themselves into an industry all their own.

Common Lore

A baleful eye peers out from the darkness, its gleam hinting at a weird intelligence and unnerving malevolence. Most times, a nothic is content to watch, weighing and analyzing the entities it encounters.  Not particularly powerful, the elder evils bestowed upon the curious gothic a horrific gaze - an unblinking eye to rot the flesh from bones.

But the arcane nature and lust for knowledge has cursed the Nothic.  Once wizards of their own make, their lives are twisted by the dark curse left behind by Vecna, the Whispered One.  Vecna was a powerful lich who sought to transcend his undead form to godhood, and threatens to consume the material realm in his wrath.

A Nothic retains no awareness of their former glory, skulking amid the shadows in places rich in magical knowledge, their memories only strange dreams and hallucinations, twisted specters of liars and illusions.  It is these memories, though, that grant them a unique magical insight to extract knowledge from the creatures they stalk.  This information they may give, for a price, be it gold, magical artifacts, or secrets to be traded.

Their love of magic and obsession with artifacts drive them to infiltrate arcane sanctuaries and academies, some seeking a vague assertion that their state could be reversible, like a splinter in their mind.  They covet magical script and scry, some going so far as to organize and categorize existing spaces.  Some wizards even look upon the appearance of a Nothic as a blessing; a creature to keep safe their secrets in exchange for knowledge.  


By The Numbers

Not prone to overt violence, the Nothic isn't built for battle.  Their claws are negligible, and though they sport a decent AC (15), and a good average hit points, one can be felled by a few good rolls.  That is, if you don't get caught in its Rotting Gaze first. 
  The iconic move can severely damage a low-level PC, and outright murder your wizard or sorcerer.  And straight look at their basic numbers doesn't call into account what resources their coveted "sanctuary" may carry.  A Nothic with a Blink scroll is infinitely more dangerous than one you'd find in a field, and a DM (like myself) that chooses to build upon the striated knowledge of a twisted once-wizard may find some curious surprises to spring on a low-level party.

Ionian Variations

Like I said, the Nothic uses to be a spell caster - a creature devoted to the arcane.  This means that those cognitively aware enough of their own affliction would seek to remedy it.  Which births Nothic alchemists and artificers, brewing elixirs and constructing shadows, seeking to silence the incessant voices of their fragmented memories.  
  For those who drink the ill-made elixirs, further mutations plague their forms.  Orcish blood infuses their body with resistance; devilish magic turns their blood to smoke, their steps to shadow; Fey magic infuses the spines and spurs with wild magic that explodes with their emotions.
  On the other side, the unhinged artifice breathes new terrifying life into their visage.  An extra set of arms of offset their twitchy nature; electric infusers to inject them with strange mutagens, all the better to defend their workshop from intruders.  If you were driven to mad industry to silence the voices in your head, what would you make?


See you at the table.
-Adamus
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Putting Your PCs Through The Ringer

8/18/2021

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It happens every once in a while.  You're moving and grooving in a campaign, joking, laughing, having a blast - then the big bad shows up and things go sideways.  They're tough, but you do your best, and the dice are all over the place.  Characters are dropping left and right as they pull out all the stops to win, and the rival group's preparation throws the party off-guard.  Then the tides begin to turn, and realization sets in - your players are going to lose.  
  HOW that happens, though, and what it means, is up to everyone at the table.
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Sometimes D&D can be hard on you.
  There's a beautiful immersive quality to tabletop gaming that invites fun and engaging storytelling, deep role-play (even if it's silly - my favorite), and impactful combat.  But for all the moments of victory, laughter, and levity...sometimes things don't go the way you thought they would.  Dice rolls don't play nice, your enemies came prepared, or stuff's going on in real life that colors what's happening.  Does that mean it was a bad story?  Not at all.  A challenging encounter once in a while (and in this case, once in a LONG while, as most of the campaign is meant to be fun and light) makes the points of levity even stronger, and how characters rise from the ashes of a "defeat" can uncover new layers of immersion and growth.

The Fears Of A DM

In my Feywild campaign, there has been a consistent air of hilarious strangeness and dark undertones, with a side salad of irreverent quips and bonkers magic.  At the table, we find our sweet spot in Social Interaction and Exploring this intriguing setting, while building up a network of knowledge on the many forces vying for control of this magical realm.  Our best sessions are derived with zero combat and an army of NPCs to talk to and mess with.
  It's in Combat and conflict that the veils struggle, and the dark side of the setting pulls into focus.  
This is a High Magic setting full of Fey and wizards and chronomancy and Queen Mab.  Campfires sing to you, trapping those entranced in an endless dance of death.  The grass needs compliments or it will kill you.  The dreaded Theater looms in the dark forests, luring unsuspecting travelers into its immortal troupe.  And the evergreen kings and queens of this realm care little for the fleeting lives of a few amusing PCs.
  This means that when clashes happen, there are often elements of chaos that are hard to predict.  That said, that was one of the selling points of the campaign.  A "wild" version of magic and mischief that can swing some things in and out of your favor, but never too far as to push your success to pure luck.  A voyeuristic Archfey that finds the actions of a PC intriguing, and grants them a mote of possibility.  A character's plant affinity granting them transport across the map.  Pockets of void magic that provide inverse effects of certain spells.  
​  But in Combat, the dice can add a variability that can sometimes be less hilarious, and more tragic.
  When my party is frustrated, I am frustrated.  When they are sad, I am sad.  When they struggle, I struggle.  I am not a DM that supports adversarial gaming; it is not a "DM vs Players" mindset over here.  Do I challenge them?  Of course!  But when they're feeling it, I'm right there with them.  I WANT them to beat my big bads; I want them to win the day, so when they don't, I feel like I lost too.  And I don't want them to hurt, I want them to feel energized to return.  They didn't sign up for a trauma center EVERY week.
  Hmm.  Let me get into this a bit more so you can understand where we're coming from.

The Lead Up

  The Feywild Warriors have been trekking around the Ionian Feywild for 12 levels now.  We do milestones, and they tend toward less combat and more interaction.  They're lovable children, when you think about it, as most of the PCs are around 17-19, one doesn't even know his age, and then we've got an old fighter into his 50s that acts like their dad (found family, you get it).  We've got a Dragonborn Fighter (Terhune), a Werewolf Druid (Buddy), a Tiefling Wild Magic Sorlock (Bry) and her elemental familiar (Soot), a Tiefling Bard/Fighter (Akita), and a Human Battle Master Fighter (Taman).  Because they're so dang adorable and well-intentioned, they've accumulated quite the entourage of NPCs.  Alannah - a Paladin/Tempest Cleric (wife of Taman); Essian - a half-elven War Mage, Alannah's ward; Vali - a human Rogue and now girlfriend to Akita (she went to the Feywild to find Akita, so that's love); Broty - a young Tanarukk (who has imprinted on the two tieflings and views them as little sisters)...poor guy has an intelligence of 5.  
  ALSO, along the way, they have happened upon another adventuring party led by a character they presumed killed in their first adventure.  A bridge guard who survived The Massacre Of Sentry at the hands of a Black Knight and joined up with another party to help him seek righteous vengeance.  His name is Jenkins Carpenter, or Jink for short, and he is avenging the death of his brother, Leroy Carpenter (yes, I am that guy).  Jenkins is joined by Nessa, a High Elf Ranger/Rogue, Remy the Lizardfolk Barbarian, and Sloan the Dwarven something (seriously, I don't think he knows what class he is).
  This literal army of deadly kittens have built powerful bonds between each other as they navigate the dangerous wilds of the Fey realm, each strengthening and redefining the odd family dynamic of those that face threat together.  All the while, dark forces move into position.  The Winter Court has occupied the City Of Astrazalian - a neutral ground between the Fey Courts - and is using it as a military position (that's not okay); an orcish army led by a tiefling warlord marches on the West; a gnoll army marches Northwest (and threatens to clash); the stars (spirits of guidance in the Fey Realm) are falling from the sky and being collected by the Whispering Rock guild and their seemingly corrupted leader, Montblanc (doesn't help that Terhune, Taman, Alannah, and Essian were all once members of this guild, whoopsie)...  And all of this seems orchestrated by a small group of individuals that call themselves The Four Gears.
  The party has had fleeting encounters with each of them.  
Hush, the Black Knight/Silencekeeper - the first real threat the party saw in their inciting incident on a bridge.  Simple stuff; they all met, hung out, antics ensued, they went to bed.  Woke up and the bridge town was burning down, and this jerk was coming through killing folks.  They tried to distract them, but the bridge collapsed, and now the Black Knight haunts their nightmares as they catch drifting news of their exploits.
Albrecht, the Kingslayer - a cleric of multiple gods (it seems), the party has mostly witnessed the aftermath of Albrecht's handiwork.  The guy has a huge distaste for small fey, burning spryte villages and darkling conclaves to the ground.  In a way, he's been knocking out lesser leaders to pin focus on larger forces.  He is surgical and pragmatic, but his true intentions are unclear.
Eon, the Kingmaker - a silver-tongued lavender tiefling wizard of deep knowledge and cunning, Eon has aided the party in navigating the gnoll army early in the campaign, but he has only become more creepy as time goes on.  He took a liking to his fellow tieflings, but holds no love for other races.  Seeing the growing power in Bry and a possible kinship, he has been invasive in contacting her, much to the worry of his fellows, even going so far as to bind himself to a promise not to kill her companions.  A promise that may spell his undoing, but it is entirely possible that he is playing a different kind of game.
Arameis Salfurion, the Whisper - an aasimar of unknown origin, this entity is known only through word of mouth and fleeting visions before death.  Most recent word has it that he serves as a consultant to Montblanc and his guild, and may be behind the collection of Fallen Stars.  He has been seen as an after-image of a Contingency spell woven into the symbol of the Whispering Rock Guild - set to turn people to dust if they broach certain topics of discussion.  Luckily, Alannah and Essian's abjurative abilities tipped them off before it was too late, and Taman and Terhune had already forcibly resigned.
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In the Ionian Feywild, there are forces that serve as great equalizers.  None are more powerful or resolute than the Erlking and his Wild Hunt.  He is appointed by the Stars, so his legend is known among the denizens of the Fey far and wide.  He holds no Court of his own, though many claim to be of it.  In truth, he calls the honored dead to his banners - ancient Eladrin warriors culled by his Hunt in days long past and sworn into servitude to wash the realm of dangerous chaos.  He and his Hunt are the last bastion of defense and the grand hammer that allows the Fey Courts to sit on their thrones and raise their goblets in indifference.  In other words, if crap gets real, the Erlking will take care of it.

  Thing is, the stars are falling and war is brewing, and no horns of the Hunt are blaring.  The Fey Lords and Ladies are only mildly concerned, as is their way, but the lesser fey - like the extricated Autumn Court, or the Darkling clans - know that something is wrong, and that they'll be hit by the brunt of it long before Summer feels a tickle.
  Though they be young, the party has heroes in it, and those that lack heroics still garner a sense of justice.  There is wrong happening around them, and though they often move on to their next adventure, the wave is catching up to them - threatening to drown.  They conclude that they have two real choices: 1) Get someone to plane shift them to the Material Plane (where most of them are from), cozy up at Taman's house with his wife, get adopted, and wait till this all blows over; or 2) locate the Erlking and his crown, so evil can be stopped.  
  Prepared for both outcomes, I did not nudge a thing, but the group voted - option 2 was the way.
So they ventured to the savage dark forests of The Fading City, seeking an audience with its undead Fey Ranger King...Lord Calenon Thrayn.  Turns out, two armies also threaten to converge upon the city, so the party must sneak past in order to get inside first.  Which, they just barely do so, as orcs begin to pour into the city hot on their heels.  Luckily, the city has a defense mechanism: the Fog Of Purity.  Creatures that pass into this Fog undergo strange, random trials that measure a piece of their soul - some are straight forward, some are outright weird, and in clear Feywild fashion, it's pretty random.  Long story short, a few of the smarter captains emerge from the Fog deep into the dark forest that permeates the city...knee deep in dinosaurs and gigantic beasts.  Our heroes, however, emerge before a guide - a little Fey kitty - that leads them to Thrayn.  

  Much discussion later, we discover that the Erlking's Crown is hidden in the Material Plane.  As part of Shinealestra's lore, the city will phase to the Material Plane every night at midnight, its forest of nightmare creatures becoming a prized hunting ground for only the bravest of hunters.  It returns to the Fey Realm at first light, at dawn.  The castle flips, our resident human Taman and his wife rejoice at seeing a normal sky and normal grass, and the army of squirrels is led by a pack of sentient mushrooms with messenger bags to their next destination.
  After a clutch phantasmal force on a nasty T-Rex, the original party plus a Jenkins makes it through just before the cave mouth closes, leaving their allies to fight the dino.  Trusting each other, they have a chat with an Elder Being, get a very needed Long Rest in a time bubble, and push their way into a teleportation chamber.  The werewolf, rocking his child-like intelligence, bounds through the portal before the others can stop him.  He is seemingly atomized (think Dr. Manhattan, you weirdos), and while the players at the table contemplate if I just killed a character, Bry notes that the transportation runes have been tampered with.  Conclusion - they still work, they just don't go to the right place.  Four fragmented sendings and a lot of swearing later, Buddy returns, Bry fixes the portal, and our Taman has the brilliant idea to scan the area with a See Invisibility item.  Good thing, too, as Eon's voice creeps into our Sorcerer's head, and they watch him drop into the fixed portal, before they all jump in after him.
  They feather fall down into ruins; gravestones and sarcophagi overgrown with moss and fallen trees.  Bry's nature affinity clears the path to a throne, a skeletal guardian, and a crown...before urging everyone to look up.  Eon, silhouetted by a dark sky, floats above them.  "Thank you for showing us the way..."  He summons Minute Meteors...and detonates the Delayed Blast Fireball under their feet.

Why This Was Tricky

I crafted this particular encounter without a clear idea of how it was going to end.  Not that I've ever shunted PCs into certain positions to reach a specific outcome, but sometimes you can foresee the three basic endings in a battle.  Get to know a party well enough, and you get a pretty good idea how most things are going to play out.  But this time, there were certain variables that made things tricky.

1) THE DICE WERE BEING JERKS - I award inspiration, give advantage where I can, and overall support my players given the wacky setting we all agreed to...it just wasn't helping!  Saving throws getting botched, attack rolls whiffing, amazing ideas with simple checks falling flat.  On both sides!  And, you know, maybe that's a good story, too.  This is a group that buys into that variability; I like to think we're charging up for those legendary three Nat 20's in a row moment.  (it's happened, let's let it happen again).

2) THESE ENEMIES HAD TIME - They have been plotting, preparing, and hiding.  I can't spoil a lot here, but their abilities are based on rules, magic items, and preparation.  They are a counter-party, and this is their moment.  They had a plan.  Eon shows first and distracts while Hush goes for the crown, and the third waits in the wings for the most opportune moment.  They are smart - flawed, but we'll get to that - and deadly.

3) THEY'RE PUTTING IT ALL ON THE TABLE - This being such a clutch moment for The Four Gears party, they're going to burn a bunch of resources to achieve their goal, making them LOOK very powerful for a limited time.  IF our heroes can hold out against that onslaught, that's another chance in the PCs' favor.

4) MANY WAYS TO "WIN" - with an Ancient Artifact in play, there are a plethora of ways this could go down.  We just finished a segment where at least two of our PCs saw visions of themselves wearing the crown, so we know it's possible.  Holding the crown has one effect (it can't be stowed in a container, btw), while WEARING it has another.  On top of this, despite Eon's destructive forces, his connection with the party can be exploited; whether that flips him to the other side or pisses off his companions enough to cut him loose, that's another win in the PCs's direction - he DID make a blood pact not to kill them.  Throw in our Amplified Wild Magic (Feywild custom), a reluctant warlock pact, burgeoning tiefling rage powers, our Taman's random ability to nullify certain magical effects (I have to roll for it - dice were jerks, see above), and a custom druidic circle all about ripping and tearing, and there's a surfeit of possibility here.

How It Played Out

Woof, friends.
  This was tough challenge against prepared, patient enemies.  And for a PC party that has done pretty well flying by the seat of their pants into most encounters, I foresaw that this could be a tougher go this time around.
After eating the explosion, the party scatters while Eon attempts to place Bry into stasis - keen to remove her safely from the fight.  Taman, in a cool reaction that I will allow, pushes Bry out of the way, and becomes inert for a round instead!  Meanwhile, the perception-level-stupid-high Buddy notices that someone invisible might be making their way to the crown.
  Akita decides on her own to polymorph into a super fast, super squishy bird and bum rush the crown.  An invisible Hush cuts her out of the form as she flies by, but Akita maintains her momentum to land on the throne, hands already on the crown.  With Jenkins and Buddy sprinting to help (the natural 2 on Jenkins's acrobatics did not help), Akita weighs her life choices as the skeleton wriggles to life and begins to wrestle with the tiefling to keep the crown.
  Hush, now visible, puts on full display the completely legal and totally unfair mechanics of the Echo Knight and proceeds to tank a clutch polymorph (on an Echo), phase from one Echo to another, and one-shot our resident NPC Jenkins (who's just trying to avenge his brother, my guy, come on now!) with a Nat 20 great sword + sneak attack.  With Jenkins making death saves in front of Buddy, Hush cleans her blade and silently squares off against our druid.
  On the other side of the battlefield, Bry begins to show just how much she's grown as a mage as she not only deflects blows from Eon, but shatters his wards.  The surges of Amplified Wild Magic elevate stones around her, and continue to build up inside her, threatening a cataclysmic burst.  Terhune hides, and does his best to stay hidden while taking sniper shots at Eon.  Both, due to obstructions, are unaware of Buddy and Jenkins's battle, nor are they fully aware of Akita's predicament.
​  Akita wrestles the crown, and the skeleton guarding it, off the throne.  She does so with such primal force that the throne, its pedestal, and the plinth of stone it rests on, slide free in a shower of stone and dust.  In the debris, a focused Akita pulls the crown free, its desiccated husk filling with new florid life and personality akin to her own.  And crawling from the opened tomb under the throne, are the honored skeleton guard of the Erlking, watching their potential queen eagerly. 
  Whether by fear or force, Bry pushes Eon further into the ruin, and he doubles over in pain in the air; the arcane agreement he made threatens to be broken, so he sends healing words to Jenkins as Buddy rushes to help Akita (and more skeletons rise around her).  Hush shifts her Echo closer to a hidden Terhune, and finally Taman has someone to fight.
  Without structuring the rest of this in a play-by-play, a few things happen in quick succession that turn this whole thing sideways:
1) Bry's Wild Magic begins to manifest in telekinetic ways, flinging terrain across the map (one of which knocking Hush prone, to Taman's delight).
2) Hush shows her hand by raging, and a real threat comes into play, one that hits exponentially harder and is way more difficult to wound.  ...But at least she's finally HAPPY to have an opponent worth fighting.
3) Eon's arcane agreement begins to debilitate and damage him the more hurt the PCs become; his allies do not share his values.  The lavender tiefling becomes so overwhelmed by Bry and maintaining his arcane deal that he fails his saving throw to not become Entangled in a terrain hazard, and a few more failed saves later, becomes a sitting duck for the enraged Sorceress.  ...So Bry intentionally devotes her resources and ire to immolate Eon, but not before he relinquishes his Staff Of Balance (Chronomancy) to her, somehow happy that she is the one to kill him.
4) At the precipice, the Skeleton Guard ache for a choice, and Akita hesitates.  Instead, Buddy makes the decision FOR HER, forcing the crown onto her head.  Her wounds disappear, the Skeletons bow, and her sight opens to the hundreds of spirit warriors now at her command.  This transformation takes time (3 rounds), and she can interact with her growing powers each turn, but again, it takes time.

Quick Aside - My Little Rant On Fighters

Fighters should absolutely NOT be equipment-dependent.  It is freaking ludicrous.  
  Also, WHY can't a Battle Master use Commander's Strike on a spell caster and that spell caster burn their Reaction to cast a cantrip?  "Because a spell isn't a weapon."  Yeah, yeah.  Well, in the Feywild (purely as a product of the PCs being exposed to such a high magic surge area, and not because that was one of the most sad I've seen my Fighters), you can!  So there.  
  It's not like Hush's abilities are broken, but she's rocking three classes (Fighter - Echo Knight, Rogue - Swashbuckler, Barbarian - Zealot) to gain the features to make her feel effective in combat.  She isn't loaded up with crazy gear (good gear, nasty gear, but not ludicrous), and remember, they were prepared; so its feasible to get there, HOWEVER, you should not be required to multi-class in order to make your primary class effective.
  Our PC party (at the moment) has TWO fighters; a Battle Master and a legit archer build, but with all this magic getting flung around, it can be easy to feel behind the pack, and vanilla fighter deserves better.  Yet, in every campaign I have run, the fighter gains (through organic storytelling, questing, growth, and other such good stuff, mind you) a home-brew boon of some effect, to help off-set the distinct power creep from the other classes.
​  ...sigh...

How It Ended

As Akita rises up and the crown begins to take hold...Albrecht, the leader of the Gears, appears from behind a veil of invisibility.  Flying next to Akita, he grapples her (one hand on her throat, the other to her sternum) and channels divinity, attempting to interrupt her life force and fell her in one strike.  She saves, allowing Buddy time to leap onto both of them, biting onto Albrecht's arm.  Akita, in her second round, summons the skeletons and shades to help, and they begin to drift toward them.  
  Hush, seeing an opportunity, fells Terhune a second time.  Then, with a sickening stab and a twist, ends his life then and there in front of Taman.  As Bry puts the finishing touches on her murder-immolation across the map, Albrecht quickens a Banishment - "No hard feelings, pup" - and boops poor Buddy on the nose, hurling him into the Astral Sea.  With Akita still in his grasp and at death's door, Albrecht uses a Deathly Grasp on her throat, wrenching her into unconsciousness.  As her body goes limp on the ruined pedestal, he snatches the crown, calling out to Hush that it's time to leave.
  Hush is hesitant, now that she has a worthy opponent all to herself, but she abides.  Taman and a renewed Jenkins get some good hits in (Sentinel, bitch!), but she's able to scrape close enough over the next turn.  Albrecht regards the dying Akita, and reaches out, stabilizing the girl (Spare The Dying - Grave Cleric).  He then cracks the tiny Gem Of Recall, and pulls himself and Hush far and away from this plane.  The Skeletons and Shades of the Hunt...are pulled with them.
  And the party is left alone in silent, mossy ruins.  Jenkins slumps to his knees as Taman sprints to Akita and pulls her back to consciousness.  She sits up in silence, and Taman rushes back to Terhune's still body, Jenkins with him.  Taman pulls a strange fruit from his pack; something he nicked many sessions ago - a Fruit Of Restoration (what kind?  No one knows!) - he opens up Terhune's mouth and forces it down his throat.  They watch as vines and earth begin to cover, then swallow the silver dragonborn's body, a Reincarnation-like spell taking effect. 
  A minute passes, and Buddy does not return to them.  But somewhere in the Astral Sea, he is meeting a Githyanki pirate and Werewolf Vampire Hunter, picked up by an Astral Spelljammer vessel hell-bent on outrunning a Dreadnought.  I'm sure he'll be fine.

Proof Of Concept and The Lowest Point

The Feywild is a land that, on the surface, might appear more silly than serious.  However, the consistent theming of this campaign yields specific truths of the setting.
1) Fey and their realm are mischievous, dark, and often twisted entities who care very little for the mortal coil.  Just because it looks nice, doesn't mean it's safe.  Even the "jokes" of the Fey can be deadly. 
2) Magic, though not at its most raw, perpetuates all living things here.  So, weird stuff abounds, and it's pretty common.
3) There are rules, and they are numerous, for navigating the Fey realms safely; but many do not know them, and they often change dependent on a plethora of factors.
4) Fey and their ilk are often unreliable narrators, choosing interpretation over hard facts; this laces their words and veils their intentions - a true Theater Of Life.
5) Study of this realm yields immense power, but it requires extensive time, focus, and energy.  Even a little bit of digging reveals the dark tone beneath the whimsy (consistent from the beginning of the campaign).  ...we just really saw this one, this time.  :(

  It was stated before that this group has done quite well just stumbling through.  Sometimes the PCs plan a little here and there, but mostly they do exceptional when they fly by the skin of their teeth.  These PLAYERS are top-notch; they bring vibrant expression, creativity, knowledge, and joy to the table, which only deepens our collective world, and they PAY ATTENTION, no worries.  And all have expressed that they brought creatures to the table who are "inexperienced" in at least one important skill each.  Good!  This found family has done amazing things in the face of overwhelming odds - by luck, creativity, allies, and pure unadulterated pun power!
  And now.
This is the first time that they were unsuccessful, in the traditional sense.  The bad guys "got away."  One of the party is missing, another is dead (but not for long!), and the others are grappling with their decisions - some made BY them, others made FOR them.  From the DM's side, I offer opportunities for choices, but the distinct choices are specified and executed by these veteran players.  They are organic, in the moment, sometimes snap character decisions.  Which means, another reason why I love this party, we now have a huge opportunity...
We get to DEAL WITH THOSE DECISIONS.

Cultivating Aftermath and The Arc Of A Character

Every character in this party was struck down in this session.  Whether it be the very real severing of physical mortality, or the denser psychological dread of vengeance, or the helplessness of being a human in a world of fairies.  For many, this could be described as their lowest point.
  It can be a rough place to be in as a character, let alone a PLAYER.  Several members have talked openly about the "mistakes" they made during the fight; things they could have done differently if the dice had cooperated; musings on certain game mechanics and gear load out...  And yet, each came out with a plan to process this experience.  Maybe we take some extra time before our next session, but we WILL have another session, and many more after that.  This story WILL continue.  Where it goes, is up to us.
In all great stories, especially ones that we share, this moment occurs.  Some hit it harder than others, but they share the same term.  We have entered The Abyss in our heroic journey.  It is the space diametrically opposed by our Call To Adventure (our first few sessions).  Often this is a Death and Rebirth - for some, perhaps more literally than others - and what comes next is a Transformation; rising action, rebuilding momentum, standing back up with lessons learned.  
  Initially I was concerned with the low energy post-session.  With so many mirthful games under our belts, it felt WRONG to end the session like that.  I became obsessed with the idea that I had led them astray; wounded them somehow.  And what we all needed was a little extra time to process the events, and hatch a plan moving forward.  What we've done, at last, is setup an arc for just about everyone.  Our innocent, fun-loving Sorceress just straight-up murdered a dude (he was probably bad news, but still); our werewolf is Lost In Space, dealing with the guilt of putting the crown on Akita; Akita is grappling with being robbed of her choice, and yet craving the crown for the good it could do; Terhune, literally dead, drifts through his Ethereal past as his body and soul are reconstructed anew; Jenkins sits in silence, feeling weak and a waste of space, completely unable to enact his vengeance; and Taman, the old fighter and tactician, the hero of this story and the glue of this group, couldn't protect his adopted family even if he tried.  
  That is an Abyss.
And, as anyone who has struggled their own depression knows, the first step out of the dark is the hardest.  But with every step, you will be stronger for it.  You will stumble, you will learn, you will heal, and you will keep moving forward.  

This time: Death (close Phase I)
Next time: the steps toward Rebirth. (open Phase II)

See you at the table.
-Adamus
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    Adam Summerer

    Professional Game Master musician, music teacher, game designer, amateur bartender, and aspiring fiction author.  
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