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Fellforge Chapel
Amid the forges resides a place of worship dedicated to Droskar, the Fellforge Chapel. There the souls of broken slaves are offered to fuel Droskar’s Furnace. The chapel has recently gained popularity among the grey dwarves in hosting private ceremonies best kept far from the crowds of larger temples. This is thanks to the efforts of an elderly duergar, Valgrym, who runs the chapel. Valgrym has finally managed to negotiate a shaky alliance between the rival clans of Malcrag and Krylgor that operate in Fellforge. He hopes that once united, these clans bolster duergar efforts to expand throughout Fellstrok and the nearby region. The alliance hinges on a marriage between two scions of the clans, the fearsome Nirgla Malcrag and the devious Grithak Krylgor. The ceremony is arranged to be held in the chapel. Svirfneblin spies from a nearby secret outpost have learned of this development and it has them worried. Quickly expanding duergar holdings would endanger the outpost dedicated to gathering intelligence and freeing deep gnome slaves. The svirfneblin need a third party to break the alliance without implicating themselves. Encounter Setup: A svirfneblin guide has led the PCs through a forgotten passage that runs near the Fellforge Chapel. The PCs have been tasked to break the duergar alliance by sundering the wedding chain linking the betrothed, this would be seen as a sign of disfavor from Droskar. The couple must not be killed so that the clans won’t unite in revenge. Wedding Crashers (CR 9)
The breach is noticed by all duergar present. Wedding guests flee through the gate—though the combatants attack the PCs on sight. Valgrym is only officiating the wedding and does not fight. When he sees the PCs entering and the runes failing, he turns invisible and flees toward the main exit to muster reinforcements. When Nirgla attacks, she shouts in Dwarven: You’ve trifled with the wrong bride—I will grind your bones to ash and send your souls screaming to the Dark Forge! The 30-foot-high stone arch looms over a 10-foot-deep pit filled with ever-burning fire. PCs must succeed at a DC 15 Knowledge (religion) check to recognize this as the symbol of Droskar. Blackened bones and ash cover the bottom of the pit. See the trap section for details. When struck on the anvil, the wedding chain loses its hardness. The PCs can discern this with a successful DC 20 Knowledge (arcana) check. The magma in the chasm has a hardened crust that can be walked upon by a Medium or smaller creature. The creature takes 2d6 points of fire damage per round of exposure and 1d6 points of fire damage for 1d3 rounds after exposure ceases. For details, see lava effects Core Rulebook 444. Anyone going across the chasm without the protection of a bridge becomes sickened for 1d4 rounds from noxious gasses (Fortitude DC 14 negates). The crystal formation above the tunnel is a captured geomaw that has been enslaved with magical runes to glorify Droskar. The PCs must succeed at a DC 27 Perception check to discern its true nature. A successful DC 28 Spellcraft check informs the PCs of the purpose of the runes and their inactive state. The geomaw awakens if 5 rounds have passed since the breach, the wedding chain is shattered, or it’s attacked. At that point, read the following: The cavern wall between the duergar statues shakes violently as the crystal formation folds together like petals in a whirlpool of gnashing, jagged blood red crystals. Bits of rock fly through the air as a 15-foot-long creature with a body consisting of stone plates, dark earth, and red-hued gemstones breaks away from the wall accompanied by a thundering rumble. The tunnel behind it caves in and blows out a cloud of dust across the platform. The geomaw lands in front of the collapsed tunnel. The main platform is obscured by dust for 1 round, anything beyond 5 feet cannot be seen and has total concealment (50% miss chance). Any remaining stalactites above the main platform fall down. If the geomaw flees through the collapsed tunnel, it leaves in its wake a 2-1/2 feet opening into the passage. Creatures: See the map for starting locations. Clansmen (4) CR 1/2
Duergar Anvils (2) CR 1
Geomaw CR 7
Nirgla and Grithak are linked by an iron chain attached to their wrists (hardness 10, hit points 15, break DC 26). They cannot have more than 5 feet of space between them but the chain leaves their hands free when not wielded. Nirgla can use the chain only on creatures that she and Grithak are flanking but she gains the benefits of Improved Trip for those trip attempts due to his assistance. Grithak, the groom CR 1
Nirgla, the bride CR 5
Terrain:
Trap: This targets only non-duergar creatures. Droskar’s Grasp CR 3
When PCs trigger the trap, iron chains fly out of the pit and try to drag the PCs inside. Development: Overwhelming reinforcements arrive in 15 minutes through the gate and capture any PCs remaining in the chapel.
This maliciously grinning being has a translucent grublike lower half that pulsates intermittently in shifting hues. Fungous lamellae cover its clawed hands. Dread Glutton CR 5
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Fungous Snare (Ex) Once every 1d4 rounds, a dread glutton can throw a fungal mass that explodes in a 10-foot-radius spread, coating creatures in the area with mycelium and spores (Reflex DC 16 avoids). Creatures other than dread gluttons are entangled. An entangled creature can attempt to break free with a successful DC 14 Strength or Escape Artist check as a move action. On the following round, the entangled creature becomes anchored to its current position. This attack has a range of 30 feet. The save DCs are Strength-based. Spider Climb (Ex) A dread glutton can climb sheer surfaces as though under the effects of a spider climb spell. Spores (Ex) Any creature exposed to the spores of a dread glutton becomes infected with them, taking a –1 penalty on saves against mind-affecting fear effects. The spores can be neutralized by effects that remove or provide immunity to disease. A cavern blanketed with glowing fungi is a warning that one has stumbled within the territory of dread gluttons, evil fey that consume dark emotions drawn from their victims. They were exiled from the First World an age ago and thereafter these fey have wriggled on cave surfaces of Nar-Voth in search of captives for their morbid fungal gardens—though they are not beyond bartering at a slave market on occasion. Dread gluttons fill their gardens with luminescent mushrooms that drain emotions out of the creatures they grow upon. Many of the gardens reside in the stalactite-city known as the Court of Ether for its dark fey inhabitants crave the blend of misery contained within the mushrooms. The most expansive garden enjoys patronage from the ruler of the city, a sadistic nymph named Queen Frilogarma. Creatures provided by the queen allow her favored dread gluttons to concentrate solely on perfecting their craft. After an emotionless husk is discarded from the garden, it sustains those with more physical appetites, such as the stirges kept by the Court.
Fate-binder
Three times per day, the fate-binder can be used to momentarily bind together the fates of those it pierces. As it is thrown, the javelin becomes ethereal and draws an intangible, golden thread out of thin air. The wielder makes a single ranged touch attack and compares the result against every creature in a 30-foot line. The magical thread links together creatures hit with the attack until the end of the wielder’s next turn, after which the thread vanishes. This attack leaves the creatures otherwise unharmed. When two or more of the linked creatures are subjected to a spell or effect that involves a saving throw—these creatures must use the lowest die result among them for that saving throw before adding modifiers. The fate-binder retakes its physical form when it returns to its wielder.
Hi, I threw together a new pre-made character and an encounter for that character for the Lost Mine of Phandelver adventure. I have six players, so I needed those for my game as well. I'll probably do some more polishing, especially on the encounter but I wanted to throw them out there anyway. Maybe they will be helpful to someone else who wants to run the starter set adventure with six players.
Scales like smoked glass cover the coiled body of this massive serpent. Something dark ripples beneath where shadows fall upon its skin. Dusk Serpent CR 4
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An affected creature is stunned for 1d2 rounds and takes 1d4 points of Strength damage while the dusk serpent heals twice that amount in hit points. At the beginning of its next turn, the serpent rises out of the shadow into an unoccupied space closest to the affected creature. That creature is immune to this ability for the rest of the combat. The save DC is Dexterity-based. Umbral Flesh (Su) The body of a dusk serpent is in flux between flesh and shadow within an area of dim light or darkness. The dusk serpent has DR 5/magic in such areas, otherwise it has no damage resistance. Slithering Darkness (Su) Three times per day, when a dusk serpent enters an area of dim light or darkness during a move action, it can appear in another such area up to 30 feet away and continue moving. The dusk serpent dissolves into shadows as it enters the area while simultaneously reforming in its destination. Misery befalls the wretched thief who dares to disturb a sanctum guarded by shadow made flesh. In the city of Katapesh, monstrous serpents from a foregone era safeguard the treasure troves of mighty sorcerers and ruthless merchant princes. Rumours abound the Nightstalls that an ancient serpentfolk manuscript holds the secrets to spawning and enthralling dusk serpents. Though rare even in Katapesh, a few of these horrors have found their way across the seas. Dusk serpents cannot reproduce naturally, but they can survive for centuries provided ample nourishment, while hibernation sustains them through brief periods of scarcity. Many a slave purchased from the Fleshfairs has been offered to sate the ravenous appetite these serpents have for warm-blooded humanoids and their vitality. The serpents thrive in chambers cast in light and shadow from which they surge at an intruder. Their 15-foot-long trunks ooze black, viscous blood when wounded, and upon death their flesh collapses away leaving nothing but skeletal remains behind.
Murktouch Cloak
Glowing filaments flow around a victim writhing in agony, as unfolding, stalk-like legs raise the oblong creature up from the mire. Miremane CR 5
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References to miremanes can be found in journals detailing the great swamps of the Mwangi Expanse. One rare account describes an expedition coming upon a sacrificial site deep within a swamp. They spent a night inside a circle of weathered stones covered with ornate petroglyphs depicting twisted humanoids in worship of a strange arthropod with slender tentacles. The account ends with a distraught tale of strange lights in the night luring people below the dark waters. Miremanes have intricate patterns running across their thick chitin plates that protect the translucent flesh beneath. Their eight segmented legs can raise them up to a height of twelve feet. However, their most striking feature is a mane of luminous filaments that extends from their abdomen. Miremanes often lurk submerged in water, observing with their three bulbous black eyes as they poise their spear-like legs to strike. Rarely, a pair of miremanes can be seen together, manes intertwining in an eerie display of luminescence.
Lonesome Rider (Gunslinger)
Gloves of the Frugal Healer
Whenever the wearer provides or receives magical healing by touch, any excess points not used in the healing are stored in the gloves. A maximum of 24 points of positive energy can be stored this way. At daybreak the stored energy dissipates from the gloves leaving them empty. As a standard action the stored energy can be released to heal the wearer or someone else by 1D6 hit points for every 6 points stored in the gloves. Alternatively as a swift action the stored energy can be used to charge a held weapon with positive energy. This charge dissipates after one minute has passed. On the next attack that hits, the weapon deals 1D6 points of extra damage to the undead for every 6 points stored in the gloves. This effect does not stack with other similar effects. Both of these actions drain the gloves of all stored energy. If the wearer is reduced to negative hit points but is not killed, she can try to activate the gloves as an immediate action by succeeding in a DC 10 Will save. She takes penalty to this roll equal to her negative hit point total.
I invented this order of paladins for my character in Carrion Crown, thought I'd post it here if someone might happen to find it interesting. The Order of the Black Rose is a loosely organized, relatively small group of Pharasman paladins based mainly around Ustalav. Their main focus is combating the undead menace that plagues Ustalav, but also evil outsiders and other evil things they happen to come upon. They don't have a clear leadership, but senior members tutor new paladins or gather when something big is about to happen. The Order has message boxes and affiliated clerics or other people in Pharasman temples. These are used to pass messages such as what members have been up to, any important information, are there any major threats that need a larger group of paladins etc. Magical communication might be used if available and especially if the need is great. Members often limit their attention to one county, but others travel across Ustalav seeking threats and going where they are needed most. There's at least one senior member in every county as a point of contact for information and when coordinated efforts are needed. Oath:
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