Monday, January 25, 2016

Llama (D&D 5th Edition)

Llamas are even-mannered camelids, often raised by halflings as livestock, pack animals, and mounts. Because of their relatively small size and skill in navigating rough terrain, these animals are valued by adventurers for dungeoneering. Llamas shy away from combat, preferring to use their Spit ability to blind an attacker while they run away. They can be trained to spit on command, and llama spitting contents are popular events at many halfling festivals.


Llama
Medium beast, unaligned


AC: 12
HP: 7 (1d8+2)
Speed: 40 ft.


STR: 13 (+1), DEX: 14 (+2), CON: 15 (+2), INT: 2 (-4), WIS: 12 (+1), CHA: 7 (-2)


Skills: Athletics +3
Senses: Passive Perception 11
Languages: -
Challenge: 1/8 (25 xp)


Beast of Burden: The llama is considered to be a Large animal for the purpose of determining its carrying capacity.


Sure-Footed: The llama has advantage on Strength and Dexterity saving throws made against effects that would knock it prone.


ACTIONS
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 2 (1d4) piercing damage

Spit (Recharge 5-6). The llama chooses a target within 10 feet of it. That target must make a DC 12 Dexterity Save or be blinded for 1d4 rounds.

Saturday, January 9, 2016

Eresh'Ka (a literally dead language)

Eresh’Ka
Eresh’Ka is the ancient secret language of the undead, created by the long-forgotten gods of the Neverborn. Knowledge of this language is gifted upon a creature in the infinite moment when it receives the Bleak Apotheosis of undeath. All undead, despite their mortal origins or heritage, know this language. Even non-sapient undead like skeletons and  zombies understand Eresh’Ka. The language has been compared to the echo an empty tomb, the shifting of charnel ashes, and the groaning of unhallowed earth. 

Ambitious mortals might learn Eresh’Ka from an undying patron or the ancient ghoul-hide tomes of Ur. Finding such a resource is not easy, but once the mortal has access to the language, they can learn it using the normal rules for learning a new language. (For D&D 5th Edition, this means taking the Linguist feat or spending time and money. The money buys exotic psychotropic compounds used to make the mind pliable enough to contemplate the tongue of the dead.)

Learning Eresh’Ka does not leave the mortal unchanged. As they study and contemplate the blasphemous language, the subtle touch of the Neverborn tortures their corpus, permanently reducing the mortal’s Constitution score 1. However, their Wisdom score also permanently increases by 1, as their mind is further opened to forbidden truths of the universe.

It should be noted that knowledge of Eresh’Ka does not give the mortal any special influence over the undead.

Friday, January 8, 2016

Pumpkin Knight (D&D 5th Edition Monster)

And we're back. We moved into a new house right after Gencon, and that was quickly followed up a record busy season at work. Consequentially, I've been away from the blog for a few months. That's all done now.

So, here's a monster that's been tormenting the heroes in my D&D game.

Pumpkin Knights are fey proto-creatures bound into suits of enchanted black plate armor. A flickering green witch-light glows within the jack-o-lantern that serves as the creature's head. These fey beings are often mistaken for constructs or even plant creatures.

Pumpkin Knights are created by the Archfey. They are often used as shock troopers by the Psychedelic Overlords and the armies of the Autumn Court. On the Prime, Pumpkin Knights are sometimes summoned to serve warlocks with pacts to the Archfey. They are often attracted to earthly locations thick with wicked sylvan magic.

Pumpkin Knight
Medium Fey, Neutral Evil

Armor Class: 18 (plate armor)
Hit Points: 85 (10d8+30)
Speed: 30 ft.

STR: 18 (+4), DEX: 12 (+1), CON: 16 (+3), INT: 8 (-1), WIS: 12 (+1), CHA: 16 (+3)

Saving Throws: Constitution +5, Charisma +5
Skills: Athletics +6, Perception +3
Condition Immunities: Charmed, Poisoned
Damage Immunities: Fire, Poison
Senses: Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 13
Languages: Sylvan, Abyssal
Challenge: 4 (1,100 xp)

Innate Spellcasting. The Pumpkin Knight's spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 13). The Pumpkin Knight can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

1/day each: Fear, Invisibility, Tasha's Uncontrollable Laughter

Not of This Earth. If a Pumpkin Knight dies on a plane other than the Feywild, its body, along with all its weapons and armor, instantly falls to ashes and burnt leaves.

Actions
Flaming Greatsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6+4) slashing damage plus 5 (1d10) fire damage.

Fire Breath (Recarge 5-6). After making a successful melee attack, the Pumpkin Knight exhales fire on that same target as a Bonus Action. The target makes a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw, taking 14 (4d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.