Raglan’s Journal 30

Having had a busy morning with two ancient dragons and more, we rested for the rest of the day, not feeling able to do any other good in the war effort in the day. I passed the day in the library, falling asleep on my books. Realizing I wasn’t going to learn any more that day, I returned to my room for the night.

Making Common Monsters Bosses

Especially at low levels, it can be difficult to find monsters that feel like a boss encounter. Dragon wyrmlings, dire wolves, goblins bosses and other such creatures can go a long way as bosses, but to players who have played at higher levels many times, some of these enemies are creatures they have met many times. What’s worse, they don’t have the legendary or lair actions that make a creature feel like a boss to experienced players.

Improved equipment (including common magical items), legendary actions, and lair actions can be added to appropriate CR creatures to make them a greater challenge and familiar as a boss creature. Consider these options:

Haven: Cave of Eyes

On November 9th, Year 5, a party of Citadel House Adventurers decides to make one final pass that the shaft tomb near satyr lands. Most of them have been there before once or twice:

• Rovert (TrS): Level 13 Human Necromancer
  • Drej, Level 5 Psuedodragon Familiar
  • Zengiff, Talking Rock
  • Skeletal Elf Eater, Level 5 Skeleton
• Stephen (EnS): Level 4 Human Thief
  • Animus, Level 1 Hawk Animal Companion
• Mark (JaH): Level 4 Halfling Thief
• Carl “Sir Mage-a-lot” Shivenleaf (CoS): Level 1 Elf Magic-user (Mind and Illusion)

They arrive at the tomb near sunset and immediately enter, killing a handful of giant rats that have returned to the entry level, clearing out a room of brown bold they had previously left, and burning the single giant spider remaining in the shaft below. Rovert teleports them to the bottom of the shaft.

Primordial Frontier S17: Beaten to the Punch

Immediately after Rathdar’s bat form is struck down by the dark raptor, the toad-like creatures attack all around the rest of the party.

• Rathdar (ByW): Level 6 Human Vampire (23) Cleric of Vardor
• Bilbil (RiH): Level 6/5/1 Harpy (16) Thief/Alchemist/Technician
• Amhran (BiW): Level 6 Fey “Pucca” (10) Cleric of Emedia
  • Clarence: Level 11 Four-armed Skeleton Gunner with Revolvers
  • Mazur: Level 9 Dead Lord
  • Level 1 and Level 2 Trackers

Bilbil, Seradal, and Amhran’s undead open fire, picking off a few of them, while Amhran casts spells that kill or wound large swaths of them and scare other away. Rathdar strikes at the shadowy bird with his sword of light and scores a critical hit and impressive damage roll, instantly destroying it in a burst of light that demoralizes the toad creatures (they worship the shadow birds).

Haven: The Windmill Mystery Solved

On November 2nd, Year 5, Rovert decides to return to the mysterious windmill in the South of the Vale where ghosts have been sighted many times but he has previously been unable to find anything undead. With the earth magics learned from Ovomoda’s acolytes (especially stone-penetrating vision), Rovert hopes to be able to solve the mystery.

• Rovert (TrS): Level 12 Human Necromancer
  • Drej, Level 5 Psuedodragon Familiar
  • Zengiff, Talking Rock
  • Skeletal Elf Eater, Level 5 Skeleton

Upon arriving at the windmill, he casts his stone-penetrating vision spell on Drej, allowing him to see the shape of the old windmill tower interior. Upon entering he finds it stinks and hasn’t been cleaned. He checks a closet they have searched before and finds a gold statue, gold bracer, and gold coins. He hears something on the stairs a massive, enraged troll attacks.

Haven: Trick and Treat

On October 27th, Year 5, having heard some reports of goods going missing in Aithreachas and Iron Fields the day before, Citadel House adventurers awaken to find some of their more precious equipment missing. Notes written in a language they don’t recognize have replaced their items, but one written in elvish says: “The moon darkens. Before it smiles again, what’s not found will be ours.” A party assembles to go after the items:

• Stephen (EnS): Level 4 Human Thief
  • Animus, Level 1 Hawk Companion
• Q (TrS): Level 4 Human Thief
• Earl “the Lash” Nigell (WaB): Level 4/3 Human Fighter/Tinker
• Jeff (JaH): Level 2 Elf Magic-user
• Marvin (CoB): Level 1 Human Monk
• Polly (MiM): Level 1 Dwarf Brawler

They split into two groups, Stephen and Q making haste to reach Aithreachas not long after dark while the others plan to spend the night in Iron Fields, these two towns being the seeming origin of the missing items. They try to stay in contact using the communication devices found in the mass grave near Timberford, but they fail when the lead party is just a little outside of Confluence.

Biweekly Item-Blood Drinker

Blood Drinker
Weapon (Greatsword), legendary (requires attunement)
You gain a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this sword. The sword gains additional powers for 14 days after being bathed in the blood of certain magical creatures.

Planet Mercenary Kids 3: Gilligan

While searching for work on the Hypernet, Lizzie finds a job rescuing people stranded on a station in the Pereri near Oceanic 815. They agree for a little to help for pretty limited pay and teraport to the ring where flight control points them to the station where their client is stranded.

Haven: On the Road

On October 26th, Year 5, Rovert travels alone to search along the Great Road for anything of interest.

• Rovert (TrS): Level 12 Human Necromancer
  • Drej, Level 5 Psuedodragon Familiar
  • Zengiff, Talking Rock
  • Skeletal Elf Eater, Level 5 Skeleton

While camping by the road Wednesday, Rovert spots some bugbears creeping along the far side and attacks them, falling into their ambush but destroying them quickly. Later in the day he witnesses an encounter between a Union of Schek patrol and Schek Tarifk hunting party. While camping he witnesses several large flying creatures, including giant eagles, flying above the great road.

Biweekly Monster-Plague Matriarch

Touched by Immortality. Elves are known to be long-lived, but there were those of their ilk who lived long enough to strive for immortality. With centuries to study, some of them came to viable solutions for the problem of death that plagued their older colleagues. These solutions always came at a cost, turning the beneficiary into a monster and almost always driving them mad.

Command of Creeping Things. The plague matriarch—in addition to immortality, an impenetrable carapace, and great strength—gained power over snakes and insects.

Plague Matriarch
Large monstrosity, lawful evil
Armor Class: 18 (natural armor)
Hit Points: 287 (25d10+150)
Speed: 30 ft., fly 20 ft. (hover), swim 30 ft.