Native Camp
Gathered here on this dry hilltop under a twisting tree is a group of wyndm. Several patchwork tents are circled around a large cooking fire. Hounds stand and eye you warily as they catch sight of you.
The native population of this region has been forced to live nomadic lives. They travel in two-to-three-family groups, so they will be encountered in groups of 8-32. Feel free to include them if it is useful, otherwise you can omit them.
Creatures: Wyndm folk commoners (8d4), wyndm-wolves (1d4): these nomadic people are wary, as they live in this dangerous swamp, but if approached peacefully they are friendly. With a DC 15 diplomacy check they become helpful, and will offer travelers warm food and a place to rest if they like. They know the swamps well, and can give the characters accurate directions to Elsemere: follow the river upstream. Altogether half of the people in the camp are combatants, and have the stats below.
Wyndm-folk: CR 1, usually NG, commoner 2, AC: 13 (leather armor +2, dex +1) touch 11 flatfooted 12, HD: 2d4+2, HP: 9, Attack: +2 spear 1d8+2 or +2 shortbow 1d6, Fort +1, Ref +1, Will +0
Tactics: If attacked the men and women will fight with spears and shortbows, the wyndm-wolves will circle and flank and trip, while the children hide or flee into the swamps. If the battle goes badly for them, they will abandon the camp and attempt to flee into the swamp.
Treasure: if the camp is looted, roll for treasure for a CR 1 creature for each combatant in the camp.
Posted in Uncategorized and tagged Horror of the Old Ones, Wyndm by Adam A. Thompson with no comments yet.
A Cadre of Heroes
Today celebrates a very special day: July 7th 2006 marked the very first post on Claw / Claw / Bite ! Since then, we’ve posted 171 times, which means that for a year we’ve given you a new monster, spell, encounter or character to use in your D20 system fantasy games almost every other day!
To celebrate, we’re posting a new group of adventurers: a Cadre of Heroes to oppose the Iron Coven. You’ll see these characters in upcoming Unicorn Rampant adventures such as The Old Rock Tower, The Horror of the Old Ones, the Time Out of Mind Trilogy, and Annointing the Seer. Feel free to use them as NPCs in your games, or as characters when you play.
A Cadre of Heroes
These heroes are a band of friends and companions who have shared many adventures over the years. From humble beginnings, many have risen to fame, some have fallen in battle, some betrayed or turned betrayers, but the bonds of friendship tie them all together.
Over the years they have had run-ins with the Iron Coven, both in groups and singularly.
Aeonados Dy’rashe – Half-elf / half-silver dragon ranger 2
One of a clutch of 5 offspring to a silver dragon, and her lover, a powerful elven druid in the northern reaches beyond the danor mountains. Aeonados has fine, tough silver scales covering his body, vestigal wings, a short tail, and an impressive frill running from his forehead and down his neck.
Kylissa – female half elf bard 5
Terin Goldwrit – male dwarf wizard 5
Adelix – male human summoner, wizard (conjurer) 5
Galenados – Elven Knight figher 5
Tana Brae – wild elf barbarian (female)
Sithadel Veladros – wild elf barbarian / druid (male)
brother and sister
Brother Herott – half-orc priest of Kord, cleric 5
Percivin – male human paladin 5
Apeneone Tesonos – female human druid 5
Winnie Toepelt – female tallfellow halfling rogue 5
Nobinin Glamourwright – male gnome sorcerer 5
Posted in Character by Adam A. Thompson with 1 comment.
Gantonín’s Immolation
Evocation
Level: Sor/Wiz 9
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect: Ray of flame that ignites one target
Duration: 2 rounds per caster level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes
A bolt of black flame leaps from the caster’s finger and engulfs the chosen target, burning them until they are destroyed.
You must succeed at a ranged touch attack to affect the target. The ray of flames does 4d6 points of fire damage and causes the target to continue to burn for 4d6 points of fire damage per round. The flames continue to burn until the target is dead, at which point the magical fires consume the corpse and go out. If the target has not been destroyed after 2 rounds per caster level, the flames go out.
Other than dispelling the flames with dispel magic or disjunction there is no way to extinguish the magical flames short of submersion in a small lake: lesser quantities of water merely reduce the fire damage briefly. A 9th level spell with the cold descriptor targeting the victim can also be used to end the immolation.
Creature that are immune to fire damage are unaffected by this spell.
Posted in Spell and tagged sorcerer / wizard spell, sorcerer / wizard spell level 9, spell level 9 by Adam A. Thompson with no comments yet.
Cloud Chariot and Cloud Fortress
Pioneered by the wizard Malthalious the Inquisitor, these spells create magical flying clouds that can transport multiple people discreetly and in comfort.
Could Chariot
Conjuration (creation)
Level: Sor/Wiz 6, Air 6
Components: V, S
Range: Short
Effect: Cloud Chariot, 5sq ft / two levels
Duration: 1 hour/level
This spell conjures a magical flying cloud chariot that can transport multiple people. It is under the mental control of the caster, and can fly 40 ft with average maneuverability, but can also hover. When used to travel long distances, it can cover 8 miles per hour. The cloud chariot can transport one medium sized creature for every two caster levels. The chariot is 5 square ft. for every person it can transport. While the caster is not on the chariot, or is not mentally directing it (a free action), the chariot simply hovers in place, and may be moved by strong winds.
Cloud Fortress
Could Chariot
Conjuration (creation)
Level: Sor/Wiz 9, Air 9
Components: V, S
Range: Personal
Effect: Cloud Fortress, up to three 10-ft. cubes/level (S)
Duration: 1 hour/level
This spell conjures a magical flying cloud fortress that can transport and house multiple people. It is under the mental control of the caster, and can fly 40 ft with average maneuverability, but can also hover. When used to travel long distances, it can cover 8 miles per hour. The cloud fortress can accommodate creatures based on it’s layout (see below). While the caster is not on the fortress, or is not mentally directing it (a free action), the fortress simply hovers in place, and may be moved by strong winds.
The fortress may have any design the caster wishes, up to the limits of the spell’s effect: three 10-ft cubes / caster level. The fortress is furnished and contains sufficient foodstuffs to serve a nine-course banquet to a dozen people per caster level. A staff of near-transparent servants (as many as two per caster level), liveried and obedient, wait upon all who enter. The servants function as unseen servant spells except that they are visible and can go anywhere in the fortress.
This spell can be made permanent with a Permanency spell at a cost of 5000 xp.
Posted in Uncategorized and tagged air domain, sorcerer / wizard spell, spell level 6, spell level 9 by Adam A. Thompson with no comments yet.
Phantasmal Pommel
Created by Terin Goldwrit the dwarven artifacer for the use of his companion Galenados the elven knight, this pommel summons a phontom steed for up to 9 hours a day. These hours do not have to be continuous, but it takes 10 minutes for the steed to coalesce out of slowly gathering mists. Once summoned, it is quite useful for a full day’s travel or for riding into battle.
The ghostly horse has the following stats:
- AC of 18 (-1 size, +4 natural armor, +5 Dex)
- 16 hit points: If it loses all its hit points, the phantom steed disappears.
- Speed of 180 feet. The mount can ride over sandy, muddy, or even swampy ground without difficulty or decrease in speed.
- The horse cannot attack.
- It can bear its rider’s weight plus up to 90 pounds
Moderate conjuration; craft wonderous item, phantom steed; CL 9th; 1 lbs, 9,720 gold
Posted in Magic Item and tagged saddle, wondrous item by Adam A. Thompson with no comments yet.
Magedust
The invention of Nazur Tscheryn, the original version of this spell component can be added to many spells to extend their duration. It can also have other, stranger, properties when used with certain spells, similar to wild effects. For the most part this has the effect of extending the spell cast as though the caster had used the Extend Spell feat, thereby doubling the duration of the spell cast.
When using magedust, spells take a full round to cast, unless the spell’s casting time is longer than a standard action, in which case the spell’s casting time is unchanged.
The idea of supplementing material components has spread throughout the arcane community, leading to much experimentation. For the original version, mages tend to mix magedust using equal parts saltpeter, magnesium, sulfurous ash, though there are countless variations, some of which have other metamagical effects, such as extending the range and area of effect.
For a gram of magedust, it usually costs 100 gold coins, or 50 gold coins to make it yourself, depending on the individual recipe. The search is on to find cheaper alternatives to bring about the same effects. In all cases, craft alchemy checks can be used to create magedust for half the market prices listed below.
Enough magedust to extend up to a 3rd level spell costs 100 gold to buy. To extend up to a 6th level spell, 250 gold worth of mage dust must be used. And to extend up to a ninth level spell, 500 gold worth of magedust must be used.
Posted in Magic Item and tagged spell component, wondrous item by Adam A. Thompson with no comments yet.
Blades of Glass
Researched for years by Malthalious the Inquisitive in an attempt to craft the ultimate weapon, eventually he invented a difficult and costly alchemical process through which an amalgam of diamond and adamantium is created. When used for the blade of a weapon, this material holds an edge keener than any other. Additionally the blades have a transparent quality: they appear to be made from glass or crystal of some type, with wide variations in hue and clarity depending on the quality of the work and imperfections in the materials.
Properties of weapons with Blades of Glass
- Have the Keen property, though they are not magical
- Must be masterwork, and cost an additional 5,000 gold to produce
- Have a hardness of 3, much lower than steel or wood, and so are vulnerable to being sundered. Blades of Glass have 20 HP per inch of thickness, so a light blade has 1 HP, a one-handed blade has 3 HP, and a two-handed blade has 6 HP.
- A DC 40 craft: metalworking and spellcraft check is required to produce the material
Posted in Equipment and tagged special material, weapon by Adam A. Thompson with no comments yet.
Aeonados Dy’rashe
One of a clutch of 5 offspring to a silver dragon, and her lover, a powerful elven druid in the northern reaches beyond the Danor Mountains. Aeonados has fine, tough silver scales covering his body, vestigial wings, a short tail, and an impressive frill running from his forehead and down his neck. He and his siblings were pushed out of the nest at a young age (60 or so), as is typical for dragons. In the fifty years since he has wandered the wild lands on the north shore of the soral sea, until meeting and becoming fast friends with Winnie (as she fled the law), who he is teaching about the ways of the wild lands, as he knows nothing of the cities.
Aeonados Dy’rashe, half silver dragon/half elf ranger 2
NG Medium-Size dragon
Init +4
AC 25 (touch 15, flat-foot 21 )
HP 17 (HD 2d8+2)
Immunities: cold, sleep and paralysis
Resistances: +2 vs enchantment or charm
SV Fort +5, Ref +8, Will +2
Spd 30 ft
Attack: mw. greatsword +7 (2d6+6) or longbow +7 (1d8+5)
Attack Options: point blank shot(+1/+1 at less than 30′), breath weapon (30′ cone of cold, 6d8, reflex DC 11 half)
Space / Reach: 5ft. / 5ft.
Base Attack: +2 Grapple: +6
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 19, Con 12, Int 11, Wis 12, Cha 14.
Skills: sp:30 +4 handle animal, +3 heal, knowledge +1 dungeoneering, +1 geography, +2 nature, +8 listen, +8 spot, +4 search, +8 survival, +6 swim, common, elven, draconic,
Feats: Track, Point Blank Shot, (Rapid Shot).
Special Qualities: Immune to cold, sleep and paralysis, +2 vs enchantment or charm, low-light vision, favored enemy (magical beast), wild empathy, breath weapon (30′ cone of cold, 6d8, reflex DC 11 half), darkvision 60′, archery combat style.
Possessions: +1 mighty (+4 str) composite longbow, 20 arrows, +2 chain shirt, masterwork greatsword, 3 potions cure light wounds, potion of sanctuary, cloak of resistance +1, ring of protection +1, 845 gp, backpack, bedroll, waterskin, 5 days ratons.
Posted in 3rd edition Dungeons & Dragons / d20 fantasy / Pathfinder, Character, Creature by Adam A. Thompson with no comments yet.
Mage Hand of Athenetos
This hand belonged to Athenetos of the Spider-Priests, a drow wizard of great power. When he was slain by Barael his daemonic familiar whisked his corpse to safety and eventually sold it to Oxceros, an yugoloth arcanaloth. Oxceros pried all the secrets he could from the body via necromantic magic, and then used the left hand to create this Mage Hand. He used it for some time before trading it to Belo Adukar, a dwarven mage along with knowledge of some powerful spells in exchange for a pledge of service and devotion. On Belo’s death it passed out of history into the mortal world. DC 40 knowledge arcana, history or planes reveals this history.
The mage hand is in a glass and crystal requilary, which is inscribed with the name Athenetos. When held it functions as a rod of maxamizing metamagic allowing the wielder to spontaneously maximize up to three spells of up to sixth level each day. Additionally it can be used to cast spectral hand 1/day and a maximized touch of idiocy 3 / day. These effects are at caster level 17, 3 and 9 respectively.
This mage hand is worth 104,760 gold. It and it’s box weigh 8 pounds.
Posted in Magic Item and tagged mage hand, relic, wondrous item by Adam A. Thompson with no comments yet.
Naahaogo Hunter and Warrior
Presented below are a two examples of the Naahaogo people that players might encounter in their mountainous homes. The first is a experienced hunter, who might just be a provider for his tribe, or might be specialized in stalking the arctic’s Ice Kobolds, or fighting off encroaching human settlers. The second is a warrior, such as might defend the tribe in times of trouble.
Naahaogo Hunter CR 3
Naahaogo ranger 3
neutral with chaotic tendencies Size Medium humanoid
Init: +3 Senses: Listen +6, Spot +6
Languages: Naahaogo
AC: 16 (+3 dex, +3 armor) touch 13, flatfooted 16
HP: 20 (HD 3d8+6)
Fort: +5 Ref: +6 Will: +2
MV: 30 ft.
Attack: longspear +5 (1d8+2 / 20 x3) or longbow +8 (1d8 / 20 x3)
Attack Options: Rapid Shot: longbow +6 / +6 (1d8 / 20 x3)
Space / Reach: 5 ft. / 5 ft.
Base Attack: +3 Grapple: +4
Abilities Str 14 Dex 16 Con 14 Int 8 Wis 12 Cha 7
SA: Favored Enemy (Animal or Ice Kobolds or Humanoids (human)), wild empathy
Feats: Rapid Shot, Track, Dodge, Endurance, Precise Shot, Mobility
Skills: 30 Climb +7, Hide +8, Jump +7, Listen +6, Move Silently +8, Spot +6.
Possessions: studded leather, masterwork longbow, 10 masterwork arrows, longspear, potion of cure light wounds, malachite and silver bracers and necklace worth 500 gold.
Naahaogo Warrior CR 1
Naahaogo warrior 2
neutral with chaotic tendencies Size Medium humanoid
Init: +1 Senses: Listen +0, Spot +0
Languages: Naahaogo
AC: 14 (+3 armor, +1 dex) touch 11, flatfooted 13
HP: 11 (HD 2d8+2)
Fort: +4 Ref: +1 Will: +0
MV: 20 ft.
Attack: greatsword +3 (2d6 + 1 / 19-20 x 2) or spear +3 (1d6 +3)
Space / Reach: 5 ft. / 5 ft.
Base Attack: +2 Grapple: +3
Abilities Str 13 Dex 12 Con 13 Int 6 Wis 10 Cha 8
Feats: dodge
Skills: Ballance +6, Climb +7, Jump +7
Possessions: hide armor, greatsword and spear.
Tactics: These warriors will try to use their home terrain to their advantage, fighting defensive actions and using their excellent jumping and climbing abilities to secure high ground and make their oponnents approach them over dangerous ground.
Posted in 3rd edition Dungeons & Dragons / d20 fantasy / Pathfinder, Character, Creature and tagged Naahaogo by Adam A. Thompson with no comments yet.