Posts

• Feb 6, 2023

  Let's Read Threats to the Nentir Vale: Mooncalf

  

  This post is part of a series! Click here to see the others.

  This was the first time I saw these monsters, but it looks like they first appeared in Heart of Nightfang Spire, one of the modules in the official Third Edition adventure path.

  The Lore

  Mooncalves are creatures native to the Far Realm with innate dimensional travel powers. They look like giant bat-winged eyeless squids. Their life cycle is a mystery, but it seems to include regular trips to the middle world, where they spend a few weeks nesting at the top of a mountain or hill, hunting by night and resting by day. The Nentir Vale has a lot of mountains and hills, so they often end up there.

  These creatures travel in groups of 2-5 individuals known as “grasps”, and arrive at the middle world roughly every 8 years. They’re not picky about their food and will hunt whatever is available. They do like the flesh of humanoids and their cattle, so if “what’s available” is a village that place will be in serious trouble while the incursion lasts, and might end up getting abandoned or decimated.

  Nerathi sages knew how to predict mooncalf incursions with great accuracy, but the knowledge has been lost. All that’s left are the stories of past incursions. Of how Hammerfast was once tormented by a single individual of prodigious size and appetite, or how a hunter was accidentally saved from being eaten by a manticore when a mooncalf appeared and ate the beast instead.

  The most popular mooncalf vacation spot, however, is Thunderspire. The things just love the permanent storm at its top, and descend from it to hunt in the surrounding region.

  These creatures are intelligent but alien. They can communicate via telepathy but only those who know Deep Speech can even begin to understand their thought patterns. What they can understand ends up being mostly about killing and eating. They will definitely talk to each other and set up clever ambushes for prey, however, using psychic powers to lure their victims into the reach of their tentacles, or to conjure small localized storms.

  The Numbers

  Mooncalves are Large Aberrant Magical Beasts, with Resistance to Lightning and Thunder 10. They also have Darkvision, so I guess they’re not eyeless after all. Their ground speed is 6 and their flight speed is 8.

  Their signature trait is Tentacle Snare, which lets them pull all grabbed creatures with them when moving.

  Mooncalf

  The base model, who makes up those grasps of 2-5. It’s a Level 10 Controller with 112 HP.

  The mooncalf’s basic attack is a Reach 4 tentacle rake, and it can use Tentacle Grab to do a little less damage and grab the victim. The monster can have up to 2 grabbed victims, and can release a victim as a free action. The escape DC is 18, and grabbed victims take 5 ongoing damage while the grab lasts.

  These tentacle attacks can’t target victims who are already grabbed. Instead, the mooncalf can use Vile Bite on them, which deal physical damage and prevent the target from spending healing surges for a turn.

  The mooncalf’s psychic powers are both minor actions. Lure is a ranged attack that targets Will and pulls the target up to 5 squares on a hit. Stormwrack is an encounter power that creates a fireball-sized zone which deals 10 lightning and thunder damage to anyone caught inside. It lasts a turn but can be sustained with further minor actions.

  Mooncalf Harvester

  Rarely, a mooncalf will present a peculiar mutation that gives it teleportation powers instead of weather control. Harvesters are Level 10 Skirmishers with 107 HP.

  Their physical abilities are all identical to the base model, but instead of Lure and Stormwrack they have Teleport, an encounter power that lets them teleport 10 squares and take all grabbed victims with them.

  Mooncalf Sire

  A mooncalf that managed to grow to a prodigious size and spawn progeny. It will usually be found in the company of that progeny, a group of three or so standard mooncalves.

  Sires are Huge in size, and are Level 12 Elite Controllers with 262 HP. They have the same physical attacks as a standard specimen: Tentacle Rake, Tentacle Grab, and Vile Bite. The main different is that they are Reach 6 instead of 4, and are generally more effective due to the beast’s higher level. The sire can use Double Attack to perform any combination of two of these attacks with one standard action.

  Sires also have Lure, and their weather control abilities take the form of two different encounter powers. Call Lightning is an attack that targets enemies in a Close Blast 5, does lightning damage and slows for a turn. Fury of the Storm is an interrupt that triggers when the sire is bloodied, and causes it to project an aura (1) that deals 10 lightning and thunder damage to enemies caught inside. This lasts for the rest of the encounter.

  Mooncalf Rogue

  Sometimes, a mooncalf is separated from its kin. These loners might team up with other creatures capable of understanding them, such other aberrant monsters or mortal spellcasters with strong connections to the Far Realm. These use standard stat blocks. A rogue is something else.

  Mooncalf rogues are outcasts among their kind and are adamant in their desire to remain alone. They attack even other mooncalves who trespass upon their territories. The isolation, or perhaps something they do to themselves, causes them to grow far beyond the size of a standard mooncalf, and to develop powers not seen among those more gregarious individuals.

  These creatures are also Huge in size, and are Level 15 Solo Soldiers with 620 HP. They have two additional traits: Psychic Veil makes them invisible to creatures more than 6 squares away from it, and Superior Brain ends any dazing or stunning effects on them at the start of their turn.

  Their Tentacle Rake is upgraded to a Tentacle Slam that also knocks prone on a hit. The other two attacks are the same, with bigger damage and Reach 6 instead of 4. Multiattack lets the rogue perform three melee attacks against different targets with the same action.

  They can call up a Windwrack aura as a minor action (recharge 5+). This lasts a turn, prevents any creatures inside from shifting, and knocks them prone if they end their turns inside. If an enemy escapes the rogue’s grab, it can react with a Tentacle Flurry that lets it attack every enemy in a Close Burst 1.

  If you can see this thing at all, it can reach you with its tentacles. I guess they would typically try to grab a couple of PCs and fly away to eat in peace, but it’s also excellent at playing a more traditional soldier role and protecting squishy artillery from PCs.

  Final Impressions

  Delightfully weird and horrific, and an excellent out-of-context problem to throw at the PCs when they’re busy dealing with something else. They go somewhere to face a more mundane threat, and suddenly discover it’s mooncalf season.

  Rogues work very well as the Thing From Beyond that a Far Realm cult might be trying to summon. They’re threats on par with an adult dragon or a titan, but are completely impervious to negotiation.

• Feb 3, 2023

  Let's Read Threats to the Nentir Vale: Mages of Saruun

  

  Another faction pulled from the Thunderspire Labyrinth module.

  The Lore

  Thunderspire Mountain is a famous landmark in the Vale, a lone mountain whose peak is shrouded by a permanent storm. In the Vale’s distant past, a minotaur civilization build an underground city beneath it, and named that city Saruun Khel. They thrived there until the worship of Torog began spreading among its inhabitants.

  This angered their official patron, the demon lord Baphomet, who cast a curse over the whole city that made his worshipers enter a homicidal berserker rage. Saruun Khel fell in short order as its inhabitants tore each other apart.

  About twenty years ago, the ruins of the city were discovered by three mages who were interested in finding a reliable route to the Underdark. They found it there and moved in, establishing their headquarters inside a building known as the Tower of Saruun.

  The mages were as interested in trade and diplomacy with the Underdark as they were in its mystical secrets, so they turned Saruun Khel’s city square into a trading post known as the Seven-Pillared Hall. The hall is open to trade delegations and enclaves from both the surface and the Underdark, and is one of the few places in the world where civilizations from both of these realms have regular peaceful contact.

  That doesn’t mean the place isn’t dangerous, however. Big stuff like theft and murder is forbidden, and the mages enforce that very vigorously, but there are few other hard-and-fast rules. The mages take turns playing the role of Ordinator Arcanis, a mage with a black cloak and a golden mask that teleports in to solve any disputes or rule breaches that happen here. They use powerful divination and scrying magic to quickly get to the truth of the matter, and usually blast the offending party into atoms, or sic one of Saruun Khel’s ancient minotaur-shaped bronze constructs on them.

  The three original founders eventually brought in colleagues and apprentices to join their order. Then they disappeared into the Tower of Saruun and were never seen again. The cycle has repeated itself a few times since then, so the current crop of Mages is a few generations removed from those founders. No one knows what happened to those disappeared mages, and the mages themselves ain’t telling. Some claim there have only ever been three mages who keep disguising themselves as new people, others talk about a mage civil war that happened in the Tower, and some who have journeyed from the deep Underdark whisper of surface mortals who have gone down there and learned the forbidden secrets of the primordials and the deep gods.

  The Numbers

  The Mages of Saruun contained in this entry are at an early to mid Paragon power level, significantly stronger than the ones from Thunderspire Labyrinth. If I remember correctly, the ones you see in the adventure are all low-ranking members who are the only ones available while the more senior mages are out. These would be those senior mages.

  Saruun Apprentice

  Apprentices are fairly weak, so I’m guessing they only fight in self defense and are not directly involved with keeping the peace in the Seven-Pillared Hall. They’re Level 8 Minion Controllers.

  Apprentices know how to use a dagger, and they can cast an at-will Ice Patch spell that knocks the target prone on a hit. The spell only does damage on a critical hit, in which case it also immobilizes the target for a turn.

  Saruun Bat

  The aggressive bats that make this cave system their home are often used as familiars by the Mages. These Tiny Natural Beasts are Level 10 Minion Skirmishers with a ground speed of 2 and a flight speed of 6 (hover).

  Saruun Bats can See the Unseen, which act as an aura (1) that prevents enemies inside from benefiting from any concealment. They lack a basic attack, but can make at-will Shrieking Dives that let them fly their speed and make an attack at any point along the movement. On a hit, this deals thunder damage and inflicts a -2 to-hit penalty for a turn.

  If an enemy damages an ally of the bat that’s in the same space or adjacent, the bat can use its Shielding Familiar encounter power as an interrupt. It makes the ally take only half damage, and drops the bat to 0 HP.

  Mage of Saruun

  This is a fully trained Mage of Saruun, likely one of those who currently run things in the Seven-Pillared Hall. They’re a Level 12 Controller with 116 HP. Their basic attack is a quarterstaff blow that deals physical damage on a hit and slides 1 square as an effect. They can cast Empowered Magic Missiles as basic ranged attacks, which hit automatically, deal a flat 10 force damage, and push 2 squares. They can also cast Noxious Shroud spells, which attack a Close Blast 3, deal poison damage, and create a damaging zone that lasts for a turn.

  Their encounter spell is Cloying Flames, basically a fireball that also immobilizes and deals ongoing fire damage. This deals half damage on a miss and recharges when the mage is first bloodied.

  The staff and magic missile attack are a little weak for the mage’s level, which is compensated by the fact that they always either hit or do something interesting. Still, you want to pair them with things that do more damage, such as those described by our next entry.

  Bronze Warder

  The famous construct guards of the Seven-Pillared Hall, originally build by the extinct minotaur civilization and refurbished by the Mages of Saruun. At least one of those accompanies every mage when they make a public appearance, and they’re often employed as enforcers by the Ordinator Arcanis. They look like big bronze minotaurs.

  Warders are Large Natural Animates and Level 10 Elite Soldiers with 168 HP. They have a ground speed of 5 and their Ponderous gait means they can’t shift, but their Inexorable Movement allows them to enter the spaces of Medium or Small enemies.

  Warders fight with Greataxes that damage and mark for a turn on a hit, and they can make Double Attacks. They can also Rampage, which lets them move 3 squares and knock down any enemy whose space they move through. At the end of the movement they make an axe attack that’s about 50% stronger.

  Warders are linked to rune-covered control amulets, and consider the bearer of the amulet to be their master. When they’re within 2 squares of that master, they can use an interrupt to take half the damage of any attack directed at the master (who still takes the other half).

  Saruun Underdark Adept

  A mage who focuses more on those forbidden Underdark secrets than on traditional arcane magic. This is dangerous and a bit unhealthy. Adepts are Level 10 Artillery with 79 HP.

  Their basic attack is a Reach 2 Shadow Whip that deals light physical damage on a hit and slides 1 square as an effect. They can cast Darkfire Bolts that do fire and necrotic damage. Unlike magic missiles, these require an attack roll but crit on a roll of 18-20, weakening the target when they do so (save ends). Their big spell is a Corrupting Ray that deals heavy necrotic damage and blinds (save ends). It does half damage on a miss and recharges when the adept is first bloodied.

  They can also cast Force Shield as a minor action, becoming immune to ranged and area attacks for a turn. This recharges when they take damage from one of those attacks.

  Warped Mage of Saruun

  A mage who dug too greedily, and too deep. The order sees this as a fail state and is usually careful to avoid such a fate. When it does happen, they try to deal with the result, which might involve discreetly asking for outside help. Warped mages are Medium Aberrant Humanoids and Level 14 Elite Brutes with 346 HP.

  Their basic attack is a Reach 3 Shadow Tentacle that deals physical damage and grabs on a hit (escape DC 21). When a creature fails to escape the grab it takes 10 damage.

  They can also use at-will Tentacle Lashes to attack enemies in a Close Blast 3, damaging and knocking them prone on a hit. Once per encounter they can use a Psychic Burst to attack enemies in a Close Burst 2, dealing psychic damage and dazing on a hit (save ends). A good power for when they’re surrounded.

  When a warped mage is stunned or defeated, they undergo a process of Arcane Release. The energies attack a Close Burst 2 deal damage with four types: cold, fire, lightning and thunder. They also deal half damage on a miss.

  Final Impressions

  As mentioned above, the mages’ damage on their at-wills is a bit on the low side, so they really need some beefy bodyguards.

  Thunderspire Labyrinth has plenty of details about stories that can happen in the Seven-Pillared Hall and the subterranean complexes that link to it. The Blackfang gnolls feature prominently there as well. The mages from this entry would probably be a distant and vaguely threatening presence until the PCs reach their power level.

  And of course, things would get mighty interesting around the Hall if the Hunter Spiders ever learned that it leads to a reliable route into the Underdark.

• Feb 1, 2023

  Let's Read Threats to the Nentir Vale: Iron Circle

  This post is part of a series! Click here to see the others.

  This is another Vale-specific faction, one with strong ties to a published adventure.

  The Lore

  

  The Iron Circle is a large band of evil mercenaries whose main base operation lies south of the Nentir Vale in the city of Sarthel. They’re led by a man named Lord Vhennyk and are faithful worshipers of Asmodeus. As an organization their ultimate goal is to conquer the world in the name of Hell. Given what we’ve read about devils and Hell in past projects, that likely makes them the militarized faction in the Vale most deserving of the label “fascist”.

  Vhennyk wishes to conquer the Vale as part of his overall world domination goal, and has begun sending his forces to the barony of Harkenwold, near the Vale’s southern border, likely because he believes it to be especially vulnerable.

  Vhennyk himself remains far away in Sarthel. He’s delegating this invasion to Nazin Redthorn, one of his captains. Redthorn is recently arrived at the Vale and has been tasked with stepping up operations and upgrading the espionage campaign the Circle has on Harkenwold into an overt invasion. Val Esed is the spymaster in charge of the current efforts, and she’s been feeding information on the Vale’s inhabitants and defenses to the Circle for a while now.

  The Iron Circle is the major antagonist in the Reavers of Harkenwold two-part adventure that comes with the Dungeon Master’s Kit boxed set. The Kit was the main GMing aid for the Essentials line, and was sold at the same time as Threats. This book really wants you to get that box, so it avoids spoilers for Reavers and recommends you to leave the named leaders out of any home-grown adventures until you can buy and read it (cha-ching!).

  The Iron Circle is shown here as it was shortly before the start of Reavers, so they’re still mostly focused on spying and reconnaissance, moving discreetly in small groups and avoiding openly showing their symbols. Soldiers openly wearing their colors are known mostly as slightly creepy foreign mercenaries. Their spying does not restrict itself to Harkenwold, but also touches upon the elves of Harken forest (whether they belong to Harken’s Heart or not) and on the Daggerburg Goblins.

  The Circle’s spellcasters all use infernal magic, and have a particular affinity for summoning Tar Devils. These creatures are so named because they constantly secrete tar from their skins, and they love acting as guards and extra muscle for Circle detachments. They usually wear little clothing and use exotic weapons.

  The Numbers

  We get stats here for all the types of unit that make up the Iron Circle’s roster, but as mentioned before the book avoids statting up important named NPCs that have roles in Reavers.

  The majority of the Circle’s mortal agents are human, but sympathetic people from other races are also accepted as members. You can use any other stat blocks from the MMs (humans, elves, dwarves, other species) as members of the circle. Circle members have no common traits, so you don’t need to do much reskinning for them.

  Tar Devils are Medium Immortal Humanoids with Fire Resistance 10 and Acid Vulnerability 5. Maybe acid interacts badly with the tar?

  Iron Circle Brigand

  

  The most basic and numerous soldier of the Circle uses this stat block. As the name implies, they’re definitely not above engaging in a little banditry. These are Level 1 Soldiers with 28 HP. They’re well-equipped with scale armor, shield, mace, crossbow and a fancy black cloak with the Circle’s emblem (a circle made of chains) embroidered on it.

  The mace and crossbow provide the soldier with basic melee and ranged attacks. They can also use the mace to Drive Back an enemy, dealing the same damage as a basic attack, pushing the target 1 square, and shifting 1 square to follow. Their Relentless Assault trait acts as an aura (1) that deals 3 damage to any enemy inside that makes an attack that doesn’t target the brigand.

  Brigands probably like to gang up on defenders and melee strikers, since most of those PCs’ attacks are single-target and will trigger Relentless Assault on all the other brigands not targeted.

  Iron Circle Dark Adept

  This infernalist spellcaster is a Level 3 Controller with the Leader keyword and 46 HP. They fight in melee with a Dark Dagger that deals fire damage and slides 3 squares on a hit. At range they can use an area attack named Dark Tendrils that deals fire damage, slows, and makes targets grant combat advantage for a turn. It’s not selective, so it can cause friendly fire incidents.

  The adept’s leaderly power is Dark Imperative, a minor action that recharges when they’re first bloodied. It targets an ally and lets them slide that ally 3 squares. The ally gains 10 temporary HP, and while those last their attacks all deal an extra 3 necrotic damage. Great to place skirmishers behind PC lines.

  Tar Devil Harrier

  These tar devils are Level 3 Artillery with 36 HP. They fight with a Kukri up close but prefer to hang back and throw tar balls that deal fire damage, slow and deal 2 ongoing damage (save ends both). If surrounded they can produce a Fuming Cloud (encounter) that deals fire damage and creates a zone that lasts the rest of the encounter. The zone provides concealment and deals 2 fire damage to any creature ending their turn inside.

  Tar Devil Brawler

  This one likes to fight with using its secreted tar as a weapon. It’s a Level 3 Brute with 53 HP. Its Tar Splatter acts like an aura (1) that prevents enemies who start their turns inside from shifting that turn. It attacks with slams that deal fire damage, and with Tar Strikes (recharge 5+) that deals heavy fire damage, immobilizes, and inflicts ongoing 5 fire damage (save ends both).

  Tar Devil Guard

  This Level 4 Soldier has 53 HP and wields a khopesh in combat. The hot reek of its tar acts as an aura (1) that deals 2 fire damage to any enemy that starts their turn inside, and also prevents them from shifting that turn. It can also toss a tar net out to Range 5, targeting Reflex. A hit deals fire damage, restrains (save ends), and lets the devil pull the target up to 4 squares to a square adjacent to it.

  Iron Circle Spy

  

  Spies are among the most well-trained mortal agents of the Circle current in the area. They wear no identifying marks, and pose as normal travelers or inhabitants of Harkenwold’s many small communities. Spies are Level 4 Lurkers with 44 HP. When pressed into a fight, they use short swords in melee and blasts of infernal fire at range. Both are basic attacks.

  Spies can cloak themselves in a Veil of Shadows, creating a zone that lasts for a turn and blocks line of sight for everyone except for the spy. They can also imbue their swords with flame for an Infernal Strike. This is twice as strong as a basic strike and deals fire damage, half on a miss. Using one of these two powers recharges the other, so there’s your lurker loop.

  If an enemy uses a power that inflicts forced movement on the spy while it’s inside the Veil of Shadows, the spy can use Diabolical Dodge to make a free basic attack against that enemy and shift up to 2 squares to another square inside the zone, all as an interrupt.

  Iron Circle Commander

  This might apply to Nazin Redthorn, or it might be one of the officers under his command. I haven’t read Reavers yet! Anyway, commanders are Level 5 Elite Soldiers with the Leader tag and 126 HP. They wield flails with great skill.

  Aside from basic attacks, they can use a Devil’s Tactics at-will maneuver that does the same damage, makes the target grant combat advantage for a turn on a hit, and lets an enemy within 5 squares make a free basic attack against the target as an effect. If an enemy leaves a square adjacent to the commander, it can use Tripping Flail as an opportunity action to attack their Reflex and knock them prone on a hit.

  Once per encounter the commander can unleash a selective blast of Infernal Flames, which deal fire damage and daze on a hit (save ends). Allies in the blast gain 5 temporary HP.

  Final Impression

  Unlike Dythan’s Legion or the Gray Company, which can take a while to become active, the Iron Circle is poised to be an immediate threat to starting characters and to the Vale, which is exactly what happens in Reavers of Harkenwold.

  If left unopposed, they might end up pressganging the Daggerburg Goblins (as someone in the RPG.net thread mentioned shortly before I wrote this), and might even link up with the Shadow Court over in Fallcrest to grab information about the city before moving against it in force. The Shadow Court entry gave me the impression the Circle wouldn’t have a use for the tiefling gang, but it turns out they would neatly slot into each other’s plans.

  It was pointed out to me that the Shadow Court could be seen as embodying several unfortunate antisemitic tropes. One way to avoid that would be to not make them a spy ring working for the Iron Circle from the start, to have a more diverse membership than just tieflings, and to completely remove all the text about their recruiting practices.

  Of the groups we saw so far, the druids of Harkens Heart would have cause to oppose the Circle’s advances into their woods, but would have little ability or desire to fight them outside. The Daggerburg goblins would of course resist being pressed into service to them, and might either have a good shot at succeeding, or might need PC help depending on your campaign goals.

  The Gravelstokes might work for the Circle if the money is right, but if you keep the level disparity they’ll most likely adopt a wait and see approach before deigning to offer their services. PCs who can scrape together their ruinous fees might turn things around and hire the assassin family to strike the Iron Circle’s leadership instead!

  The Hunter Spiders would ignore all of these surfacer conflicts unless they give them more opportunities to grab slaves to aid in their search.

• Jan 27, 2023

  Let's Read Threats to the Nentir Vale: Hurly-Burly Brothers

  

  This post is part of a series! Click here to see the others.

  This is such a simple entry, but I really like it.

  The Lore

  Once upon a time, many years ago, a powerful troll shaman bore two children, twin boys. Like any mother, she wanted her children to grow up safe and protected, so she cast a powerful ritual that bound their spirits together. From that point on, they could only be killed while in close proximity to each other.

  This ended up making the brothers Hurly and Burly even more unkillable than your typical trolls, because they grew up to hate each other’s guts. Staying in close proximity is the last thing they want to do!

  Nowadays, they live in two caves five miles apart, both north of Winterhaven near the foothills of the Cairngorm Peaks. One of them is close to the shores of Lake Wintermist, the other is to the west. The book doesn’t say which brother lives where, but as long as you remember your own decision it should be fine.

  Hurly and Burly mostly keep to themselves, roaming the area around their respective caves and hunting the local wildlife. Every once in a while, though, one of them will end up encroaching on the other’s territory, and the two have a bitter and violent fight that can last for days. The brothers tear each other to pieces, but this does no lasting harm because they’re trolls. It does leave both of them angry enough to begin taking their frustrations out on surrounding settlements and passing travelers for a while, which is one possible reasons for meddlesome PCs to get involved with the two.

  Could one of the brothers move further away to end these altercations? Sure! But neither of them will give “that rotten git” the satisfaction of backing down.

  The Numbers

  The brothers are so alike they share the same stat block! They’re both Level 9 Elite Brutes with 240 HP and Speed 8. As trolls, they’re Large Natural Humanoids.

  Their basic attack uses a troll-sized battleaxe, and they can use Cleave to attack all enemies in a Close Burst 2 (that’s an area 2 squares on a side). This does a bit less damage to each target and pushes them 1 square.

  The trolls have Regeneration 10, which as usual shuts down for a turn if they take fire or acid damage. Instead of Troll Healing, they have Bound By Blood. As with troll healing, once they drop to 0 HP the brothers get back up with 30 HP after a turn. To prevent this, they must be hit by an attack that deals fire or acid damage while within 5 squares of the other brother. This can be either the attack that drops them, or an extra attack made while they’re down, as usual.

  The brothers’ blessing is not general knowledge, but they of course know all about it. PCs might discover it by studying the trolls and succeeding at a DC 21 Arcana or Nature check. This could be done through quiet observation, but it will most likely happen after the first time one of them fails to die to the usual troll countermeasures.

  Final Impressions

  I really like the fairy-tale quality of the brothers’ story. Presumably, the party will end up interacting with them when tasked to resolve their conflict in a way that stops their periodic rampages.

  This could be resolved with murder, of course, even though that’s the boring solution. Regardless of the party’s level, they can never hope to defeat one of the brothers if they meet him alone. He’ll just keep getting back up! The PCs must discover the blessing and find a way to get them together, which could mean provoking another fight between them. In that case the brothers will try their best to stay further than 5 squares apart, so PC controllers have their work cut out for them.

  But why restrict ourselves to violence when there are many more fun ways to handle this? If you spring the brothers on a party that’s way too weak to fight them, the PCs must engage in trickery or diplomacy to convince the pair to move further apart. Or maybe the actual enemy is some more powerful threat, and the PCs must somehow enlist the brothers as hired muscle. And it has to be both of them. So now the controllers will find themselves trying to prevent enemies from forcing the trolls together.

• Jan 25, 2023

  Let's Read Threats to the Nentir Vale: Hunter Spiders

  

  This post is part of a series! Click here to see the others.

  This is a vale-specific group, but it includes at least one deep-cut reference to early AD&D.

  The Lore

  Deep beneath the Nentir Vale, lies the infamous drow city of Erelhei-Cinlu. Though forgotten by the people of the surface, it sends the occasional raiding party there to meddle in its affairs and capture slaves. The city was directly connected to the Vale by a tunnel that emerged in the Ogrefist Hills, but this tunnel collapsed three years ago. And when it did, it trapped one of those raiding parties on the surface.

  This group, who calls themselves the Hunter Spiders, initially made camp in the Ogrefist Hills to await rescue, but for some reason the houses of Erelhei-Cinlu didn’t make any serious attempt to clear the blocked passage. This was especially concerning for the group’s leader Ti’irtha, who was the daughter of House Despana’s matron.

  After a few months, and much thought, the group decided no rescue was coming and moved east into Harken Forest. They knew the forest had seem many skirmishes between elves, eladrin and drow in the past, and figured it might contain an entrance to another part of the Underdark named Torog’s Highway. From there they could journey home.

  Ti’irtha asked for Lolth’s guidance and was directed to a bramble-choked region of the forest north of King’s Road, known as Spiderhaunt Thicket. The place turned out to contain many ancient elven and eladrin ruins, as well as large populations of giant spiders and undead fey. The Hunter Spiders soon put to work the many captives they had acquired in their raid searching for the Underdark entrance that surely had to be here. They’ve been there ever since.

  The drow themselves focus their efforts in maintaining and increasing the numbers of their enslaved workforce. They mainly prey on the King’s Road to the south of the Thicket, linking Fallcrest to Harkenwold. When movement there grows too sparse, they prey on the Trade Road to the north, which links Fallcrest to Thunderspire. It’s a less ideal hunting ground for them because there’s fierce competition from the Raven Roost bandits. When pickings are slim on both roads, they get a bit more desperate and prowl the outlying farms of Fallcrest, giving rise to rumors of obsidian demons who snatch people from their beds.

  Lolth’s guidance did not come without a price, of course. This is the goddess of betrayals and of the cycle of abuse, as we discussed in previous Let’s Reads. Shortly after the Hunter Spiders arrived on the Thicket, Ti’irtha and her consort Vhaelor found a hidden shrine to Lolth while exploring the region alone. Seeing that as the sign it was, Ti’irtha murdered Vhaelor and ofered his blood to Lolth on the altar. For her devotion, she was “rewarded” with transformation into a werespider.

  As a band of elite raiders straight out of the original drow city-state, each of the Hunter Spiders is an extremely powerful and skilled individual. But there are only 24 of them left from the original party, and they have no way of replenishing their numbers. They’re not interested in conquest or in surface intrigue - their main goal is to return home. This makes them one of the rare evil factions in D&D that might be truly amenable to negotiation. If they party can offer them a way of returning to the Underdark, they really will pack up and leave, possibly even freeing their prisoners in the process if that’s part of the asked price for the information. However, they’re all wise in the ways of Lolth, which means that getting them to trust you is a challenge in itself (and almost impossible if you do intend to betray them).

  The Numbers

  The Hunter Spiders are all drow, which means they all have Darkvision and their powers tend to be shadow and spider-themed. They’re placed at mid-Paragon tier, so they’re heaviweights in the Vale power scale, but as mentioned above they are few and have no way to bring in reinforcements. It should be possible for you to come up with a breakdown of how many of the 24 drow left use each of the three “generic” stat blocks below. And we also get stats for Ti’irtha.

  Drow Darklasher

  This is an assassin employing shadow-themed magic and a really sharp dagger. It’s a Level 15 Lurker with 114 HP.

  All of the darklasher’s attacks deal 2d10 extra damage against targets granting combat advantage to it. The dagger does solid damage but has no other riders. It can also attack at range using a Lashing Darkness spell, which can only target a creature that can’t see the drow. This deals heavy force damage and slides the target 1 square.

  Instead of attacking the darklasher can use Shadow Levitation to shift 4 squares into the air and gain total concealment plus a fly speed of 4 (hover) for a turn or until immediately after it attacks.

  Another way it has to become unseen is its Cloud of Darkness encounter power, a minor action that creates a zone of darkness in a Close Burst 1 around the caster. The zone lasts until the end of the encounter, blocks line of sight for everyone except the darklasher, and if any creature other than the darklasher enters the cloud completely, it becomes blinded while inside. The zone can be dismissed as a free action.

  So it seems that Darklashers can behave kinda like artillery. Set up a cloud of darkness and stay inside, using Lashing Darkness to hit people from afar and either disrupt their maneuvers or pull them into the cloud for a stabbing boosted by combat advantage. If forced out, use Shadow Levitation to fly away and hide.

  Drow Spider Totemist

  Another drow spider-themed spellcaster to add to our ever expanding collection. This one is a Level 16 Controller (Leader) with 154 HP. It projects an aura named Dark Pact Mobility (5) which allows bloodied allies inside to automatically succeed at saves against slowing or immobilizing effects.

  The totemist has this name because their main weapon and implement is a handheld spider totem. Their basic melee attack is a Totem Bite that deals light physical damage and inflicts 10 ongoing poison damage (save ends). Their ranged attack is a Venom Ray that targets Reflex, deals poison damage, and immobilizes for a turn.

  The totemist can also summon a Spider Swarm (recharge 5+), creating a zone in a Close Burst 2 around themselves. Enemies grant combat advantage while inside, and if they end their turns there they take 10 poison damage. The zone lasts until the end of the encounter, or until the totemist casts the spell again.

  Drow Razorscourge

  A drow soldier armed with a razor scourge, showing us that drow end up sounding edgy even when they try to come up with a practical descriptive name. They’re Level 17 Soldiers with 163 HP.

  The scourge has Reach 2 and marks for a turn on a hit. It can also be used for an Ensnaring Lash that deals less damage but grabs on a hit (escape DC 23). While the grab lasts, the target takes 20 ongoing damage. The drow can still make basic attacks while it has a victim grabbed, but the grab ends when automatically when it uses Ensnaring Lash again.

  If an enemy marked by the razorscourge and within melee reach of it deals damage to one of its allies, the drow can react with a Retributive Flogging and make a basic attack against the enemy.

  And finally, razorscourges are the only stat block in this entry that have access to the traditional drow Darkfire encounter power, a minor action attack that deals no damage and exposes the target, making it grant CA and nullifying its cover and concealment for a turn.

  Ti’irtha, Drow Werespider

  Ti’irtha is a Level 17 Elite Skirmisher with 288 HP. She has ground and Spider Climb speeds of 7, and Resist Poison 10. She follows a lot of the same rules for “mammal” lycanthropes.

  This means she has Regeneration 10 that shuts down for a turn when damaged by silver, can change shape between a drow and a giant spider with a minor action, and has sets of attacks specific to each form.

  In human form, her basic attack is Dark Caress, a touch spell that deals physical damage and inflicts Poison Vulnerability 5 (save ends). If the target was granting her CA, that save is rolled at -5.

  In spider form, her basic attack is a bite that deals poison damage and exposes the target to the Spider Queen’s Curse (see below). She can also shoot a whole frigging’ Spiderweb in an instant, a minor action Area 1 Within 5 attack that restrains those it hits until they escape (DC 23). The area becomes difficult terrain for the rest of the encounter. This recharges when she is first bloodied.

  As an Elite, Ti’irtha can make Double Attacks, and shift between attacks (1 square in drow form, 3 in spider form).

  Ti’irtha has an incentive to shapeshift constantly in a fight, setting enemies up with Dark Caress and knocking them down with Spider Bites. The Spiderweb is an excellent opener since restrained enemies make the whole process much easier.

  Spider Queen’s Curse

  This isn’a monster, but it’s a Level 17 Disease that’s more treacherous than typical lycanthropy. It follows all the normal rules, but the effects are very on-brand for Lolth. The Maintain DC for your Endurance rolls is 16 and the Improve DC is 23.

  If Ti’irtha or another werespider bites you, roll a save at the end of the encounter. If you fail, you contract the Curse at stage 1. This makes you feel really good! You gain +1 to Fort, Ref and Will, and makes you recover an extra 2d6 HP whenever you spend a healing surge. Yes, even when this expenditure is from something like a cleric’s Healing Word.

  If you progress to Stage 2, you feel even better! The defense bonus remains, that recovery bonus increases to 3d6, and you get a -2 penalty to your Endurance rolls. Someone else might find that concerning, but you don’t. I mean, it’s all good things so far, right?

  If you progress to stage 3, you immediately die and a swarm of monstrous spiders bursts from your corpse.

  By the time you’re fighting Ti’irtha or someone like her, you’ve had easy access to Remove Affliction for about ten levels, so here’s a disease that tempts you into letting it develop. You can spend all that money and those healing surges now for a bit of safety, or you can ride the high a bit longer to benefit from better defenses and healing. It’s okay, you can stop anytime you want.

subscribe via RSS