I'm making a homebrew campaign and I have become a little stuck.
The characters are traveling and have stopped for the night. During the second/third watch (incase the second watch character fails the DC 15 Perception check) the character hears a faint wail, and spots a glow in the distance, (the glow comes from a cave 2 hours ride away). What is the cause? I keep thinking of a banshee... Is there another monster that I should consider?
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I will always consider ideas for my campaigns. Only the ones I like get the investigation check.
A spellcaster using dancing lights/thaumaturgy or some other magical effect.
Fey creatures playing a prank.
It doesn't even have to be a monster. It could be a mysterious lake with a strange glow within a cave and the cave sounds like it's wailing when the wind blows through it OR it could some weird magical effects because of a battle fought in the past, or some ritual conducted OR perhaps it's a planar boundary (and the wails are tormented souls or something) OR maybe it's just a traveller with a lamp who banged his shin and let out a scream of pain that sounded like a wail in the distance (it doesn't have to be esoteric or dangerous or whatever)
There are all sorts of possibilities, monstrous or otherwise, that you could draw on. It depends on what you're going for? Is this a random encounter or a planned event? Are you trying to lead them into a quest? Is it a trap (e.g. perhaps an old enemy has returned and knows their curiosity will lead them to investigate this cursed space)?
Since there are so many possibilities, it would be best I think, to decide on what your purpose/goal here is and then work back from that to choose the most appropriate monster/whatever.
Alternatively, you could take these ideas and/or look through old stories or dnd monsters books until you find something that inspires your creative juices and takes it from there.
Well the cave does have a broken summoning circle in a locked room. It is a kind of side quest that they might be able to get some piece of information that could help them later on.
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I will always consider ideas for my campaigns. Only the ones I like get the investigation check.
Well, then this is a useful event, but not a primary one - as in it won't ruin everything if they decide to just pass it by?
Since there's a locked room and a broken summoning circle, this space was once lived in. It could still be, but I'd avoid a spellcaster if possible - they can be awkward to use, I've found, and not something you want to deal with if they're not essential for the matter at hand - so some things to consider when deciding what enemies are in this space:
Who lived here? What level of encounter do you want it to be? What sort of theme/vibe are you going for (I'm assuming spooky/mysterious)? Are the creatures related to the former occupants or is it something like a wild beast/monster that has made this space its lair? Since it's a space that contains potentially useful information on an upcoming event, perhaps the entities in this space, relate to that event somehow (they could be beasts/monsters controlled by an organisation, undead servants of the necromancer who once made this space his lair, constructs made to defend it or ...)
Based on what you've said so far, something undead seems to fit the vibe the best: a banshee or flameskulls would be fine (maybe it was/they were bound to the space by the former occupant), or will o wisps (they could have taken over the space and now try to lure unsuspecting travellers to their deaths in the watery depths of the pool) or perhaps the spirit of the previous tenant still trying to carry out their foul plots
perhaps it could also be some kind of shadowy, ominous construct that has begun to malfunction after years of neglect
I hope some of these help. However, it's hard to give more specific ideas without more detail.
(Do keep in mind that the banshee is resistant to non-magical piercing, bludgeoning and slashing, and that its wail can drop people to 0. The former caused a lot of problems when I forgot it for one of my low level groups who had no way of overcoming that. On the other hand, if they do have a way of overcoming that, it can make it a fairly tame encounter. The latter is just annoying because it creates such a risk of TPK).
(Do keep in mind that the banshee is resistant to non-magical piercing, bludgeoning and slashing, and that its wail can drop people to 0. The former caused a lot of problems when I forgot it for one of my low level groups who had no way of overcoming that. On the other hand, if they do have a way of overcoming that, it can make it a fairly tame encounter. The latter is just annoying because it creates such a risk of TPK).
Yeah, banshees can be very dangerous to lower-level parties. If too many PCs fail that saving throw on the wail (or the wrong PCs, i.e. the healers), the encounter can go sideways very, very quickly
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock) Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric) Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue) Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
(Do keep in mind that the banshee is resistant to non-magical piercing, bludgeoning and slashing, and that its wail can drop people to 0. The former caused a lot of problems when I forgot it for one of my low level groups who had no way of overcoming that. On the other hand, if they do have a way of overcoming that, it can make it a fairly tame encounter. The latter is just annoying because it creates such a risk of TPK).
Yeah, banshees can be very dangerous to lower-level parties. If too many PCs fail that saving throw on the wail (or the wrong PCs, i.e. the healers), the encounter can go sideways very, very quickly
One way you can help mitigate that is to have the banshee pop the wail a bit early, before the entire party is in range of it. That way even in a worst case scenario you'll have half the party going down etc and not everyone.
Especially if nobody in the party is especially good at con saves and everyone flubbing it is a very real possibility.
You don’t ever actually have to reveal the source of the glow of it is really only there to get their attention and entice them to check out the cave. Don’t underestimate the value of an unsolved mystery. It might just be something that makes them wonder, or it might be the thing that inspires you to something else in a couple months and you get to bring it back and it’ll look like you foreshadowed that thing way back now and you’ll seem like a genius.
That could certainly mitigate the risk. However, it will still be there. That wail just has the potential to turn everything on its head. As Anton said, if too many PCs or the wrong PCs fail it, things will go south very quickly.
If you don't plan to make this a particularly dangerous encounter you could do things like lower the saving throw for the wail or maybe have a potential helpful NPC (e.g. a druid) nearby (though that could bring in the questions of player agency and DM dictation, but I think it's ok once it's something you've prepared in advance because you deliberately planned this not to be a dangerous encounter. The problems might arise if you did this on the spot).
(Do keep in mind that the banshee is resistant to non-magical piercing, bludgeoning and slashing, and that its wail can drop people to 0. The former caused a lot of problems when I forgot it for one of my low level groups who had no way of overcoming that. On the other hand, if they do have a way of overcoming that, it can make it a fairly tame encounter. The latter is just annoying because it creates such a risk of TPK).
Yeah, banshees can be very dangerous to lower-level parties. If too many PCs fail that saving throw on the wail (or the wrong PCs, i.e. the healers), the encounter can go sideways very, very quickly
Yeah, but if they heard the wail and they are not within 30ft of it, they are okay. The banshee can only wail once per day.
Put yourself in a bind here. A 15 prescription check could hear a faint scream in the distance. Not a single chance they'd see a glow in a cave 2 hours ride away. Not a chance. Trees, forest, rocks and any other natural landscape would obstruct their vision.
Firstly, you need to work out what is there, who occupies the cave, and what they do. Then work backwards to how the PCs are going to find it.
This is also a lot of work that a DC15 Perception check failure is going to waste, since you presumably have to design the cave and what's in it as well as picking an occupant. What if they roll a 1 for Perception?
If it's important to the game, put it right in the PCs path. If it's not important, don't bother with it.
(Do keep in mind that the banshee is resistant to non-magical piercing, bludgeoning and slashing, and that its wail can drop people to 0. The former caused a lot of problems when I forgot it for one of my low level groups who had no way of overcoming that. On the other hand, if they do have a way of overcoming that, it can make it a fairly tame encounter. The latter is just annoying because it creates such a risk of TPK).
Yeah, banshees can be very dangerous to lower-level parties. If too many PCs fail that saving throw on the wail (or the wrong PCs, i.e. the healers), the encounter can go sideways very, very quickly
Yeah, but if they heard the wail and they are not within 30ft of it, they are okay. The banshee can only wail once per day.
The scenario suggested had the banshee in a cave, though. How big a cave? How narrow was the entrance the party had to come through, encouraging them to be packed together?
A banshee in an enclosed space becomes that much more dangerous, compared to one you encounter out on the moors pining for Heathcliff or whatever
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock) Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric) Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue) Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
Maybe I'm overthinking the details, but a glow inside a cave visible from 2 hours riding away is pretty much lighthouse strength illumination. And depending on landscape features that cave might be really hard to find if at any point the PCs lose sight of the glow. I probably would leave the light's source unconnected to the monster(s) and make it a feature of the location. Volcanic eruption, evil cult temple, eldritch portal to a demonic pocket dimension? Take your pick, and look for monsters that fit that location.
This is also a lot of work that a DC15 Perception check failure is going to waste, since you presumably have to design the cave and what's in it as well as picking an occupant. What if they roll a 1 for Perception?
If it's important to the game, put it right in the PCs path. If it's not important, don't bother with it.
I assume the OP meant a DC 15 check for the 2nd watch, and if that fails 3rd watch notices period. Not sure how to properly handle that mechanically (not having 3rd watch roll might seem odd to the players, but if 3rd watch rolls low it'll be even worse; DM might roll these for the players, but then why bother with a 2nd watch roll to begin with?). Either way, seemed to me like the encounter is definitely happening and only which watch notices is left up to chance.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Want to start playing but don't have anyone to play with? You can try these options: [link].
You could try making the save a DC 11 or having them waste it. You could have the light be a fire from within the cave though not sure how that fits with the banshee though. could be a good time to give them a magic object to bypass the resistance (for example a +1 spear that is magical for the purpose of bypassing the resistance)
Not sure how to properly handle that mechanically (not having 3rd watch roll might seem odd to the players, but if 3rd watch rolls low it'll be even worse; DM might roll these for the players, but then why bother with a 2nd watch roll to begin with?)
Easiest thing is not to bother with a roll; just have it noticed on the watch of the person with the highest passive PER
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock) Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric) Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue) Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
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I'm making a homebrew campaign and I have become a little stuck.
The characters are traveling and have stopped for the night. During the second/third watch (incase the second watch character fails the DC 15 Perception check) the character hears a faint wail, and spots a glow in the distance, (the glow comes from a cave 2 hours ride away). What is the cause? I keep thinking of a banshee... Is there another monster that I should consider?
I will always consider ideas for my campaigns. Only the ones I like get the investigation check.
Flameskull
Will O Wisp,
Some homebrewed ghost that has an internal lamp.
A spellcaster using dancing lights/thaumaturgy or some other magical effect.
Fey creatures playing a prank.
It doesn't even have to be a monster. It could be a mysterious lake with a strange glow within a cave and the cave sounds like it's wailing when the wind blows through it OR it could some weird magical effects because of a battle fought in the past, or some ritual conducted OR perhaps it's a planar boundary (and the wails are tormented souls or something) OR maybe it's just a traveller with a lamp who banged his shin and let out a scream of pain that sounded like a wail in the distance (it doesn't have to be esoteric or dangerous or whatever)
There are all sorts of possibilities, monstrous or otherwise, that you could draw on. It depends on what you're going for? Is this a random encounter or a planned event? Are you trying to lead them into a quest? Is it a trap (e.g. perhaps an old enemy has returned and knows their curiosity will lead them to investigate this cursed space)?
Since there are so many possibilities, it would be best I think, to decide on what your purpose/goal here is and then work back from that to choose the most appropriate monster/whatever.
Alternatively, you could take these ideas and/or look through old stories or dnd monsters books until you find something that inspires your creative juices and takes it from there.
I hope this helps.
Well the cave does have a broken summoning circle in a locked room. It is a kind of side quest that they might be able to get some piece of information that could help them later on.
I will always consider ideas for my campaigns. Only the ones I like get the investigation check.
Well, then this is a useful event, but not a primary one - as in it won't ruin everything if they decide to just pass it by?
Since there's a locked room and a broken summoning circle, this space was once lived in. It could still be, but I'd avoid a spellcaster if possible - they can be awkward to use, I've found, and not something you want to deal with if they're not essential for the matter at hand - so some things to consider when deciding what enemies are in this space:
Who lived here? What level of encounter do you want it to be? What sort of theme/vibe are you going for (I'm assuming spooky/mysterious)? Are the creatures related to the former occupants or is it something like a wild beast/monster that has made this space its lair? Since it's a space that contains potentially useful information on an upcoming event, perhaps the entities in this space, relate to that event somehow (they could be beasts/monsters controlled by an organisation, undead servants of the necromancer who once made this space his lair, constructs made to defend it or ...)
Based on what you've said so far, something undead seems to fit the vibe the best: a banshee or flameskulls would be fine (maybe it was/they were bound to the space by the former occupant), or will o wisps (they could have taken over the space and now try to lure unsuspecting travellers to their deaths in the watery depths of the pool) or perhaps the spirit of the previous tenant still trying to carry out their foul plots
perhaps it could also be some kind of shadowy, ominous construct that has begun to malfunction after years of neglect
I hope some of these help. However, it's hard to give more specific ideas without more detail.
Thanks this helps. I think that i will go down the Banshee path. the characters will be level 3 at this stage so they should be able to handle it.
I will always consider ideas for my campaigns. Only the ones I like get the investigation check.
Cool, best of luck with it. I hope it goes well.
(Do keep in mind that the banshee is resistant to non-magical piercing, bludgeoning and slashing, and that its wail can drop people to 0. The former caused a lot of problems when I forgot it for one of my low level groups who had no way of overcoming that. On the other hand, if they do have a way of overcoming that, it can make it a fairly tame encounter. The latter is just annoying because it creates such a risk of TPK).
Yeah, banshees can be very dangerous to lower-level parties. If too many PCs fail that saving throw on the wail (or the wrong PCs, i.e. the healers), the encounter can go sideways very, very quickly
Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock)
Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric)
Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue)
Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
One way you can help mitigate that is to have the banshee pop the wail a bit early, before the entire party is in range of it. That way even in a worst case scenario you'll have half the party going down etc and not everyone.
Especially if nobody in the party is especially good at con saves and everyone flubbing it is a very real possibility.
You don’t ever actually have to reveal the source of the glow of it is really only there to get their attention and entice them to check out the cave. Don’t underestimate the value of an unsolved mystery. It might just be something that makes them wonder, or it might be the thing that inspires you to something else in a couple months and you get to bring it back and it’ll look like you foreshadowed that thing way back now and you’ll seem like a genius.
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I was thinking that wail it would use if things were not going it's way.
I will always consider ideas for my campaigns. Only the ones I like get the investigation check.
That could certainly mitigate the risk. However, it will still be there. That wail just has the potential to turn everything on its head. As Anton said, if too many PCs or the wrong PCs fail it, things will go south very quickly.
If you don't plan to make this a particularly dangerous encounter you could do things like lower the saving throw for the wail or maybe have a potential helpful NPC (e.g. a druid) nearby (though that could bring in the questions of player agency and DM dictation, but I think it's ok once it's something you've prepared in advance because you deliberately planned this not to be a dangerous encounter. The problems might arise if you did this on the spot).
Yeah, but if they heard the wail and they are not within 30ft of it, they are okay. The banshee can only wail once per day.
Put yourself in a bind here. A 15 prescription check could hear a faint scream in the distance. Not a single chance they'd see a glow in a cave 2 hours ride away. Not a chance. Trees, forest, rocks and any other natural landscape would obstruct their vision.
Your game though.
Maybe someone being attacked and casting a fire spell?
You're doing this backwards.
Firstly, you need to work out what is there, who occupies the cave, and what they do. Then work backwards to how the PCs are going to find it.
This is also a lot of work that a DC15 Perception check failure is going to waste, since you presumably have to design the cave and what's in it as well as picking an occupant. What if they roll a 1 for Perception?
If it's important to the game, put it right in the PCs path. If it's not important, don't bother with it.
The scenario suggested had the banshee in a cave, though. How big a cave? How narrow was the entrance the party had to come through, encouraging them to be packed together?
A banshee in an enclosed space becomes that much more dangerous, compared to one you encounter out on the moors pining for Heathcliff or whatever
Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock)
Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric)
Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue)
Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
they could if it is almost like farm land. with very little trees around.
I will always consider ideas for my campaigns. Only the ones I like get the investigation check.
Maybe I'm overthinking the details, but a glow inside a cave visible from 2 hours riding away is pretty much lighthouse strength illumination. And depending on landscape features that cave might be really hard to find if at any point the PCs lose sight of the glow. I probably would leave the light's source unconnected to the monster(s) and make it a feature of the location. Volcanic eruption, evil cult temple, eldritch portal to a demonic pocket dimension? Take your pick, and look for monsters that fit that location.
I assume the OP meant a DC 15 check for the 2nd watch, and if that fails 3rd watch notices period. Not sure how to properly handle that mechanically (not having 3rd watch roll might seem odd to the players, but if 3rd watch rolls low it'll be even worse; DM might roll these for the players, but then why bother with a 2nd watch roll to begin with?). Either way, seemed to me like the encounter is definitely happening and only which watch notices is left up to chance.
Want to start playing but don't have anyone to play with? You can try these options: [link].
You could try making the save a DC 11 or having them waste it. You could have the light be a fire from within the cave though not sure how that fits with the banshee though. could be a good time to give them a magic object to bypass the resistance (for example a +1 spear that is magical for the purpose of bypassing the resistance)
Easiest thing is not to bother with a roll; just have it noticed on the watch of the person with the highest passive PER
Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock)
Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric)
Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue)
Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)