Hello DM Brains Trust! Im hoping for a brainstorming session with fellow DMs regarding how to build and/or run an NPC who is not in control of their own powers. I have an NPC boss who is a Darklord of a Domain of Dread in Ravenloft who, narratively, controls no power himself but the Domain itself protects him. I'm just left tapping my chin as to how to brew this stat block (without just ported the original into 5e)
My party are eventually going to get swallowed up but The Mists in my Ravenloft campaign and taken to a Domain of Dread that does not appear in VRGtR, but was still a much loved domain in years and Editions gone by, The Endless Road from 3rd Ed. It was first released in Dragon Magazine in 2009 by Ari Marmell. The players were trained to believe the Headless Horseman that stalks the Endless Highway is the Domain's Darklord because of his deathless and persistent attacks while on the Endless Road. But the darklord of this realm is actually Eli van Hassen, a corrupt, selfish and power hungry lord of a small hamlet. His curse is to forever feel powerless while the acclaim, admiration and power he desires is just out of his reach; Below in the spoiler comment (for reducing the text wall) is the description of Eli from the original campaign guide:
Eli van Hassen [is a human who] stands on the far end of middle age, his hair gray and his face heavily lined. He prefers fine clothes of rich colors, and his movements appear sudden or exaggerated, as though he were possessed by a constant angry frustration. The domain has granted Eli some measure of power over the land—accidents befall those who oppose him, the ground reaches up to impede his attackers, and so forth. Yet even this is more frustration than blessing, for while Eli revels in this power, he cannot consciously control it, nor exercise that power over any who dwell beyond his estate.
Eli remains distant, putting guards and other allies between himself and his foes. Eli’s “powers” are not truly his own, but represent the land reacting to protect him (although, for all mechanical purposes, they are his powers and expend his actions). As such, they take different forms. ... Make use of these powers [his 3rd Ed. stat block abilities] as best befits the situation, but remember that Eli himself is never entirely certain what will happen.
So, my party often take these sort of political matters into their own hands (their group name is The Liberators of Valaki, naff said) so I need his stat block to be beefy enough for a party of 4-6 very synergetic level 14 or 15s depending where they're up to by then. His abilities should have the feel of nature, luck/bad luck and fey-like magic, so I was thinking like Shield reflavoured to be column of stone exploding from the ground before him much to his shock, or an Entangle spell cast only on the party members getting close to him and not a direct attack on those he is screaming for his guards to attack. For all intents and purposes, it'll be 'his' stat block, but really its the domain casting these things on his turn. He'll even have a Winter Eladrin as an advisor who will always make sure he'll never land a physical attack himself. This is the Headless Horseman's stat block.
Thats enough context, how would you make this sort of character?
Hjalmar Gunderson, Vuman Alchemist Plague Doctor in a HB Campaign, Post Netherese Invasion Cormyr (lvl20 retired) Godfrey, Autognome Butler in Ghosts of Saltmarsh into Spelljammer Grímr Skeggisson, Goliath Rune Knight in Rime of the Frostmaiden DM of two HB campaigns set in the same world.
I would consider making use of Lair actions, and considering the entire domain to be his Lair. Then homebrew that he has legendary actions, which are to take lair actions.
This way his turn in combat will be entirely his own, and the lair actions will happen at initiative o**** 20, and a few times a round in between players turns.
You could also make a homebrew rule that he can make certain reactions, using a lair action instead of a reaction, to block attacks and so forth.
I love this! Running a homebrewed Domains of Dread campaign as a series of one shots using various adventures from VRGtR, Candlekeep, etc. Thanks for the inspiration!
"...or you can find the secret tunnel that leads to the Vault of Dickish DM which is filled with 10,000,000 copper coins and a 5,000 pound solid gold statue of a middle finger that is too big to fit through the door."
I love this! Running a homebrewed Domains of Dread campaign as a series of one shots using various adventures from VRGtR, Candlekeep, etc. Thanks for the inspiration!
Yeah man! Thats the one! I could not find the link for the life of me! Thank you! I've only got the chapter by itself in a PDF.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Hjalmar Gunderson, Vuman Alchemist Plague Doctor in a HB Campaign, Post Netherese Invasion Cormyr (lvl20 retired) Godfrey, Autognome Butler in Ghosts of Saltmarsh into Spelljammer Grímr Skeggisson, Goliath Rune Knight in Rime of the Frostmaiden DM of two HB campaigns set in the same world.
For any interested, I finally created this NPC in a state Im happy with for now. You can find it here.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Hjalmar Gunderson, Vuman Alchemist Plague Doctor in a HB Campaign, Post Netherese Invasion Cormyr (lvl20 retired) Godfrey, Autognome Butler in Ghosts of Saltmarsh into Spelljammer Grímr Skeggisson, Goliath Rune Knight in Rime of the Frostmaiden DM of two HB campaigns set in the same world.
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Hello DM Brains Trust! Im hoping for a brainstorming session with fellow DMs regarding how to build and/or run an NPC who is not in control of their own powers. I have an NPC boss who is a Darklord of a Domain of Dread in Ravenloft who, narratively, controls no power himself but the Domain itself protects him. I'm just left tapping my chin as to how to brew this stat block (without just ported the original into 5e)
My party are eventually going to get swallowed up but The Mists in my Ravenloft campaign and taken to a Domain of Dread that does not appear in VRGtR, but was still a much loved domain in years and Editions gone by, The Endless Road from 3rd Ed. It was first released in Dragon Magazine in 2009 by Ari Marmell. The players were trained to believe the Headless Horseman that stalks the Endless Highway is the Domain's Darklord because of his deathless and persistent attacks while on the Endless Road. But the darklord of this realm is actually Eli van Hassen, a corrupt, selfish and power hungry lord of a small hamlet. His curse is to forever feel powerless while the acclaim, admiration and power he desires is just out of his reach; Below in the spoiler comment (for reducing the text wall) is the description of Eli from the original campaign guide:
Eli van Hassen [is a human who] stands on the far end of middle age, his hair gray and his face heavily lined. He prefers fine clothes of rich colors, and his movements appear sudden or exaggerated, as though he were possessed by a constant angry frustration. The domain has granted Eli some measure of power over the land—accidents befall those who oppose him, the ground reaches up to impede his attackers, and so forth. Yet even this is more frustration than blessing, for while Eli revels in this power, he cannot consciously control it, nor exercise that power over any who dwell beyond his estate.
Eli remains distant, putting guards and other allies between himself and his foes. Eli’s “powers” are not truly his own, but represent the land reacting to protect him (although, for all mechanical purposes, they are his powers and expend his actions). As such, they take different forms. ... Make use of these powers [his 3rd Ed. stat block abilities] as best befits the situation, but remember that Eli himself is never entirely certain what will happen.
So, my party often take these sort of political matters into their own hands (their group name is The Liberators of Valaki, naff said) so I need his stat block to be beefy enough for a party of 4-6 very synergetic level 14 or 15s depending where they're up to by then. His abilities should have the feel of nature, luck/bad luck and fey-like magic, so I was thinking like Shield reflavoured to be column of stone exploding from the ground before him much to his shock, or an Entangle spell cast only on the party members getting close to him and not a direct attack on those he is screaming for his guards to attack. For all intents and purposes, it'll be 'his' stat block, but really its the domain casting these things on his turn. He'll even have a Winter Eladrin as an advisor who will always make sure he'll never land a physical attack himself. This is the Headless Horseman's stat block.
Thats enough context, how would you make this sort of character?
Hjalmar Gunderson, Vuman Alchemist Plague Doctor in a HB Campaign, Post Netherese Invasion Cormyr (lvl20 retired)
Godfrey, Autognome Butler in Ghosts of Saltmarsh into Spelljammer
Grímr Skeggisson, Goliath Rune Knight in Rime of the Frostmaiden
DM of two HB campaigns set in the same world.
I would consider making use of Lair actions, and considering the entire domain to be his Lair. Then homebrew that he has legendary actions, which are to take lair actions.
This way his turn in combat will be entirely his own, and the lair actions will happen at initiative o**** 20, and a few times a round in between players turns.
You could also make a homebrew rule that he can make certain reactions, using a lair action instead of a reaction, to block attacks and so forth.
Make your Artificer work with any other class with 174 Multiclassing Feats for your Artificer Multiclass Character!
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I love this! Running a homebrewed Domains of Dread campaign as a series of one shots using various adventures from VRGtR, Candlekeep, etc. Thanks for the inspiration!
For anyone interested: Dungeon_Magazine_174.pdf (archive.org), page 67.
#OpenD&D #ORC
"...or you can find the secret tunnel that leads to the Vault of Dickish DM which is filled with 10,000,000 copper coins and a 5,000 pound solid gold statue of a middle finger that is too big to fit through the door."
Yeah man! Thats the one! I could not find the link for the life of me! Thank you! I've only got the chapter by itself in a PDF.
Hjalmar Gunderson, Vuman Alchemist Plague Doctor in a HB Campaign, Post Netherese Invasion Cormyr (lvl20 retired)
Godfrey, Autognome Butler in Ghosts of Saltmarsh into Spelljammer
Grímr Skeggisson, Goliath Rune Knight in Rime of the Frostmaiden
DM of two HB campaigns set in the same world.
For any interested, I finally created this NPC in a state Im happy with for now. You can find it here.
Hjalmar Gunderson, Vuman Alchemist Plague Doctor in a HB Campaign, Post Netherese Invasion Cormyr (lvl20 retired)
Godfrey, Autognome Butler in Ghosts of Saltmarsh into Spelljammer
Grímr Skeggisson, Goliath Rune Knight in Rime of the Frostmaiden
DM of two HB campaigns set in the same world.