So the party asked one of the city's leaders if they knew someone who could help decipher a fiendish rune of tar-like icker. It took them some time but a full squad of the city's guards returned with a covered cage and that was where the session ended. What creature or NPC should cause such a ruckus but also be knowledgable when it comes to ancient fiendish magic?
Depending on whether you expect the players to fight this thing or not, arcanoloths are experts on arcane and the nine hells (being fiends themselves), so I could definitely see one of those things imprisoned and properly bound giving Intel on other fiends to the players.
Maybe you could even play up the Hannibal Lecter/Clarice Starling relationship of the erudite, knowledgeable psychopathic prisoner helping the good guys to serve his own ends, getting amusement out of watching them go after the bad guys.
Throw them for a loop. Make it a deranged celestial or aasimar that spent too much time staring into the abyss.
No need to make it deranged. Who says the city is the good guy? Have it an imprisoned celestial because the city does not want to kill it, but consider it a rare and valuable creature
If you're okay with homebrew, I actually have a creature whose entire thing is to be knowledgeable about fiendish stuff. Here is my demonologist, for your viewing pleasure.
If you aren't a fan of homebrew, I'd say that a glabrezu is a good pick. It's level-appropriate, very intelligent, willing to bargain with the party, and, since it's a demon, I assume that it knows a thing or two about demonic magic.
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Panda-wat (I hate my username) is somehow convinced that he is objectively right about everything D&D related even though he obviously is not. Considering that, he'd probably make a great D&D youtuber.
"If I die, I can live with that." ~Luke Hart, the DM lair
The big problem with almost all of the options is that you need a creature where a covered cage is a meaningful barrier -- so something with a nasty gaze-type effect but without abilities that let it break free of the cage or wreak havoc without vision, and I can't think of stuff that's much more dangerous than a medusa or bodak (neither of which is a terribly convincing expert) that really qualifies. As such, you probably will need to homebrew something.
The big problem with almost all of the options is that you need a creature where a covered cage is a meaningful barrier -- so something with a nasty gaze-type effect but without abilities that let it break free of the cage or wreak havoc without vision, and I can't think of stuff that's much more dangerous than a medusa or bodak (neither of which is a terribly convincing expert) that really qualifies. As such, you probably will need to homebrew something.
Covering the cage is meaningful for any creature that can teleport or otherwise use magic that relies on line of sight.
I think the arcanaloth does the trick here. As it is powerful enough for the city to want to keep alive. It is smart enough to give up only just enough information to stay alive, and she will try to manipulate the party ever so slightly in order to attempt her escape. The tokens have been made thank you everyone for your assistance!
Covering the cage is meaningful for any creature that can teleport or otherwise use magic that relies on line of sight.
Dimension Door does not require vision, and it's not enough for some of its magic to require vision -- all of its magic needs to require vision, and none of it can be a type that will simply remove or destroy the the cover (for example, a beholder doesn't have any abilities that don't require vision, but it can just disintegrate or telekinesis the cover).
... or you could simply just present the Arcanaloth in some kind of magic suppressing shackles and blindfolded (to hide the fact that they gouged out its eyes, depending on how dark you want to go).
@VanZoeren that was my first thought but the party is level 10
This doesn't sound like a combat encounter; in which case the CR shouldn't matter and the monster fitting thematically is enough. I may have misunderstood, though.
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I know what you're thinking: "In that flurry of blows, did he use all his ki points, or save one?" Well, are ya feeling lucky, punk?
@VanZoeren that was my first thought but the party is level 10
This doesn't sound like a combat encounter; in which case the CR shouldn't matter and the monster fitting thematically is enough. I may have misunderstood, though.
You are absolutely right my only concern is player behavior and I assume anything could become a fight lol. I stat out friendly one-time NPCs just in case. Could be PTSD from my first time DMing and we had a shoot first ask questions later kind of barbarian.
If it's not a combat encounter, a nothic is creepy and horrifying and certainly something that would normally be kept covered. You could always just homebrew a nothic that was originally an archmage or something. For example, take a standard nothic and make the following changes
CR 9 (approx; I didn't go into lot of effort on CR math)
Multiattack: add Rotting Gaze to its multiattack.
Claw: attack bonus now +6
Rotting Gaze: save DC now 17, damage now 12d6(42)
Not really a dangerous encounter for a 10th level party unless other stuff is going on, but creepy and weird. If you want slightly nastier, here's a cute one:
Trait: Forgotten Magic: the Nothic has the spell slots of an 18th level wizard but no spells known.
Copy Magic: the Nothic casts a spell it saw cast since its last turn, using its own spell slots and casting ability (spell attack +9, save DC 17)
Stolen Spellcasting: the Nothic targets a spellcaster within 30', who must make a charisma save (DC 17). On a failure, the Nothic immediately casts a spell known to that spellcaster, using its own spell slots and casting ability.
If it's not a combat encounter, a nothic is creepy and horrifying and certainly something that would normally be kept covered. You could always just homebrew a nothic that was originally an archmage or something. For example, take a standard nothic and make the following changes
CR 9 (approx; I didn't go into lot of effort on CR math)
Multiattack: add Rotting Gaze to its multiattack.
Claw: attack bonus now +6
Rotting Gaze: save DC now 17, damage now 12d6(42)
Not really a dangerous encounter for a 10th level party unless other stuff is going on, but creepy and weird. If you want slightly nastier, here's a cute one:
Trait: Forgotten Magic: the Nothic has the spell slots of an 18th level wizard but no spells known.
Copy Magic: the Nothic casts a spell it saw cast since its last turn, using its own spell slots and casting ability (spell attack +9, save DC 17)
Stolen Spellcasting: the Nothic targets a spellcaster within 30', who must make a charisma save (DC 17). On a failure, the Nothic immediately casts a spell known to that spellcaster, using its own spell slots and casting ability.
I love that spell-stealing mechanic. Even if it isn't a Nothic I go with here, I will be using that guy.
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Damien Steinrich
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So the party asked one of the city's leaders if they knew someone who could help decipher a fiendish rune of tar-like icker. It took them some time but a full squad of the city's guards returned with a covered cage and that was where the session ended. What creature or NPC should cause such a ruckus but also be knowledgable when it comes to ancient fiendish magic?
Damien Steinrich
Just to clarify it is to be assumed the City keeps this being locked in the dungeon.
Damien Steinrich
Depending on whether you expect the players to fight this thing or not, arcanoloths are experts on arcane and the nine hells (being fiends themselves), so I could definitely see one of those things imprisoned and properly bound giving Intel on other fiends to the players.
Maybe you could even play up the Hannibal Lecter/Clarice Starling relationship of the erudite, knowledgeable psychopathic prisoner helping the good guys to serve his own ends, getting amusement out of watching them go after the bad guys.
Reading up on them here. This seems like just the ticket. Anyone got a nice Chianti and some Fava beans?
Damien Steinrich
Nothics could also work
I know what you're thinking: "In that flurry of blows, did he use all his ki points, or save one?" Well, are ya feeling lucky, punk?
@VanZoeren that was my first thought but the party is level 10
Damien Steinrich
Throw them for a loop. Make it a deranged celestial or aasimar that spent too much time staring into the abyss.
No need to make it deranged. Who says the city is the good guy? Have it an imprisoned celestial because the city does not want to kill it, but consider it a rare and valuable creature
Can use a demilich, carrying around a skull in a cage is always good style.
If you're okay with homebrew, I actually have a creature whose entire thing is to be knowledgeable about fiendish stuff. Here is my demonologist, for your viewing pleasure.
If you aren't a fan of homebrew, I'd say that a glabrezu is a good pick. It's level-appropriate, very intelligent, willing to bargain with the party, and, since it's a demon, I assume that it knows a thing or two about demonic magic.
Panda-wat (I hate my username) is somehow convinced that he is objectively right about everything D&D related even though he obviously is not. Considering that, he'd probably make a great D&D youtuber.
"If I die, I can live with that." ~Luke Hart, the DM lair
The big problem with almost all of the options is that you need a creature where a covered cage is a meaningful barrier -- so something with a nasty gaze-type effect but without abilities that let it break free of the cage or wreak havoc without vision, and I can't think of stuff that's much more dangerous than a medusa or bodak (neither of which is a terribly convincing expert) that really qualifies. As such, you probably will need to homebrew something.
Covering the cage is meaningful for any creature that can teleport or otherwise use magic that relies on line of sight.
I think the arcanaloth does the trick here. As it is powerful enough for the city to want to keep alive. It is smart enough to give up only just enough information to stay alive, and she will try to manipulate the party ever so slightly in order to attempt her escape. The tokens have been made thank you everyone for your assistance!
Damien Steinrich
Dimension Door does not require vision, and it's not enough for some of its magic to require vision -- all of its magic needs to require vision, and none of it can be a type that will simply remove or destroy the the cover (for example, a beholder doesn't have any abilities that don't require vision, but it can just disintegrate or telekinesis the cover).
A SIMPLE FIX BURLAP SACK IS ENCHANTED WITH DISPEL MAGIC.
Damien Steinrich
... or you could simply just present the Arcanaloth in some kind of magic suppressing shackles and blindfolded (to hide the fact that they gouged out its eyes, depending on how dark you want to go).
This doesn't sound like a combat encounter; in which case the CR shouldn't matter and the monster fitting thematically is enough. I may have misunderstood, though.
I know what you're thinking: "In that flurry of blows, did he use all his ki points, or save one?" Well, are ya feeling lucky, punk?
You are absolutely right my only concern is player behavior and I assume anything could become a fight lol. I stat out friendly one-time NPCs just in case. Could be PTSD from my first time DMing and we had a shoot first ask questions later kind of barbarian.
Damien Steinrich
If it's not a combat encounter, a nothic is creepy and horrifying and certainly something that would normally be kept covered. You could always just homebrew a nothic that was originally an archmage or something. For example, take a standard nothic and make the following changes
Not really a dangerous encounter for a 10th level party unless other stuff is going on, but creepy and weird. If you want slightly nastier, here's a cute one:
I love that spell-stealing mechanic. Even if it isn't a Nothic I go with here, I will be using that guy.
Damien Steinrich