What is Random Encounter Monday? Well, it is where I take a randomly generated combination of monsters and write a suitable encounter as a design challenge!
What challenge are we throwing at a 3rd level party this week?
How can you heighten the challenge for a monster you can't stare at? What sort of den has the monster called its home? I really tried to focus in on exciting locations, a time crunch and non-combat choices for this encounter!
In a cavern deep below the waking world, a tiny basilisk was born. But it do not fear the predators of the dark. It did not fear the stalkers of the night. There was one thing that consumed all of its attention: It wanted to feed. And it did. It feed on the very rock around it, growing and growing and growing. One day, it came across a strange rock, one that pulsated nauseatingly with prismatic hues. But while an intelligent, rational creature might have pondered the rock, the basilisk simply ate it. And that rock changed the basilisk forever.
Various stone statues decorate the basilisk's lair, many with bites taken from them. When the players enter this basalt crypt, the basilisk is immediately alerted to their intrusion. While most basilisks would be content with devour ordinary rocks, this one has developed a taste for magic items. It attacks the player with the greatest amount of magic items first. If the group gives up at least half of their magic items, the basilisk ignores them and focuses on consuming the magical sustenance. Otherwise, the basilisk fights until it's reduced to 21 hit points, when it tries to flee. The basilisk uses the basilisk stat blocks, with the following changes:
The basilisk has 80 (8d8 + 16) hit points.
The basilisk has resistance to radiant damage.
The basilisk has the following trait: Sense Magic. The basilisk senses magic within 120 feet of it at will. This trait otherwise works like the detect magic spell but isn't itself magical.
The basilisk has the following lair actions.
Lair Actions On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the basilisk takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects; the basilisk can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row:
The basilisk bites a statue in its lair, gaining 10 (3d6) temporary hit points which last until initiative count 20 on the next round.
The magic harnesses its magic and causes one of the statues in its lair to come to life. The statue uses stone cursed statistics and acts on the basilisk's turn. The statue acts as an ally of the basilisk, and is animated until initiative count 20 on the next round.
The basilisk's hide turns grey and as hard as stone. Until initiative count 20 on the next round, the basilisk has resistance to bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks.
If the basilisk is killed, a glowing stone dislodges from its throat and spills out of its mouth. The stone is a Stone of Chaos. The stone's abilities are listed at the end of this post.
Why was a stone containing the power of the plane of chaos in the Material Plane? And what mysterious powers might such a stone contain?
Stone of Chaos Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement)
This stone contains the power of Limbo within it. While it is in your possession, you have resistance to radiant damage. The stone has 3 charges, and regains 1d3 charges daily at dawn. As an action, you can expend 1 charge to cause the stone to exude prismatic beams of light. Each creature of your choice within 30 feet of you must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or be blinded for 1 minute. A creature can repeat this saving throw at the end of each of their turns, ending the effect on a success.
All stars fade. Some stars forever fall. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Homebrew (Mostly Outdated):Magic Items,Monsters,Spells,Subclasses ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If there was no light, people wouldn't fear the dark.
What is Random Encounter Monday?
Well, it is where I take a randomly generated combination of monsters and write a suitable encounter as a design challenge!
What challenge are we throwing at a 3rd level party this week?
A single Basilisk!
How can you heighten the challenge for a monster you can't stare at? What sort of den has the monster called its home? I really tried to focus in on exciting locations, a time crunch and non-combat choices for this encounter!
Here is my submission: From Gemstone to Just-Stone
Post your designs below!
In a cavern deep below the waking world, a tiny basilisk was born. But it do not fear the predators of the dark. It did not fear the stalkers of the night. There was one thing that consumed all of its attention: It wanted to feed. And it did. It feed on the very rock around it, growing and growing and growing. One day, it came across a strange rock, one that pulsated nauseatingly with prismatic hues. But while an intelligent, rational creature might have pondered the rock, the basilisk simply ate it. And that rock changed the basilisk forever.
Various stone statues decorate the basilisk's lair, many with bites taken from them. When the players enter this basalt crypt, the basilisk is immediately alerted to their intrusion. While most basilisks would be content with devour ordinary rocks, this one has developed a taste for magic items. It attacks the player with the greatest amount of magic items first. If the group gives up at least half of their magic items, the basilisk ignores them and focuses on consuming the magical sustenance. Otherwise, the basilisk fights until it's reduced to 21 hit points, when it tries to flee. The basilisk uses the basilisk stat blocks, with the following changes:
Lair Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the basilisk takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects; the basilisk can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row:
If the basilisk is killed, a glowing stone dislodges from its throat and spills out of its mouth. The stone is a Stone of Chaos. The stone's abilities are listed at the end of this post.
Why was a stone containing the power of the plane of chaos in the Material Plane? And what mysterious powers might such a stone contain?
Stone of Chaos
Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement)
This stone contains the power of Limbo within it. While it is in your possession, you have resistance to radiant damage. The stone has 3 charges, and regains 1d3 charges daily at dawn. As an action, you can expend 1 charge to cause the stone to exude prismatic beams of light. Each creature of your choice within 30 feet of you must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or be blinded for 1 minute. A creature can repeat this saving throw at the end of each of their turns, ending the effect on a success.
All stars fade. Some stars forever fall.
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Homebrew (Mostly Outdated): Magic Items, Monsters, Spells, Subclasses
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If there was no light, people wouldn't fear the dark.
Nice. (just posting so I subscribe to this thread and can get to it easier next time.)
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