Monstrous Compendium Vol. 1: Spelljammer Creatures
Frozen Sick
D&D Beyond Basic Rules
Basic Rules (2014)
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Monstrous Compendium Vol. 1: Spelljammer CreaturesFrozen SickD&D Beyond Basic RulesBasic Rules (2014)Sign in to view your library & saved favorites.
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Dak spends 900 foregoes getting silvered or the plain Greataxe and gets a +1 Greataxe, +1 Greatsword and +1 Maul, Bargus starts saving for an Arcane Grimoire +1 perhaps. Dak lends Bargus 100 gp to be able to buy the +1 Arcane Grimoire.
OOC coins adjusted and removed gp.
Signature
Levi Flint - DM - Mad Mage; Korvin - DM - Tyranny of Dragons; Player Lucan - The One Breath, Player Gildor Surion - Balder's Gate-Decent;
The morning finds Cor on the platform ten minutes up from the inn, pulling on the ring-bell in front of Varnak's door. Behind him, his Sphinx of Wonder turns lazy circles around him. Eventually, the older Elven wizard comes to the door, shucking on an over-cloak.
"What? What do you want?"
"Advice, honored elder," says Cor. Varnak scowls at the elvish epithet as he always does, but he lets him inside -- as he always does.
An hour later, finds them deep in conversation. The sphinx sits on a small table beside Varnak's chair offering wisdom only intermittently. It speaks now.
"-a celestial being I am, a celestial acolyte are you, but your heart is full of doubt and the path of the cleric was long open to you. Why take with one hand what was offered to you with two?"
"I agree," says Varnak after a moment eating a biscuit. "You're not a wizard, not like me, though you know some magic. You've studied at no academy, apprenticed under no master -- and I'm not offering mind you -- you can't go about this like a wizard. You were training as a cleric for most of your life, and it has coloured your eyes too much. You didn't go to a library. You didn't go to a tower. You went into the wilds and you've spent years tracking down knowledge. Instead of communing with gods like the cleric you were meant to be, and channeling their power, you've communed with the little spirits of the wild like a druid and then you've learned from them rather than used power granted by them. You may not like it, but you're a warlock my boy."
Cor sighs.
"Well that's the problem isn't it," says Varnak. "Your view of the warlock is coloured by the orthodoxy you've learnt. There's many a Warlock who learned divine magic from a celestial patron and teacher--"
"I know what you will say," interrupts Cor, "my view of the warlock is tarnished by my knowledge of the pantheon. My view of the pantheon is tarnished by what I've discovered as a novitiate warlock travelling the wilds."
Varnak nods just so.
"I came to seek little fey, sprites and fairies, things that might teach me a little of the glamours and spells that our people might be naturally inclined to from our ancestors time in the wilds. But I never sought to overturn the curse of Lord Corellon on our people, to pact myself with some greater Archfey. Neither would I ever contract with a fiend. I am not yet ready to return to the temple -- my disquiet and my restlessness isn't quelled, I still struggle with the questions of why we worship and channel the might of our gods who turn fair or foul on many for the sins of few..."
He hangs his head in his hands.
Varnak is quiet. The sphinx says nothing.
"It is the nature of the warlock to seek knowledge not commonly held by the wizard, is it not, from creatures of other planes?"
Varnak nods. Cor draws the elemental snake skin from his backpack, looking at it as a whole. "There are other planes than the material and the outer," he says, consideringly. He looks towards his familiar.
"Our contract will not dissolve if you seek the knowledge of a creature of the inner planes," she says. "We sphinxes are creatures of time as well as the upper planes. If your path was to a greater celestial compact, I would know, and it is not."
Cor thinks for moments more. The celestial is a place, to his mind, of height, open vistas, clouds. There is a more material synonym.
"Thank you," and this time he sincerely bows to Varnak. "Your wisdom is invaluable. I will set out for the peaks, to commune with the elements."
"Luck," says Varnak, and Cor takes his leave.
----
Cor checks his backpack and his equipment. He pays for some rooms in advance this time, certain he will return.
Then he heads for the Gray Mountain. Liam Stonehand has told him that the mountain is 2 days travel from Evergreen Hollow, and warned him not to undertake the adventure. The creatures there are far beyond him, he is advised, but the tallest peak 'Death's Spire' is there, and so there he must go. He will be cautious, he will avoid what combat he can, but his path is there and so he must walk it.
Encounter table 401: 48
Bargus will need 220gp and 22hr to scribe his spells to the +1 Arcane Grimoire since he knows 22 spells he wants to scribe into it.
Another couple adventures should do it. I work the next two days so I might not get much adventuring in. We'll see.
Signature
Levi Flint - DM - Mad Mage; Korvin - DM - Tyranny of Dragons; Player Lucan - The One Breath, Player Gildor Surion - Balder's Gate-Decent;
Syrah gathers the others, Liam and Varnak and tells them of her visions. I see a secret hatch in the Darkwood. Yuno descends into a realms of traps and challenges. We must leave now if we have any chance of a rescue. Liam spits out his ale, "A Rescue? At this hour of the night?" Varnak says, "I feel like a grandpa, looking after these new adventurers." They leave town for the
Syrah lifts the hatch and the party enters. Dodging over pit traps and tracking Yuno, they trail on his heels. When they turn a corner, they watch him fall in battle against a Helmed Horror Black Knight (12/60) the aggressor.
Varnak says, "This ends by my hand." magic missile 1st level slot, 5, 2, 4 force damage.
The Black Knight takes no damage from force.
Syrah approaches the Black Knight and casts chill touch, 10 necrotic damage.
The Black Knight takes no damage from necrotic.
Liam says, "I bet he's not immune to my axe"
Liam greataxe Attack: 19 Damage: 16
Liam greataxe Extra Attack: 18 Damage: 16
Both attacks miss
The Helmed Horror Black Knight (12/60) attacks Syrah with multiattack,
Black Knight targets Syrah longsword1 Attack: 8 Damage: 7
Black Knight targets Syrah longsword2 Attack: 18 Damage: 7
If Syrah takes damage, she uses a reaction to cast hellish rebuke from her warlock slot, 14 fire damage, Dexterity Save DC 15
Syrah takes 7 damage. Syrah (31/38)
The Black Knight attempts a Dexterity save with advantage, 14
Magic Resistance. The helmed horror has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
The Black Knight, having no defense against fire damage, takes 14 fire damage and does.
Varnak uses a healing kit to allow Yuno to spend a hit dice +3, (5)
Then the party rushes out of this dungeon and back to town.
Helmed Horror Rewards
plate armor
shield
longsword
275 XP (shared with party of four)
Yuno resists a little but she is in no position to go against the party's wishes if they insist. She says, "Already? I wanna explore some more. Also I found a relatively safe spot to rest up."
Syrah stops short. "You want us to leave you here? If that's so, then take these two potions of healing." Varnak interrupts, "They never learn." Liam says, "He knows what he's doing. Let's get back to The Grove and I'll make ye all some mutton and eggs!"
Tesco heads to Evelyn's Magic Shope to buy a Magic Club +1 (300 gp). He is heading back to the Gray Mountain Valley to collect a bounty on an Ettin. Encounter Table 401 58, selecting 1-20: 1x Ettin (1100 XP, 220 gp), choosing default approach 60 feet. Tesco's plan is to cast shillelagh in the first round, out of melee range of the Ettin, so that he can engage in melee on round 2. Tesco init 20, ettin ET1 init 11
Round 1
ettin ET1 will dash 80 feet.
Tesco casts shillelagh on his club +1, Attack: 14 Damage: 9
Round 2
ettin ET1 battleaxe Attack: 12 Damage: 9
ettin ET1 morningstar Attack: 16 Damage: 6
Round 2 (continued)
Tesco casts hunter's mark, shillelagh, Attack: 8 Damage: 14
Round 3
ettin ET1 battleaxe Attack: 23 Damage: 12
ettin ET1 morningstar Attack: 22 Damage: 9
ET1 takes 12 damage. ET1 (73/85)
Round 3 (continued)
Tesco uses heroic inspiration to gain adv, hunter's mark, colossus slayer, shillelagh, Attack: 25 Damage: 24
Round 4
ettin ET1 battleaxe Attack: 20 Damage: 7
ettin ET1 morningstar Attack: 16 Damage: 8
ET1 takes 19 damage. ET1 (54/85)
Tesco uses a reaction to cast shield, AC 18 becomes AC 23
Round 4 (continued)
Tesco hunter's mark, colossus slayer, shillelagh, Attack: 27 Damage: 36
Round 5
ettin ET1 battleaxe Attack: 11 Damage: 13
ettin ET1 morningstar Attack: 8 Damage: 13
ET1 takes 23 damage. ET1 (31/85)
Tesco uses a reaction to cast shield from a spell slot (2/3 remaining), AC 18 becomes AC 23
Round 5 (continued)
Tesco hunter's mark, colossus slayer, shillelagh, Attack: 10 Damage: 19
Round 6
ettin ET1 battleaxe Attack: 10 Damage: 9
ettin ET1 morningstar Attack: 13 Damage: 13
ET1 takes 13 damage. ET1 (18/85)
Round 6 (continued)
Tesco drops hunter's mark, casts zephyr strike as a bonus, advantage, colossus slayer, shillelagh, Attack: 22 Damage: 17
Round 7
ettin ET1 battleaxe Attack: 10 Damage: 13
ettin ET1 morningstar Attack: 14 Damage: 12
ET1 takes 17 damage. ET1 (1/85)
Round 7 (continued)
Tesco colossus slayer, shillelagh, Attack: 20 Damage: 21
Tesco misses
Round 8
ettin ET1 battleaxe Attack: 26 Damage: 9
ettin ET1 morningstar Attack: 9 Damage: 12
Tesco colossus slayer, shillelagh, Attack: 18 Damage: 14
Tesco takes 12 damage. Tesco (24/36)
Tesco's reaction shield with AC 23 makes this attack miss.
The ettin ET1 takes 17 damage and dies.
Tesco searches the area for trophies, monster parts for the bounty, collects weapons and gear.
Ettin Rewards
battleaxe (5 gp)
morningstar (7 gp, 5 sp)
bounty (220 gp)
1100 XP (Tesco's total 4400 XP)
Cor reaches the foot of the ominously named peak in good time, only two days travel from Evergreen Hollow with a brief trance on the plains that begin as the mountain comes into view.
As they travel Cor's Sphinx of Wonder teaches him much about the inner planes, the difference between the border ethereal, the astral plane and the outer planes that demons and gods make their home.
"And so the only way to travel between our world and the outer planes is the Astral Sea and the conduits that swirl within, but it is magic beyond all but the greatest alive in the Sword Coast?"
"Essentially," says the Sphinx, "Though there is Olympos, Ygdrassil, the River Styx and the Infinite Staircase -- these methods of planar travel are rarer and more highly sought after than even planar magic and ships."
That conversation soon slides into silence as they begin to climb the first gentle foothills before the true rise of Death's Spire. Before they make camp for the night, and bury their hidden fire, making it smokeless and scentless through clever use of Elementalism and Prestidigitation, conversation turns to the elemental planes and the creatures that make its home. Cor learns much of the genie, the elder elementals and the elemental princes.
"It feels like there is much of the world of which I was ignorant, when I thought myself worldly," he says.
"If you ever feel that you know all the world's riddles, then you have made the world very small and yourself very grand," says the Sphinx, licking one paw and cleaning the celestial fur over one ear. "There are many immortals, how can one mortal elf know all the events of even one immortal creature in such a finite life?"
Cor blinks and his trance is uncomfortable that night, imagining the enormity of the task before him. Is this feeling of fate that drives him forward hubris? Imagining himself grand in a world that is indifferent to his tiny and unremarkable existence.
The Sphinx looks out at the plains around the mountain with bright and depthless eyes.
----
The next morning sees them set off towards the flat peak. They pass signs of ruined civilization, odd ramshackle homes of white and rosy stone long decrepit and fallen down. They wind up through sparse spruce and fir, until suddenly the treeline stops and only bare stone and ice await. If the peak is less than 10,000 feet, Cor will be surprised. They are more careful once they become exposed.
They narrowly avoid an Ettin thanks to the Sphinx's warning. Cor dives into a trench as one head turns toward them and the Sphinx dissapears to its extra-dimensional habitat with a gesture. For a while it stomps around, but with his head buried against the cold ground, Cor cannot tell if it is just patrolling its lands or if it is disquieted, aware that some creature has narrowly avoided its gaze and grasp.
An hour later they begin the march up towards the peak once more. The wind is bracing, but in his thicker cloak and cold-weather boots though he feels the cold as the sun sets he does not find himself unable to continue.
Fortunately the mountain is not quite so high that he finds himself unable to breathe, or to progress further without pitons and snow-boots. Where there does begin to be ice that will obstruct him, the Sphinx flies ahead to find routes that he can take and he progresses slowly up faces that are not too steep and not too high.
At midnight, he finds a crevice into which to duck and sets a fire again, hiding it as well as he can with his spells. He trances until the sun rises and his way his safer, for he is not more than hour from the peak.
When he summits, he finds a wide table that gently rises to a narrow spur of rock and ice that stabs into the sky, just a few hundred feet more high. At its base a cave that is too straight and angular to be natural curves into the spire ahead. It is dank and slick with ice and water, and from the top of the mountain a thin trail of smoke emerges to mingle with the snow and ice crystals that drift from the sky like a flag, a proud pennant, worn by the mountain itself. Whatever it is, it has no reason to know why he is here.
Cor moves to be out of sight from whatever such creature would make this place its home, sheltering behind a boulder twice as large as the elf.
"You know what to do," says the Sphinx, and with a gesture he dismisses her back to her extraplanar space. They had discussed that to seek the blessing and pact of an elemental spirit, it might be better that she not be present. A creature of the upper plane will only complicate things, and even among the planes creatures that are both elemental and celestial are so rare as to be myth.
Cor takes in the view.