Wand-Based Spellcasting. The connoisseur is a 17th-level spellcaster as long as it holds at least one of its wands. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 18, +10 to hit with spell attacks). The connoisseur knows the following cantrips: prestidigitation, shocking grasp, fire bolt, frostbite, acid splash, mind sliver, green-flame blade. If the connoisseur has no wand, it cannot cast any spells or cantrips. While it can only cast spells of 1st level and above using charges from its wands, any spell or ability cast with a wand by the connoisseur uses its spell attack bonus and save DC instead of the wand's.
Wands. The connoisseur can hold two wands at any given time, one in each hand, and can choose which to use. When not held, the other wands are kept in the connoisseur's wand bag at its side. All of the connoisseur's wands regain all expended charges daily at dawn while in its possession. If one of the connoisseur's wands is not in its possession, it cannot regain charges.
- Wand of Magic Missiles. This wand has 5 charges. While holding it, the connoisseur can expend 1 or more of its charges to cast the magic missile spell from it. For 1 charge, it casts the 1st-level version of the spell. The connoisseur can increase the spell slot level by one for each additional charge it expends.
- Wand of Fireballs. This wand has 5 charges. While holding it, the connoisseur can expend 1 or more of its charges to cast the fireball spell from it. For 1 charge, the connoisseur casts the 3rd-level version of the spell. The connoisseur can increase the spell slot level by one for each additional charge the connoisseur expends.
- Wand of Lightning Bolts. This wand has 5 charges. While holding it, the connoisseur can expend 1 or more of its charges to cast the lightning bolt spell from it. For 1 charge, the connoisseur casts the 3rd-level version of the spell. The connoisseur can increase the spell slot level by one for each additional charge the connoisseur expends.
- Wand of Paralysis. This wand has 5 charges. While holding it, the connoisseur can expend 1 of its charges to cause a thin blue ray to streak from the tip toward a creature it can see within 60 feet of it. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be paralyzed for 1 minute. At the end of each of the target's turns, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success. This ability requires concentration from the connoisseur.
- Wand of Viscid Globs. This wand has 5 charges. While holding it, the connoisseur can expend 1 of its charges to cause a small glob of viscous material to launch from the tip at one creature within 60 feet of it. The target must make a Dexterity saving throw, becoming restrained by the glob for 1 minute. A target restrained in this way can use their action to make a Strength saving throw, escaping on a success. Applying 5 gallons of water, a pint of alcohol, or a drop of universal solvent or oil of etherealness will instantly dissolve the glob. The glob also dissolves instantly if bathed in sunlight.
- Wand of Polymorph. This wand has 5 charges. While holding it, the connoisseur can expend 1 of its charges to cast the polymorph spell from it. The connoisseur will only polymorph other creatures into sheep, and will never polymorph itself. This ability requires concentration from the connoisseur.
- Wand of Web. This wand has 5 charges. The connoisseur can expend a charge to cast the web spell, which lasts its full duration, requiring no concentration from the connoisseur.
- Wand of Disintegration. This wand has 3 charges. While holding it, the connoisseur can expend 1 of its charges to fire a thin green ray at a target. If the target is a creature, they must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take 55 (10d10) force damage. If this damage reduces the creature to 0 hit points, its body becomes a pile of fine gray dust. If the target is a Large or smaller nonmagical object or creation of magical force, it is disintegrated without a saving throw. If the target is a Huge or larger object or creation of magical force, this ray disintegrates a 10-foot cube of it.
Spider Legs. The connoisseur has six large spider-like legs that sprout from its back, which allow it to move up, down, and across vertical surfaces and along ceilings, and allow it to suspend itself in the air up to 10 feet from whatever surface it is walking on, while leaving its hands free. The connoisseur's legs are also natural magical weapons, and can be used in place of the material component for green-flame blade.
Inscrutable. The connoisseur is immune to any effect that would sense its emotions or read its thoughts, as well as any divination spell that it refuses. Wisdom (Insight) checks made to ascertain the connoisseur's intentions or sincerity have disadvantage.
Legendary Resistance (3/day). If the connoisseur fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. The connoisseur has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Multiattack. The connoisseur makes two leg thrust attacks, then either casts a cantrip or uses a charge from one of its wands.
Leg Thrust. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 15ft, one target. Hit: 14 (4d6) piercing damage.
Swap Wands. The connoisseur puts away one of tits held wands and may choose another wand from its bag.
Recharge Wand. The connoisseur attempts to recall magic to one of its held wands. Roll 1d3. On a roll of 3, the wand regains 1d4 charges.
Shield. The connoisseur expends one charge from any wand it is holding to cast shield.
Multiattack. The connoisseur makes two Leg Thrust attacks.
Wand. The connoisseur casts a spell from one of the wands in its hands, or casts one of the cantrips it knows.
Description
When a wizard, artificer, treasure hunter, scholar, or adventure is trapped or delves into the deep alone and discovers a wealth of wands, they may become a connoisseur of wands. Isolation, danger, hunger, darkness, and the lust for power and reward can make one draw a dark power from the magical conduits they collect, especially ancient ones. They become pale monstrous husks of their former selves, hiding themselves under loose robes, invigorating their emaciated mutant forms with magic, and growing six large and powerful spider-like legs from their back, which allow them to easily traverse caves, dungeons, and other tight spaces.
Obsession Incarnate. A connoisseur of wands is fascinated by, drawn to, and possessive of the power of wands, dedicating all of its existence to amassing the magic they provide. Though they rarely retain almost any sense of their former selves, the intellect from their former lives has survived and been enhanced, and their intuitive understanding of wands and their magical power is beyond anything a mortal mind could normally achieve. Nonetheless, they seek not only to use the potent magic of wands, but to know it on an even deeper level than they already naturally do. It will dedicate itself to acquiring any wand it learns of, by whatever means necessary. Some ancient connoisseurs with especially large collections have even been known to tinker with their prized possessions to create wands with more complex and volatile magical effects.
Connoisseurs have also been known to sometimes choose a secondary desire: often things like gold, treasure, magical materials or artifacts, or whatever else they sought when they first ventured into the unknown.
Aberrant Intellect. The former mind of a connoisseur is usually lost forever, but all that they knew has remained, and their understanding has grown significantly. Though they may seem animalistic and monstrous, they are very clever and employ complex and well-thought-out tactics against their opponents. Connoisseurs will choose dark, maze-like lairs filled with vertical passages it can traverse easily with its legs and deep pits it can hang above. Every element of the lair will be examined and taken full advantage of. They may destroy pillars, knock down large icicles or stalactites, set traps, lure other monsters, use hit-and-run tactics, or employ many other clever and novel methods to achieve its goals.
Fear & Spite. Connoisseurs live in constant jealously, fearing that every thinking being is envious of its power, and themselves envious of anything which has more magical power than them. Their bitter resentment of everything around them gives way to hatred, terror and fury at anything that displeases. Even a scratch from another living thing can draw incredible ire, inspiring the connoisseur to seek vengeance. Maybe they will be satisfied to simply kill or maim a target, but other times they may seek a more personalized revenge, stealing or destroying something their target values, or denying them something they desire.
Arcane Collector. A connoisseur may hold any array of wands, not just the one this stat block provides. A DM may choose to give a connoisseur new wands or take away wands from the stat block to better tailor the connoisseur as an opponent for a given party. Existing wands may be given to the connoisseur of wands, or other existing spells and magical effects may be given to wands in the connoisseur's collection.
Lair and Lair Actions
Lair Actions
When fighting inside its lair, the connoisseur can invoke the ambient magic to take lair actions. On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the connoisseur can take one lair action to cause one of the following effects:
- The connoisseur drops one of its wands, which then self- animates. After the connoisseur's turn, an animated wand can use an action to expend one of its charges. A wand animated in this way has an AC of 18 and 20 hit points. When reduced to 0 hit points, or when it expends its last charge, the wand falls to the ground and becomes a normal wand again. The connoisseur can retrieve a fallen wand once on its turn using its free item interaction.
- Cross-shaped motes of energy appear in the air, and then explode shortly after. Roll 5 d20s. If any of them land on a creature's initiative count, they must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking 4d8 thunder damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful save.
- An intense tremor shakes the connoisseur's lair, and the mountain around it. Each creature in the lair must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage and is knocked prone. In addition, 1d6 fissures open throughout the lair in locations chosen by the DM. Each is 1d10 x 10 feet deep, 1d4 x 10 feet long, and 10 feet wide.
The connoisseur can't repeat an effect until they have all been used, and it can't use the same effect two rounds in a row.
Previous Versions
| Name | Date Modified | Views | Adds | Version | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
12/23/2024 11:05:20 AM
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
Coming Soon
|
|
|
12/23/2024 11:16:52 AM
|
2
|
0
|
--
|
Coming Soon
|
|
|
12/23/2024 11:19:33 AM
|
2
|
0
|
--
|
Coming Soon
|
Comments