Monster conversions for Spell & Crossbones

Xipe Totec
Medium djab, chaotic evil
AC 16 (leather armor)
HP 120 (16d8+48)
Speed 60 ft
Str 18 (+4) Dex 20 (+5) Con 17 (+3) Int 15 (+2) Wis 16 (+3) Cha 10 (+0)
Skills Athletics +8, Insight +7, Intimidate +8, Perception +7, Stealth +9
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons
Senses darkvision 60 ft, passive perception 17
Languages Aztec, Mayan
Challenge 10 (XP 5,900)

Typical Sacrifice: The skin of a freshly flayed humanoid appeases "The Flayed Lord."

TRAITS
Disjointed Movement. Opportunity attacks made against Xipe Totec provoked by its movement have disadvantage to hit.
Innate Spellcasting. Xipe Totec's innate spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 15, spell attack +7). It can innately cast the following spells without material components:
At-will: control weather (Xipe Totec can summon drought or torrential rain regardless of season)
Lightning Reactions. Xipe Totec can make an opportunity attack with its lightning-fast foot rake against creature coming within 10 feet. It may make up to six opportunity attacks each round using its foot rake.

ACTIONS
Multiattack. Xipe Totect makes 2 claw attacks and 1 foot rake.
Vicious Charge. Xipe Totec must move at least 10 feet to make a vicious charge, and it can also Dash as a bonus action when making a vicious charge. It makes a single foot rake attack with advantage on the attack, and if it hits deals an extra 11 (2d10) damage.
Claw. Melee weapon attack. Attack: +8 hit, reach 5-ft, one target. Hit: 11 (2d6+4) slashing damage.
Foot Rake. Melee weapon attack. Attack: +8 hit, reach 10-ft, one target. Hit: 15 (2d10+4) slashing damage.

Zombie Monkey Ninja Pirate (Signifying Monkey)
Small djab, neutral
AC 17 (unarmored defense)
HP 99 (18d6+36)
Speed 40 ft, climb 40 ft
Str 14 (+2) Dex 20 (+5) Con 14 (+2) Int 14 (+2) Wis 14 (+2) Cha 20 (+5)
Skills acrobatics +9, deception +13, insight +10, intimidate +9, perception +6, performance +9, persuasion +9, sleight of hand +9, stealth +9
Tools (+4) navigator's tools, watercraft, accordion, drums, harmonica
Saving Throws wisdom +6
Condition Immunities charmed, poisoned
Damage Immunities poison
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, slashing, and piercing from nonmagical weapons
Senses darkvision 60 ft, passive perception 16
Languages Speaks all languages
Challenge 10 (XP 5,900)

Typical Sacrifice: A feast of tropical fruit is often used when summoning the Signifying Monkey. It also may show up if an exceptionally clever con or trick is performed with panache for its sake, particularly when it involves subverting the mighty. However, regardless of the offering made, the Signifying Monkey is likely to perform an elborate trick on its summoner.

TRAITS
Innate Spellcasting. The Signifying Monkey's innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 17, spell attack +9). It can innately cast the following spells without material components:
At-will: detect thoughts, enthrall, minor illusion, suggestion, tasha's hideous laughter, vicious mockery (2d4).
Once per day: blindness/deafness, feign death, nondetection, pass without trace.
Nimble. The Signifying Monkey can move thru the space of Medium and larger creatures, and opportunity attacks provoked by its movement are disadvantaged.
Slow Fall. The Signifying Monkey reduces any falling damage it takes by 30.
Undead Fortitude. If damage reduces the Signifying Monkey to 0 hit points, it must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC of 5 + the damage taken, unless the damage is radiant or from a critical hit. On a success, the Signifying Monkey drops to 1 hit point instead. 

ACTIONS
Multiattack. The Signifying Monkey makes any combination of 4 unarmed attacks, improvised throws (coconut, shuriken, feces, etc), or castings of vicious mockery.
Unarmed Attack. Melee weapon attack. Attack: +9 hit (count as magical), reach 5-ft, one target. Hit: 8 (1d6+5) bludgeoning damage.
Improvised Throw. Ranged weapon attack. Attack: +9 hit, range 30-ft/90-ft, one target. Hit: 8 (1d6+5) bludgeoning damage.
Countercharm. The Signifying Monkey starts a performance that lasts until the end of its next turn. Any friendly creatures within 30 feet of the Signifying Monkey and who can hear it gain advantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightened.

BONUS ACTIONS
Flurry of Blows (recharge short or long rest). The Signifying Monkey makes 2 extra unarmed attacks.
Shadow Step. When in an area of dim light or darkness, the Signifying Monkey can teleport up to 60 feet into another area of dim light or darkness that it can see. It then gains advantage on the first melee attack it makes before the end of its turn.
Step of the Wind (recharge short or long rest). The Signifying Monkey takes Disengage or Dash action as a bonus action, and its jump distance is doubled for the turn.

REACTIONS
Cutting Words. When a creature within 60 feet of the Signifting Monkey makes an attack roll, ability check, or damage roll, the Signifying Monkey can use its reaction to impose a -4 (-1d8) penalty on the roll by using its wit to distract, confuse, and sap confidence.
Deflect Missiles. The Signifying Monkey can use its reaction to reduce the damage from a ranged weapon attack by 16 (1d10+11), and if the damage is reduced to 0, the Signifying Monkey catches the missile in a free hand and throws it back at the attacker.




Eshu-Elegba, Orisha of the Crossroads, Fortune, and Death, was a trickster and psychopomps who adopted the name Papa Legba when the Voodoo faith came with the slaves to the Americas. He had an intelligent monkey familiar known in folklore as the Signifying Monkey. During Eshu-Elegba's adventures he ran afoul of a witch who killed his monkey and raised it as a zombie under her command. However, thru trickery the monkey was able to regain his soul (gros-bon-ange) from the witch and has been free ever since to pursue mischief in the New World.

Badouin, Mughal Polymath
Medium humanoid (human)
AC 14 (unarmored defense)
HP 27 (5d8+5)
Speed 30 ft
Str 8 (-1) Dex 14 (+2) Con 12 (+1) Int 16 (+3) Wis 14 (+2) Cha 12 (+1)
Skills Arcana +5, History +5, Investigation +5, Medicine +4, Nature +5, Religion +5
Feats linguist
Senses passive perception 12
Languages English, Chinese, Dutch, French, Hindi, Latin, Persian, Portuguese, Spanish, Tamil
Challenge 1/2 (XP 100); modified Monk 1/Ranger (hunter) 3

TRAITS
Cipher. Badouin can create written ciphers (Intelligence DC 19 to decipher his codes for the uninitiated).
Mughal Gunner: Badouin gains +2 to hit with firearm and cannon attacks, and once per turn he deals +1d8 damage with such weapons.
Researcher: If Badouin doesn't know a piece of lore, he often knows where to look to find it, such as a library, scriptorium, a contact at a particular port, a holy man, or other learned person of the time. Half the time it is around the world in India, however.

ACTIONS
Martial Arts. Badouin makes two unarmed attacks (which deal d4 damage) with Dexterity.
Unarmed. Melee weapon attack. Attack: +4 hit, reach 5-ft, one target. Hit: 4 (1d4+2) bludgeoning damage.
Long Musket. Ranged weapon attack. Attack: +6 hit, range 50/150 ft, one target, loading, can't be used while adjacent to target. Hit: 13 (1d12+1d8+2) piercing damage.

Image of a Mughal infantryman

Badouin, whose Tamil name is Bharanishri Wappara, is the ship's purser (accountant) and appointed representative of financier Claude du Tourbillon. He is a vivacious man who, despite his keen intellect and the excruciatingly detailed accounts he keeps, possesses a certain joi de vìvre. He calls everyone "nanpar" (Tamil for "friend"). It is clear from one minute with the man that he loves life at sea. Badouin is something of a polymath, able to shine once he left the Mughal Navy. He knows the prices for just about everything traded in the Caribbean and beyond, can always be counted on for an interesting philosophical discussion, is familiar with cryptography, a crack shot with a musket, skilled in the unarmed techniques of kalaripayatt, and speaks ten languages (all with a thick Tamil accent). Though he tries to learn pirate pidgin (aka Thieves Cant) he comically falls flat on his face with every attempt.

Bernard Desjean, Baron de Pointis
Medium humanoid (human), neutral evil
AC 17 (dual wielder, heavy armor house rule, ring of protection)
HP 121 (22d8+22) 
Speed 30 ft
Str 12 (+1) / 20 (+5) for his Red Right Hand Dex 18 (+4) Con 13 (+1) Int 18 (+4) Wis 14 (+2) Cha 18 (+4)
Skills arcana +10, deception +10, history +10, insight +8, intimidation +10, perception +8, persuasion +10
Tools (+6) chess set, navigator's tools, watercraft
Saving Throws Dexterity +11, Constitution +8, Wisdom +9, and +1 to all other saves
Feats defensive duelist, dual wielder, martial adept (x2), resilient, war caster
Senses passive perception 18
Languages English, Dutch, French, Spanish, Latin
Challenge 10 (XP 5,900); Fighter (eldritch knight) 19

ROLEPLAYING
Bond. Petro's Red Eye. The Baron seeks the Ge Rouge (Red Eye) from the sunken wreck of La Gloriosa.
Ideal. Power. The Baron believes that if he can gain enough power, no one will tell him what to do. (Evil)
Flaw. If someone does the Baron injury, he will crush them, ruin their name, and salt their fields. He is also convinced that any strategic flaws are always someone else's fault and never his own.
Personality Trait. The Baron is overly fond of reciting his military victories and bits of military history. However, he is extremely circumspect about discussing sensitive matters unless suitable magic preparations are taken against potential divination.

FORTUNES
Old Salt (missing hand), Artifact (Red Right Hand)*, Contacts (Dunkirkers), Fencing School (Scrimia), Magic Trinkets (Épée Acérée +2, Ring of Protection), Military Rank (Chef d'Escadre)*, Ship Mage, Accursed (Red Right Hand), Enemy (Caillou), Enemy (Captain Alvaro Díaz de Cartagena), Enemy (François L'Ollonais), Obsessed with Treasure, Wanted (Britain & Netherlands)
[SBLOCK=New Fortunes: Artifact, Military Rank]
Artifact: This Good Fortune is unique to NPCs and can only be gained by a PC who acquires an artifact thru play. In fact, attuning to an artifact requires taking this fortune, so it must be balanced out by an Ill Fortune, often a curse or enemy related to the artifact.

Military Rank: Military rank signifies an officer's rank in one of the world's navies. While you are expected to follow the orders of your superiors, you also can give commands to lower ranking soldiers, requisition military equipment and weapons, and gain access to military forts and prisons. You are also familiar with military hierarchy and etiquette.[/SBLOCK]
TRAITS
Eldritch Strike. When Baron de Pointis hits a creature with a weapon attack, that creature has disadvantage on the next saving throw it makes against a spell cast by the Baron before the end of his next turn.
Fame (8). Baron de Pointis gains a +4 bonus to Sway checks and any crew he captains increases their quality by one rank.
Maneuvers. Baron de Pointis has 2d6 superiority dice which he can spend to use certain fencing maneuvers (save DC 18). He regains these superiority dice at the end of a short or long rest.
Red Right Hand. If the Red Right Hand is ever removed from Baron de Pointis, he dies.
Spellcasting. Baron de Pointis casts spells as an 19th level Eldritch knight (save DC 18, spell attack +10).
Cantrips: chill touch (4d8, stacks with damage from his Red Right Hand when used in melee), mage hand, mariner's boon*, message
1st Level (4 slots): burning hands, detect magic, magic missile, shield (reaction)
2nd Level (3 slots): gust of wind, locate object, shatter
3rd Level (3 slots): counterspell, fireball, sending
4th Level (1 slot): fire shield, mordenkainen's private sanctum
War Caster: Baron de Pointis has advantage on Constitution checks made to maintain concentration on a spell when he takes damage. He can perform the somatic component of spells when with weapons is both hands. When a hostile creature's movement provokes an opportunity attack from the Baron, he may use his reaction to cast a spell instead.
Weapon Bond. Baron de Pointis' Épée Acérée +2 and Red Right Hand cannot be disarmed unless he is incapacitated, and he can summon either to him as a bonus action so long as they are on the same plane.

ACTIONS
Multiattack. Baron de Pointis makes 3 attacks, one of which may be a spell, and he also makes one attack with his Red Right Hand.
Épée Acérée +2. Melee weapon attack. Attack: +12 hit, reach 5-ft, one target. Hit: 10 (1d8+6) piercing damage. On a critical hit, the attack deals an extra 9 (2d8) damage.
Red Right Hand (touch). Melee weapon attack. Attack: +11 hit, reach 5-ft, one target. Hit: 14 (2d8+5) cold damage.
Red Right Hand (spells). Baron de Pointis can cast the following spells thru the hand (save DC 18): finger of death (5 charges), teleport (3 charges), slow (2 charges), or sleep (1 charge). Each time the Baron casts a spell using the hand, he must make a DC 18 Wisdom save or be compelled to perform some evil act. The Red Right Hand has 8 charges, and regains 1d4+4 charges at dawn.

SPECIAL
Beat (expend 1 superiority die). Baron de Pointis strikes his opponent's melee weapon before attacking, dealing +1d6 damage and the opponent must make a DC 18 Dexterity save or lose one attack on their next turn.
Lunging Attack (expend 1 superiority die). Baron de Pointis makes a melee attack at reach 10 feet, and if it hits he deals +1d6 damage.

BONUS ACTIONS
Arcane Charge (recharge short rest). Baron de Pointis teleports up to 30 feet to a space he can see, and gains an extra action that turn.
Bonetti's Defense. Baron de Pointis can Disengage as a bonus action.
Botta Segrete (expend 1 superiority die). When Baron de Pointis hits with a melee attack he can deal +1d6 damage and make the attack completely unavoidable - it cannot be parried or dodged, nor can the damage it deals be reduced in any way.

REACTIONS
Defensive Duelist. When a melee attack would hit Baron de Pointis, he may add +6 to his AC against that attack.
Riposte (expend 1 superiority die). When a creature misses Baron de Pointis with a melee attack, he can use his reaction to make a melee attack against the creature. If the attack hits, he deals +1d6 damage.

LEGENDARY ACTIONS
As wielder of the Red Right Hand, Baron de Pointis can take 3 legendary actions each round, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. The Baron regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn. 

Cantrip. The Baron casts chill touch or mage hand thru the hand.
Horrid Wilting (costs 2 actions & 1 charge). The Baron causes everything within 30 feet to desiccate, water draining into the hand as per a destroy water spell. All creatures within range must make a DC 15 Constitution save or suffer a level of exhaustion, and if they already have a level of exhaustion they suffer 2 levels instead. Plant and water-based creatures have disadvantage on this saving throw.
Steal Secrets. The Baron makes a telekinetic grapple attempt against a target he can see within 30 feet using the hand. If successful, he drains a spell slot of up to 3rd level from the target, regaining the corresponding spell slot himself. In addition, the Baron makes an opposed Wisdom (Insight) check versus the target Charisma (Deception), and if successful, he learns one fact or secret about the target; creatures immune to being charmed are immune to this effect. He can maintain this grapple thru concentration.



A renowned Chef d'Escarde (Rear Admiral), the 67 year old Bernard Desjean, Baron de Pointis, has had a long and successful naval career both in the French Navy and as a privateer. Most famous for the Raid on Cartagena in 1697, this venture made the Baron immensely wealthy and something of a celebrity figure in the court of King Louis XIV; he even published his exploits in a rather biased account that overlooked his troubles with buccaneers belonging to the Brethren of the Coast. For several years during the War of Spanish Succession he also lead the Dunkirker privateers against the Netherlands. After his defeat at the Twelfth Siege of Gibraltar, the Baron retired from active military service to pursue his own clandestine agenda.

"Blackbeard" Lancelot Blackburne
Medium humanoid (human), lawful neutral
AC 15 (leather armor, heavy armor house rule)
HP 91 (14d8+28)
Speed 30 ft
Str 13 (+1) Dex 16 (+3) Con 14 (+2) Int 18 (+4) Wis 14 (+2) Cha 16 (+3)
Skills acrobatics +7, deception +7, history +8, insight +6, intimidate +7, investigation +8, perception +6, persuasion +7, religion +8
Tools (+4) cartographer's tools, navigator's tools, watercraft, cello
Saving Throws Dexterity +7, Constitution +6
Feats firearms expert, keen mind, skilled, tavern brawler
Senses passive perception 16
Languages English, Dutch, French, Spanish, Latin, Thieves' Cant
Challenge 6 (XP 1,800); modified Fighter (battle master) 12

ROLEPLAYING
Bond. Pirate Republic. Blackbeard is dedicated to creating a lasting functional pirate republic in Nassau.
Ideal. Fairness. Everyone who does their fair share of the work deserves their fair share of the rewards. (Lawful)
Flaw. When it comes to balancing competing factions, Blackbeard is prone to being too accommodating. Also, he is deathly afraid of ghosts, fiends, and djab.
Personality Trait. Blackbeard can find common ground between the fiercest enemies, getting them to come together for profit. Also, he can recite the Pirate's Code by heart.

FORTUNES
Code of Honor, Notoriety, Old Salt (maimed throat only allows him to speak in a whisper), Cause (Pirate Republic), Fencing School (The Fence), Magic Trinkets (Enchanted Pistol Brace, ?), Haunted, Obligation (keep Patricia Díaz safe and sheltered), Demonophobia (fear of djab, ghosts, and fiends)

TRAITS
Code of Honor: Blackbeard cannot be charmed to act against his strict code of honor. However, if he ever falters his Fame score is halved until he makes restitution.
Enclose & Command: When Blackbeard successfuly grapples an opponent he can choose to either deal unarmed damage each round he sustains the grapple, or impose disadvantage on the opponent's attacks as long as they are grappled.  
Fame (8). Blackbeard gains a +4 bonus to Sway checks and any crew he captains increases their quality by one rank.
Firearms Expert. Blackbeard ignores the loading quality of firearms, and being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn't impose disadvantage on his ranged attacks.
Hanging Guardant. At the start of his turn Blackbeard may elect to assume hanging guardant stance, granting him a +1 bonus to AC for each enemy within 10 feet of him (maximum +5), but suffering disadvantage on his attack rolls. The stance lasts until the start of his next turn when he may choose to maintain it.
Keen Mind. Blackbeard always knows which way is north, the number of hours till next sunrise or sunset, and can accurately recall anything he has seen or heard within the past month.
Know Your Enemy. If Blackbeard observes or interacts with another creature for at least 1 minute, he learns if the target is his equal, superior, or inferior in two of the following: Strength score, Dexterity score, Constitution score, Intelligence score, Wisdom score, Charisma score, Armor Class, Current hit points, Total class levels and which classes (if any).
Maneuvers. Blackbeard has 5d10 superiority dice which he can spend to use certain fencing maneuvers (save DC 15). He regains these superiority dice at the end of a short or long rest.

ACTIONS
Multiattack. Blackbeard makes 3 rapier and/or pistol attacks, and he can use his bonus action to make an unarmed or pistol attack. Thanks to his magical brace of eight pistols, he can draw and stash multiple pistols on his turn.
Rapier. Melee weapon attack. Attack: +7 hit, reach 5-ft, one target. Hit: 8 (1d8+4) piercing damage.
Pistol. Ranged weapon attack. Attack: +7 hit, range 30/90-ft, one target, loading. Hit: 8 (1d10+3) piercing damage.
Unarmed. Melee weapon attack. Attack: +7 hit, reach 5-ft, one target. Hit: 5 (1d4+3) bludgeoning damage, and Blackbeard can attempt to grapple them using Dexterity (Acrobatics).

SPECIAL
Disarming Attack (expend 1 superiority die). When Blackbeard hits a creature with a weapon attack, he can add an extra +1d10 damage and the target must make a DC 15 Strength save or it drops one item of Blackbeard's choice.
Menacing Attack (expend 1 superiority die). When Blackbeard hits a creature with a weapon attack, he can add an extra +1d10 damage and the target must make a DC 15 Wisdom save or else be frightened of Blackbeard until the end of its next turn.
Pushing Attack (expend 1 superiority die). When Blackbeard hits a creature with a weapon attack, he can add an extra +1d10 damage and if the target is Large or smaller, it must make a DC 15 Strength save or else be pushed up to 15 feet away from Blackbeard.
Tripping Attack (expend 1 superiority die). When Blackbeard hits a creature with a weapon attack, he can add an extra +1d10 damage and if the target is Large or smaller, it must make a DC 15 Strength save or fall prone.

BONUS ACTIONS
Commander's Strike (expend 1 superiority die). When using multiattack, Blackbeard can use his bonus action to give up one of this attacks to direct a friendly creature who can see and hear him to strike. That creature immediately uses its reaction to make a weapon attack, and if it hits they add +1d10 damage.
Cunning Action. Blackbeard can use his bonus action to Dash, Disengage, Hide, or Use an Object.
Feint (expend 1 superiority die). Blackbeard can use his bonus action to feint a creature within 5 feet, gaining advantage on his next attack, and if it hits he deals an extra +1d10 damage.
Inspiration. Blackbeard can use his bonus action to inspire a creature within 60 feet with stirring words. Once within the next 10 minutes, the creature can add +1d10 to one ability check, attack roll, or damage roll they make.

REACTIONS
Riposte (expend 1 superiority die). When a creature misses Blackbeard with a melee attack, he can use his reaction to make a melee attack against the creature. If the attack hits, he deals +1d10 damage.



The 54-year old Blackbeard of 1712 is not Edward Teach, rather another seasoned pirate who keeps his true name hidden: Lancelot Blackburne, who was ordained at Oxford and traveled to the West Indies where he ended up a chaplain aboard a pirate ship. He fell in love with a woman named Patricia Díaz, but was supposed to return to London for an arranged marriage and a church post. Patricia was the sister of a Spanish naval captian who'd been given to Governor Juan de Ribera in marriage; however, she realized the Governor's madness and fled to the Bahamas. Fate seemed to conspire to keep Blackburne and Patricia apart. However, in 1681 it was his luck to encounter a repentant pirate who bore a striking resemblance to Blackburne. This pirate needed a way out. Blackburne taught the man what he needed to serve as his replacement. When the imposter "Lancelot Blackburne" returned to England in 1684, he became Dean of Exeter, and was often noted for his ungentlemanly ways. The real Blackburne, under the pirate pseudonym "Jon Blackbeard", made his new home in Nassau with his love Patricia, the only other person in the Caribbean who knows his secret. After Governor Trott was killed, French and Spanish forces tried to occupy Nassau in 1703; Blackbeard led the push to repel the enemy. Since then he has been attempting to put his education to work establishing a pirate republic in Nassau for the past decade.

Clemet Van Schiedem
Medium humanoid (hill dwarf), neutral
AC 13 (heavy armor house rule, padded armor, disadvantage Stealth and swim)
HP 51 (6d8+18)
Speed 25 ft
Str 12 (+1) Dex 13 (+1) Con 16 (+3) Int 14 (+2) Wis 10 (+0) Cha 14 (+2)
Skills athletics +3, history +4 (+6 stonework), intimidation +4, investigation +4, nature +4, performance +4, persuasion +4, sleight of hand +3
Tools (+2) accordion, draaiorgel (barrel organ), pipes, brewer's supplies, cartographer's tools, dice set
Saving Throws Charisma +4, Constitution +5 (advantage vs. poison)
Damage Resistances poison
Feats firearms expert, linguist
Senses darkvision 60 ft, passive perception 10
Languages English, Austrian, Dutch, French, Prussian, Spanish (broken), Swedish
Challenge 2 (XP 450); modified Bard-Fighter (special) 6

ROLEPLAYING
Bond. Return to Grace. Clemet seeks to regain the good graces of the Hague, and financing Captain Read Wallace's expedition for La Gloriosa seems a fine way of doing just that.
Ideal. Glory. Clemet lives to bask in the adulation of his peers. (Neutral)
Flaw. Clemet is a sucker for a pretty face.
Personality Trait. Clemet takes great pains to look his best and follow the latest fashions, no matter how garish.

FORTUNES
Whiskey Johnny, Contacts (Dutch nobility), Magic Trinkets (Dwarven Blunderbuss Pistol), Magic Trinkets (Gem of Brightness inset in monocle, several healing potions), Trading Company, Disgraced*, Enemy (Hugo Van Haan), Loose Lips, Vice (whoring)

[SBLOCK=New Fortune: Disgraced]
Disgraced: You've fallen far from a position of power and privilege. Among those who you formerly called peers, you are unwelcome and suffer disadvantage on all Charisma checks.[/SBLOCK]
TRAITS
Firearms Expert. Clemet ignores the loading quality of firearms, and being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn't impose disadvantage on his ranged attacks.
Monocle. Clemet has advantage on Intelligence (Investigation) checks to appraise or inspect items that are small or finely detailed.
Polyglot. Clemet can understand the gist of any language sharing the root of a language he knows, and for completely unknown languages he can make an Intelligence check to understand the basic idea.

ACTIONS
Pistol Sap. Melee weapon attack. Attack: +3 hit, reach 5-ft, one target. Hit: 3 (1d4+1) bludgeoning damage.
Dwarven Blunderbuss Pistol. Ranged weapon attack. Attack: +5 hit, range 30/90-ft, one target, loading, misfire (1). Hit: 12 (2d10+1) piercing damage, and target must make a DC 12 Strength save or be pushed back 10 feet and knocked prone.
Pistol Trick. Clemet fires one of the following types of shot from his blunderbuss pistol:

• Called Shot: Clemet suffers disadvantage on his attack, but on a hit he strikes a specific area on the target or shoots something off the target's body, like a belt from their waist or an apple from their head.
• Hampering Shot: Clemet shoots the target's leg. Hit: 12 (2d10+1) piercing damage, and target must make a DC 12 Constitution save or their speed is halved (round down) until receiving healing or taking a short rest.
• Quick Shot: Clemet draws his blunderbuss pistol, fires it, then returns it to its holster all as part of the same action.
• Scattershot: Clemet makes an attack against all creatures in a 10-ft diameter area. Hit: 6 (1d10+1) piercing damage.

Monocle Gem of Brightness. (25 charges) Clemet invokes one of these effects by speaking a Dutch command word:

• Light (1 charge): The monocle sheds bright light in a 30-ft cone, and dim light for an additional 30-ft. The light lasts until Clemet uses another function of the gem or uses a bonus action to extinguish the light.
• Blinding Beam (1 charge): A brilliant beam of light strikes a creature of Clemet's choosing within 60 feet. That creature must make a DC 15 Constitution save or be blinded for 1 minute. The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns.
• Blinding Flash (5 charges): The gem emits blinding light in a 30-ft cone originating from it. Each creature in the cone must make a saving throw as if struck by the blinding beam.

BONUS ACTION
Inspiration (2 times per short rest). Clemet can use his bonus action to inspire a creature within 60 feet with stirring words. Once within the next 10 minutes, the creature can add +1d8 to one ability check, attack roll, damage roll, or saving throw they make, or alternately may use their reaction to add +1d8 to their AC against a single attack.
Healing Liquor. Clemet regains 7 (2d4+2) hit points. He has a flask holding 4 healing potions worth.

REACTIONS 
Cutting Words (expend 1 use of Inspiration). When a hostile creature within 60 feet that Clemet can see makes an attack roll, damage roll, or ability check, Clemet can utter a disheartening quip or cutting banter. The creature suffers a -4 (1d8) penalty to its roll provided it can hear and understand Clemet.



Marissa Van Schiedem
Medium humanoid (mountain dwarf), lawful evil
AC 14 (breastplate)
HP 32 (6d8+5)
Speed 25 ft
Str 12 (+1) Dex 10 (+0) Con 13 (+1) Int 14 (+2) Wis 14 (+2) Cha 16 (+3)
Skills arcana +4, deception +5, persuasion +5, religion +4, stone cunning +6
Tools (+2) forgery kit, smith's tools
Saving Throws Constitution +3 (advantage vs. poison), Wisdom +4
Damage Resistances fire, poison
Feats observant
Senses darkvision 60 ft, passive perception 17, passive insight 17
Languages English, Dutch, French, Italian, Portugese, Spanish
Challenge 2 (XP 450); Warlock (fiend) 6

ROLEPLAYING
Bond. Hide the Evidence. Marissa seeks to hide all evidence of her family's involvement in the plot to subvert the alliance between Spain and Sicily, including that which sunk with La Gloriosa.
Ideal. Family. Blood runs thicker than water. (Neutral)
Flaw. Marissa will sacrifice too much, go to any extreme, to get back at those who've wronged her. Also, she is deathly afraid of disease.
Personality Trait. Marissa hates to get her hands dirty, and won't be caught dead in unsuitable accommodations. 

FORTUNES
Contacts (Spanish nobility), Retainers*, Trading Company, Disgraced*, Enemy (Hugo Van Haan), Phobia (Hypochondriac)
[SBLOCK=New Fortunes: Retainers, Disgraced]
Retainers: You are never without several attendants, bodyguards, and a majordomo. Often they can be explained as traveling with you on any ocean voyage you undertake, but when this defies logic, they might be newly recruited thru your charisma and promise of future pay, or even summoned thru magic if such means are within your power.

Disgraced: You've fallen far from a position of power and privilege. Among those who you formerly called peers, you are unwelcome and suffer disadvantage on all Charisma checks.[/SBLOCK]
TRAITS
Familiar. Marissa has a cat familiar, which she may swap senses with as an action (see find familiar in the PHB).
Lip Reading. If Marissa can see a creature's lips moving while it speaks a language she can understand, she can interpret what it is saying by reading its lips.
Spellcasting. Marissa casts spells as a 6th level warlock (spell save DC 13, spell attack +5). She has 2 spell slots which she casts at 3rd level; she refreshes these spell slots after a short rest.
Cantrips: eldritch blast (2 beams), friends, light, message, prestidigitation, shillelagh.
1st Level: burning hands (5d6), command, comprehend languages (ritual only), find familiar (ritual only), hellish rebuke (4d10), hex, identify (ritual only), illusory script
2nd Level: augury (ritual only), blindness/deafness, magic mouth (ritual only), mirror image, scorching ray (4 rays), suggestion
3rd Level: dispel magic, fear, feign death (ritual only), fireball (8d6), stinking cloud.
Subtle Casting. When not casting a spell that requires an attack roll or is otherwise vulgar, Marissa can hide that she is casting magic with a Charisma (Deception) check opposed by viewer's passive Perception or Insight.

ACTIONS
Rod (Shillelagh). Melee weapon attack. Attack: +5 hit (counts as magical), reach 5-ft, one target. Hit: 7 (1d8+3) bludgeoning damage.
Eldritch Blast. Ranged spell attack. (Make two attacks) Attack: +5 hit, range 120-ft, one target. Hit: 5 (1d10) force damage and the target is pushed 10 feet.
Gaze of Two Minds. Marissa touches a willing humanoid, and perceives thru its senses so long as she continues to spend an action to maintain the link, and the humanoid stays on the same plane of existence. While perceiving thru the humanoid's sense, Marissa is blind and deaf to her own surroundings, but she benefits from any special senses the creature possesses.

François L'Olonnais, Seawolf Captain
Medium humanoid (human, shapechanger), chaotic evil
AC 15 (unarmored defense)
HP 105 (14d8+42)
Speed 30 ft in human or hybrid form (10 ft, swim 40 ft in seawolf form)
Str 18 (+4) Dex 14 (+2) Con 16 (+3) Int 10 (+0) Wis 12 (+1) Cha 14 (+2)
Skills athletics +7, intimidation +5, perception +4, stealth +5, survival +4
Damage Immunities bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical weapons that aren't silvered
Tools (+3) navigator's tools, watercraft
Saving Throws Strength +7, Constitution +6
Feats great weapon master
Senses darkvision 60 ft, passive perception 14
Languages English, French, Abyssal, Thieves' Cant
Challenge 7 (XP 2,900); Seawolf modified Barbarian-Fighter (battle master) 6

ROLEPLAYING
Bond. Sworn to the Abyss.
Ideal. Might. He takes from the mighty just to see them bleed. (Evil)
Flaw. L'Olonnais has a short temper that easily gets the better of him.
Personality Trait. L'Olonnais constantly looks for weaknesses, his beady eyes those of a predator seeking prey.

FORTUNES
Notoriety, Fencing School (Scrimia), Magic Trinkets (L'Olonnais' Hanger +2), Secrets of the Deep (open Abyssal gates and read Quallith), Enemy (Baron de Pointis), Touched (irrational hatred of Spaniards), Wanted (Viceroyalty of New Spain)

TRAITS
Aspect of the Seawolf. L'Ollonais can track creatures while traveling at a face pace, and can move stealthily while traveling at a normal pace as can any seawolves traveling with him. In addition he can cast beast sense as a ritual to see thru the eyes of any allied seawolf.
Brutal. When L'Ollonais reduces an enemy to less than 0 hit points, they are immediately killed in a particularly brutal manner.
Danger Sense. L'Ollonais has advantage on Dexterity saves against effects he cannot see, such as traps and spells, so long as he is not blinded, deafened, or incapacitated.
Fame (6). L'Ollonais gains a +3 bonus to Sway checks and any crew he captains increases their quality by one rank.
Great Weapon Master. Before making a melee attack with a heavy weapon, L'Ollonais can take -5 attack to deal +10 damage on a hit.
Keen Hearing and Smell. L'Ollonais has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.
Hold Breath. L'Ollonais can holds his breath for a number of minutes equal to his Constitution score (16).
Shapechanger. L'Ollonais can use his action to polymorph into a wolf-headed sea lion or a wolf-humanoid hybrid, or back into his true form, which is human. His speed and attack modes change with his forms. When L'Ollonais dies he reverts to his true form.
Maneuvers. L'Ollonais has 4d8 superiority dice which he can spend to use certain fencing maneuvers (save DC 15). He regains these superiority dice at the end of a short or long rest.

ACTIONS
Multiattack. L'Ollonais makes 2 attacks (or 3 when raging). In hybrid form only one of these may be a bite attack.
Bite (hybrid or seawolf form only). Melee weapon attack. Attack: +7 hit, reach 5-ft, one target. Hit: 9 (2d4+4) piercing damage. If the target is humanoid, it must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution save or be cursed with seawolf lycanthropy.
Claws (hybrid form only). Melee weapon attack. Attack: +7 hit, reach 5-ft, one target. Hit: 8 (1d8+4) slashing damage.
L'Ollonais' Hanger +2 (human or hybrid form only). Melee weapon attack. Attack: +9 hit, reach 5-ft, one target, heavy. Hit: 10 (1d8+6) slashing damage and the target must make a DC 14 Constitution check or be wracked by pain and unable to take bonus actions or reactions until the end of their next turn.
Pistol (human form only). Ranged weapon attack. Attack: +5 hit, range 30/90-ft, one target, loading, light. Hit: 7 (1d10+2) piercing damage.

SPECIAL
Menacing Attack (expend 1 superiority die). When L'Ollonais hits a creature with a weapon attack, he can add an extra +1d8 damage and the target must make a DC 15 Wisdom save or else be frightened of L'Ollonais until the end of its next turn.

BONUS ACTIONS
Bonetti's Defense. L'Ollonais can Disengage as a bonus action.
Cleave. When L'Ollonais scores a critical hit with a melee weapon or reduces a creature to 0 hit points with one, he can use his bonus action to make another melee attack.
Coup de Jarnac (expend 1 superiority die). When L'Ollonais hits a target in melee, he may turn the attack into a hamstring strike, dealing +1d8 damage. The target must make a DC 15 Constitution save or their speed is halved (round down) and they suffer disadvantage on all Dexterity checks and saves until they take a long rest or receive healing.
Rage (hybrid or seawolf form only, 4 times before a long rest). L'Ollonais enters a rage for up to 1 minute. While raging he gains advantage on Strength checks and saves, his melee attacks deal +2 damage, and he gains an additional attack when using Multiattack.

REACTION
Saviolo's Ward (expend 1 superiority die). L'Ollonais attempts to grab an opponent's weapon as they are about to strike, making a Strength (Athletics) check as if he were grappling the target. If successful, he grabs the weapon and prevents his opponent from utilizing that weapon until they succeed an opposed grapple check against him or he releases it. However, if the weapon is a blade L'Ollonais suffers its average die damage (e.g. 4 on a d8) when he grabs it and each round he sustains the grab.



"He drew his cutlass, and with it cut open the breast of one of those poor Spanish, and pulling out his heart with his sacrilegious hands, began to bite and gnaw it with his teeth, like a ravenous wolf, saying to the rest: I will serve you all alike, if you show me not another way."

La Mosca Española
Medium humanoid (half-elf), neutral
AC 17 (leather, heavy armor house rule)
HP 82 (15d8+15)
Speed 30 ft
Str 10 (+0) Dex 20 (+5) Con 12 (+1) Int 15 (+2) Wis 16 (+3) Cha 18 (+4)
Saving Throws Dexterity +8 (advantage versus spells), Intelligence +5, disadvantage on Wisdom saves against fear effects
Skills acrobatics +8, arcana +5, athletics +6*, deception +10*, insight +6, intimidation +7, investigation +8*, perception +6, persuasion +7, sleight of hand +8, stealth +11*
Tools (+3) chess set, disguise kit, forgery kit, poisoner's kit, thieves tools
Condition Immunities sleep
Feats mage slayer, martial adept
Senses darkvision 60 ft, passive perception 16
Languages English, Catalan, French, Portugese, Spanish, Thieves' Cant
Challenge 7 (XP 2,900); Fighter (battle master) 5 / Rogue (assassin) 9

ROLEPLAYING
Bond. Let Sunken Treasures Lie. La Mosca knows all too well the dangerous magics that sunk with La Gloriosa, and her mission is to prevent those from entering the wrong (non-Spanish) hands.
Ideal. Subterfuge. Protect the ignorant masses from magical threats by facing them in the shadows thru questionable means. (Neutral)
Flaw. La Mosca is suspicious of and biased against magic-users. Also, due to the nature of her work she has trouble forming close friendships.
Personality Trait. La Mosca falls in and out of love easily, and is always pursuing some romantic interest...usually with an angle.

FORTUNES
Casanova, Superstitious, Contacts (spy network), Fencing School (La Destreza), Patron (El Ministerio)*, Enemy (Baron de Pointis), Wanted (Britain & Netherlands), Wastrel
[SBLOCK=New Fortune: Patron]
Patron: You have a patron, either a powerful individual like a king or cardinal, or a far-reaching organization. In exchange for your service, your patron will provide you with paying jobs, quality room and board, equipment, healing, and potentially backup if the situation calls for it. Additionally, each patron will have a required code of conudct and offer a unique benefit. 

For example, El Ministerio de Inteligencia de Los Indies requires its agents to hunt down magical threats to New Spain and the Sun King. Agents benefit from intelligence reports and a spy network, and can reach an El Ministerio contact at most Spanish ports.[/SBLOCK]
TRAITS
Assassinate. La Mosca has advantage on attacks against creatures that haven't yet acted in the initiative yet. When she hits a surprised creature, she automatically inflicts a critical hit.
Evasion. When La Mosca is subjected to an effect that allows her to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, she instead takes no damage if she succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if she fails.
Maneuvers. La Mosca has 5d8 superiority dice which she can spend to use certain fencing maneuvers (save DC 16). She regains these superiority dice at the end of a short or long rest.
Master of Infiltration. La Mosca has a number of cover identities complete with official papers, history, and affiliations. It takes her a week to establish a new cover identity. When assuming a cover identity she is flawless.
Sneak Attack. Once per turn, when La Mosca hits a creature granting her advantage on her attack, she can deal an extra 17 (5d6) damage to that creature. Alternately, she doesn't need advantage to Sneak Attack so long as she does not have disadvantage and another (non-incapacitated) enemy of the target is within 5 feet of it.
Superstitious. La Mosca can detect magic at will without any components, as either an action or bonus action.

ACTIONS
Multiattack. La Mosca makes 2 attacks.
Rapier. Melee weapon attack. Attack: +8 hit, reach 5-ft, one target. Hit: 11 (1d8+7) piercing damage, and La Mosca may move 5 feet within the creature's reach or switch places with the creature (her choice). If the creature was concentrating on a spell, that creature has disadvantage on its saving throw to maintain concentration..
Pistol. Ranged weapon attack. Attack: +8 hit, range 30/90-ft, one target, loading. Hit: 10 (1d10+5) piercing damage. If the creature was concentrating on a spell, that creature has disadvantage on its saving throw to maintain concentration.

SPECIAL
Evasive Footwork (expend 1 superiority die). When La Mosca moves, she adds +1d8 to her AC until she stops moving.
Disarming Attack (expend 1 superiority die). When La Mosca hits a creature with a melee attack, she deals +1d8 damage and the target must make a DC 16 Strength save or it drops one item it was holding of La Mosca's choice.

BONUS ACTIONS
Cunning Action. La Mosca can use her bonus action to Dash, Disengage, or Hide.
Feinting Attack (expend 1 superiority die). La Mosca can use her bonus action to feint a creature within 5 feet, gaining advantage on her next attack, and if it hits she deals an extra +1d8 damage.

REACTIONS
Mage Slayer. When a creature within 5 feet casts a spell, La Mosca can use her reaction to make an opportunity attack against that creature.
Desvio (expend 1 superiority die). When a creature damages La Mosca with a melee attack, she can use her reaction to reduce the damage by 1d8+5; if this reduces the damage to 0, she immediately makes a rapier attack against the creature.
Riposte (expend 1 superiority die). When a creature misses La Mosca with a melee attack, she can use her reaction to make a melee attack against the creature. If the attack hits, she deals +1d8 damage.
Uncanny Dodge. When an attacker that La Mosca can see hits her with an attack, La Mosca can use her reaction to halve the attack’s damage against her.



La Mosca Española (The Spanish Fly) is a legend among the clandestine agencies of the colonial powers, a ghost who walks thru walls and who could seduce the Pope himself. Despite this notoriety, precious few details are known of La Mosca beyond that she is a woman...probably. Mercè de Oviedo earned the pseudonym of "La Mosca" after years of dedicated service to El Ministerio de Inteligencia de Los Indies, a covert branch of the Viceroyalty of New Spain based in Santo Domingue. Even among El Ministerio little is known of her life before becoming a secret agent, save that her noble family was killed in Seville under strange circumstances. Her current mission is to locate the Zeeland Bellows and Old Zef, the one dwarf in the Caribbean who knows how to operate them, by any means necessary. However, La Mosca also has her own hidden agenda involving a sunken treasure ship called La Gloriosa...

Mariette de Fontenelle, Agent Provocateur
Medium humanoid (human), chaotic neutral
AC 14 (padded, disadvantage Stealth and swim)
HP 78 (12d8+24)
Speed 30 ft
Str 9 (-1) Dex 16 (+3) Con 14 (+2) Int 14 (+2) Wis 10 (+0) Cha 20 (+5)
Skills arcana +5, deception +11*, investigation +8*, performance +8, persuasion +11*, sleight of hand +9*, Jack of All Trades MOD+1
Tools (+3) flute, lute, viol, thieves' tools
Saving Throws Dexterity +6, Charisma +8
Feats actor, alert, firearms expert
Senses passive perception 11
Languages English, Dutch, French, Spanish
Challenge 5 (XP 1,800); Bard (college of valor) 12

ROLEPLAYING
Bond. The Fountain of Youth. As part of her ongoing service to the Academie, Mariette seeks the Fountain of Youth for her ailing father as well as herself, and is convinced the captain of La Gloriosa knew where to find it.
Ideal. Independence. Mariette must prove she can handle herself without the coddling of her father. (Chaotic)
Flaw. Mariette is convinced of the significance of her destiny, and blind to her shortcomings and the risk of failure
Personality Trait. Sarcasm and insults are Mariette's weapons of choice. Also, she gets bitter when not the center of attention.

FORTUNES
Rogue-a-Plotting, Armed to the Teeth, Magic Trinkets (Beads of Force, Quaal's Feather Token: anchor), Patron (Academie Royale des Sciences)*, Treasure Map, Enemy (Captain Read Wallace), Enemy (Commodore Bennet Rafferty), Madness (claustrophobia and general fear of prisons), Marooned, Obligation (her father)
[SBLOCK=New Fortune: Patron]
Patron: You have a patron, either a powerful individual like a king or cardinal, or a far-reaching organization. In exchange for your service, your patron will provide you with paying jobs, quality room and board, equipment, healing, and potentially backup if the situation calls for it. Additionally, each patron will have a required code of conduct and offer a unique benefit.

For example, Lè Academie Royale des Sciences requires its agents to seek out new sources of magical power for the mages who govern it. Agents benefit from La Divinacion, a network of diivners allowing communication across nations and quick transfer of information.[/SBLOCK]
TRAITS
Actor. Mariette has advantage on Deception and Performance checks to pass herself off as another person, and she can mimic the speech of another person after listening to them for 1 minute.
Alert. Mariette can't be surprised while conscious, has a +9 initiative bonus, and other creatures don't gain advantage on attack rolls against her for being hidden.
Firearms Expert. Mariette ignores the loading quality of firearms, and being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn't impose disadvantage on her ranged attacks.
Spellcasting. Mariette casts spells as a 10th level bard, and her spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 16, spell attack +8).
Cantrips: friends, message, minor illusion, vicious mockery (3d4)
1st Level (4 slots): charm person, detect magic, disguise self, sleep
2nd Level (3 slots): detect thoughts, knock, suggestion, zone of truth
3rd Level (3 slots): conjure barrage, feign death, sending
4th Level (3 slots): confusion, freedom of movement, locate creature
5th Level (2 slots): conjure volley, modify memory
6th Level (1 slot): mass suggestion
Words of Discord. When Mariette performs during a short rest, she may opt to sow discord. At the end of this time, she may subtly cast suggestion, confusion, or mass suggestion. Alternately, all creatures within earshot must make a DC 16 Wisdom save or no longer treat their companions as allies until taking a long rest. In terms of hard and fast rules, this means their spaces cannot be moved thru and their healing or buffing magic will not accepted. It also means the players should play up the discord.

ACTIONS
Multiattack. Mariette makes 2 attacks. (see Offhand Pistol)
Rapier. Melee weapon attack. Attack: +7 hit, reach 5-ft, one target. Hit: 7 (1d8+3) piercing damage.
Double-Barreled Pistol. Melee weapon attack. Attack: +7 hit, range 30/90-ft, one target, loading. Hit: 7 (1d10+3) piercing damage.
Bead of Force. (4 beads) Mariette throws a bead up to 60 feet away, and the bead explodes in a 10-ft radius upon impact and is destroyed. Any creature caught within the explosion must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 12 (5d4) force damage. A sphere of transparent force then encloses the area for 1 minute, trapping creature that were hit inside. Only air can pass thru the force field. A trapped creature can use its action to move the sphere up to half the creature's speed.
Bomb. (2 bombs) Mariette can light a bomb and throw it up to 60 feet, or set it to detonate on a timed fused. Each creature within 5 feet of that point (a 10-ft diameter blast) must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or take 10 (3d6) fire damage. Flammables are lit on fire by the explosion.
Countercharm. Mariette starts a performance that lasts until the end of her next turn, during which her and friendly creatures within 30 feet that can hear her have advantage on saves against being frightened or charmed.
Quaal's Feather Token (anchor). Mariette touched the token to a boat or ship. For the next 24 hours the vessel cannot be moved by any means. Touching the token to the vessel again also ends the effect. When the effect ends, the token disappears.

BONUS ACTIONS
Inspiration (5 times per short rest). Mariette can use her bonus action to inspire a creature within 60 feet with stirring words. Once within the next 10 minutes, the creature can add +1d10 to one ability check, attack roll, damage roll, or saving throw they make, or alternately may use their reaction to add the d10 to their AC against a single attack.
Offhand Holdout Pistol. When Mariette attacks, she can use a bonus action to make an offhand pistol attack. Melee weapon attack. Attack: +7 hit, range 20/60-ft, one target. Hit: 5 (1d10) piercing damage.

Monster Calculations: Mariette
Defense CR 1 = 1 (78 HP) + 0 (16 effective AC with Alert & several features and spells equivalent to Ambusher)
Offense CR 9 = 8 (~56 damage) + 1 (+8 spell attack)
Avg CR 5 = (1 + 9) / 2

Click to expand...

Mariette was born the illegitimate daughter of renowned French author and mage Bernard Le Bovier de Fontenelle by a Parisian whore named Esmee. Rather than abandon her, Bernard played a significant role in her upbringing and made certain she had access to the best education available at the time, including teaching her the rudiments of magic. While he loved her dearly, Bernard would never acknowledge her publicly; when coupled with her exposure to the lives of whores and the poor, this led to Mariette becoming something of a rebel and mischief-maker in her younger years. However, those who opposed her father's meteoric rise in the Academie Royale des Sciences arranged for Mariette to be caught en flagrante delicito, and she was sentenced to prison. Though she was only there for a week, it was an experience so harrowing Mariette does not speak at all of what happened. Fortunately, her father managed to free her from prison on the condition that she become an agent of the Academie. For the past six years Mariette has worked as an agent provocateur for the Academie, inciting its enemies to implicate themselves in criminal activity or otherwise make grave errors in judgment. Her current mission has brought her to the Caribbean where she is to bring in one Gaston Sauvetere, a former Academie agent turned renegade, dead or alive. Recently, she was marooned by Captain Read Wallace after she was caught agitating against him while aboard his ship under a false name; while she was picked up a week later, she intends to recover her favorite double-barreled pistol and holdout pistol from Wallace and repay his "kindness."

Sir D'Arcy, Outlaw Naturalist
Small humanoid (lightfoot halfling), neutral evil
AC 14
HP 55 (10d6+20)
Speed 25 ft
Str 10 (+0) Dex 18 (+4) Con 14 (+2) Int 16 (+3) Wis 14 (+2) Cha 16 (+3)
Skills animal handling +6*, deception +7*, investigation +5, medicine +6*, nature +7*, perception +4, sleight of hand +6, stealth +6
Tools (+2) forgery kit, herbalist's kit, poisoner's kit, surgeon's tools, thieves' tools
Saving Throws Dexterity +6, Intelligence +5, advantage on saves against fear & spells, must save against beneficial magic too
Feats skilled, thrown weapon mastery
Senses passive perception 14
Languages English, French, Irish, Latin
Challenge 4 (XP 1,100); modified Rogue-Ranger (special) 10

ROLEPLAYING
Bond. Discovery of a Lifetime. D'Arcy is looking for the Kenku island colony which he believes a map that sunk with La Gloriosa leads to.
Ideal. Knowledge. True understanding of biology can fix anything and give one power over anything. (Neutral)
Flaw. If someone asks D'Arcy a question and he doesn't know the answer, he'll lie rather than say "I don't know the answer."
Personality Trait. D'Arcy will eagerly talk about the most gruesome and disquieting subjects in detail without batting an eye.

FORTUNES
Enlightened, Armed to the Teeth, Monster Menagerie*, Patron (Academie Royale des Sciences)*, Enemy (Caillou), Loose Lips, Wanted (Britain & France)
[SBLOCK=New Fortunes: Monster Menagerie, Patron]
Monster Menagerie: This Good Fortune is unique to NPCs and can only be gained by a PC thru play. You have a collection of specimens from throughout the Caribbean and the New World, and you have a menagerie of some sort where you securely keep them. Select a number of creatures from the Monster Manual Appendix A at the DM's discretion.

Patron: You have a patron, either a powerful individual like a king or cardinal, or a far-reaching organization. In exchange for your service, your patron will provide you with paying jobs, quality room and board, equipment, healing, and potentially backup if the situation calls for it. Additionally, each patron will have a required code of conudct and offer a unique benefit. 

For example, Lè Academie Royale des Sciences requires its agents to seek out new sources of magical power for the mages who govern it. Agents benefit from La Divinacion, a network of diivners allowing communication across nations and quick transfer of information. [/SBLOCK]
TRAITS
Evasion. When D'Arcy is subjected to an effect that allows him to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, he instead takes no damage if he succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if he fails.
Natural Explorer. When traveling overland in coastal and jungle environments, D'Arcy and any group he leads are not slowed by difficult terrain and cannot become lost (except by magical means). In addition, D'Arcy remains alert to danger even when engaged in another task (e.g. cataloging specimens), finds twice as much food when foraging, when traveling alone he can move stealthily at normal pace, and when tracking creatures he learns their exact numbers, sizes, and how long they passed thru the area.
Nimbleness. D'Arcy can move through the space of any creature size Medium or larger.
Naturally Stealthy. D'Arcy can attempt to hide even when he is obscured only by a Medium-sized creature. 
Sneak Attack. Once per turn, when D'Arcy hits a creature granting him advantage on his attack, he can deal an extra 17 (5d6) damage to that creature. Alternately, he doesn't need advantage to Sneak Attack so long as he does not have disadvantage and another (non-incapacitated) enemy of the target is within 5 feet of it.
Spellcasting. D'Arcy casts spells as a 10th level ranger, albeit with a reduced spell progression and Intelligence as his spellcasting ability (save DC 12, spell attack +5). However, none of his spells seem overtly magical nor do they rely on superstitious components.
1st Level (4 slots): animal friendship, detect poison and disease, hunter's mark, longstrider
2nd Level (3 slots): animal messenger, locate animals or plants, pass without trace
Surgical Insights. If D'Arcy vivissects or observes a creature being vivissected for at least 1 minute, he learns two of the following details about the creature: Any resistances, Any vulnerabilities, all the creature's speeds, any special senses, one special biological ability (e.g. identifying poison glands), Armor Class, Current hit points.
Walking Disaster. Abilities granting rerolls of dice fail to function within 30 feet of D'Arcy.

ACTIONS
Two-Weapon Fighting. D'Arcy makes an attack with his main hand (either sword cane, holdout pistol, or a thrown weapon) and an attack with his offhand (either poison dagger or a thrown weapon). 
Sword Cane. Melee weapon attack. Attack: +6 hit, reach 5-ft, one target. Hit: 7 (1d6+4) slashing damage.
Poison Dagger (offhand). Melee weapon attack. Attack: +6 hit, reach 5-ft, one target. Hit: 2 (1d4) piercing damage, and the target must make a DC 14 Constitution save or be poisoned for one hour. While poisoned, all attacks against the target have advantage as they experience distracting hallucinations.
Acid Vial (thrown). Ranged weapon attack. Attack: +6 hit, range 40-ft, one target. Hit: 7 (2d6) acid damage.
Alchemist's Fire (thrown). Ranged weapon attack. Attack: +6 hit, range 40-ft, one target. Hit: 2 (1d4) fire damage, and target takes 2 (1d4) fire damage at the start of each of their turns until an action is taken to extinguish the flames with a DC 10 Dexterity check.
Bola (thrown). Ranged weapon attack. Attack: +6 hit, range 40-ft (no long range penalty), one target. Hit: A Large or smaller creature hit by the bola is knocked prone and restrained. An action or dealing 1 slashing damage to the bola (AC 10) unrestrains the creature.
Cloak (thrown). Ranged weapon attack. Attack: +6 hit, range 15-ft (no long range penalty), one target. Hit: A Large or smaller creature hit by the cloak is blinded until taking an action to tear away the cloak or 5 slashing damage is dealt to the cloak (AC 10).
Dagger (thrown). Ranged weapon attack. Attack: +6 hit, range 60-ft (no long range penalty), one target. Hit: 6 (1d4+4) piercing damage, or 2 piercing damage with offhand.
Holdout Pistol. Ranged weapon attack. Attack: +6 hit, range 20/60-ft, one target, loading. Hit: 9 (1d10+4) piercing damage.

BONUS ACTIONS
Command Specimens. D'Arcy commands one of his trained tropical specimens to Attack, Dash, Disengage, Dodge, or Help.
Quick Throw. D'Arcy makes a thrown weapon attack with his offhand.

REACTIONS
Uncanny Dodge. When an attacker that D'Arcy can see hits him with an attack, D'Arcy can use his reaction to halve the attack’s damage against him.



Sir D’Arcy Roderike Hailstone-Millstone is the bastard son of a nearly-defunct noble lineage in Ireland. Sir D’Arcy is a naturalist, a surgeon formerly of great renown, and a gentleman. He is also an outlaw, alleged of having spoken treason against the British Crown, although there is no sign of his having committed any other crime on the soil of Mother England. In France he is even more infamous, wanted on charges of fraud, impersonating a nobleman, and several murders.