Which adventure are you looking at?
D&D 5E Age of Worms Adventure Path
Which adventure are you looking at?
smbakeresq
Explorer
All of them. I am saying the Vaati spirits contact the PC so when the PC cast summon instead of getting a demon you get a Wind Warrior or some other Vaati vassal. Or the Vaati give another option to polymorph into.
epithet
Explorer
That's a perspective I've seen expressed before, but I don't really understand it. I always build my traps as NPCs, including assigning them a CR, which makes giving XP for defeating the trap easy. Full xp value for disabling it, half xp value for detecting and bypassing it without having to actually deal with it.
Ah, I hadn't looked at a lot of the spells in Xanathars.
So, barring creating custom creatures, the easiest way to handle this would be for summon lesser demons to summon one wind warrior and to scale as described in the spell. The summon greater demon spell is a bit more tricky when scaling. For the base spell, it summons 3 wind warriors. When it scales, add 1 wind warrior for every two slot levels above 4th.
Another way to handle summon greater demon would be to have it summon an air elemental. For every spell slot above 4th, add 1 to AC, attack bonus, and save DC, add 10 hp, and add a d8 to damage.
smbakeresq
Explorer
I checked the MM and never read the Aarakocra and they are definitely tied to the Wind Dukes. At CR 1/4 they fit well for summon lesser demon.
Sure, you could also easily include mephits as an option.
4) The aboleth didn't end up crushing them - the monk stunned it via the tentacle and it went down fast.
5) My PCs got very interested in the cursed and other miscellaneous items. Any suggestions as to what to do with:
"odd black metal cage covered in thorns" - I'm drawing a blank on this one (backstory? function?)
"+2 unholy dagger that brings horrible misfortune to any that wield it" - did you implement the horrible misfortune? I'm treating the unholy dagger as "good creatures lose a level while wielding it" but my PCs are mostly neutral so I don't think it will come up.
"stuffy doll with pins that radiates necromantic magic" - this one is freaking them out so now I want it to actually do something. They're hesitant to damage it but don't want it just lying around either. Any suggestions?
I had the book attack them with flying sword stats. They didn't try to gather the torn pages after the battle so they don't get the names of 100 fiends.
6) Given that "hallow" exists, I did implement the permanent protection from energy (fire) effect. The wizard loves Fireball and Flaming Sphere, so it really threw him off.
New items:
a) Did your players do anything zany with the Viewing Pool in M10? Mine want to spy on everyone. Does "well known" have any meaning in 3e? Is it similar to "very familiar" in teleport spells or "familiar" in the Scrying spell?
b) My PCs had a great time in the Museum with the Vrock. The bard decided to throw down the fiendish figurine of wondrous power only to have the griffon join the battle on the side of the Vrock! Lots of fun.
c) The mind flayer lair lacks...a bedroom. And a waste disposal area, but the PCs specifically went looking for a bedroom. But we've mentioned the lack of key rooms before.
They finally finished, but still aren't 9th level for the Champions Belt, so we're doing to do some side treks until then.
smbakeresq
Explorer
Getting ready to run the mindflayer lair now. My thoughts are
1. The PC will be able to short rest once. I figure the lair will be alerted, so the first part with the drow goes, then they will SR, then the mindflayer lair.
2. Don’t forget the Drow have special Drow magic items that the PC will not be able to use to make them a little tougher.
3. I am going to make the zombies “fresher” and have at least one of them be a person from the neighborhood of the Crooked House. I don’t want the PCs to just blast them. If they do though then they have to tell the relatives themselves as we have a Paladin in the group who would do that. PC should be given XP for this.
4. If the PC escort the prisoners out the Mindflayer area before cleaning out the whole area the mindflayer would know and prepare traps and defenses. The PCs should know this so they push on as I want this to be one whole adventure without a long rest.
5. I tuned the pool to only work for the mindflayer. Otherwise the PCs would want to make it a lair and keep coming back, or someone else in the city would. To make sure I had the pool turn into a grey ooze if the PC stared to long, the ooze could attack all with 10’.
6. The aboleth - works fine as a substitute. Since I want to grind down PCs before the final battle I got rid of dominate and just used a psychic blast like a mind flayer but 2d8+2 and DC 11. I figure the mindflayer wouldn’t make any creature that could possibly enslave it.
7. Make sure you use the reach on the Octopins. They can stay on the walls and reach PCs. I did this because the Paladin has a reach weapon and the monk has slippers of spider climbing so I want to let them use those fully.
8. Cursed items are tough. With summon demons now in game getting the true names of various fiends is a powerful thing. I have an experienced group also that is smart enough to gather things, identify them, and augury for all of them. The knowledge of true names of 100 fiends is worth the risk though. I think what will happen is the wizard in the group will have the Paladin stand next to him while he peruses the manual to boost those saves. Eventually they will work their way through it, so I need to have a permanent downside, probably one of the fiends knowing exactly who the PC is.
9. Mindflayers always know things. Therefore Zyrxog would know what energy types the PC uses and resistance is appropriate.
1. The PC will be able to short rest once. I figure the lair will be alerted, so the first part with the drow goes, then they will SR, then the mindflayer lair.
2. Don’t forget the Drow have special Drow magic items that the PC will not be able to use to make them a little tougher.
3. I am going to make the zombies “fresher” and have at least one of them be a person from the neighborhood of the Crooked House. I don’t want the PCs to just blast them. If they do though then they have to tell the relatives themselves as we have a Paladin in the group who would do that. PC should be given XP for this.
4. If the PC escort the prisoners out the Mindflayer area before cleaning out the whole area the mindflayer would know and prepare traps and defenses. The PCs should know this so they push on as I want this to be one whole adventure without a long rest.
5. I tuned the pool to only work for the mindflayer. Otherwise the PCs would want to make it a lair and keep coming back, or someone else in the city would. To make sure I had the pool turn into a grey ooze if the PC stared to long, the ooze could attack all with 10’.
6. The aboleth - works fine as a substitute. Since I want to grind down PCs before the final battle I got rid of dominate and just used a psychic blast like a mind flayer but 2d8+2 and DC 11. I figure the mindflayer wouldn’t make any creature that could possibly enslave it.
7. Make sure you use the reach on the Octopins. They can stay on the walls and reach PCs. I did this because the Paladin has a reach weapon and the monk has slippers of spider climbing so I want to let them use those fully.
8. Cursed items are tough. With summon demons now in game getting the true names of various fiends is a powerful thing. I have an experienced group also that is smart enough to gather things, identify them, and augury for all of them. The knowledge of true names of 100 fiends is worth the risk though. I think what will happen is the wizard in the group will have the Paladin stand next to him while he peruses the manual to boost those saves. Eventually they will work their way through it, so I need to have a permanent downside, probably one of the fiends knowing exactly who the PC is.
9. Mindflayers always know things. Therefore Zyrxog would know what energy types the PC uses and resistance is appropriate.
4) The aboleth didn't end up crushing them - the monk stunned it via the tentacle and it went down fast.
5) My PCs got very interested in the cursed and other miscellaneous items. Any suggestions as to what to do with:
"odd black metal cage covered in thorns" - I'm drawing a blank on this one (backstory? function?)
"+2 unholy dagger that brings horrible misfortune to any that wield it" - did you implement the horrible misfortune? I'm treating the unholy dagger as "good creatures lose a level while wielding it" but my PCs are mostly neutral so I don't think it will come up.
"stuffy doll with pins that radiates necromantic magic" - this one is freaking them out so now I want it to actually do something. They're hesitant to damage it but don't want it just lying around either. Any suggestions?
I had the book attack them with flying sword stats. They didn't try to gather the torn pages after the battle so they don't get the names of 100 fiends.
6) Given that "hallow" exists, I did implement the permanent protection from energy (fire) effect. The wizard loves Fireball and Flaming Sphere, so it really threw him off.
New items:
a) Did your players do anything zany with the Viewing Pool in M10? Mine want to spy on everyone. Does "well known" have any meaning in 3e? Is it similar to "very familiar" in teleport spells or "familiar" in the Scrying spell?
b) My PCs had a great time in the Museum with the Vrock. The bard decided to throw down the fiendish figurine of wondrous power only to have the griffon join the battle on the side of the Vrock! Lots of fun.
c) The mind flayer lair lacks...a bedroom. And a waste disposal area, but the PCs specifically went looking for a bedroom. But we've mentioned the lack of key rooms before.
They finally finished, but still aren't 9th level for the Champions Belt, so we're doing to do some side treks until then.
The half-gnoll paladin decided after chapter 4 wrapped up to take the elven fighter (who wasn't interested in going on a date) on a date. He pulled out the figurine for them to go take a ride together. The griffon attacked them, and the paladin whiffed almost all of his attacks while the fighter made almost all of hers. Afterwards, she declared that was fun, still not quite aware that it was supposed to be a date.
The Champion's Belt
Six months later, we're starting the Champion's Belt, so (of course) I've got more conversion questions...
1) There's no conversion for Loris Raknian or Okoral. I'm thinking Warlord from Volo's (CR13) and maybe Assassin. And give them some items.
2) Page numbers are missing in the "Raknian's Security" section of the conversion notes (there ## placeholders)
3) For the gladiators, you didn't include all the magic armor/weapons. eg. Rennida has a "frost longbow" (presumably does d6 of frost damage on a hit). Left out on purpose? It's an excellent opportunity to have magic items because the players don't get them after the battle! But maybe because it's not an official 5e weapon it's better to leave it out?
4) You left out "Scriminaduro", the dire badger companion of Joren that "rages" after it's hit and has "Magic Fang" (?) cast on it. There are no dire badgers in 5e so I'm at a loss!
5) I might have added the land-based equivalent to the Peryton's "Flyby" ability for the mounted Korush warriors. This allows them to ride by without provoking an opportunity attack and matches their skills in the original.
Six months later, we're starting the Champion's Belt, so (of course) I've got more conversion questions...
1) There's no conversion for Loris Raknian or Okoral. I'm thinking Warlord from Volo's (CR13) and maybe Assassin. And give them some items.
2) Page numbers are missing in the "Raknian's Security" section of the conversion notes (there ## placeholders)
3) For the gladiators, you didn't include all the magic armor/weapons. eg. Rennida has a "frost longbow" (presumably does d6 of frost damage on a hit). Left out on purpose? It's an excellent opportunity to have magic items because the players don't get them after the battle! But maybe because it's not an official 5e weapon it's better to leave it out?
4) You left out "Scriminaduro", the dire badger companion of Joren that "rages" after it's hit and has "Magic Fang" (?) cast on it. There are no dire badgers in 5e so I'm at a loss!
5) I might have added the land-based equivalent to the Peryton's "Flyby" ability for the mounted Korush warriors. This allows them to ride by without provoking an opportunity attack and matches their skills in the original.
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