Scions of Elemental Evil Released on D&D Beyond

D&D Beyond has released the new short adventure Scions of Elemental Evil ahead of its exclusive stores and convention organized play release. This week, Wizards of the Coast released the short adventure, which is set in the Greyhawk region and pits players against the Elemental Evil fanatic Ulsedra Vox. The adventure is made for up to six Level 4 adventurers with the D&D cartoon cast (plus new character Niko) provided as pregenerated characters. Amanda Hamon is credited as the lead designer while Will Doyle is credited as a designer on the adventure.

Notably, Scions of Elemental Evil uses the 2024 rule set and contains several magic items from the 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide. It also contains updated statblocks for several monsters, including the incubus and succubus demons. Notably, an incubus can shapeshift into a succubus and vice versa once per long rest, with each statblock containing different abilities and access to different spells. The succubus has access to an 8th level Dominate Person spell at will, while the incubus has access to a Nightmare bonus action that renders a creature with 20 or less HP unconscious on a failed saving throw.

The adventure will be available to play at organized play events at stores and conventions from October 29th to November 25th.

 

[Alzrius]

They’re certainly sexually violent, but that violent isn’t random or destructive. They’re all about corrupting mortals and creating new (fiendish) life.

No, see, I don't think it is about corruption. They don't want to corrupt mortals, they want to kill them; they drain life energy with sex, leaving their partner dead just as surely as if they'd eviscerated them. That's no less destructive than other forms of random killing, particularly since in many cases their unwitting victims will be the one approaching them (and will end up too dead to be corrupted).

I mean, they need to at least be able to plan 9 months in advance. Seems pretty long-term to me.

This seems to imply that they care about their offspring, which strikes me as highly unlikely.

 

[Charlaquin]

No, see, I don't think it is about corruption. They don't want to corrupt mortals, they want to kill them; they drain life energy with sex, leaving their partner dead just as surely as if they'd eviscerated them.

What? When has this ever been the case? This is the first I’m hearing of it…

That's no less destructive than other forms of random killing, particularly since in many cases their unwitting victims will be the one approaching them (and will end up too dead to be corrupted).

That doesn’t make sense to me. An incubus needs its victim alive to deliver its cambion offspring. A succubus might not, but I’m still not familiar with the victim’s death being the result of their encounter…

This seems to imply that they care about their offspring, which strikes me as highly unlikely.

They care about having the offspring, because it creates more fiends. I don’t suspect they care overly much about their offspring’s wellbeing after its birth, but creating it is the primary purpose of the encounter.

 

[Alzrius]

What? When has this ever been the case? This is the first I’m hearing of it…

This is the first you're hearing that succubi drain energy from people as a result of sexual contact (or even just kissing)? I'm a little surprised to hear that, since it's been a part of their presentation in D&D for a long, long time.

That doesn’t make sense to me. An incubus needs its victim alive to deliver its cambion offspring. A succubus might not, but I’m still not familiar with the victim’s death being the result of their encounter…

I'm not sure why you have them put a premium on begetting offspring to begin with. The goal isn't to impregnate/be impregnated; if it was, having the ability to kill via intimate contact would be counterproductive.

They care about having the offspring, because it creates more fiends. I don’t suspect they care overly much about their offspring’s wellbeing after its birth, but creating it is the primary purpose of the encounter.

It's not the primary purpose of the encounter, it's an unintended consequence, one they're likely to find unimportant. Having more fiends isn't the goal, the goal is having there be fewer mortals.

 

[Amphytrion]

Aren’t demons supposed to be chaotic evil? Inccubus/succubus don’t really strike me as chaotic…

I think that this is a constant debate because Chaotic and Lawful have changed definitions through editions, and the 5e wording can often be inadequate in retrospect. We often have to rely on our own judgment to resolve alignment, which makes things murky.

For example, we know from the 2014 MMs that angels are all Lawful Good (this is explicitly stated in the text). Yet the Lawful Good definition is “creatures (that) can be counted on to do the right thing as expected by society.” This makes little sense: society’s values change, Lawful Good does not. As longtime players of this game, we know Lawful Good encompasses justice, honor, truth, equality and altruism, and WotC NPC alignment choices bear this out, but the text doesn’t say that.

In the past, Chaotic had a close tie to individualism, so hedonistic characters were classified as Chaotic Evil. Malcanthet and Graz’zt, the most notable NPCs associated with incubi/succubi, both inhabit the Abyss and are Chaotic Evil. I think that the incubi/succubi being Neutral Evil is a rare case in which a 4e change has somewhat stuck (though not completely, since they’re not devils anymore either) in reflection of new alignment descriptions, but setting fiction hasn’t followed suit.

Personally, I’m fine with Neutral Evil for them, it gives them space to act for either camp depending on the need of the adventure. Alignment discussion is mostly semantics anyway.

 

[darjr]

I’ve got a code!

 

[Parmandur]

I’ve got a code!

Just in general terms, does it actually involve going into the ToEE?

 

[R_J_K75]

And apparently you think WotC is all miss - so go 3PP!

No! They're just all in on a particular type of product now and refuse to deviate from them. Those products aren't anything I'm interested in

Doesn't that mean it is a miss?

I just don't care to separate the wheat from the chafe when it comes to 3PP, because as I said some if not most aren't good

 

[R_J_K75]

The Wild Beyond The Witchlight was pretty original. So was Rime of the Frostmaiden. Dungeon of the Mad Mage really fleshed out Undermountain with lots of new material. They do a decent job interspersing new stuff with old.

Thats fair. Nentir Vale was probably the last setting they created AFAIK. It's too bad they never did more with that. I'm just not interested in Return to the Return to the Tomb of Horrors Again. I'd love to see a new adventure that isn't a throwback, one that has a new setting, town, NPCs, spells, monsters, magical items, etc. in a 32–64-page soft cover printed format.

 

[MonsterEnvy]

I’ve got a code!

Can you give some details.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Can you give some details.

I can.

Just in general terms, does it actually involve going into the ToEE?

It does.