The VOIDRUNNER'S CODEX is LIVE! Explore new worlds, fight oppressive empires, fend off fearsome aliens, and wield deadly psionics with this comprehensive boxed set expansion for 5E and A5E!
My thought process is that because he's the God of Secrets, he's able to keep secrets from others, including deities. But, no power is entirely fool proof, so the information leaks out to a few in the multiverse. Which is still pretty damn good, mind you!
I'm altering the end game so that he won't be remaking the multiverse, but rather giving himself control of the Divine Gate, so that he can be the ultimate power broker in every mortal realm.
My thought process is that because he's the God of Secrets, he's able to keep secrets from others, including deities. But, no power is entirely fool proof, so the information leaks out to a few in the multiverse. Which is still pretty damn good, mind you!
IDK, the premise he has his cultist all over the multiverse helping him fuel the ritual and he is likely doing all kinds of weird things. I don't but it myself, but if it works for you that is great! I still need to think of something else.
For me, the most important enhancement will be making Vecna a proper spell caster again. If at any point he is making physical attacks, I'm playing him wrong.
I think giving him a full spell list is just the proper thing to do!
I just started reading the book today and I'm on board with the premise. Because the group I intend to run this with will be mostly newer players, three of which are brand new to the game, I know I'm going to have to do a lot on the fly. But the most important part is getting them to the starting point. During session zero, we'll be choosing the campaign setting as a group and there's where it could get interesting. While the Realms and Eberron will be the more likely choices, Dark Sun is on the table and I think that would be a very interesting first 10 levels before transitioning to this!
I kind of like the "secrets as currency" subplot, but it feels like it might be too powerful, and I am already worried about the party rolling through some of the boss fights. Anyone have thoughts on it?
I'm thinking of just letting each secret be cashed in for one re-roll.
I'm contemplating actually trying to do something with it, but off the cuff I'd say:
• Vecna having another cosmic slapfight with Kas feels a bit silly to me.
• Vecna recruiting Lolth feels uncharacteristic for both of them. No on that.
• The Rod of Seven Parts, would ditch that too.
• As much as I appreciate Miska the Wolf-Spider, no Rod, no Miska.
• ...and as others have said, he's an infamous wizard. He should be casting.
I'd want a rebuild to:
• Show how Vecna messing with things on multiple worlds results in cross-contamination; Vecna's touch should be reinforcing local evils in ways that force the heroes of those worlds to confront unexpected challenges.
• Give Vecna a better plan than "go stand in the right cave."
• Touch on the worlds impacted in ways that better showcase the settings for newcomers while celebrating them for longtime fans.
• Probe into why exactly he wants to rewrite the multiverse, when theoretically as a god of secrets nothing should be more boring for him than literally being the one to write every new piece of information into existence.
I'm contemplating actually trying to do something with it, but off the cuff I'd say:
• Vecna having another cosmic slapfight with Kas feels a bit silly to me.
• Vecna recruiting Lolth feels uncharacteristic for both of them. No on that.
• The Rod of Seven Parts, would ditch that too.
• As much as I appreciate Miska the Wolf-Spider, no Rod, no Miska.
• ...and as others have said, he's an infamous wizard. He should be casting.
I'd want a rebuild to:
• Show how Vecna messing with things on multiple worlds results in cross-contamination; Vecna's touch should be reinforcing local evils in ways that force the heroes of those worlds to confront unexpected challenges.
• Give Vecna a better plan than "go stand in the right cave."
• Touch on the worlds impacted in ways that better showcase the settings for newcomers while celebrating them for longtime fans.
• Probe into why exactly he wants to rewrite the multiverse, when theoretically as a god of secrets nothing should be more boring for him than literally being the one to write every new piece of information into existence.
Any sense of what broad genre of goal you're looking toward? I know you read MotP5E, you could take the notion we laid down in that with Lord Sortlyn's presence and elaborate on there being some kind of "outside" that Vecna wishes to reach - the "Final Secret" that would allow him to not rewrite the multiverse, but transcend it entirely, leaving behind any notion that the rules that have always bound his existence in some fashion could ever contain him again.
I think your assessment is off. That theoretical damage is just that, theoretical; it doesn't take into account the many features and magic items a high level party has for mitigating damage, improving AC, providing temp HP, or locking down a monster. The absolute pitiful damage he's doing with his Legendary Action and the fact that on average his attack only does around 30 damage IF it hits just isn't that impressive for a CR 24, Spyder-Fiends or no.
Level 13 party can drop Forcecage on the Spyder-Fiends OR Miska if they wanted to. That's just one out of dozens of spells that can invalidate most of the challenge in this encounter. It isn't tough.
Not to mention that if you choose the more difficult version of the encounter where Miska is an actual combatant, Miska is still immobile. He's stuck in place. I guess because if he could move, he might just leave/escape- leaving the adventure's planned path.
To enhance this fight (beyond the statblock), I'd consider making the area some sort of enclosed arena that Miska can't escape. Heck, maybe it takes place over where he's trapped in the adventure.
OK, here is my first draft of the Apostles of Ruin statblocks. These are works in progress and I would love your feedback to improve them. A few notes:
I included the ToC to show that I intend to make Lolth as well, but haven't included her yet (I know the credits are bit messed up and the Foreword needs to be updated). Also, I didn't include Kas because I thought his statblock was fine for how I see him. If you want a beefed up version, let me know!
EDIT: Because of @Paul Farquhar's excellent suggetion here, I will be adding Kas and Iggwilv to the Apostles of Ruin.
I have decided demon lords and princes should have "Abyssal Actions" instead of Mythic Actions. He also get a bump to CR 27. Also note that Miska can use his "Demon Prince" trait multiple times (if you desire)
The statblock her is for a full powered greater god version of Vecna. If you want to reduce his power (like in the adventure), simple reduce or eliminate his Greater God traits and Ascended Actions.
I can't lie, I'm excited to see Iggwilv. She is evil and fk'd up I can't understand why WotC insists on repeatedly using her while ignoring how crazy she is.
I'm altering the end game so that he won't be remaking the multiverse, but rather giving himself control of the Divine Gate, so that he can be the ultimate power broker in every mortal realm.
