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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Whizbang Dustyboots" data-source="post: 9184964" data-attributes="member: 11760">The Grandmaster, a 5E encounterIngredients:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Hypocritical Vegetarian</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Permanent Ink</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Unlikely Mutiny</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Living Chessboard</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Cheerful Melody</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Divine Triceratops</li> </ul>Kornoj’s GladeThe sound of a cheerful melody lures the adventurers into a quiet glade in the Feywild. (Those hearing the melody must make a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or be irresistibly drawn into the glade.)There, they find Kornoj.He’s an arrogant bespectacled triceratops wearing a three-piece suit complete with a pocket watch. He sits on the far side of a turf chessboard, awaiting a new opponent, listening to satyr musicians while he waits. He believes himself to be superior to meat-eaters, haughtily announcing that he would never consume flesh, when he inevitably brings the subject up. Proving his superiority by defeating strangers in chess is what he lives for.Kornoj is either a god or an archfey, depending on whom you ask. (“I am Grandmaster Kornoj,” is all he’ll say about his nature.)With a gesture from Kornoj, impenetrable hedges (stats equal to the wall created by a wall of thorns cast using a 9th level spell slot) surround the glade, trapping those who cannot fly, burrow or teleport away. He promises to release visitors after they defeat him in a game.The chess pieces are all made of sentient living topiary. They will move as directed by Kornoj or his opponent, according to the standard rules of chess.As pieces are removed from the board during play, Kornoj devours them, ignoring their screams of terror. At the end of the game, he transforms losing players into replacement chess pieces. At any given time, he has more than 16 prisoners standing by, already transformed into chess pieces, waiting to replace any pieces Kornoj devours. The chess pieces cannot leave the glade while transformed into living topiary.Nearby is Komizo. A mournful dire mole dressed as a clerk, Komizo keeps detailed notes on all of the hundreds of games Kornoj has played so far in a log book. He also has a chess rulebook on hand, which he has written rules clarifications when questions have arisen in the past. Anything written in either book with his phoenix quill pen cannot be erased. Kornoj and all in attendance are magically compelled to follow the rulings.Defeating KornojKornoj will not initiate combat, preferring to best opponents with his wits.Kornoj is a CR 29 foe with AC 26, 600 hit points and a +18 Proficiency bonus. He makes five melee attacks per round — two gores with his horns, two slams with his fists and a tail slap — doing 59 damage (6d10+26) each.*Defeating Kornoj at chess requires succeeding on a DC 30 Intelligence (chess set) check. (Players who would prefer to actually play chess can do so: The DM should use a computer or electronic chess game set at the hardest possible level to represent Kornoj.)Kornoj can also be defeated in at least two more ways:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The chess pieces are terrified of being devoured by Kornoj and could be inspired to rebel against him with a DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check. The satyr musicians and Komizo are also prisoners and could likely be inspired to rebel, although both are frightened of Kornoj, who keeps them in line through the threat of violence. (DC 20 and DC 25 Charisma (Persuasion) checks, respectively.)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">New rules can be written in Komizo’s rulebook that prevent Kornoj from playing or otherwise make him quit without winning.</li> </ul>If he’s thwarted in some fashion, Kornoj leaps to his feet in outrage, grips the edge of the turf chessboard and starts to flip it in anger. As he does so, Kornoj disappears in a flash, the hedges disappears and all of the topiary chess pieces are restored to their previous forms.* Stats taken from the Lazy DM’s Forge of Foes.</blockquote>

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