Originally created for my own reference for playing a 5e version of Maze of the Blue Medusa. My players quickly figured out a shortcut and made a pact with the Blue Medusa – one of the PCs become her champion. They return once a month to fill her in with stories of the outside world or bring her gifts of books, art and food she can enjoy. She also tasks them with quests to perform in the maze so I can continue to use the maze as an ongoing mega-dungeon but without exploring the whole thing at once.
I use an abstract system for exploring the Maze. I created decks of cards for each area of the maze as well as random encounters. So the PCs have four decks to choose from each time they visit:
- Green – Actual area they are currently exploring. For example, if this was the Gardens it would be a deck filled with Garden related encounters.
- Blue – I decided to split the Cells up and disperse them around the dungeon. Considering the medusa is an artistic type and she petrifies through beauty not ugliness most of the inmates have looks of pleasure, and admiration as opposed to horror. They end up being art installations.
- Purple – I also split up the Gallery across the dungeon, the same logic as above. The entire dungeon is her gallery, not just one section.
- Red – Random Encounters. Per the adventure as well as my own custom ones.
You can find the cards here if you wanted to print your own, I also added environmental features to each area:
- Chronia’s Halls (The White Rooms). The starting area of the dungeon tends to have a whiteish/grey colour to it and is very cold. In-game terms, it is considered extremely cold though there is no wind or precipitation. Creatures unprepared for the cold gain one level of exhaustion if they fail a DC 10 Con check every short or long rest. This cannot kill the PC. Cold resistance or cold weather gear grants immunity to this effect.
- The Dead Wedding. This area is a place of death. Players are overcome by ennui as they travel this area. While in this dungeon zone – until the undead are cleared and the wedding finds its consumption – the players become vulnerable to death. This means when reduced to 0 hit points the PCs do not go unconscious but can continue to act, however, any damage instantly slays the character. This state persists until they have healed at least 1 hit point.
- The Almery.
- The Reptile Archive.
- The Gardens (The Green Rooms). This area is very hot. Characters must drink double the normal amount of water or suffer exhaustion after a long rest on a failed DC 10 Con saving throw.
- The Gallery. These become random encounters after the first time visited. Mix these in as random tiles. When they encounter an art installation they become ravenously hungry and must consume 1d4 rations/quarts or suffer -1d4 bad luck (bane) on all d20 rolls on a failed DC 10 Con saving throw. This damage persists until the next long rest or they eat the required food. Each piece is set in a white marble installation that is well lit by iron chandeliers. The titles of each piece is readable in any language, they swirl and morph into a language the reader can read as needed. Sometimes a bit of viscera can be found nearby as the cannibal critics always congregate around the art pieces. When a piece has a second visit listed place it back into the deck.
- The Statury. Not its own area, scattered throughout the dungeon-prison as both pieces of art and a warning to those who would come uninvited to the Maze. These rooms are well lit and well maintained and contain 1 or more statues. Their crimes encoded as a pictograph somewhere near the cell (a DC 12 INT check or magic will allow the PCs to figure out the crime). Each one is well lit as well – each room has one or two lanterns that give a clear white light with no smoke (moonlight lanterns). The cells echo noisily and trigger a random encounter check.
- Random Encounters.
Exploration Turn
I found this method – or slight modification to it – very effective for large dungeon play.
An exploration turn consists of the following (what I call Conceptual Dungeon Crawling):
- Select a card from any available deck (green, blue, purple or red), read out what it says, play out any traps, encounters etc per the card. DC of the room (and hence the monsters, traps and so forth) is listed on the card.
- Before selecting another card roll 4d6 – one of a different colour. If you roll a 1 an effect is triggered based on the die colour:
- Yellow – your light goes out. When light becomes a non-issue due to spells this would contribute to a random or set-piece encounter chance.
- Red – you trigger a random encounter and must draw from the red deck.
- Blue – you must draw your next card from the blue Cells deck.
- Purple – you must draw your next card from the purple Gallery deck.
- You may retreat from a room you do not wish to engage with but this automatically triggers a random encounter roll.
- You may retreat back to a safe room (for example, Sigil, Eliator or Lord Crucem Capilli etc) at any time. However this also automatically triggers a random encounter.
This is my master reference sheet. I normally use a notebook for my dungeons – writing them out in there – but the Maze is too big and I played it directly from my MacBook whenever the PCs did more than just visit the Medusa.
MONSTER & NPC LIST
Non-combat NPC encounters are not listed. Includes my custom encounters.
| Psathyrella Medusae. The warden, the blue medusae. Her reaction to the party will depend on the PCs actions and attitude. If they killed her employees, released prisoners or stole art it may end in combat. If the PCs have been mindful of what they have been doing, have removed irritants like the cannibal critics, lava children and, especially, the lichs, she will be much more inclined to listen and grant a boon. At a minimum, she will duel a PC – mostly for entertainment value. If she has a positive attitude – win, lose or draw – she will grant a boon. After meeting Psathyrella the apocalypse die triggers (once per day, apocalypse occurs on the 7th prophecy).
For my party, the boon was that one of the PCs – a male with the highest CHA – became her champion. He would get blessings every time he returned to her (monthly) and successfully entertained her with stories of the outside world – or something equivalent – by making a DC 20 CHA ability check. Every time he got a success he got a boon (critical success would be 2 boons):
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“Ink” Paduta. NPC party – House of Shrike – use the master thief for Ink.
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The “Oku”. As the adventure using the base stats of a bandit.
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| Abimelech. NPC party – House of Shrike – use the martial arts adept for him. | |
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Acontias Skink. Library mummy, human, as standard mummies.
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Aelfadred the Glyph Witch. A very cool concept. My witch always speaks in the past tense. Use the annis hag as the base creature but without the horrific appearance and replace her innate spellcasting with:
Innate Spellcasting. Aelfadred may cast any wizard or cleric spell of level 1 to 6 but each spell is fuelled by her life-force – she takes 3 hp of damage for each spell level of the spell cast. She only has access to cure wounds and no other healing magic. |
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| Agathias. A neutral cultist. | |
| Aglinak the Imprisoned Water Elemental. Use the basic water elemental for Aglinak except his alignment is chaotic evil. While locked in his prison he can speak and cast freeze (hold person but DC 14 CON save) at will and has regeneration 5. If freed he has maximum hit points (120 hp) and regenerates 10 hit points a round so long as he has not taken fire damage. He will seek to drown everyone using Whelm. | |
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Aurum Specters. Use a ghost as the base creature. Any possession by these creatures triggers two additional effects (assuming the target creatures survives):
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| Akerstrom. Leader of the Oku, still sane, petrified. As an assassin but can also cast charm person, darkness and disguise self (DC 12). | |
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Argolid. Werewolf, can play music as an action which makes listeners within 30 feet lethargic (DC 10, as slow spell).
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Aristodemus. Werewolf hunter, as knight but all his weapons are silvered.
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| Spellthief. Bizarre creatures that look like sticks and hunger for magic. Each attack by these creatures causes any caster (even divine) to be unable to cast 1 spell (starting with highest level) for 24 hours. These creatures have the statistics of a kobold but are immune to all attacks that are not spells. | |
| Banziynaba. Werewolf, wife of Argolid. | |
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Bittervetch. Use master thief. Can also cast enlarge, sleep and stinking cloud (DC 10) thanks to his raven mask.
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| Blackpoll & Dendro. This two-headed devil was grown from the flesh of Dendrosathol’s severed hands (stitched giant hands was a little too weird for me). Use the atamahuta as the base creature. He gains the following additional attack option:
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) piercing damage and the target must make a DC 10 Wisdom or Charisma saving throw or shift towards the closest evil alignment. |
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Blankoff. Spy.
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Cackling Pranz. Ghost. Horrifying visage also causes confusion.
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Cadamosto & Dogon. Treat as guards statistically, with the added equipment listed in room 283.
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Calder Force. Chaotic neutral water elemental.
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Canus Grey. A young vampire, base statistics as a vampire spawn.
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Cape Khoi. Cat person – use tribal warrior.
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Caphtor Clowe. “Writer” – non-combat.
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Carnifex the Cackling Fiend. Frog demon – slaad! Has the additional trait of “sameness” per the adventure.
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Cassio-Dorus. Scheming xorn.
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Celandine. A neutral good giant locust (medium-sized ankheg with 33 hp) with an intelligence of 11 and can speak common.
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Chaka Molofo. A female salamander that is neutral. When dancing or fighting her movements are hypnotic and have the same effect as charm person.
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Charial, H.B. A shadow which gains 1 HD (+4.5 hp) per light source except in full daylight. The shadow is neutral and has an INT of 10 and is quite chatty.
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Charity Torn. Non-combat encounter, run as written.
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Chase-Them-Wounded. Treat this creature as a neutral evil mind drinker vampire but it is small (65 hp), is a monstrosity not undead and has an INT score of 4. Its bite also injects an addictive poison that makes it seem like a pet of some kind, allowing it to continually prey on the same victim. The target is poisoned for 24 hours on a failed DC 14 Constitution saving throw (a target my willingly fail the saving throw) and the effect lasts as long as the target has the poisoned condition.
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Bondye Reparate. These are normal humans with strange masks, statistically the same as neutral cultists.
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Chew-Lips. Treat as awakened trees but they can only attack/harm creatures that is affected by one of their spells as they have no teeth.
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Chiromantis. Each reptile woman mummy will speak/act differently depending on what books they have been stuffed with. Apart from her shape, the reptile woman mummy are statistically mummies.
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Chronia Torn. Non-combat, though she affects the area she is in quite drastically with her time-warping abilities.
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Mr. Grasp. Use a stone golem but replace its Action list as noted on pg. xx – use its slam as the basis for its strangulation attack. The golem is proficient in Stealth (+3) and can grapple and strangle its target (escape DC 18).
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Cori Borealis. Non-Combat.
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Crazed Cap Nebularis. Non-Combat.
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Crotalus Horridus. Each reptile woman mummy will speak/act differently depending on what books they have been stuffed with. Apart from her shape, the reptile woman mummy are statistically the same as standard mummies.
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| Curator. A doubled-handed large size sculpture – treat as a tile chimera. | |
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Da Monzon the pyroclastic giant (fire giant). In addition to its base stats it has the following additional trait:
Lava Spray. Whenever the giant takes 5 hit points of damage in a single hit lava spray’s from the wound hitting all creatures within 5 feet of him on a failed DC 11 Dexterity saving throw or take 7 (2d6) fire damage, no damage on a success.
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Dendro & Blackpoll. This two-headed devil was grown from the flesh of Dendrosathol’s severed hands (stitched giant hands was a little too weird for me). Use the atamahuta as the base creature. He gains the following additional attack option: Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) piercing damage and the target must make a DC 10 Wisdom or Charisma saving throw or shift towards the closest evil alignment. |
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Dendrosathol. The Blue Medusa’s father, Denrosathol is a Yagnoloth – which is more in keeping with the Greco-Roman theme. Dendro and Blackpoll have his face and he seeks to reunite his missing hands. Though this doesn’t affect his melee attacks as such he depends on a swarm of imps to be his hands. They are not always cooperative. In addition to the unique abilities listed in the adventure, replace the yagnoloth’s innate spellcasting trait with the following:
Innate Spellcasting. Denrosathol’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 16). He can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components (except where noted):
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Dimashqi as a shadow. Immune to all non-magical attacks.
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Dogon & Cadamosto. Treat as guards statistically, with the added equipment listed in room 283.
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Draco Scabra the Laughing Lich. Its a lich. Only change is the body is made from hardened wood as opposed to being skeletal. Fits Greek myth better.
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Emys Orbicularis. Is a mummy with the following trait:
Russian Doll. Each round he looses 1 HD and another 1 HD (8 hp) mummy appears.
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Fearful Drone. A lawful neutral chasme.
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Fortuna, Crown of Night. An androsphinx.
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Fracture-Of-The-Bone. Treat this creature as a neutral evil mind drinker vampire but it is small (65 hp), is a monstrosity not undead and has an INT score of 4. Its bite also injects an addictive poison that makes it seem like a pet of some kind, allowing it to continually prey on the same victim. The target is poisoned for 24 hours on a failed DC 14 Constitution saving throw (a target my willingly fail the saving throw) and the effect lasts as long as the target has the poisoned condition.
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Frannik Atht. They look like something scrap princess would draw. The cell is in chalk. They will try and goad the party to attack them. Phalarope Carborac’s confusion touch may cause the target to attack a ghost. Apart from the special attacks, each individual ghost are all ghostblade eidolons.
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Fulvious the time elemental. If needed, fire elemental myrmidon.
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Gekko Polyphemus. Library mummy, human, as standard mummies.
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Germander the worm as a constrictor snake that is NG and has 10 INT and can speak common.
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Gibba Gognata as a constrictor snake.
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Glaukon non-combat, weird.
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Goshgolly Toad see Print Cylodon Kempi.
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Halo Nilotic. Both Nilotic’s are eater of hope with the special abilities noted in the adventure.
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He-Dog as gladiator if needed.
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Indico Cosmas. Spy.
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Kinixys Ziteki ancient reptile king. Use the lizard king stat block but Kinixys also regenerates 1d10 hp/round.
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Korczak. NPC party – House of Shrike – use the champion for Korczak.
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KrÖnig. Treat as a master thief.
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Lady Crucem Capilli. Converted to a male (Lord), too many females already in this adventure. Apart from gender, appearance is the same. Treat as a fire-breathing adult blue dragon that can shapechange into a humanoid-dragon hybrid – has horns, blue skin, small wings and reptilian eyes, but otherwise looks human. Just like all dragons, Crucem is slowing becoming the personification of art, specifically, snobbery.
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Lady Nine-Bones as a lawmage.
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Lady Torc – non-combat.
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Lampen Proletarian, treat as a flesh golem.
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Levalliant Green, special encounter. Per the adventure.
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Linneax Gruel. Each reptile woman mummy will speak/act differently depending on what books they have been stuffed with. Apart from her shape, the reptile woman mummy are statistically mummies.
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Lion In Lapis Lazuli.As a saber-toothed tiger with the construct type and 9 INT.
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Low Slavering Fool see Prince.
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Marquis Aeolis non-combat.
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Mdaga Gognata. To do.
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Megiddo. As gnoll.
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Mgnoki non-combat.
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Michmasas a master thief.
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Milo De Fretwell
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Molon
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Monmoloch. A shadow which gains 1 HD (+4.5 hp) per light source except in full daylight. The shadow is neutral and has an INT of 10 and is quite chatty.
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Montagu Nycticorax
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Naja Natrix. Each reptile woman mummy will speak/act differently depending on what books they have been stuffed with. Apart from her shape, the reptile woman mummy are statistically mummies.
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Nigellus Blamphin
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Niu-Nga-Ma
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No-Face
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Norah Twain
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O’Cephalus
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Octavian Bon Clerk
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Oenanthe
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Olive Ghoul
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Orchidmen. As an awakened tree but with a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw to resist the suicidal effects of the creatures poison and the creature also gains a grapple option for its slam attack (Escape DC 14).
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Osorkon III
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Pellory-Of-The-Walls. Use a tree blight as the base creature with the additional attacks listed on pg. xv.
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Phalarope Carborac. They look like something scrap princess would draw. Cell is in chalk. They will try and goad the party to attack them. Phalarope Carborac’s confusion touch may cause the target to attack a ghost. Apart from the special attacks each individual ghost has they are all ghostblade eidolons.
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Pharaoh Isesi
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Plain-Leaf Neglectus
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Polypore Squamosus
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Praxagoras
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Prince Cylodon Kempi (Slavering Fool). As a noble with the following special trait:
Infrared Worm. When hit 1d4 worms launch from the prince at the attacking humanoid within 10 feet of him. The worm latches onto the target’s skin unless the target succeeds on a DC 11 Dexterity saving throw. The worm is a Tiny beast with AC 6, 1 hit point, a 2 (−4) in every ability score, and a speed of 1 foot. While on the target’s skin, the worm can be killed by normal means or scraped off using an action. Otherwise, the worm burrows under the target’s skin at the end of the target’s next turn, dealing 1 piercing damage to it. At the end of its next turn and every day thereafter, the target takes 1 poison damage per worm infesting. A worm-infested target dies if it drops to 0 hit points. If a worm-infested creature is targeted by an effect that cures disease or removes a curse, all the worms infesting it wither away. The worms hatch from the cysts after a month as infrared moth’s and fly away.
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Pylos Nilotic. Both Nilotic’s are eater of hope with the special abilities noted in the adventure.
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Pyxis. A chaotic evil myconid sovereign. His chaos spores use the mechanical traits under hallucination spores with the random effects listed in the adventure.
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Salamandra Puntata. Each reptile woman mummy will speak/act differently depending on what books they have been stuffed with. Apart from her shape, the reptile woman mummy are statistically mummies.
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Sanguifluus. Sanguifluus is not himself a combat encounter but his vaporised thanes are. They are phantom warriors with the individual traits listed.
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Santicle. Use master thief. Can also cast spider climb, charm person and disguise self (DC 10) thanks to his raven mask.
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Schlerot Ithic. They look like something scrap princess would draw. Cell is in chalk. They will try and goad the party to attack them. Phalarope Carborac’s confusion touch may cause the target to attack a ghost. Apart from the special attacks each individual ghost has they are all ghostblade eidolons.
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Scripta Elegans. Each reptile woman mummy will speak/act differently depending on what books they have been stuffed with. Apart from her shape, the reptile woman mummy are statistically mummies.
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See-Me-No-More, a.k.a. Seymore
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Sheklesh
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Sheltopussik
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Overdose.Use an aurumvorax without modification.
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Sophronia Wort, the Lying Lich. Its a lich. Only change is the body is made from hardened wood as opposed to being skeletal. Fits Greek myth better.
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St. Xanthudides. Wanted dead-or-alive by the Hellish Bureaucracy. Treat as an intelligent fire elemental that will burn out and die after 6 hours.
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Strikes-The-Ree. Satyr.
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Subfoetens. Remove or change. Thinking. Shrieks as a banshee if awoken, otherwise 1 hp.
Shell. A golem that likes to steal gold/treasure. Has Subfoetens asleep in the cradle in its head. Use the duergar screamer but it will not use sonic scream while Subfoetens is asleep. Is double proficient in stealth (Stealth +2).
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Tagia Bask. They look like something scrap princess would draw. Cell is in chalk. They will try and goad the party to attack them. Phalarope Carborac’s confusion touch may cause the target to attack a ghost. Apart from the special attacks each individual ghost has they are all ghostblade eidolons.
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Tehraz. Non-Combat.
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Tel Akko
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Tel Sippor
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Tel Zeror. As gnoll.
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Torcul Wort
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Torgos Zooth. *to be converted*
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Tyko Wort.Not a combat encounter, if required for turning purposes treat him as a CR 10 monster.
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Tyko’s Wight. Base creature is a small sized wight (21 hp).
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Uriel Todkill
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Uta-Phant. A shadow which gains 1 HD (+4.5 hp) per light source except in full daylight. The shadow is neutral and has an INT of 10 and is quite chatty.
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Veery Tectus. Non-Combat.
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Wærloga
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Wercel Smallbone
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Xanthoceras. Its a lich. Only change is the body is made from hardened wood as opposed to being skeletal. Fits Greek myth better.
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Xenocritos
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Ysanne Smallbone
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Zacchaeus Wybrow
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Zamia Torn
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Zianauga. Lion man – use leonin iconoclast.
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Ziklag Dawndelyon
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Zoothera
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Zygmunt Wombwell
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| The Curator. Base creature is fiendish flesh golem.
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ADDITIONAL RANDOM ENCOUNTERS
| Ask Ray Art (aka Arya Stark, aka 13th-year-old assassin). Needs a backstory, who is she here to kill? Otherwise use the assassin stat block. Whoever it is, killed her family. |
Beastmen (Goblins) 2d4+1, minimum as many PCs. Maybe lead by an alpha (50/50 nilbog or goblin boss). Roll to see what their reaction is, once exhausted encounters will be all combat related:
These beastmen tend to appear predominately as goat-men with the boss appearing as a larger version. However, they could look different, especially the alpha. Use the table from the Sunless Sea on PDF pg. 8 to make him unique. All beastmen carry a curse. Anytime damage is inflicted by the beastmen the curse is passed on if the target fails a DC 15 Charisma saving throw. Otherwise, the target will become a beastmen in 7 days. The curse can be lifted if the original beastman that infected the target is killed within that time. |
| Beholder or Gas Spore. There is a 50/50 chance of either. The gas spore will just float around ominously – there will be no “thrum” with the gas spore. The first time the beholder is discovered the PCs will “feel” him coming has his presence disturbs their psyche felt as a low thrum that gets loader and more ominous the longer they wait. If the PCs are wise and hide they will see the Beholder – Zoalyscirsi – is interrogating a babbling cannibal critic about the location of the gallery. If encountered a second time he is interrogating an oku about the location of the “gate to Sigil” while one of his eyes is telekinetically holding a stolen art piece (determine randomly). If there is a third time the PCs see him has a beholder zombie – Psytherilia doesn’t tolerate thieves.
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| Carrion Crawler. Is a carrion crawler, it wants to eat offal, enough said.
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d100 bats, has a chance to put out torches (# of bats %). If needed use a bat swarm. There is a chance it may spread disease if a target is bitten by the swarm, disease is random, all are DC 15 Constitution saving throws to resist or overcome:
Add more diseases if more encounters are rolled. |
| Crystal Spiders. These creatures act as a spider swarm with the following changes. Once these creatures have crawled onto the body of a victim, in addition to the damage they do every round they will begin spinning webs around them. This has no effect on the first Round, or at all if the victim runs out of the swarm area. (In the latter case, they still take damage for 1d4-1 Rounds as described on p, 84) But anyone damn foolish enough to just hang out in the swarm for more than one Round must make a DC 15 Strength saving throw every additional Round. Failure to save means they have been encased in sufficient webbery that they are all webbed up in a cocoon-like enclosure. Most victims of this attack-form are unable to free themselves or take any action but to scream for help. And if they scream, spiders will climb down their throat, inflicting double damage that Round. Anyone with a Strength of 16 or greater can free themselves in 2d4 Rounds, providing they live that long with the continuous damage and additional saving throws. Someone holding a dagger or knife at the time of entrapment can similarly escape; no other weapons afford the victim a chance to free themselves. These webs are not particularly flammable, so pretty much the only aid others can provide is to pull out a dagger or knife and cut the victim out. Any other edged weapon will inflict half damage on the victim. Either way, cutting a victim free only takes one Round, but obviously such an act could expose the rescuer to swarm attacks as well. Each swarm is worth 0 xp but collecting the remains of the swarm is equivalent to semi-precious gems worth 100 gp. |
Drow Renegades. The drow are renegades from Lolth – exiled from Erelhei-Cinlu. This doesn’t mean they are good guys, they just reject the spider-queen. Multiple encounters can occur with the drow, assuming the party just kills them the attacks will escalate. If all the renegades are killed Lolth will actually reward the party – though helping loath is usually a good idea. These drow renegades are known as the House of Eld or just Eld. They always have at least 1 arcana (tech) item with them and use it. They are Lawful (evil), cold and calculating. Otherwise, they are standard drow. The eld are trying to find a way out or establish a base here to rebuild their strength. They can be negotiated with, though trading a way to the PCs homeward or Eliator may not be the best idea its an option. If names are needed use the Dunmar list.
The drow carry other unusual magic items, including a vile potion. The imbiber suffers momentary pain as their arms explode in a shower of ichor and blood to be replaced by large spider legs. These legs do 2d4 damage and grant + 2 to all climbing checks. This effect lasts for 1d3 hours before the carapace of the arms dries up, cracks, and falls off, revealing the imbiber’s original arms. However, on a failed DC 14 Constitution saving throw, the character will have disgusting wiry hair on their arms forever.
Eld’s Gratitude. If the PCs give them a way out of the maze to a prime world they will gift them with a random arcana. If they are lead back to the PCs homeward it should have long term ramifications. Eld’s Curse of Skittishness. “In the grips of fear, Shall you be, Regret this, you will Until an ogre do you kill.” The target of this curse suffers -2 to Saving Throws and is in a constant state of anxiety and agitation. They twitch and constantly look over their shoulder. The target makes all saves to resist fear or surprise checks at a -2. This curse remains until the afflicted kills an ogre. Lolth’s Gratitude. Once the Eld matron mother is dead a manifestation of the Spider Goddess appears before the characters. When the Spider Goddess appears, it is as a beautiful drow female. All male characters must make a DC 15 Wisdom save or immediately become smitten and see everything she says in the best light possible while they are in her presence. The Spider Goddess will thank the group for removing this irksome tumour from her realm. She will not answer many questions and becomes terse and bored if pressed. • Each character is granted the boon of Luck (Permanently increase their Luck score by 1). Chitin Armor of the Spider
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| Lava Children. These creatures wandered in by accident and are in the process of creating a new lair and burning things. Psathyrella would actually be happy to be rid of them. They have a new attack option:
Hug it Out. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) fire damage and the target is exposed to brain fire on a failed DC 13 Constitution saving throw. Brain Fire Disease. On success, your face will develop a fevered complexion for 2d6 days. On a fail, your brain hurts and you scream and claw and scratch at your scalp and face and have disadvantage on all actions. After 4+1d3 days (long rest) a second CON save must be made. Failure means that your brain explodes and sends fiery fragments everywhere in a 5’ radius, doing 1d6 damage to all in the area. If you succeed the second save the process starts all over until you beat the disease or die a horrible death. Recovery: 4 consecutive CON saves. |
| NPC Party. The crows? WIP
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Pudding. I can very easily see a chubby blanket of custard thick ooze like the unyellow part of a sunnyside egg scouring the lonesome smooth corridors. Use a gray ooze as the base creature. Colour indicates resistance type:
Standard biomedical approach to oozes: trial and error it until you get the right combo, then remember which is which. unless everyone who fought oozes last time is dead… |
| Rats. The swarm of rats is eating food, pilfering food or swarming. There is a 1 in 6 chance this is a cranium rat swarm called Many-As-One. Many-As-One found its way into the maze from Sigil and is willing to trade that information for something. Usually, something that needs to be killed. |
Wizard. The Wizard is here seeking knowledge. The following reaction occurs depending on when its rolled and how the party interacts:
Note: needs more work. |
OTHER USEFUL LINKS
Monster Morale
At first blood/first dead and at bloodied/50% casualties make a morale check of DC 11 WIS.
When to check
RANDOM ARCANA (TECH) TREASURE
All tech items stop working on a natural 1. These can be looted from technological artifacts using arcana thief. Weapons do damage based on their base weapon, if not listed, damage is based on size – 1d8-1 for small guns, 1d8 for medium guns, 1d8+1 for large guns. Either pick or roll randomly.
- Album Dagger. Thunder damage, ignores armour, +2 damage.
- Azure Axe. Lightning damage, roll damage dice twice, pick highest. Damage explodes. This weapon increases its range of failure by 1 per use (so after the first use failure increases to 1-2, then 1-3 etc).
- Stupefaciunt Whip. Thunder damage, ensnares target on a critical hit, dealing damage automatically each round. If the target critically fails they are stunned until the end of their next round. This damage is non-lethal and does not kill the target.
- Pulso-Wand (medium gun). Thunder damage, non-lethal damage. On a critical hit, the target is knocked unconscious. Has disadvantage on any range except long where it has advantage.
- Venefica-Wand (small gun). Does no damage but can be loaded with poison. Only has 1d12 rounds. 50/50 chance of just doing poison damage (4d6) or paralysing the target (DC 15).
- Luxgun (large gun). Radiant. Roll damage dice twice, pick the highest. Has disadvantage on all attacks that are not at long range.
- Seraphim Wings (jet-pack). Crafted to look like wings. Allows the user to jump twice their normal range and fly. Each hour of flight increases the chance of failure the next time it is used by +1 (so after 1 hour of use the next time it used it fails on a 1-2). If it critically fails it explodes doing 3d6 bludgeoning and force damage to the wearer and to all within 10 feet. Creatures other than the wearer can halve the damage on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw. Can be worn over armour.
- Imperium Armis (power armour). As plate mail except it also provides +2 STR, -2 DEX and +2 CON with 12 damage reduction. Due to the ancient nature of this armour, it slowly loses its damage reduction over time – each time it absorbs damage the armour’s damage reduction is reduced by 1. When reduced to 0 it ceases to function. The armour is very loud.
- Navitas Pallium (cloak). Blend into the environment to gain Advantage on stealth checks.
- Viator (Quantum Communicator). Sender and Receiver sits in-ear. Can send short messages one way. Unlimited range. When used, in addition to making a failure check, everyone within 30 feet must make DC 10 Constitutions saving throw as if they had been exposed to low radiation.