Spes Magna Games

Today, the Tuesday Terror returns with a vengeance.

The mirror ghost (also called Bloody Mary) seeks to visit terrible vengeance on the living, but it is seldom encountered, as it exists in Vioo, the barren, dark realm that exists on the other side of mirrors and mirror-like surfaces (which form the only passages through which light passes into Vioo). The mirror ghost can only affect the Material Realm when summoned.

Mirror Ghost
Medium undead, any evil

Armor Class 12
Hit Points 82 (15d8+15)
Speed 0 ft., fly 45 ft. (hover)

STR 8 (-1), DEX 15 (+2), CON 12 (+1), INT 12 (+1), WIS 14 (+2), CHA 19 (+4)

Damage Resistances acid, fire, lightning, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities cold, necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages any languages it knew in life
Challenge 7 (2,900 XP)

Conditional Invisibility. On the Material Plane, the mirror ghost is invisible except for its reflection. A creature can target the mirror ghost via its reflection, but ranged attacks made this way have disadvantage.

Incorporeal Movement. The mirror ghost can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object.

Mirror Sight. The mirror ghost can see 60 feet into the Material Plane when it is in Vioo, and vice versa.

Mirror Travel. Once summoned the Material Plane, the mirror ghost, on its turn, can use 10 feet of its movement to step magically into one reflective surface within its reach and emerge from a second reflective surface within 60 feet of the first reflective surface, appearing in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the second reflective surface. Both surfaces must be Small or larger.

Actions

Withering Touch. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (4d6+4) necrotic damage.

Bane (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). The mirror ghost can curse up to three creatures of its choice that it can see within 30 feet. Each creature must make DC 16 Charisma saving throw. For 1 minute whenever a target that fails this saving throw makes an attack roll or a saving throw, the target must roll a d4 and subtract the number rolled from the attack roll or saving throw.

Summoning Chant (Recharge 6). While in Vioo, the mirror ghost can compel a living creature that sees its own reflection from no farther away than 60 feet and behind which the mirror ghost hides. The creature must succeed on a DC 16 Charisma saving throw or be rooted to the spot and compelled to say the mirror ghost’s name once per turn for three turns. During this time, the creature is restrained. At the start of the creature’s turn, it must use its bonus action to speak aloud the mirror ghost’s name. The target can repeat the saving throw with disadvantage at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. The target is immune to this mirror ghost’s Summoning Chant for 24 hours after succeeding on the saving throw. The mirror ghost can enter the Material Plane on its turn after the third time its name is spoken by a creature. The mirror ghost can remain on the Material Plane for no more than 24 hours.

Tags: 5E D&D, monsters, Tuesday Terror

And as [Jesus] went, they spread their clothes underneath in the way. And when he was now coming near the descent of mount Olivet, the whole multitude of his disciples began with joy to praise God with a loud voice, for all the mighty works they had seen, saying: “Blessed be the king who cometh in the name of the Lord, peace in heaven, and glory on high!” And some of the Pharisees, from amongst the multitude, said to him: “Master, rebuke thy disciples.” To whom he said: “I say to you, that if these shall hold their peace, the stones will cry out.” (The Gospel According to St. Luke 19:36-40)

Triumphal Mien (Enchantment/Charm)
Level: Cleric 6
Range: 0
Duration: 8 hours/level
Area of Effect: 1″ + 1″/level of spell caster radius sphere
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 turn
Saving Throw: Special

By means of this spell, all living creatures with more than animal intelligence that are within the radius of the spell or who enter the radius of the spell view the cleric as comrade, friend, and/or leader. There is no saving throw against this effect the first time a creature enters the radius. The charmed creatures love and respect the cleric. They listen trustingly and obey requests insofar as communication is possible and the requests seems plausible and do not subject the one charmed to needless injury, destruction, or do not go against the creature’s alignment or nature. Requests that violate these strictures permit automatically end the spell’s effects on that creature. A creature that exits and/or re-enters the radius is also permitted a saving throw (with a +2 bonus). Success ends the charm on that creature. Otherwise, saving throws are permitted against this spell’s effects as described under charm person or mammal.

The material component is several palm fronds woven into a circlet.

******

I still have two gaming items for sale via eBay. If you’re interested, check these out, and maybe even put in a bid.

Heroes of Olympus: A Task Force Role Playing Game was published as a boxed set in 1981. Conceived and written by B. Dennis “Chariot of” Sustare, this unusual game combines fantasy roleplaying in mythical Greece with squad level wargaming action. This game was (at least) almost unique among roleplaying games of the time.

I wrote Path of Legend for the Dawnforge: Crucible of Legend campaign setting published by Fantasy Flight Games using the d20 System. This adventure was designed to introduce players to Dawnforge. According to the front cover, it is a “Legendary Quest in the World of Dawnforge”. According to the back cover, “The adventure leads new heroes from 1st to 5th level, and also offers them the chance to earn their first legend point. The adventure provides a compelling mix of location and event-based encounters, and rewards roleplaying and puzzle-solving as well as combat.”

Tags: AD&D, Catholic, ebay, spells

Better with the blogposting and what not this week, so hurray for me. Still, nowhere near as productive as I ought to be, so boo for me as well.

Jethro Tull doesn’t quite qualify as prog rock. I’m not sure what Jethro Tull qualifies as. The band has drifted in and out of different styles over its decades of musical output. Yesterday, driving to a tutoring gig, I listened again to some Jethro Tull’s greatest hits. There are these words from Tull’s fourteenth studio album’s sort-of title track:

“I see a dark sail on the horizon / Set under a black cloud that hides the sun. / Bring me my broadsword and clear understanding. / Bring me my cross of gold as a talisman.”

And so we have another magic item.

A Sword of Clear Understanding performs as a +1 weapon. When carried or wielded, the sword increases its bearer’s wisdom. The overall increase equals 4 points if the bearer’s wisdom is 6 or less, by 2 points if at 7-13, and by 1 point if wisdom is 14 or higher. Furthermore, the bearer enables non-thief characters to read languages as if he or she were a 4th-level thief. If carried by a thief of sufficient level to read languages, he or she increases the normal chance by 10 percent.

70% of these swords are broadswords, 20% are longswords, 5% are short (small) swords, 4% are bastard swords, and 1% are two-handed swords.

Tags: AD&D, magic items, prog rock, ThursdAD&D

I’m back to selling a few gaming items via eBay. If you’re interested, check these out, and maybe even put in a bid.

Heroes of Olympus: A Task Force Role Playing Game was published as a boxed set in 1981. Conceived and written by B. Dennis “Chariot of” Sustare, this unusual game combines fantasy roleplaying in mythical Greece with squad level wargaming action. This game was (at least) almost unique among roleplaying games of the time.

RuneQuest Monsters was published by Games Workshop for use with the Avalon Hill/Chaosium RuneQuest roleplaying game. This book was authored by familiar names of gaming lore, such as Steve Perrin, Lynn Willis, and Sandy Petersen. The book features some wonderful interior art, including some full-color, full-page illustrations. Among the many monsters within include the frumious bandersnatch, the enigmatic dragonnewt, the shaggy jack’o’bears, and the fearsome walktapus.

I wrote Path of Legend for the Dawnforge: Crucible of Legend campaign setting published by Fantasy Flight Games using the d20 System. This adventure was designed to introduce players to Dawnforge. According to the front cover, it is a “Legendary Quest in the World of Dawnforge”. According to the back cover, “The adventure leads new heroes from 1st to 5th level, and also offers them the chance to earn their first legend point. The adventure provides a compelling mix of location and event-based encounters, and rewards roleplaying and puzzle-solving as well as combat.”

Tags: ebay

Tuesday Terrors have obviously been on hiatus for a bit, but today this sort-of-weekly feature returns not with a monster but with a new spell. To see the spell in action, click here. can be viewed with caution by clicking on the monster’s name below. The artist is Tooth Wu. Check out his ArtStation portfolio.

“We had the blaggard cornered. Xurek went at him head on while Pallamon moved in from the flank. It was the end. After days of fighting our way through his minions, it was the end. And then he cast…that spell. Xurek and Pallamon went down screaming. I ran. Discretion is the better part, right?” — Brego the Discreet

Pestilent Phylactery of Velenu
3rd-level conjuration

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 10 feet
Components: V, S, M (viper fangs sealed in a phylactery)
Duration: Instantaneous

You wrap the phylactery around one of your limbs, which then becomes covered in writhing, biting growths that resemble vipers, centipedes, and fanged tentacles. You use these these horrid growths to attack up to three targets within range. You can direct the growths to attack one target or several.

Make a melee spell attack against the target for each growth. You have advantage on the attack roll if the target is within 5 feet. On a hit, the target takes 1d6 piercing damage and 1d6 poison damage. For 1 minute after a target is hit, the target must make a Constitution saving throw. If the target was hit by more than one growth, the target makes the Constitution saving throw with disadvantage. On a failed save, the target takes 2d6 poison damage. On a successful save, the spell ends for the target.

At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, you create one additional attacking growth for each slot level above 3rd.

Tags: 5E D&D, spells, Tuesday Terror