Spes Magna Games

The masterly Matt Jackson continues to post captivating CollabDungeons. Numbers two and three beg to be admired and adapted into adventures. When Matt posted the first CollaboDungeon, I imagined it as one of several tombs now lost in some remote wilderness region. Then, I wrote this:

For centuries, persons of wealth, power, and achievement sought to be buried in the wide, winding valleys near the wooded frontier of the kingdom. The villages nearest to the frontier adopted various funerary specialties. The coffinmakers here, the masons there, the mourners elsewhere, and so forth. Representatives from each village, elected by their constituents, formed the Mortuary Moot, a rowdy assembly of leaders who met regularly to debate and settle disputes related to the economic governance of the region. The people prospered until Mount Beinn, looming on the eastern horizon, roared back to life. Enormous clouds of volcanic ash rushed down the valleys, blasting the forests away and burying most of Mortuary Moot under yards of debris. Thousands died. In the aftermath, evil humanoids from the Wilderlands ventured into the frontier, killing or driving away those who survived Beinn’s fury.

In recent years, baronial mayors closest to what had been Mortuary Moot have increasingly sought to reclaim the devastated region. To this end, the mayors have made it clear that they welcome adventurers who seek fame and fortune. With sword, spell, and stealth, those adventurers may drive back the hordes of evil humanoids that plague the region, making it possible for the baronial mayors to send soldiers and settlers back into the frontier. Among the most tempting targets drawing adventurers into the area are the tremuli, the numerous artificial hills under which persons of wealth, power, and achievement were buried. Who knows what treasures wait the next intrepid band of would-be tomb robbers?

I like this idea. It could work its way into a sort of Indiana Jones meets the Magnificent Seven meets Mad Max. The PCs would try to recover lost artifacts while avoiding roaming bands of savages while helping protect the re-establishment of civilization while slowly discovering sinister forces working to exploit, destroy, enslave, et cetera. I wonder if I could talk Matt into doing a blighted wilderness map suitable for a starting campaign location? Perhaps if I threaten him with ash goblins?

Ash goblins are small, murderous humanoids that lurk in volcanic regions. They appear much like normal goblins, albeit with gray flesh and small, close-set eyes. Ash goblins tend to be smarter and more organized than their more common relatives.

Ash Goblin
Small humanoid (goblinoid), lawful evil

Armor Class 13 (leather armor)
Hit Points 18 (4d6+4)
Speed 30 ft., burrow 15 ft.

STR 10 (+0), DEX 14 (+2), CON 13 (+1), INT 8 (-1), WIS 11 (+0), CHA 9 (-1)

Skills Stealth +4, Survival +2
Damage Resistances fire
Senses darkvision 30 ft., tremorsense 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages Common, Goblin, Ignan
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)

Hold Breath. The ash goblin can hold its breath for 15 minutes.

Nimble Escape. The ash goblin can take the Disengage or Hide action as a bonus action on each of its turns.

Actions

Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) piercing damage.

Javelin. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d6) piercing damage.

Tags: 5E D&D, Matt Jackson, monsters, place of power

You are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you are also built into it for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. (The Epistle of St. Paul to the Ephesians 2:19-22)

All religions and secular ideologies hold up certain people as exemplars for those who adhere to the beliefs of the religion or ideology. In the United States, we see this with respect to the Founding Fathers, for example. In the Church, most obviously we see this in the hundreds of saints venerated for their heroic virtue. Numerous other examples could be provided across a wide variety of societies, cultures, religions, political parties, et cetera. When it comes to the various versions of D&D, I’ve often read suggestions that saint-like figures be treated as demi-gods or maybe lesser gods. Most famously, D&D presents to us St. Cuthbert of the Cudgel, a mortal who ascended into the ranks of divinity.

If I were to write up something like a cult of the saints for a fantasy deity, I’d be less inclined to treat those saints as divine themselves, but what would I treat them as? Well, primarily they’d serve the same function as they do in the world today. They’d be role models, men and women and children who offer others examples of grace under pressure. In AD&D terms, they’d be heroes or quasi-deities rather than gods or goddesses. In 5E D&D terms, strong devotion to one of these heroes could be treated as a feat. Here’re a couple of examples:

Sacred Fool
You possess a strong devotion to a sacred fool. This hero is likely someone born into wealth and privilege who renounced his or her birthright in a dramatic fashion, thereafter living life as an example of traits counter to the hero’s culture. For example, a sacred fool born into an sophisticated urban society that strongly emphasized the acquisition of wealth might have become a humble beggar and preacher. Your devotion to a sacred fool provides the following benefits:

• Increase your Wisdom or Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• You have advantage on Wisdom (Insight) and Charisma (Persuasion) checks as long as you have not inflicted damage on any intelligent creature since your last short or long rest.
• Choose one of the following spells: animal friendship, charm person, sanctuary, or speak with animals. Using this feat, you can the spell once at its lowest level, and you must finish a long rest before you can it in this way again. Your spellcasting ability is Wisdom or Charisma, depending on which score you increased with this feat.

Scion of a Divine Host
You possess a strong devotion to a martial figure known for his or her victories over unnatural creatures. Choose one type of creature from this list: celestials, elementals, fey, fiends, or undead. Your devotion to a scion of a divine host grants the following benefits:

• Increase your Strength or Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• When attacking your chosen type of creature, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls.
• When you can see your chosen type of creature and it attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to make a melee weapon attack against that creature.
• You have advantage on saving throws made to resist attacks, spells, and magic effects made by your chosen type of creature.

Tags: 5E D&D, Catholic