Spes Magna Games

This week’s Tuesday Terror isn’t really a terror. Dan May is an artist who has created a “Gentle Creatures” series of paintings. Take some time to browse through the galleries on his site and blog.

Many of Mr. May’s pieces feature humanoid creatures, horned and with small eyes, whatever other facial features they might have lost in soft fur. These creatures vary in size, ranging from what looks to be small child to ponderous giant. In almost all of the pieces, these creatures appear gentle, thoughtful, even contemplative, but there is also a protective, mentoring dimension to several of Mr. May’s pieces that makes me wonder how such a beast may act when what it loves is threatened.

The kruhafifa live in deep forests and rugged hills. They seldom interact with creatures other than beasts or fey, although stories of lost children being led back to civilization by a kruhafifa have been told for generations. These gentle beasts forage for fruits, nuts, and roots, and they avoid confrontation whenever possible.

Kruhafifa
Medium fey, neutral good

Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 114 (12d8+60)
Speed 30 ft., climb 20 ft.

STR 19 (+4), DEX 12 (+1), CON 21 (+5), INT 7 (-2), WIS 14 (+2), CHA 12 (+1)

Skills Insight +4, Perception +4
Damage Resistances cold
Senses darkvision 90 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages Sylvan, speak with animals always active
Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)

Beast Friend. Unaligned beasts never attack the kruhafifa unless magically controlled or the kruhafifa attacks the beast. A magically controlled beast compelled to attack the kruhafifa must make a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the beast must choose a new target or lose the attack.

Charge. If the kruhafifa moves at least 15 feet straight toward a target and then hits it with a ram attack on the same turn, the target takes an extra 5 (2d4) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.

Magic Resistance. The kruhafifa has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Size Alteration. As a bonus action, the kruhafifa can grow larger or smaller for 1 minute. Everything the kruhafifa is wearing and carrying changes size with it. Any item dropped by the kruhafifa returns to normal size at once.

When the kruhafifa enlarges, its size doubles in all dimensions, and its weight is multiplied by eight. This growth increases its size by one category. If there isn’t enough room for the kruhafifa to double its size, the kruhafifa the maximum possible size in the space available. Until the effect ends, the kruhafifa has advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws. The kruhafifa’s weapons also grow to match its new size. While these weapons are enlarged, the kruhafifa’s attacks with them deal 1d4 extra damage.

When the kruhafifa reduces, its size is halved in all dimensions, and its weight is reduced to one-eighth of normal. This reduction decreases its size by one category. Until the effect ends, the kruhafifa has disadvantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws. The kruhafifa’s weapons also shrink to match its new size. While these weapons are reduced, the kruhafifa’s attacks with them deal 1d4 less damage (this can’t reduce the damage below 1).

Actions

Multiattack. The kruhafifa makes two slam attacks or one ram attack.

Ram. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d4+4) bludgeoning damage.

Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6+4) bludgeoning damage.

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

This week’s Tuesday Terror is inspired by Anthony Champ, who you can check out on Facebook and Instagram. The two pieces posted below to the right were provided by Mr. Champ and are posted with his kind permission.

The xylomorph is a strange and fierce predatory plant creature. Despite its humanoid form, it prefer to stalk on all fours, attacking by surprise when possible. Its most dreaded attack is its piercing tongue that injects a magical toxin capable of turning flesh and soft organs to wood. The xylomorph feeds on the transformed flesh and organs of its victims, leaving behind the skeletons, which are unaffected by the xylomorph’s bizarre venom.

Xylomorph
Medium plant, unaligned

Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 52 (8d8+16)
Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft., swim 30 ft.

STR 16 (+3), DEX 19 (+4), CON 14 (+2), INT 6 (-2), WIS 13 (+1), CHA 11 (+0)

Saving Throws CON +5, INT +1
Skills Perception +4, Stealth +7
Damage Resistances cold; piercing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities blinded, deafened, exhaustion, poisoned
Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 15
Languages —
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)

Amphibious. The xylomorph can breathe air and water.

Thorns. The xylomorph is covered with thick growths covered with tough thorns. At the start of its turn, the xylomorph deals 5 (1d10) piercing damage to any creature grappling it.

Tree Stride. As part of its move, the xylomorph may enter a living tree at the same as itself. This costs 5 feet of movement. The xylomorph instantly knows the location of all other living trees of the appropriate size within 80 feet. As part of the move used to enter the tree, the xylomorph can pass to one of those trees or step out of the tree it is in. It appears in a spot of its choice within 5 feet of the destination tree, using another 5 feet of movement. If the xylomorph has no movement left, it appears within 5 feet of the tree it entered. The xylomorph can use this transportation ability once per round.

Actions

Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8+4) slashing damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 15). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, the xylomorph can automatically hit the target with its claws, and the xylomorph can’t make claws attacks against other targets.

Tongue. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, one creature that grappled by the xylomorph. Hit: 7 (1d6+4) piercing damage, and the target must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. If the saving throw fails by 5 or more, the creature turns to wood and is instantly petrified. Otherwise, a creature that fails the save begins to turn to wood and is restrained. The restrained creature must repeat the saving throw at the end of its next turn, becoming petrified on a failure or ending the effect on a success. The transformation lasts until the creature is freed by the greater restoration spell or other magic.

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

When a sieve is shaken, the refuse remains; so a man’s filth remains in his thoughts. The kiln tests the potter’s vessels; so the test of just men is in tribulation. The fruit discloses the cultivation of a tree; so the expression of a thought discloses the cultivation of a man’s mind. Do not praise a man before you hear him speak, for this is the test of men. (Sirach 27:4-7)

Okay, got to be honest. This time the magic item doesn’t really have much at all to do with the quote, which was part of the first reading at Mass this past Sunday. Once the idea presented below got stuck in my head, it wouldn’t let go.

Sieve of Sirach
Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement)

This leaf-shaped wondrous item is a bit longer than a human’s hand and made of silver. While holding the sieve, a monster capable of incorporeal movement cannot move through creatures and objects in a 15-foot square area around you. This effect does not prevent normal movement. Also while holding the sieve, you have advantage on saving throws against the incorporeal monsters’s attacks and magical powers.

The sieve can be used as a weapon. You can use the Attack action to make a melee spell attack with the sieve against an incorporeal creature. Your attack bonus with the sieve equals your Wisdom modifier + your proficiency bonus + 1. An incorporeal creature hit by the sieve takes 3d6 radiant damage. If the target has 25 hit points or fewer after taking this damage, it must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or be destroyed.

If the creature is destroyed, a fine powder remains in the sieve. You can use an action once per day to sift this powder to find 1-4 smoky crystals called ghost stones. A ghost stone sheds bright light in a 20-foot radius and dim light for an additional 20 feet when within 60 feet of any undead or fiend. This glow lasts for 1 minute and then the ghost stone dissolves into mist. Also, an unactivated ghost stone retains its power for 1 hour, at which time it dissolves into mist.

Tags: 5E D&D, Catholic, magic items

Today’s picture is “Hish” by that uncanny illustrator of the weird Sidney Sime. Sime lived from 1865 to 1941, and he is best known for his iconic illustrations of Lord Dunsany’s tales and poems.

The hish are mysterious creatures, part shadow, part silence, or so it seems. They are seldom seen or heard, even by their victims, for the hish practice assassination as a form of religious devotion to their strange deities.

Hish
Medium fey, any evil

Armor Class 16 (studded leather)
Hit Points 90 (12d8+36)
Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.

STR 13 (+1), DEX 18 (+4), CON 16 (+3), INT 15 (+2), WIS 13 (+1), CHA 12 (+1)

Saving Throws DEX +8, INT +6
Skills Acrobatics +8, Deception +5, Perception +5, Stealth +8
Damage Resistances necrotic, poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silvered weapons
Condition Immunities blinded, deafened, poisoned
Senses darkvision 90 ft., passive Perception 15
Languages Common, Sylvan, plus any two languages
Challenge 9 (5,000 XP)

Assassinate. During its first turn, the hish has advantage on attack rolls against any creature that hasn’t taken a turn. Any hit the hish scores against a surprised creature is a critical hit.

Hish Senses. Magical darkness does not impede the hish’s darkvision. Magical silence does not impeded the hish’s hearing. The hish cannot be blinded or deafened.

Innate Spellcasting. The hish’s innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 14, +6 to hit with spell attacks). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material or verbal components:

At will: disguise self, invisibility (self only)
2/day each: darkness, silence
1/day each: pass without trace (self only), vampiric touch

Sneak Attack. Once per turn, the hish deals an extra 14 (4d6) damage when it hits a target with a weapon attack and has advantage on the attack roll, or when the target is within 5 feet of an ally of the hish that isn’t incapacitated and the assassin doesn’t have disadvantage on the attack roll.

Spider Climb. The hish can climb difficult surfaces including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.

Actions

Multiattack. The hish makes two shortsword attacks.

Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6+4) piercing damage, and the target must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw, taking 24 (7d6) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Light Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, range 80/320 ft., one creature. Hit: 8 (1d8+4) piercing damage, and the target must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw, taking 24 (7d6) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Reactions

Misty Step. The hish surrounds itself with silvery mist and teleports up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space that it can see.

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

Rigrena illustrated the inspiration for this week’s Tuesday Terror. The illustration is part of the Realms of Atrothia, an Kickstarter expansion for 1E Pathfinder. It looks like it’s got some nifty ideas. If I still played Pathfinder, I’d be tempted to give it a go.

Below is my interpretation of what the picture could represent.

The tenihouira are a type of magical giant native to the Outer Planes found on Arborea, Ysgard, Limbo, Pandemonium, the Abyss, and Carceri. These creatures are seldom encountered on the Material Plane. They have an affinity for air and water. The tenihouira revel in contests of strength and displays of skill in battle.

Tenihouira
Large outsider (giant), any chaotic

Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 209 (22d10+88)
Speed 40 ft.

STR 24 (+7), DEX 13 (+1), CON 18 (+4), INT 10 (+0), WIS 12 (+1), CHA 14 (+2)

Saving Throws STR +11, CON +8
Skills Athletics +11, Intimidation +6, Perception +5
Damage Resistances cold, fire
Condition Immunities lightning, thunder
Senses blindsight 120 ft. (in fog or water only), passive Perception 15
Languages Abyssal (if native to a Lower Plane), Aquan, Auran, Celestial (if native to an Upper Plane), Giant
Challenge 9 (5,000 XP)

Indomitable (2/Day). The tenihouira rerolls a failed saving throw.

Innate Spellcasting. The tenihouira’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 16). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

At will: fly (self only), water breathing (self only)
3/day each: fog cloud, gust of wind
2/day each: call lightning, water walk
1/day each: conjure elemental (air or water only), chain lightning

Second Wind (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). As a bonus action, the tenihouira regains 20 hit points.

Storm Critical. The tenihouira scores a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20 with a melee or ranged weapon attack. The extra damage caused by the critical hit is lightning damage.

Actions

Multiattack. The tenihouira makes three attacks with its saw-toothed sword.

Saw-Toothed Sword. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (4d6+7) slashing damage. On a critical hit, the saw-toothed sword inflicts 21 (4d6+7) slashing damage plus 14 (4d6) lightning damage.

Shocking Bolt (Recharge 5-6). Ranged Spell Attack: +8 to hit, range 60 ft., one creature. Hit: 13 (2d8+4) lightning damage and the target can’t take reactions until the start of its next turn. The tenihouira has advantage on the attack roll if the target is wearing armor made of metal.

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