Spes Magna Games

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

Well, I’ve not done a very good job keeping up with this blog, my writing, et cetera, over the past two or so weeks. Not sure why. No excuses. Here I go again.

First up is a magic item inspired by The Moody Blues, probably the first prog rock band. The song is “Candle of Life” from To Our Children’s Children’s Children.

“Something you can’t hide says you’re lonely. / Hidden deep inside of you, only / It’s there for you to see. Take a look and be. / Burn slowly, the candle of life.”

Candle of Life: A candle of life is a magical taper that bolsters the life force of the one who lights it. The candle illuminates a 15-foot radius, and it will burn for 4 hours. It is possible to extinguish the candle by typical means, but it can be placed in a lantern or otherwise sheltered to protect it from drafts, et cetera. While the candle burns, the one who lit it must remain within the its radius of illumination to gain the following benefits. The user regenerates 1 hit point per turn so long as he or she is not dead. The user gains a +4 bonus to saving throws against disease, death magic, energy drain, poison, and aging. If one of these effects would not allow a saving throw, the candle‘s user is entitled to a saving throw, but with no special bonus.

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Next up, how about a new monster by a talented artist? Visit this site and check out a few creatures created by Lukaz Jaskolski. The monster below is inspired by his bug horror entitled “Predator Creature 1”. Enjoy!

Mortid
Frequency: Rare
No. Appearing: 1-6
Armor Class: 2
Move: 15″
Hit Dice: 8+8
% in Lair: 40%
Treasure Type: J-N, Q (x2)
No. of Attacks: 5
Damage/Attack: 1-6/1-6/2-5/2-5/1-4
Special Attacks: See below
Special Defenses: See below
Magic Resistance: Standard
Intelligence: Average
Alignment: Chaotic evil
Size: M
Psionic Ability: Nil
Attack/Defense Modes: Nil
Level/XP Value: VII/2,200 + 12/hp

The mortid is a horrific undead creature with a thick carapace and a skull-like visage. It scuttles about on four legs, and it attacks with its four claw-like appendages and its jagged teeth. Like most undead, the mortid hates the living, especially all types of elves.

This monster is stealthy and expert at camoflauge. It surprises prey on a roll of 1-4 (out of 6). The mortid can leap 3″ upon prey in order to attack. Its upper limbs strike with scimitar-like blades. Its lower striking appendages are blunter but still effective weapons. The mortid’s bite is not especially strong, but it has a powerful negative force that drains 1 life energy level from the victim, complete with corresponding losses in hit dice, ability level, attack level, et cetera.

The mortid is affected only by magical weapons. It regenerates at a rate of 3 hit points per melee round, but is destroyed if brought to 0 hit points. Sleep, charm, and hold spells do not affect the mortid. Neither does poison or paralysis, and it takes only half damage from spells based on cold or electricity.

Holy water splashed upon the mortid causes 2-7 hit points of damage per vial-full that strikes the monster. A cleric can turn the mortid as if it were a vampire.

Any elf drained of all life energy by the mortid becomes a half-strength mortid under the control of its slayer. This transformation takes place 1 day after the elf is buried, but only if the elf is buried. If the mortid which slew the elf is itself killed, the mortids created by it become free-willed monsters.

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

In late 1972, legendary British rock band Uriah Heep released The Magician’s Birthday, a somewhat chaotic story of sorts about magic, love, hate, and hope. The title track is a 10-minute long prog rock ballad about how the Magician’s birthday party is interrupted by the forces of evil, which the Magician defeats in contest of spell versus counterspell.

Epic.

“First I’ll give you fire!” / “I turn your fire into a sleepy stream.” / “Yes, now I give you darkness!” / “From your horror I’ll create a dream.”

“You cannot fight me / For I have the sword of hate!” / “But one thing you can’t see, / My answer is simply / An impenetrable fortress / Of love.”

Thain’s Gift of Fire (Evocation)
Level: Magic-User 2
Range: 3″
Duration: Special
Area of Effect: One target
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 4 segments
Saving Throw: Special

By means of this spell, the magic-user creates a magic javelin that speeds itself to its target as if hurled by of a fighter of the same level as the magic-user casting the spell. The javelin is equal to a +1 weapon for hit determination purposes, but the effect of a hit might inflict damage on the target even if it would normally be harmed by a javelin or a magic weapon of only +1 value. This is due to the fire. The javelin itself does 2-5 points of damage. The fire which bursts forth when it hits inflicts 2-8 hit points damage in a 1-foot diameter. The fire burns for one round’s worth of damage for every 3 levels of experience the caster has above 3rd, so that damage occurs over two rounds if the spell cast is from a 4th-6th level magic-user, unless the target can extinguish the flames.

The material components are a sharpened stick and the seeds of a chili pepper.

Thain’s Sword of Hate (Evocation)
Level: Magic-User 2
Range: 0
Duration: 1 round/level
Area of Effect: 3′ long, sword-like blade
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 3 segments
Saving Throw: None

When a magic-user casts this spell, he or she causes a crackling ray of ineffable darkness to spring forth from his or her hand. The blade-like ray is wielded as if it were a melee weapon used by a fighter of the same level as the magic-user casting the spell (to include multiple attacks per round when applicable). If the magic-user scores a successful hit, the creature struck takes 5-8 points of damage, unless the creature’s alignment is the opposite of the caster’s on either the law-chaos or the good-evil axis. In this case, the blade-like ray is treated as a +2 magical weapon, improving “to hit” and damage rolls. Otherwise, the blade is not a magical weapon in the normal sense of the term, so other creatures that can be struck only by magical weapons are not harmed by the spell.

The material components are a small bone of some sort and a drop of the caster’s blood.

Hensley’s Fortress of Love (Abjuration)
Level: Magic-User 4
Range: 0
Duration: 5 rounds/level
Area of Effect: 20′ diameter sphere
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 6 segments
Saving Throw: Special

When a magic-user casts this spell, he or she creates a globe of protection identical to protection from evil, except that it encompasses a much larger area for a greater duration. Any evil creature that enters the area of effect must make a saving throw versus magic each round it remains in the area of effect in order to take any hostile action. If the saving throw fails, the evil creature cannot take a hostile action that round, but the creature may perform other activities. The caster cannot take hostile action during the spell’s duration, but he or she may use non-attack spells or otherwise act in ways that do not violate the prohibition against offensive action.

The material component is a garland of flowers.

Tags: AD&D, prog rock, spells, ThursdAD&D

This week’s Tuesday Terror can be viewed with caution by clicking on the monster’s name below. The illustrator is Bobby Rebholz. Check out his ArtStation portfolio. His style and subject matter reminds me a bit of Wayne Barlowe.

The karphanoid is a huge creature with stilt-like legs, a short body, and a long whip-like tail. It appears to be a monstrous combination of insect and reptile. Aggressive and predatory, the karphanoid feeds on blood, draining it from its prey by means of a spiked proboscis.

Karphanoid
Huge monstrosity, unaligned

Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 85 (9d12+27)
Speed 45 ft.

STR 21 (+5), DEX 11 (+1), CON 17 (+3), INT 2 (-4), WIS 12 (+1), CHA 7 (-2)

Saving Throws CON +6
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11
Languages —
Challenge 5 (1,100 XP)

Keen Sight. The karphanoid has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.

Actions

Multiattack. The karphanoid makes three attacks with its stomp, its tentacle or its blood drain, and its tail.

Stomp. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 23 (4d8+5) bludgeoning damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.

Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 20 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8+5) bludgeoning damage plus 9 (2d8) piercing damage. If the target is Large or smaller, it is grappled (escape DC 15) and restrained until the grapple ends, and the karphanoid cannot use its tentacle against another target.

Blood Drain. At the start of each of the karphanoid’s turns, it drains blood from a creature grappled by the karphanoid’s tentacle. The target loses 17 (5d4+5) hit points due to blood loss.

Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 20 ft., one target. Hit: 27 (5d8+5) bludgeoning damage.

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

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