Spes Magna Games

First up, a sales pitch for Spes Magna’s newest product and second release for the fifth edition of D&D:

Glory draws nigh! Grab your shield and axe! Defend dwarvenkind against your ancient foes!

Old School meets New School in The Dwarf. Now you can relive the glory days of the World’s Greatest Roleplaying Game, back when a dwarf was a dwarf instead of a dwarf fighter or rogue or whatever. The Dwarf presents a complete race-as-class that includes two new subraces, three new archetypes, and three new backgrounds, all for a mere $2 US.

Speaking of 5E, Dangerous Monsters over on Patreon welcomed four new monsters this past weekend. I hoping Dangerous Monsters 3 will go out to patrons by Easter.

Next up, how about a quick movie review of Leprechaun: Origins? It’s 0% on Rotten Tomatoes. Here’s the official trailer. Watch it carefully. Who didn’t you see? That’s right. You didn’t see Warwick Davis as the Leprechaun. You don’t even see a leprechaun. Let’s face facts. No one can label any of the movies in the Leprechaun franchise as “good”. They’re all horrible, but at least some of them are memorable and entertaining in a way that one might not want to admit. In short, as horrible as the Leprechaun franchise is, Leprechaun: Origins is worse. Seriously. Leprechaun: Origins is dull, shrill, repetitive, and includes about 11 minutes of end credits punctuated by shots of someone off camera with a flashlight spotlighting the movie’s props because, gosh darnit!, I really loved that toolshed interior the first time it showed up in the film.

Rather than watch Leprechaun: Origins, just watch the trailer while swabbing a nostril with a Q-Tip dipped in Tabasco. It’s just as unpleasant, but is over in a fraction of the movie’s actual running time.

And now, it’s time to revisit the wonderfulness that is The Black Hack with a quick trip into the Gloaming Cave.

The Gloaming Cave gapes in a low hillside not far from a sluggish creek somewhere in Razorleaf Wood. Few travel too deep into that accursed forest, and not only because of the skulking greenteeth and mobs of arboreal spider-kobolds. Razorleaf Wood conceals many hazards both natural and supernatural.

No one says with accuracy where the Gloaming Cave waits because it doesn’t seem to stay in one place. Characters searching for the Gloaming Cave must contend with its penchant for not being where it’s supposed to be. Each Day of travel in Razorleaf Wood looking for the Gloaming Cave requires rolling the d6 On the Trail Usage die. Any result other than 1-2 with the On the Trail Usage die results in an encounter. Select a monster or monsters whose HD total the die result. On a 1-2, the characters draw closer to the Gloaming Cave, and the On the Trail Usage die is downgraded one step. When the On the Trail Usage die is used up, the characters find the Gloaming Cave.

The Gloaming Cave hates light. Even on the brightest day, sunlight penetrates the cave no more than a Nearby distance. Most of the time, sunlight reaches no farther than Close. After that, lightless black reigns. In the Gloaming Cave, Flasks of Oil and Torches have a d4 instead of a d6 Usage die. Even magical Light may fail; treat such spells as if they had a d6 Usage die.

The cave’s malevolent magic plays tricks with the senses. WIS saves to avoid sensory confusion are made with Disadvantage. Of course, the undead shadows lairing in the Gloaming Cave are immune to these effects.

Whether it is true that blind cultists interred Senka, that infamous shadow sorcerer, within the Gloaming Cave has yet to be confirmed. If the Gloaming Cave hides Senka’s tomb, it seems likely that his final resting place remains unplundered. Who knows what fantastic treasures may remain undisturbed?

Greenteeth
Silent, well-camouflaged, its wide mouth full of fangs, the greenteeth skulks at the water’s edge, waiting patiently for a victim to drown and devour.

Hit Dice: 3
Damage: 2d4 (4)
Special: WIS saves to detect the greenteeth while it hides are made with Disadvantage. If it inflicts damage, it grabs its victim, who must make a STR save to avoid being dragged under the water.

Tags: 5E D&D, monsters, place of power, The Black Hack

Jared sat near the end of the bar, canted a bit on the stool to see both the entrance and the door leading to the latrines. He had short hair so blond it was almost white. Jared wore crisp, mint green oxford shirt, dark slacks, and, incongruously, well-polished Army surplus jungle boots. No jewelry, not even a wrist watch. He was tall and slender with sharp features, dark blue eyes.

Near one elbow was a manila folder, thick with its contents. Near the envelope waited a shot glass. The whisky in the glass glowed softly in the dim, yellowish light. Few other patrons were in the bar. It was early, only a few hours after most people had to be at work.

Eddie’s Place opened early, closed late. The public area was one room, a narrow rectangle enclosing the smaller, narrower rectangle of the bar. A door covered with stickers stood in the center of the back bar. Track lighting with low wattage bulbs in green glass shades could not compete with what sun managed to slip over the taller surrounding buildings and through the row of circular windows of frosted glass that faced the street.

Jared walked his eyes from person to person. Eddie, the bartender: fat, bald head already shining with perspiration, neatly trimmed beard, tattoos done in fading blue ink, one of the back of his hand showing fanned playing cards, aces and eights, a dead man’s hand. The others were customers. Regulars. Jared knew them by face if not by name, each one always present. He wondered if they ever went home. If they had homes to go to.

“You gonna drink that today?” Eddie said, his affect flat, disinterested.

Jared fixed on Eddie’s rheumy eyes, waited a beat or two, and then shrugged. The bartender shrugged, turned away to wipe down the bar yet again. The shot glass shimmered as the light shifted from left to right: a truck passed by outside, reflecting the late morning sun.

Jared opened the manila folder and slid out the contents: papers, photographs, several long hairs in a Ziploc baggie, a smaller envelope. Setting aside the smaller envelope, he looked first at the photographs. A handsome man, well-dressed, well-coiffed, stared out from the top picture. Obviously a professional photograph, probably for corporate use. Others showed the same man in public, photographed without his knowledge. At the park. At the store. Leaving the office. The last picture was a young woman, smiling, brown hair styled, wearing a blue graduation robe. Around her neck, a silver chain from which dangled a pendant, a heart around a cross. The papers were typed, single-spaced, organized under headings that provided an outline of the man’s habits, movements, and, most importantly, the reasons why his death had been authorized.

Jared opened the baggie, pulled out a hair. It was the color of coffee light on the cream. A faint, floral scent preceded the words.

“He deserves to die.”

A faint sob punctuated the sentence. Jared looked up. A woman sat on the stool next to him. She was young, too thin, and nude. Her hairline was distorted from where her skull had been cracked by violence. Baseball bat? Gulf club? Her eyes had been blue in life. Now they were paler, yellowed.

“He’ll do this again,” the woman said. “It’s only a matter of time.”

“I know.”

“You say something?” Eddie said.

Jared shook his head. “Not really. Yeah, I’m going to drink this.”

Eddie nodded, turned to walk toward a raised hand at the other end of the bar. Jared took the shot of whisky in hand and tossed it back. The liquid burned at first, but then faded into warm hints of spice and vanilla. He looked at the dead woman and nodded while sliding the papers and pictures back into the manila folder. The smaller envelope went in last, after he thumbed through the bills inside.

Jared closed his eyes. Sighed. How much was a human life worth? Five grand, and even that seemed too precious in the particular case. When Jared looked again, the woman was gone.

“I need the office,” Jared said, sliding from his stool.

Eddie nodded. Jared lifted the bar flap, crossed behind Eddie to the door in the middle of the back bar, pushed the door open, entered the small, cluttered office. The wooden, low backed chair squeaked as Jared sat down while slipping his phone out of his pocket.

After three rings, a woman’s voice answered. “Prescott Investigation.”

“It’s me,” Jared said. “Tell Management I have confirmation. Terms are acceptable.”

“Time to completion?”

“Thirty-six hours. Verification through normal channels.”

A faint click indicated the woman had disconnected. Jared closed his eyes, rested his hands on his thighs, one hand holding the phone, head tilted back, rotated left, then right, then chin to chest, head rolling left, then right. The pain had started, creeping up from a tightness between his shoulder blades to the base of his skull. Sliding open the draw in the desk, Jared fished out the bottle of Excedrin from a tangle of rubber bands and paper clips. He popped one tablet into his mouth, crunching it between his back teeth, ignoring the acrid taste. He dry-swallowed the other.

Envelope in hand, Jared exited the office. He poured himself another shot, tossed it back.

“You shouldn’t drink and take those pills,” Eddie said. “Bad for your liver.”

Jared chuckled. “You’re in the bad-for-your-liver business.”

“Ain’t that the truth?” said one of the regulars, hoisting an empty pint glass. “One more, Eddie. I’m good for it, ain’t I?”

Eddie nodded, turned his back to the regular, locked onto Jared’s gaze. “Every time, huh?”

“Every time, but sometimes it’s not as bad. She was more sad than angry. That helps.”

“You need anything, you call, brother,” Eddie said.

“I don’t need anything, but thanks. Thanks for the use.”

They shook hands. Eddie poured another pint for the regular. Jared walked out into the late morning sun. The sky, nearly cloudless, the cold wind biting. Sliding behind the wheel of his car, Jared placed the envelope on the passenger seat.

“Five grand,” he said as he turned the key in the ignition. “Five grand.”

He backed out of the parking space into the street, shifted to drive, and accelerated smoothly. It was time to go jogging.

Tags: fiction, Lilacs

The bake-kujira, the curse of the whale, seeks to bring famine, plague, and other disasters to coastal communities. It appears as a huge skeleton of some great fish or whale, invariably accompanied by a host of strange birds and fish.

Ghost or Demon? Stories differ about the bake-kujira’s origin. Some claim the monster is the vengeful spirit of a butchered whale, while others declare the bake-kujira is a demon from some hellish abyssal ocean. Whatever the truth, the bake-kujira displays a number of seemingly contradictory abilities. It is both incorporeal and immensely strong. It swims through the water as well flies through the air. It combines potent innate spellcasting with crushing physical attacks.

Guardian or Destroyer? The bake-kujira usually brings doom to coastal communities near its lair. It ruins crops, sinks boats, and burns homes. Residents of afflicted communities who abase themselves sufficiently may purchase a measure of mercy and even protection from the bake-kujira. The cost for the bake-kujira’s sufferance is high, however, and the monster delights in demanding ever greater outrages be performed in its honor.

Bake-Kujira
Huge undead, chaotic evil

Armor Class 15
Hit Points 102 (12d12+24)
Speed 0 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover), swim 60 ft.
Ability Scores STR 19 (+4), DEX 14 (+2), CON 15 (+2), INT 8 (-1), WIS 16 (+3), CHA 14 (+2)

Saving Throws Con +6, Wis +7
Skills Perception +7
Damage Resistances acid, fire, lightning; bludgeoning and slashing from nonmagical attacks; piercing from magical attacks
Damage Immunities cold, necrotic, poison; piercing from nonmagical attacks
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained
Senses blindsight 120 ft., passive Perception 17
Languages Abyssal, Primordial, telepathy 120 ft.
Challenge 10 (5,900 XP)

Echolocation. The bake-kujira can’t use its blindsight while deafened.

Incorporeal Movement. The bake-kujira 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.

Innate Spellcasting. The bake-kujira’s innate spellcasting ability is Wisdom. It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components:

At will: flaming sphere, fog cloud, thunderwave
3/day each: gust of wind, sleet storm, wind wall
2/day each: blight, control water, ice storm
1/day each: contagion (Spell Attack Bonus: +7), insect plague

Keen Hearing. The bake-kujira has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing.

Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the bake-kujira fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.

Turn Resistance. The bake-kujira has advantage on saving throws against any effect that turns undead.

Actions

Multiattack. The bake-kujira makes two attacks: one with its bite and one one with its tail.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (5d6+4) piercing damage.

Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (5d4+4) bludgeoning damage.

Legendary Actions

The bake-kujira can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. The bake-kujira regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.

Innate Spellcasting (Costs 3 Actions). The bake-kujira can use its innate spellcasting ability.

Psychic Attack. The bake-kujira chooses a living creature it can sense within 120 feet of it. The creature must make a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw against this attack, taking 21 (6d6) psychic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Sonic Boom (Costs 2 Actions). Each creature within 20 feet of the bake-kujira must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw against this burst of sound, taking 17 (5d6) thunder damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

A Bake-Kujira’s Lair

The bake-kujira lairs in flooded sea caves or deep sea trenches. The water near its lair is always colder than surrounding waters, and the waves above its lair are choppy, tossed by gusting winds beneath scudding, dark clouds. Flocks of bizarre birds and schools of strange fish live in the region around the bake-kujira’s lair.

Lair Actions

On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the bake-kujira takes a lair action to cause one of the following magical effects:

* A strong current moves through the bake-kujira’s lair. Each creature within 60 feet of the bake-kujira must succeed on a DC 16 Strength saving throw or be pushed 60 feet away from the bake-kujira. On a success, the creature is pushed 10 feet away from the bake-kujira.

* Beasts arrive to defend the bake-kujira. In the water, four swarms of quippers arrive. Above the waves, sixteen swarms of ravens arrive. Otherwise, treat this lair action as conjure animals, to include the requirement for concentration.

* The water in the bake-kujira’s lair becomes uncannily cold. All creatures within 120 feet of the bake-kujira must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw, taking 10 (3d6) cold damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Regional Effects

The region around a bake-kujira’s lair is warped by the unnatural presence of the monster, creating the following magical effects:

* The weather and water currents in a 6-mile radius centered on the bake-kujira’s lair becomes unstable and hostile. The weather is always 1d4x10 degrees Fahrenheit colder than normal. When rolling to determine wind and precipitation, treat results less than 13 as 13 (see DMG, p. 109). Checks made related to swimming, navigation, et cetera, are made with disadvantage in the area of effect.

* Aquatic and avian creatures within 6 miles of the lair that have an Intelligence score of 2 or lower are charmed by the bake-kujira and aggressive toward intruders in the area.

If the bake-kujira dies, these effects fade immediately.

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

First, I must show off my exquisitely barbaric miniature for Tupke the Red, my character in my son Christopher’s new D&D campaign. Tupke rocks, and too does Rob of Pennyfew Painting. Click on the pic for the embiggening. The miniature itself comes from Reaper, specifically this model here. Rob brought it to life. I would normally never spend $50 on something that doesn’t contain single malt, but every rule has its exceptions. I couldn’t be more pleased with Rob’s work, and I’m pretty sure that such an awesome miniature is worth at least 50 bonus XP per game session.

Right, Christopher?

Next, I expand on my minotaur variants, adding some additional types to go along with the standard minotaur and the last post’s minotaur shaman. If you want versions of the minotaurs in this post for AD&D, please click here.

The minotaur blood prophet is the largest and most savage of minotaurs. It eschews the use of manufactured weapons, preferring to rend foes to bloody pieces with its claws, fangs, and horns. When it tastes blood drawn by its fangs, the minotaur blood prophet gains limited precognitive abilities regarding the creature it bit.

Minotaur Blood Prophet
Huge monstrosity, chaotic evil

Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 138 (12d12+60)
Speed 45 ft.
Ability Scores STR 22 (+6), DEX 8 (-1), CON 20 (+5), INT 6 (-2), WIS 16 (+3), CHA 9 (-1)

Skills Perception +6
Senses darkvision 90 ft., passive Perception 16
Languages Abyssal
Challenge 6 (2,300 XP)

Blood Prophecy (Recharge after Short or Long Rest). When the minotaur blood prophet damages a living creature with its bite, the minotaur blood prophet gains limited precognitive abilities related to that creature. Roll 1d20 twice and record the rolls. So long as the minotaur blood prophet can see the creature it damaged with its bite, the minotaur blood prophet can substitute one of the recorded d20 rolls for any d20 roll made by the creature it damaged with its bite, doing so as a bonus action. When the minotaur blood prophet takes a short rest or a long rest, it loses any unused d20 rolls and the precognitive link with the bitten creature vanishes.

Charge. If the minotaur shaman moves at least 10 feet straight toward a target and then hits it with a gore attack on the same turn, the target takes an extra 13 (2d12) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 17 Strength saving throw or be pushed up to 10 feet away and knocked prone.

Labyrinthine Recall. The minotaur blood prophet can perfectly recall any path it has traveled.

Reckless. At the start of its turn, the minotaur blood prophet can gain advantage on all melee attack rolls it makes during that turn, but attack rolls against it have advantage until the start of its next turn.

Actions

Multiattack. The minotaur blood prophet makes three attacks: two with its claws and one with its gore or one with its bite.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d6+6) slashing damage.

Gore. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (2d12+6) piercing damage.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d4+6) piercing damage.

The spirit minotaur, rare and seldom seen in its natural form, furthers the aims of the Lord of Mazes by sowing the seeds of chaos and fear. It does so through the use of magical powers, which include telepathy and shapeshifting as well as illusions and potent attacks.

Spirit Minotaur
Large monstrosity (shapechanger), chaotic evil

Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
Hit Points 85 (10d10+30)
Speed 40 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover)
Ability Scores STR 18 (+4), DEX 11 (+0), CON 16 (+3), INT 15 (+2), WIS 16 (+3), CHA 12 (+1)

Skills Deception +3, Perception +5
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 15
Languages Abyssal, two other languages, telepathy 60 ft.
Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)

Charge. If the spirit minotaur moves at least 10 feet straight toward a target and then hits it with a gore attack on the same turn, the target takes an extra 9 (2d8) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw or be pushed up to 10 feet away and knocked prone.

Innate Spellcasting. The spirit minotaur’s spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 12, +4 to hit with spell attacks). The spirit minotaur can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

At will: detect thoughts, minor illusion, prestidigitation
3/day each: silent image, thunderwave
2/day each: invisibility, ray of enfeeblement
1/day each: lightning bolt, major image

Labyrinthine Recall. The spirit minotaur can perfectly recall any path it has traveled.

Reckless. At the start of its turn, the spirit minotaur can gain advantage on all melee attack rolls it makes during that turn, but attack rolls against it have advantage until the start of its next turn.

Regeneration. The spirit minotaur regains 5 hit points at the start of its turn if it has at least 30 hit points.

Shapechanger. The spirit minotaur can use its action to polymorph into a Medium humanoid or Small or Medium beast it has seen, or back into its true form. Its statistics, other than its size, are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn’t transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.

Actions

Multiattack. The spirit minotaur makes two attacks: one with its greatsword and one with its gore.

Greatsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (3d6+4) slashing damage.

Gore. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8+4) piercing damage.

Beastman
Medium monstrosity, chaotic evil

The beastman is a goat-headed monstrosity. It represents the lowest rung on the ladder of those who serve the Lord of Mazes. The beastman lives in fear of its more powerful kind. Minotaurs barely tolerate the beastman, and during lean times a beastman’s flesh chews just as easily as a human’s. The beastman’s cowardice does not extend to creatures it believes it can bully or hurt.

Armor Class 13
Hit Points 22 (4d8+4)
Speed 35 ft.
Ability Scores STR 14 (+2), DEX 16 (+3), CON 12 (+1), INT 8 (-1), WIS 13 (+1), CHA 8 (-1)

Skills Perception +3
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13
Languages Abyssal
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)

Charge. If the beastman moves at least 10 feet straight toward a target and then hits it with a gore attack on the same turn, the target takes an extra 4 (1d8) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 12 Strength saving throw or be pushed up to 10 feet away and knocked prone.

Reckless. At the start of its turn, the beastman can gain advantage on all melee weapon attack rolls it makes during that turn, but attack rolls against it have advantage until the start of its next turn.

Actions

Battle Axe. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8+2) slashing damage.

Gore. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8+3) piercing damage.

Tags: 1E AD&D, 5E D&D, monsters, Pennyfew Painting

Over in a 5E Facebook group, a fellow named Kalon Ohmstede asked about “some additional minotaur stat blocks”. Most of the responses he got weren’t at all helpful, basically boiling to irrelevancies. I like the idea of minotaurs getting an expanded treatment in a fantasy game. See this older post, for example.

Many minotaurs pay homage to Oevrumines, the brutal Lord of Mazes. The most devout of those minotaurs serve Oevrumines as shamans.

Minotaur Shaman
Large monstrosity, chaotic evil

Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 102 (12d10+36)
Speed 40 ft.
Ability Scores STR 18 (+4), DEX 12 (+1), CON 16 (+3), INT 8 (-1), WIS 18 (+4), CHA 11 (+0)

Saving Throws Constitution +5, Wisdom +6
Skills Perception +6
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 16
Languages Abyssal
Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)

Battleborn (3/day). The minotaur shaman receives a touch of divine ferocity from Oevrumines. When it uses the Attack action, it can make one melee attack as a bonus action.

Charge. If the minotaur shaman moves at least 10 feet straight toward a target and then hits it with a gore attack on the same turn, the target takes an extra 11 (2d10) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw or be pushed up to 10 feet away and knocked prone.

Labyrinthine Recall. The minotaur shaman can perfectly recall any path it has traveled.

Spellcasting. The minotaur shaman is a 3rd-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 14, +6 to hit with spell attacks).

Cantrips (at will): sacred flame, thaumaturgy
1st Level (4 slots): bane, guiding bolt, inflict wounds, shield of faith
2nd Level (2 slots): augury, prayer of healing, spiritual weapon

Actions

Multiattack. The minotaur shaman makes two attacks: one with its greatclub and one with its gore.

Greatclub. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8+4) slashing damage.

Gore. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d10+4) piercing damage.

Reckless Inspiration (Recharge 5-6). One creature the minotaur shaman can see within 30 feet of it can use its reaction to make a melee attack with advantage as a reaction if it can hear the minotaur shaman and it has the Reckless trait.

And in the Spes Magna Games arena of new:

Over at Patreon, I’m going to start releasing collections of Dangerous Monsters for my patrons. Each release, and there should be one a month, will include 4-5 new monsters for D&D 5E with the possibility of mapped lairs, versions of the monsters for other game systems, et cetera, as time permits and fancy strikes me. The first release goes out around the end of January or beginning of February, and the first time is free. After that, each release costs $1.

My two most recent releases are Chance Encounters II, which expands your campaign using the fifth edition of the World’s Greatest Roleplaying Game, and World War Weird Classes, which presents unusual 10 character classes for WWII: Operation WhiteBox.

Tags: 5E D&D, monsters