251 Quest Idea • The denizens stumble upon a battlefield; the battle is over. Bodies lay dead or dying. They see a great white wolf, the size of a colt, rooting through the dead. • As the Vargr feasts on the head of a corpse, it shivers, and grows larger still, to the size of a deer. • Even if the denizens attempt to hide, so long as they’re not especially boisterous, the Vargr will pay them no notice. • When the Vargr goes to leave, it turns to the denizens and says: “Know you where I find Skap, son of Sklod?” • If the denizens are rude or do not answer, the Vargr will growl, and look as though it is going to pounce. It may well attack. • If the denizens do not know, the Vargr will leave the battlefield without saying anything more. • If the denizens know where Skap is, perhaps tying in to another quest, and give this information to the Vargr, it will half-bark in thanks and spit a small flame at the foot of the denizens. The flame provides greater warmth than its brightness, and will burn for nine days. The majority of Vargr do not run wild but serve a powerful master, a god, Jotun, Alfar, or Aos-Si, and will live a life of comfort in their master’s hall. The master will send Vargr out across the realms, either singly or as a pack. Most Vargr seen wild in the realms are on some sinister mission. Vulnerabilities • Ravenous appetite and bloodlust • Never tamed, their service is gained by strong will, loyalty, and the strength of their master • To know its name is to have some spiritual power over it • When they bay three times—which can be heard for miles—all who hear must reach shelter by the end of the third cry, or the Vargr will have marked them Habits Better-known habits • Raid battlefields to gorge on fallen warriors • Vicious beings. They love the chase and the terror of their victims • Can detect, see and interact with the Spirit World Lesser-known habits • Their growling and noise are loudest when farthest away. As they come closer, they become progressively quieter until they cannot be perceived by mortal senses • Powerful Vargr eat souls, and may also hold souls in their stomachs to return them to their masters Nearly-unknown habits • Among the greater Vargr, flames may burn from its eyes and nostrils • A rare few Valkyrie, gods or Jotuns employ Vargr as mercenaries or mounts Richard Harris (Order #28855998)
252 SOCIAL ACTIONS SKILLS EQUIPMENT & TREASURE ACTIONS Tier 1 Tier II Tier III Tier IV Tier V None None None None None Tier I Tier II Tier III Tier IV Tier V Perceptionv Stealthv Athletics Insight Nature Physical Bite (Melee Attack): perform 1 attack per Tier, deal 1d12 piercing damage and initiate a free grapple against smaller opponents. Magical Hunter’s Howl (Recharge 5-6): 600’ radius, everyone who hears must make an INT save. If they fail, you can close your eyes and look at anyone who has failed their save in the last hour. You are aware of them, their location and a 15’ radius of what is around them. Aspects: danger sense, add proficiency to initiative; natural AC boosted by Tier Senses: darkvision 120’, truesight 30’ Vulnerabilities: Fire Resistances: Bludgeoning, Slashing, Piercing Damage Immunities: Cold Condition Immunities: Charmed, Paralyzed, Stunned vSpecial Abilities: Add proficiency to damage versus an injured foe; Perception and Stealth are rolled with Advantage, and opponent Perception and Stealth are rolled with Disadvantage Secrets & Weaknesses: You are at a disadvantage on social saves if someone knows your true-name (or roll on the Personal table) Tier I Terrorize: Perform a Provoke to Frighten with a +3 DC bonus Assertive: Your Social Attacks gain +1 DC Group Think: Grant nearby allies +1 bonus on Social Defense saving throws Tier II Victimize: Perform a Provoke to a Frightened victim with a +4 DC bonus to apply Apathy Tier III Harassment: Grant nearby allies +2 Provoke Attack DC Tier IV Persuasive: Perform a Compel Attack with +2 DC Tier V Sinister: A successful Compel attack can ignore 1 Characteristic limitation Personality: Indulge in cruelty Ideal: Nature is bountiful and deadly Flaw: Drawn to the hunt and powerful patrons Bond: Live and die for the Vargr-pack Characteristics - Neutral Evil Languages: Common, Telepathy 120’ Tier I II III IV V Challenge Rating 2 4 6 8 10 Level/Hit Dice 10 15 17 21 25 Proficiency Bonus +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 Size L L H H H Speed 60’ 60’ 90’ 90’ 90’ Strength* +2 +3 +3 +4 +5 Dexterity* +2 +3 +3 +4 +5 Constitution 0 0 +1 +1 +1 Intelligence* +1 +2 +2 +3 +3 Wisdom 0 0 +1 +1 +2 Charisma 0 0 +1 +1 +1 Initiative +4 +5 +6 +7 +9 Hit Points 50 75 102 126 150 AC 13 15 16 18 20 Power/Spell DC 12 13 14 15 17 Reach/Range 5’ 5’ 10’ 10’ 10’ To-hit bonus +4 +5 +6 +7 +9 Damage bonus +2v +3v +3v +4v +5v Legendary Actions 1 1 1 1 1 Save vs. Passion 0 0 +1 +1 +2 Save vs. Reason +1 +2 +2 +3 +3 Monstrosity Vargr Richard Harris (Order #28855998)
POWER DICE ACTIONS 253 LEGENDARY and/or LAIR ACTIONS Tier I to V Using a legendary action, choose one effect: - You swallow a soul of an adjacent fallen combatant. They cannot be raised / resurrected / reincarnated until you are killed or you regurgitate the soul you swallowed (or a Wish spell is used). - Grant the rider on your back a free action of their choice Tier I 1 Terrifying Gaze Range 30’ cone, WIS save to negate Bonus Action Anyone caught in the area of effect must successfully save or be stunned until the end of the next round. 2 Death Reaper Self radius 60’, CHA save to negate Bonus Action Heal 1d12 per downed combatant in range (0 HP or less) multiplied by your Tier. 3 Stalk the Meek Self Bonus Action All of your attack actions maximum dice damage upon foes that are frightened. This lasts until you next roll your power die. 4 Soul Striker Self Bonus Action All of your attack actions can strike incorporeal, ethereal and astral foes. This lasts until you next roll your power die. Tier II 5 Slaine Attack Self Bonus Action All of your attack actions ignore foe armour, only DEX modifier applies (10+DEX). This lasts until you next roll your power die. 6 Rabid Shake Reach Bonus Action After you successfully grapple an opponent, you can shake them with your maw, dealing d10 force damage per Tier Tier III 7 Flanking Reach Free Action If an ally is within melee reach of your target opponent, your attacks gain +1 to-hit bonus per Tier 8 Lunging Attack Reach Bonus Action Perform a move action followed by an attack action Tier IV 9 Mobility Self Bonus Action Perform a disengage move action 10 Fire Kin Self, reach Free Action Fire damage heals you and your attacks add 1d12 fire damage per Tier. This lasts until you next roll your power die. Tier V 11 Swallow Reach, DEX save to negate Free Action You make one bite melee attack against a smaller creature. If the attack hits, the target takes the attack’s damage and the target is swallowed. While swallowed, the creature is blinded and restrained, it has total cover against attacks and other effects outside of you, and it takes 15d6 acid damage at the start of each of your turns. If you take 80 damage or more on a single turn from a creature inside you, then you must succeed on a DC 20 Constitution saving throw at the end of that turn or regurgitate all swallowed creatures, which fall prone in a space within 10 feet of you. If you die, a swallowed creature is no longer restrained by you and can escape from the corpse by using 20’ of movement, exiting prone. 12 Planar Step Self and adjacent Bonus Action Cast Plane Shift for yourself and any willing adjacent allies. This spell does not require components. Richard Harris (Order #28855998)
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257 Velnias Velnias Myth Velnias is a Baltic deity that has a complex relationship with humans. Travel is no obstacle for him, so he lives in hundreds of human communities around the Baltic region almost simultaneously. Whenever his name is spoken he can hear it, so to keep his various lives straight he usually goes by a different name in each place. He is known as Veln, Vels, Velnis, Velinas, Veliuona, or different forms of Patollo, Pickollos, or Pikulas. With different names, he takes up different professions. Under the name Velns he is a wicked, miserly landlord and powerful land-holder, and paved the way for Germanic landlords to similarly oppress Baltic peasants. As Ragi- “The horned one greeted me as a friend, jovial and smiling, and gave his name as Velnias. So it was he! The trickster of legend!” ~Kyrra Sturludottir, wife of Hakon Helgason, a travelling trader. us he is a seer and great clairvoyant. Going by the name Pikulas, he keeps undead shepherds to guard his cattle. As Vels he is a powerful money-lender. This contributes to the mistaken belief among most humans that Velnias is a race of supernatural beings. Velnias operates only in darkness, and is most comfortable below ground, but nonetheless attempts to lead public lives within human communities. At first glance, Velnias contributes favourably to the Baltic region. Velnias taught humans to smith metals, and with the help of his co-deity Diev, crafted the very land. Velnias’ advice is often sought—especially in business. (It is more often given unsolicited; fact merging with gossip.) He is over-eager for all social engagements and will frequent all village inns, roadsides, and festivals. Velnias will show up uninvited to parties, holiday celebrations and weddings, and there act as self-appointed entertainment. If there are no parties or public gatherings, he will throw one lavishly. Some communities celebrate what they believe to be their local Velnias’ in October or November, offering a feast. However, most human settlements have only a hesitant relationship with Velnias. He is known to command dangerous magic, such as the power to craft into existence snakes, toads, frogs, and all that creeps and crawls. Also unsettling is his relationship with the dead. Some say Velnias has his own Valkyries, and moves human spirits on to an afterlife. And though he is popular with women, any children born from him have arched backs, and Richard Harris (Order #28855998)
258 issue a magical cry that kills the mother if she hears it. This may be why women who have been with Velnias are known to hang themselves the following morning. Velnias is fiercely competitive, and will make wagers over such activities as racing, shouting, throwing, or wrestling. He is wise, but not very intelligent, which is often revealed in these wagers. Going by Velus, he made a bet with a man he could throw a stone the farthest. Velnias is supernaturally strong, and throws far. On the man’s turn he threw a bird instead, which kept flying into the distance. Was Velnias truly fooled? Some believe this race of famous “stupid devils” only pretends foolishness. How was he fooled if his one eye, famously, sees the future? Some say his magic eye is unreliable, that every time he blinks the future changes. Others say he sees the future with his one eye, while the other sees the past; so beware when he covers one or the other. Still others insist the magic eye is reliable, but that Velnias is near-sighted. If you stay more than three feet away, the future remains uncertain. It may be Velnias simply acts as an impish instigator, guiding heroes to their greatest potential. It could even be, as some believe, that Velnias goes among the Baltic peoples out of genuine affection, knowing it is his role to someday shepherd them beyond death. Further Reading • Baltic folk tale, “Throwing a Stone” • Lithuanian Etiological Tales and Legends, by Dainova V. Kupcinskaite, 1998 • Lithuanian Philosophy: Persons and Ideas, by Jurate Baranova, 2000 • Myth in Indo-European Antiquity, by Gerald J. Larson, Gerald James Larson, C. Scott Littleton, and Jaan Puhvel, 1974 Velnias Lore Description Velnias is a red-skinned human-like being with a crooked back, horns, a tail with a forked tip, and the legs and hooves of a goat. Sometimes he appears shapechanged as a young child, a snake, a black horse, a huge pike, or a small black bug. Environment Velnias has many houses, and lives alone in miserable settings underground at the edges of marshes, lakes, and other low-lying places. His homes are called ‘Aizsaule’; where the sun does not touch. It may appear as a beautiful palace, until the cock crows for morning. Then the illusion snaps and any guests may find themselves stuck in a swamp, or worse. Vulnerabilities • Difficulty telling when humans are being deceitful • His name is magical, and when it is spoken he can hear it, no matter where he is • Frightened of thunder because of a history with the Baltic thunder god Perkunas • Irritated by the touch of sunlight Habits Better-known habits • Wise, but lacks in common sense • Clairvoyant but unreliable—it is said he has one magic eye that can see the future, imperfectly • Overly involved in the daily lives of mortals, whether they ask for it or not • Very strong, lifting up and carrying huge stones to Richard Harris (Order #28855998)
259 make bridges • Sought for business advice • Chastises swindlers and protects honest merchants • Patronises the arts, specifically music and dance • Throws frequent and lavish parties • Frequently goads and challenges humans, acting as a catalyst in all manners of trouble • Merriest when he gets the better of heroes Lesser-known habits • Has magic powers of illusion and wind • Protector of livestock • Huge dragonflies act as his steed • Leads ghosts on hunting parties through its woods • Once every 7 years will travel to visit relatives Nearly-unknown habits • Shapechanges into various dangerous animals • His true purpose is to shepherd the spirits of all Baltic peoples into the afterlife • Though he is humble among mortals, Velnias is actually a high deity in the Baltic pantheon. Velnias tempers his powers when dealing with lesser beings • Brother to the god Diev. Together they created the land—Diev making all parts flat and all things goodly; Velnias all valleys, hills, and mountains, and everything that creeps and crawls Quest Idea • The Denizens are in a shop along with the shopkeep and one other patron: a tough-looking young man, unshaven, with a sword at his belt and leather guards on his forearms. • Under the eye of the denizens, this mysterious NPC steals from the merchant and hastily leaves. • On his way out the thief bumps into someone else, a crooked old Velnias in a business suit, who tuts to the man and says: “That does not belong to you.” Velnias puts his hand on the thief, and from Velnias’ hand come bugs, who swarm over the thief’s body. • The thief falls to the floor in agony as thousands of small bugs crawl across his skin, biting. (The denizens may want to intervene and save the man, or let the situation take its course.) • The Velnias addresses the denizens, lamenting that stealing from honest merchants seems to be on the rise now that everyone is starving during Fimbulwinter... as though that’s an excuse. • If the denizens wish to bargain for the life of the thief, Velnias’ interest will pique at the suggestion of a wager. If the denizens win, the thief lives on as a thane in their charge. If Velnias wins, the denizens must run a quick little errand for him... • Velnias will wager on racing, shouting, wrestling, or any other contest at which he will do supernaturally well and is sure to win. However, if the Denizens challenge him to “double or nothing”, Velnias will always agree, and will be so eager for a new competition that he will let the Denizens choose the terms of the challenge. • It should be made obvious to the players that this situation played out like a setup so the denizens would be indebted to the Baltic god and do a quest for him. However, if Velnias should fail in his wager, he will be enraged and disappear, but return every-other-day with a new wager, until finally only two things could happen. Either the denizens lose and go on Velnias’ quest, or the denizens are owed a favour from the Baltic God. Richard Harris (Order #28855998)
260 ACTIONS Aspects: No need for sleep, food/drink or breath; Immortal- does not die from old age; As a divine deity, Velnias can create numerous avatars of himself all over the known and unknown planes of existence. Five different avatars are presented above. The death of an avatar does little to diminish Venias’ influence and capabilities as another, within an hour’s time, can be projected using Divine Potence. If faced in divine manifestation, Velnias would be a CR 35 threat, with abilities beyond the scope of this book. Senses: Truesight 30’, Darkvision 300’ Vulnerabilities: Radiant, Thunder, Lightning Resistances: Acid, Cold, Fire, Force, Necrotic, Poison, Psychic, Spells Damage Immunities: Nonmagical damage Condition Immunities: Charmed, Exhaustion, Frightened, Incapacitated, Paralyzed, Petrified, Stunned, Unconscious vSpecial Abilities: Add proficiency to initiative; Natural AC bonus equal to Proficiency bonus; CON modifier bonus +5; When his name is mentioned, he will hear the 66 words preceding his name and the 66 words following the mention of his name. Secrets & Weaknesses: If under direct sunlight (or roll on the Personal table) you lose your special abilities, however, losing the CON bonus does not lower HP. Physical Pitchfork (Melee Weapon Attack): Perform 1 attack per Tier, each dealing 1d12 piercing damage per Tier. vDefender must succeed an INT save or else they lose 1 unused highest level spell slot. Boulder (Ranged Weapon Attack): deal 1d10 bludgeoning damage per Tier. vThe victim must succeed a CON save or else be stunned for 1 minute. Magical Magi Arcanum (Recharge4-6): Cast any Sorcerer spell as a Sorcerer of equivalent hit-dice/level. You do not need components and your spells cannot be countered. Hall of Nightmares (Recharge 6): Cast Weird Casting Time: 1 action Range: 120 feet Components: none Duration: 1 minute Drawing on the deepest fears of a group of creatures, you create illusory creatures in their minds, visible only to them. Each creature in a 30- --foot- --radius sphere centered on a point of your choice within range must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, a creature becomes frightened for the duration. The illusion calls on the creature’s deepest fears, manifesting its worst nightmares as an implacable threat. At the end of each of the frightened creature’s turns, it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or take 4d10 psychic damage. On a successful save, the spell ends for that creature. Feasting Hall (Recharge 6): instantly transport you and up to 199 other willing creatures you can see to a paradise that exists in an extraplanar space. You choose the form that the paradise takes. Regardless of its nature, the paradise contains enough water and food to sustain its visitors. Everything else that can be interacted with inside the extraplanar space can exist only there. Visitors can remain in the paradise for up to 12 hours. When the time runs out or you use an action to end it, all visitors reappear in the location they occupied when you used this power. Personality: Fiercely competitive and very humble Ideal: Learn and accumulate wisdom Flaw: Not very intelligent, overbearingly social Bond: All that comes with the life of a deity Characteristics - Every alignment combination Languages: Common, Infernal Tier I II III IV V Challenge Rating 5 10 15 20 25 Level/Hit Dice 9 13 17 20 22 Proficiency Bonus +2 +4 +5 +6 +7 Size S S M M L Speed Strength* +4 +5 +6 +7 +8 Dexterity* 0 +2 +3 +5 +7 Constitution* +5v +7v +8v +10v +11v Intelligence -1 0 0 +1 +2 Wisdom* +3 +4 +6 +7 +8 Charisma* +3 +4 +6 +7 +8 Initiative +2 +6 +8 +11 +14 Hit Points 90 156 221 300 352 AC 10v 16v 18v 21v 24v Power/Spell DC 13 16 19 21 23 Reach/Range 10’ 20/80 10’ 30/120 15’ 40/160 15’ 50/200 20’ 60/240 To-hit bonus +9t +12t +14t +16t +18t Damage bonus +7t +8t +9t +10t +11t Legendary Actions 3 3 6 6 8 Save vs. Passion* +5 +8 +11 +13 +15 Save vs. Reason -1 0 0 +1 +2 Fiend Immortal Velnias Richard Harris (Order #28855998)
261 POWER DICE ACTIONS LEGENDARY ACTIONS Tier I to V Your lair is a place where the sun’s rays cannot reach. The size of your Aizsaule is 1 square mile per Tier. Using a lair action, choose one effect: - An enemy must succeed a DEX save vs DC 10+Tier or be Petrified - The lair heals you or an ally 2d6 per Tier and removes 1 condition Tier I to V Using a legendary action, choose one effect: - Anyone in front of you in a 30’ cone is affected by an anti-magic field. Magic items become useless while in the zone, spell casting automatically fails, and enchantments cease working. - If you fail a saving throw, you can choose to succeed instead. - After you roll a d20, you may choose to make the result a 20. Tier I 1 Alternate Humanoid Form Self Bonus Action You transform your appearance with an illusion for 1 minute. You decide what you look like, including your height, weight, facial features, sound of your voice, hair length, coloration, and distinguishing characteristics, if any. You can make yourself appear as a member of another race, though none of your statistics change. You also can’t appear as a creature of a different size than you, and your basic shape stays the same; if you’re bipedal, you can’t use this spell to become quadrupedal, for instance. At any time for the duration of the illusion, you can use your bonus action to change your appearance in this way again. 2 Sense Destiny Range 60’ Bonus Action At the start of round, a player must declare their intended character’s actions that they will perform this round (WIS save to negate) 3 Augmented Strength Self Bonus Action Until you next roll your power die, your STR modifier is boosted by your Tier 4 Hall of Mirrors 120’ Radius Bonus Action Creatures of lower level within 120’ lose immunity to illusions. This effect lasts for 1 minute. Tier II 5 Dance of Disruption Self Bonus Action You dance until end of round, roll your power die when you are targeted by an attack or spell, a result of 1,2, or 3 successfully connects, otherwise it misses you. Your dance ends when you are successfully targeted or end of round. 6 Gust of Wind Range 20’, DEX save to negate Bonus Action Can kockback another adjacent combatant (unwilling get a saving throw) by 5’ per Tier. Tier III 7 Beast Shape Self Bonus Action Shapechange into a beast of lesser CR. Gain all powers, abilities and spells, but you also retain your power die actions. 8 Planar Step Self and adjacent Bonus Action Cast Plane Shift for yourself and any willing adjacent allies. This spell does not require components. Tier IV 9 Summon Dragonfly Mount Adjacent Bonus Action A gigantic dragonfly appears and serves as your mount for 1 minute. Its attributes, abilities and powers are the same as a Roc 10 Summon the Dead Range Bonus Action You may summer a number of Wraiths equal to your Tier. They serve you for 1 minute. Tier V 11 Time Stop Self Bonus Action The world freezes while you move, gain +1 additional action per Tier this turn 12 Invulnerable Self Bonus Action Become immune to all physical/magical attacks (not spells). This lasts until you next roll a power die. LAIR ACTIONS Richard Harris (Order #28855998)
262 SOCIAL ACTIONS Tier I Challenge: Perform a Compel Attack with +3 DC to try and convince another to accept a challenge Leadership: Perform a Provoke to Trust with a +3 DC bonus Calculating: Gain advantage on Compel saves Peer Pressure: If the majority in the area have the Trust condition towards you, others make social saves at a Disadvantage versus your Question Tier II Curious: Perform a Question Attack with +2 DC Reserved: Gain advantage on Provoke saves Group Vibe: If the majority in the area have the Trust condition towards you, others make social saves at a Disadvantage versus your Provoke Tier III Assertive: Your Social Attacks gain +1 DC Secretive: Gain advantage on Question saves Group Action: If the majority in the area have the Trust condition towards you, others make social saves at a Disadvantage versus your Compel Tier IV Sinister: A successful Compel attack can ignore 1 Characteristic limitation I Lied: When an opponent fails a Question attack on you, and already has a String, invalidate a prior String that they obtained from you Tier V Cult Icon: Perform a Provoke to Adoration with a +3 DC bonus Twist Emotions: Once per social combat, swap one social condition for another on an opponent who failed to Provoke you EQUIPMENT & TREASURE SKILLS Tier 1 Tier II Tier III Tier IV Tier V tVelnias’ Pitchfork This weapon is a +3 weapon in a Fiend’s hands, otherwise it is a +1 weapon. A A, B, C, F, G A x2, B x2 C x2, D F x2, Gx2 H A x5, B x5 C x5, D x2, E F x5, Gx5 H x2, I A x10, B x10 C x10, D x4, E x2 F x10, Gx10 H x4, I x3 Tier I Tier II Tier III Tier IV Tier V Persuasion Performance History Arcana Survival Deception Stealth Nature Religion Animal Handling Athletics Sleight of Hand Acrobatics Medicine Intimidation Perception Investigation Velnias Richard Harris (Order #28855998)
263 Wraith Medium undead, neutral evil Armor Class 13 Hit Points 67 (9d8 + 27) Speed 0 ft., fly 60 ft. (hover) STR -2 DEX +3 CON +3 INT +1 WIS +2 CHA +2 Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks that aren’t silvered Damage Immunities necrotic, poison Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12 Languages the languages it knew in life Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) Incorporeal Movement. The wraith 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. Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunlight, the wraith has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight. Life Drain. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 21 (4d8 + 3) necrotic damage. The target must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or its hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the damage taken. This reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0. Create Specter. The wraith targets a humanoid within 10 feet of it that has been dead for no longer than 1 minute and died violently. The target’s spirit rises as a specter in the space of its corpse or in the nearest unoccupied space. The specter is under the wraith’s control. The wraith can have no more than seven specters under its control at one time. Roc Gargantuan monstrosity, unaligned Armor Class 15 (natural armor) Hit Points 248 (16d20 + 80) Speed 20 ft., fly 120 ft. STR +9 DEX 0 CON +5 INT -4 WIS 0 CHA -1 Saving Throws Dex +4, Con +9, Wis +4, Cha +3 Skills Perception +4 Senses passive Perception 14 Languages — Challenge 11 (7,200 XP) Keen Sight. The roc has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight. Multiattack. The roc makes two attacks: one with its beak and one with its talons. Beak. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 27 (4d8 + 9) piercing damage. Talons. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 23 (4d6 + 9) slashing damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 19). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, and the roc can’t use its talons on another target. Richard Harris (Order #28855998)
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265 Wight Sovereign Wight Sovereign Myth A Wight Sovereign is the most powerful type of lost soul. They cannot proceed to an afterlife. Niflheim has rejected them and they have abandoned all hope of resolving their unfinished business in Midgard. Unlike other undeads, Wight Sovereigns are no longer angry about their circumstance. They have adapted. They cast off the last of their human feelings, any ties to their former lives, and learned how to feed on souls. To a Wight Sovereign, this is just making the best of a bad situation. Typically, the lost souls who become Wight Sovereigns were ambitious opportunists, usurpers and power-mongers in life. King Siggeir was the corrupt King of Gottland until he was killed by the hero Sigmund. King Siggeir became a Wight Sovereign, and with the other Wights he has assembled, have made Gottland the once thriving kingdom uninhabitable. Should the living crew of a ship step onto the soil of Gottland, King Siggeir will conspire for one banal but tragic incident after another to befall every member. Someone slips on their axe. Another goes walking alone, and accidentally drowned. A third falls down a rocky ravine. It gives all the appearance of a curse of bad luck, but this is because those still living cannot see the Wight Sovereigns standing over the bodies of their fellows, consuming their souls. Of course, it is the life force of the strongest warriors that a Wight Sovereign most craves, putting them in direct competition with Odin’s Valkyries on the battlefield. A soul eaten by a Wight Sovereign will never again return to the realms in any form. All trace of it is gone. There is an invisible battle that happens over every battle in Midgard. While heroic mortals fight and die, they do not perceive the Valkyries and the Wight Sovereigns battling among them, saving or consuming souls, respectively. Valkyries can be competitive among themselves, but when Wight Sovereigns enter the battlefield, all Valkyries—be they Odin’s, Surt’s, or someone else’s—fight against them. Many Wight Sovereigns have personal conflict with Valkyries. Much to the Valkyries’ shame, they are partially responsible for Wight Sovereigns. The Valkyries are jealous of mortal lives and experience, and so some will—contrary to their edicts—possess human bodies. A Valkyrie who possesses a human body can only leave when the body dies, which makes the human soul lost, and all but assured to become a Wight Sovereign. Wight Sovereigns are such a scourge that once yearly at Yule, Odin himself leads a host of Valkyries and Vargr to scour Midgard on “The Wild Hunt”. There they bring to rest any Haugbui, Draugar, and Wight Sovereigns found, and as well harvest the best mortal warriors found, by happenstance, Richard Harris (Order #28855998)
266 outside their homes. Some believe the Wild Hunt is the only means of ensuring that the Wight Sovereigns do not overpower the Valkyries, overpower the Sons of Muspel, the Einherjar, and indeed—overpower all of the living, and claim Midgard, then Yggdrasil entirely, for the dead. Further Reading • Eyrbyggja saga • Prose Edda, Skaldskaparmal, by Snorri Sturluson • Poetic Edda, Helgakvida Hundingsbana II • Poetic Edda, Hervarar saga, Hervararkvida • Volsunga saga Wight Sovereign Lore Description Wight Sovereigns are powerful lost souls who have mastered their damned state. They are incorporeal but cast an image based on how they looked in life, only thin and ghostly-pale, with their skin fallen away in places to reveal flesh and bone. They are usually invisible to mortal eyes. Only the most powerful among them can assume corporeal form. When a Wight Sovereign feeds, it opens its mouth to a tremendous gape, as though dislocating its jaw like a snake does, to suck out souls from the recently dead. Environment A Wight Sovereign makes its own dwelling, taking a man-sized standing stone and reshaping it into a runic monolith. When a Wight Sovereign inhabits a monolith, it is nearly impossible to harm. The more powerful the spirit, the more impregnable the monolith. These are typically located in dense forests, mountains, or other places near to humans, but largely inaccessible. Several Wights sometimes arrange their monoliths near to each other, or in a circle. Unscrupulous but ambitious mortals will make a runic monolith of their own, called a “Jelling Stone”, to attract a Wight Sovereign for nefarious purposes. Vulnerabilities • Can only affect the physical world with minor nudges, unless it is corporeal. Only the most powerful can harm the living directly • Immediately recognizable; incapable of appearing as a living thing • Presence is so malevolent that its coming can be sensed by anyone even partially attuned to spirits • Driven by an insatiable hunger; like an animal of death in a human-like form. Too long without food and it will eventually feed on its own soul • Monoliths become ordinary stone when a Wight Sovereign assumes corporeal form • As a spirit only, they are especially harmed by magic Habits Better-known habits • Feeds on the life energy of the living, devouring the souls of the freshest dead on battlefields before a Valkyrie can save them • Ever-ambitious to gain more power and an increased mastery over their situation as a spirit • Use the souls they consume to fuel strange and powerful death magic Lesser-known habits • Immune to conventional weapons • Walks through walls and other solid objects • If destroyed it returns to rest in its monolith, to emerge again later fully restored Richard Harris (Order #28855998)
267 for brief times to whisper incitements into the right ears, the town beyond is on the brink of war. • The Valkyrie Skurr says that many other Valkyries have fallen to Ozur, but it is difficult for Valkyries to gather in force against a single Wight Sovereign and ignore the other souls on a battlefield as they are consumed by other Wights, Vargr, and all other evils. • Skurr implores the denizens to stop the Ozur for the sake of the souls of the villagers, or at least, when the coming battle happens, to distract him long enough for the souls to be harvested to their own gods, such that the Valkyries can rally against Ozur and end him once and for all. Nearly-unknown habits • The apex of these undeads is the ArchWight Sovereign, who individually rivals the influence of gods and jotuns • It seems only a mortal soul is capable of becoming a Wight Sovereign Quest Idea • During an overland journey, a Valkyrie appears to the denizens. She says her name is “Skurr”, and that in the village beyond is an evil spirit that is setting two forces against each other. • The force of poor Karl Hrut, whose power is slipping but who has fostered much loyalty and devotion over the years, are being set against and that of the powerful landowner Sibbi, who can pay for action if not loyalty. • The evil spirit is a Wight Sovereign named “Ozur” who has gained an artful mastery of manipulating conflict into being in order to devour the souls of heroic warriors. • Ozur was a master manipulator in life, and is so too in death. With a series of invisible nudges, forgery, and to appear corporeal Richard Harris (Order #28855998)
EQUIPMENT & TREASURE SKILLS 268 Tier 1 Tier II Tier III Tier IV Tier V Soul Blade +2t (Death Bone) None None None None None Tier I Tier II Tier III Tier IV Tier V All Skills All Skills All Skills All Skills All Skills Aspects: No need for sleep, food/drink or breath; Flight movement; Continuous greater invisibility; Natural state is Ethereal form Senses: Trusesight 120’, Tremorsense disembodied souls 240’ Vulnerabilities: Radiant, Spells Resistances: Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning, Thunder, Magical Weapons Damage Immunities: Nonmagical damage, Necrotic damage heals you, Poison, Psychic Condition Immunities: Charmed, Deafened, Exhaustion, Frightened, Paralyzed, Petrified, Poisoned, Stunned, Unconscious vSpecial Abilities: CON added to AC; Secrets & Weaknesses: (or roll on the Materials table) Physical Soul Blade (Melee Weapon Attack): perform 1 melee attack per Tier, dealing 1d12 magical slashing damage per Tier and 1d10 necrotic damage per Tier (mortals take maximum necrotic damage). Magical Steal Hope (Recharge 4-6): All within sight of you must succeed a CHA save else you inflict a social condition upon them, or you remove any 1 social condition or spell buff that currently affects them. ACTIONS SOCIAL ACTIONS Tier I Curious: Perform a Question Attack with +2 DC Agitator: Perform a Provoke Attack with +2 DC Persuasive: Perform a Compel Attack with +2 DC Tier II Dig Deep: A successful Question attack gains +1 Strings Tier III Sinister: A successful Compel attack can ignore 1 Characteristic limitation Tier IV Terrorize: Perform a Provoke to Frighten with a +3 DC bonus Tier V Victimize: Perform a Provoke to a Frightened victim with a +4 DC bonus to apply Apathy Undead Tier I II III IV V Challenge Rating 10 12 14 16 18 Level/Hit Dice 17 20 21 23 25 Proficiency Bonus +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 Size M M M M M Speed 60’ 60’ 60’ 60’ 60’ Strength +3 +3 +4 +5 +5 Dexterity +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 Constitution* +4 +4 +5 +5 +5 Intelligence* +4 +5 +5 +6 +7 Wisdom* +4 +5 +5 +5 +6 Charisma 0 0 0 0 0 Initiative +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 Hit Points 153 180 210 230 250 AC 16v 17v 19v 20v 21v Power/Spell DC 16 17 18 19 21 Reach/Range 5’ 5’ 5’ 5’ 5’ To-hit bonus +8t +9t +11t +12t +14t Damage bonus +4t +5t +6t +7t +8t Legendary Actions 2 3 4 5 6 Save vs. Passion +4 +5 +5 +5 +6 Save vs. Reason* +8 +9 +10 +11 +13 Personality: Dominate the afterlife Ideal: Lure and devour the souls of great heroes Flaw: Hunger drives irrational behaviour Bond: The sanctuary found in the monolith Characteristics - Lawful Evil Wight Sovereign Languages: Common, Undercommon, Abyssal, Infernal Richard Harris (Order #28855998)
POWER DICE ACTIONS 269 LEGENDARY ACTIONS Tier I to V The monolith is usually a large imposing stone covered in runes. The stone is AC 15 with 60 HP, but when you are within it, the stone is AC 21 and 800 HP. Crafting a new stone lair requires a month of work and ritual. While Ethereal, as a lair action, choose 1 effect: - Retreat to your stone lair (range 10’), or exit your stone lair. - Heal 10 HP. Tier I to V Using a legendary action, choose one effect: - After a failed saving throw, you may choose to succeed instead. - As a reaction, force an opponent to re-roll a d20 they just rolled. They must use the result from the second roll. - All undead of lower CR within a 120’ radius become your unwavering allies for 1 minute, then turn to dust. - You halve the damage you are taking from an attack or a spell. Tier I 1 Corporeal Form Self Free Action On your turn you may leave the Ethereal and become corporeal, losing all resistances and vulnerabilities. You remain corporeal as long as you wish, but it requires a bonus action to return to the Ethereal. 2 Accident Range 30’ Free Action WIS save or fall prone, becoming incapacitated and unable to stand up. Victim makes a WIS save every round to end the effect. 3 Mobility Self Bonus Action Perform a disengage move action 4 Counterspell Range 60’ Reaction Action Counter a spell of 3rd level or less with absolute certainty. For 4th level of higher spells, roll a d20 + CHA modifier, and you must beat a DC 10 + spell level being cast. Success means the spell is interrupted and has no effect. Tier II 5 Death Reaper Self, radius 60’ Bonus Action Heal 1d12 per downed combatant in range (0 HP or less) multiplied by your Tier. 6 Teleport Range 150’ Bonus Action You may teleport to a destination within line of sight, or a location you are intimately familiar with. Tier III 7 Come Here! Line of Sight Bonus Action Another combatant must succeed a WIS save or else be drawn into the space adjacent to you. 8 Exalted Death Invocation Special Bonus Action Cast any Necromancy spell up to level 4 (no V, S nor M required) Tier IV 9 Pronounce Cruse Line of Sight Bonus Action Target becomes deafened if they fail their CON save. If they are already deafened, they are blinded as well. 10 Powerful Death Magic Touch (corpse is completely eradicated); max 10d6 Bonus Action Consume a corpse to empower a weapon to deal +1d6 per corpse’s hit-dice as bonus necrotic damage for 1 hour per Tier Tier V 11 Anti-Magic Aura Self Bonus Action Until end of round, gain a 10% chance per proficiency bonus to negate all incoming magical spells (both negative and positive effects). Magic items cease working within 5’ radius. 12 Even More Powerful Death Magic! Touch (corpse is completely eradicated); max 20d6 Bonus Action Same as power #10, but the weapon ignores resistance to necrotic and can strike both ethereal and non-ethereal targets. Every kill you make with the weapon increases the necrotic damage by +1d6. The duration is in days not hours. LAIR ACTIONS Richard Harris (Order #28855998)
270 The Village of Ris This village sits at the crossroads of Midgard. Ris is within the kingdom of Jutland a land steeped in folklore and the supernatural. To the north are the savage kingdoms of the Vikings. To the south are the hostile kingdoms of the Holy Roman Empire and her allies. To the east, the wild Baltic tribes zealously guard their lands, and in the west lie the great isles, home to the ancient Celts. Ris is the home to two-dozen families with intertwined lives. This town’s success can be chalked up to their diversified goods: fishing, farming, smithing, animal husbandry, pottery and more. But not everything is sunshine and rainbows. Supernatural denizens also claim Ris as their home, and things are about to get a lot more complicated. Richard Harris (Order #28855998)
271 The map on the left is a printable page for the players (easily drone from a digital version of this book). The map below is marked up with location id’s for the DM’s reference. On the following pages each and every location will be detailed- the locale, the people and the adventure hooks. Adventure hooks are specially tailored for the monsters found within this book. They are also meant to be 1-shot adventures that you can start and finish in a single game session. After a few adventures in this town, it will come alive in the imaginations of the players, and perhaps many more stories will be written by their curiosity and adventuresome spirit. Richard Harris (Order #28855998)
272 Locales in Ris Each numbered location will be named and some key characters will be detailed. Use these are written, or make up your own, this is a toolbox for the DM’s story-building. The NPC format is optimized for social interaction which includes their characteristics. Class and level are omitted because most people in the village are not of adventurer stock, thus they wouldn’t be classified with 5e classes. Rather their professions may be listed when relevant. Should the NPC’s become involved in conflict, some stats are provided in a visual way: The Road to Ris Yule’s snow crunches underfoot as you travel north. The sounds of children laughing and playing can be heard. The smell of cooking mutton makes your stomachs growl. It’s been a long time since you slept in a comfortable bed. As you crest the hill, a welcome sight of a bustling village comes into sight. A pair of guards look you over as you approach. They ask some screening questions to make sure you’re not trouble makers and eventually let you enter. Vidarr [Fighter 4] and Gunnar [Fighter 4] Characteristics - Lawful Neutral Personality: Suspicious Ideal: Community Flaw: Not too bright, this is the only job for them Bond: Defend Ris and keep the peace String: He was caught taking naps instead of working 14 32 +3 -1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +1 In the effort to limit clutter, ability scores are not exhaustively listed, instead they are aggregated: STR, CON, and DEX are listed as an average ability score modifier for physical ability scores. The DM can assume that an NPC with a +2 physical score may have the same +2 for all three ability modifiers (for example: STR +2, DEX +2, CON +2). Conversely, the DM may choose to play the NPC with 3 different values, whose average is +2 (for example: STR +1, DEX +2 and CON +3, whose average would be +2). Similarly INT and WIS are aggregated into a single mental modifier. CHA is it’s own category that we’ll call Spiritual denoted with the following icon. Additional stats are provided when needed. If you want to make anything in Ris a major encounter, by all means expand the stats of creatures and detail what they have in their buildings, so as to be really ready for your players to be creative. You know your players best! AC HP Proficiency The Stables This farm has all manner of animals grazing out backcows, horses, sheep, goats and chickens. There are a few guard dogs keeping the animals safe. A well-to-do farmer looks disheveled and exhausted. He looks like he hasn’t slept in days. Floki the ranch head is married to Helga. They have two teen-age kids: Thorvald and Gudrun Characteristics - Neutral Good Personality: Aloof and standoffish Ideal: Money, profits and social status Flaw: Rules by his ego Bond: He has a debt that he must pay off String: In his old town he borrowed money and fled 12 14 +2 0 0 +2 Richard Harris (Order #28855998)
273 Floki has been having trouble. His house was vandalized while he was away at the market. His animals have been spooked as well. Someone had sheered one of his sheep during the night, and the guard dogs haven’t been able to track down the vandals. Quest #1: In the pursuit of profits, he expanded his farm, tripling the grazing lands. In the process of clearing the tree roots he opened an invisible gate to the otherworld, allowing some Huldufolk to come through. They have been the cause of his recent misery. The Thorkells Hall Right through the gates you are greeted with all manner of dried and pickled produce. It seems like this year’s harvest was bountiful indeed. Behind it stands an opulent hall, definitely a family of influence. Frida Thorkellsdottir introduces herself and welcomes you into the village. She tells you, if you’re looking for produce, they are the only vendor in town. Her father Thorkell [Bard 3] is in his home, preparing their inventory for winter storage. If the PCs want more info, they will need to heal with her father. Characteristics - Neutral Personality: An aura of self importance Ideal: Crush the competition by any means Flaw: To protect his family he is ready to do evil deeds Bond: Seek out and harness supernatural powers String: He was accused of intimidating visiting merchants 11 17 +1 +1 +2 +2 The Thorkells own a large patch of land outside of town (location #15). Their family has a powerful Nisser that helps keep their competition out of Ris. The Nisser has been proactively harassing non-farmers as well, thinking that driving those people away will benefit the Thorkells. Quest #2: Other merchants in town have been beset by bad luck, with inventory disheartening, tools breaking, etc. The over zealous Nisser is to blame. The Potter The front of this hall is filled with bricks and pots. Within the hall, workers are baking clay into various useful wares. A cart with flesh clay arrives through the back door, and the labourers ignore the front of the shop. The warmth of the hall is thanks to the many active kilns. It takes some effort to get their attention and the boss of the operation is an old man names Svein. Characteristics - Chaotic Good Personality: Lives for the day, relaxed Ideal: Loves work, will never retire Flaw: Carefree, can ignore real dangers and threats Bond: Longs to die of old age in this town String: He hasn’t reported any of the disappearances to the jarl nor the townsfolk 10 34 0 +3 +2 +2 Svein has been busy importing wicker baskets, wooden utensils and other wares as he tries to diversify his inventory. His clay wares have been cracking. He doesn’t understand what’s been going on, since the clay and the manufacturing process is the same he’s been using for years. This may be the fault of the Nisser next door. His unskilled workers have also been disappearing (skilled workers work the kilns) so he has had to hire drifters who come through the village looking for temporary work. Quest #3: Svein used to get his clay from the riverbank that runs through town. The jarl has ruled that he may no longer mine the banks in town due to port erosion, so his workers have traveled downstream to get more clay. During the summer months the river Rusalki left them alone, but with the Yule season here, the labourers have been disappearing as the winter Rusalki attack them and drag them underwater. Richard Harris (Order #28855998)
274 AesirTemple This unassuming hall is a holy place of worship of three gods/goddesses: Thor, Frigga and Bragi. Their statues adorn the entrance. Out front are large stone receptacles filled with offerings left by locals and travelers passing through. Coins, tools, weapons, and nice articles of clothing have been left as a faining. If anyone attempts to steal from the donations, the three status animate as Effigies. Inside are 3 altars dedicated to the divine trio. Thor is the god of storms and rain, essential for the farmers and others who need the rain. Frigga is the goddess of families and good health. Bragi is the god of poetry, mead and parties. The Godi who runs this shrine is named Vilma [Cleric 5]. A Godi is a cleric that is polytheistic, representing more than a single divine power. Characteristics - Lawful Good Personality: Open to debate and proselytizing Ideal: Believes in redemption Flaw: Doesn’t care for those who don’t revere her gods Bond: Will actively oppose Hel’s legions String: She has sent many to their death knowingly, using them as pawns 14 40 +2 +4 +3 +2 Vilma has been trying to commune with the Vaettir to help with a recurring dream of a Pesta headed towards her town. She doesn’t have the power to stop the Pesta, so her goal is to ingratiate herself to the vaettir and become its chosen emissary. Failing that, she will try and coerce the Vaettir to assume its Borghild form. Quest #4: The Vaettir has been ignoring Vilma, so she will seek the aid of the PC’s or anyone else who can help. She has no qualms sending the PC’s to face the Pesta, as they are unlikely followers of her gods. If they do show reverence to her chosen deities, she will ask them to commune with the Vaettir instead of sending them to a likely death. The Vaettir will commune with anyone who has performed good deeds in it’s dominion. That is helping nature, or the people and animals who live upon it. Fishmonger The smell from this hall betrays the business to any passerby’s. It is the fish market and it is open for business. While the facilities are large, there are comparably a small amount of fish on sale today. On days with fair weather, tables are brought out facing the town square. Ingrid [Barbarian 2] was a terrible barbarian. She wasn’t much of a fighter, and loved city life. The serenity of fishing upon the river is her first love. Characteristics - Chaotic Good Personality: Quite clumsy and anxious Ideal: Peace loving and social, very chatty Flaw: Is a poor judge of character, not very logical Bond: She and her sister are identical twins String: She ran away from her clan, and hid, refusing to go back to their nomadic way of life 13 16 +2 0 +1 +2 Ingrid’s twin sister is Svanir has gone missing after going fishing on her own. Ingrid has been stressed out and has gone looking for her, leaving incompetent helpers in charge of the store. Most have them helped themselves to the coins and have gone drinking, rather than minding the shop-front. Quest #5: Ingrid is trying to balance the family business and the search for her missing sister. She has a general idea of where she was last seen upriver. There are waterfalls that ships cannot navigate, and at the base of those falls she suspects the worst. Because she is Svanir’s twin, if she meets the Fossegrimen, she may face the same fate. The reality is that her sister has fallen in love with a Fossegrimen who makes his lair under the waterfalls. She is under his spell and will refuse to leave his side. The Fossegrimen will be hostile to trespassers unless they are bards openly displaying their talents. If her clan ever tracks her down, they arrive as Berserkirs, ready to retake her by force if need be. Richard Harris (Order #28855998)
275 The Seamstress This hall doesn’t have any distinguishing characteristics that would betray the business inside. The building is large yet unimposing, quiet and curiously ordinary. This is the town’s seamstress and the head seamstress and her apprentices can be found within. If anyone cases the building, they will see women entering and leaving the building infrequently. The head seamstress goes by the alias Sigi [Warlock 6], and she hides her real name and powers. Characteristics - Chaotic Evil Personality: Secretive yet charming and disarming Ideal: The dark lords must be appeased Flaw: Is a poor judge of character, not very logical Bond: She seeks to grow an influential coven String: She killed the woman who became a banshee that haunts location 17 11 24 +1 +2 +3 +3 The looms in the hall are a front to her goal of recruiting more women into her dark sorority. The coven practices their dark rituals in the locked basement of this hall, but the solstice rituals are performed in the Dark Wood (location #17). She plays up her boring and innocent angle to anyone poking around. She is responsible for several of Ris’ matrons turning to the dark arts. She has many spies throughout Ris and has a level of control over the Jarl’s activities. If she is ever found out, and prosecuted, she plans to poison the town’s well. She seeks to summon a Svart Alfar prince into Midgard, offering him the village’s throne. Quest #6: She offers a very generous quest to those who are poking around her business too much. She requires a certain bolt of cloth imported from a distant village. She knows that the proposed water route has a a kraken that will ensure that the nosy greedy adventurers will not return. Quest #7: To PC Warlocks she offers a magic item if they can bring her the fang of a Krampus. Every night around Yule, Krampus can be spotted out and about. The Shipwright This hall is hard to see with all of the ships around the building. From small skiffs to larger knarr. manu nautical projects are ongoing in and around the shipwright’s hall. Some are being built while others are receiving repairs. With a river running through Ris, it seems everyone in town owns at least one ship. Vidar [Ranger 4] takes on many apprentices since he has more work than manpower. He is looking to hire more seasonal help until the river freezes over. Characteristics - Chaotic Neutral Personality: A wanderlust and dreams of adventure Ideal: The body injury must be overcome at any price Flaw: Unable to see long term consequences Bond: This ship repair is temporary, soon he’ll be back in the high seas- a raider once more! String: He murdered the man who cause his injury. It sounds like the injury could have been an accident. 16 32 +3 +1 +1 +2 Vidar lost his arm in an accident, which allowed his second-in-command to mutiny and rally the crew against Vidar. He lost his ship and crew and was forced to take up residence in Ris. He cares little for this town, despite employing so many of the youths- who look at him as a saviour. He has discovered a Wight Sovereign standing stone east of town, and has started to make pacts with it. He hopes to have the Wight Sovereign restore his arm, or at least bestow a boon that will allow him to command a crew of raiders once more. Quest #8: Some of the teens who work for Vidar have started to disappear. The parents have been worried, and Vidar decided to pre-empt them and to look good by leading the effort to hire someone who can find them. In fact it is Vidar who has been feeding the Wight Sovereign with the souls of his young employees. He has no problems with sending unwitting souls to the Wight Sovereign, he will claim that they are a bonus offering. Richard Harris (Order #28855998)
276 Wood Mill As winter’s cold descends on the land, the wood mill has been busy providing everyone with ample firewood and materials for end of season repairs. There’s usually a water wheel that powers the mill, but it’s seriously broken, forcing everyone to do the work manually. Osmund [Ranger 3] has been the backbone of Ris for a generation. While his passion is caring for his family and community, his lumberjack lifestyle has helped him learn about the forest, and how to hunt and track game. He has seen many come and go and is a good source of information regarding the town and its surroundingsbut getting him to speak about it will be like pulling teeth, he hates purposeless banter. Characteristics - Lawful Good Personality: Industrious and hates small-talk Ideal: Believes in a solid day’s work Flaw: Obsessed with providing for his family Bond: His business is the oldest one in Ris String: He blames himself for the death of his brother when he couldn’t afford to buy a healing tonic 16 27 +4 +1 -1 +2 His wood cutting activities have intersected with the domain of the Askafroa. He is well aware of the dangers but has insisted on continuing, not bowing to pressure from his staff. He won’t let some nature spirits stop him for providing for his town. Quest #9: Osmund has disappeared and the town is worried about him. His staff will gladly lead the adventurers to the edge of the Askafroa domain, but they will insist that they will not cross. They will be full of unhelpful advice and superstitions. They suggest the adventurers sacrifice a horse in the river that runs through the forest as an offering to the Askafroa. If the adventurers go through with it, or allow the staff to do so, then they will unwittingly create a vengeful Kelpie. Osmund is alive and a prisoner of the Askafroa. They are trying to change his mind through violent torture, but he’s more stubborn than a mule. Solving this with diplomacy will be difficult, Osmund may be a harder sell than the Askafroa. Orphanage This brand new structure looks like it hasn’t stood longer than a year. There are many very young children running around unsupervised. They look dirty but fed... where are the adults? There have been many accidents and misadventures that have claimed many adults. The town is facing a crisis of orphaned children. This building is the Jarl’s solution, an orphanage. Asta has been placed in charge of the orphanage. She is the Jarl’s mistress and is trying to get him to leave his wife and marry her instead. The Jarl suspects that she may make a poor mother, and has placed her in this position as a test. Characteristics - Chaotic Neutral Personality: Loves strong men, hates children Ideal: Flaw: Bond: String: She is the Jarl’s mistress 11 12 +1 +1 +2 +2 Asta is furious with the assignment, but cannot reveal her relationship with the Jarl if he insists to stay with his wife. She has been fulfilling her duties with bare minimum effort and has had a few unfortunate accidents relating to the children. One child broke her spine falling off the roof during the night. Asta took the child and brought her south of town and left her for dead, thinking the wolves would get rid of the evidence. The child is now an Utburden who has created a Scorn Pole and pointed it at the town. This scorn pole curses people with accidents, causing even more bad luck to befall the town. If another child were to be disposed of in a similar manner, the pair of Utburden would return to town to exact their revenge. Quest#10: If a third child is disposed of, Laumes will come to punish the town collectively and will take away all of the children, even those who are not orphans. Richard Harris (Order #28855998)
277 The Jarl’s Hall The most opulent hall belongs to the Jarl and his large family. The building is decorated with wood carvings, both inside and out, and the ground floor is set in stone. This hall and the one belonging to his huskarls (the jarl’s personal guard) are across the river. Anyone crossing the bridge is asked about their business by the huskarls. If they have no business being on the other side, they will be turned away. Jarl Harald [Rogue 9] and his wife Gudrun met while raiding and pillaging the Baltic coast. After a sizeable haul, they retired and founded the town of Ris. They have many kids together: Brynda, Igni, Lofti, Magnus, Johan, Birgitte and Bruni. The children have changed their parent’s priorities. Characteristics - Lawful Neutral Personality: Lead others with a firm but gentle hand Ideal: Bring joy and prosperity to those around you Flaw: Forgives too easily, drinks too much Bond: Build a mead hall that will be known throughout the land String: Harald’s has a mistress named Asta 16 80 +4 +2 +3 +8 Harald has no clue, but his wife has been dead a while. He shares his home with a Doppelgangr that has stepped into her shoes. While the creature has been keeping up appearances, it has motives to take over leadership of the town. The Doppelgangr feels like Harald’s excessive drinking and easy pardons to town low-life’s are destroying the fabric of this town. Quest#11: If the Doppelgangr succeeds in killing Harald in an “accident” no one will be the wiser, since the whole town is plagued by accidents. If the town remembers Harald fondly and reacts poorly to his wife’s new rule, the Doppelgangr has a plan: dig up the corpse and desecrate it, creating a Haugbui abberation. If Gudrun starts to lose control of the town, the Doppelgangr will be content to watch it burn. The plan is to erect a shrine to Hel and beckon her to send Draugar to claim the living. The Guardhouse On the other side of the river are two halls. The large non-ornate one belongs to the Jarl’s personal guard. During the day the huskarls hang out on this side of the river when not guarding the town gates. They spar and pass the time gambling. Leif [Fighter 7] is the captain of the three-dozen huskarls who defend the town. He is very strict and stern, many townsfolk dislike him, but he is a good counterbalance to the Jarl’s hands-off approach. Characteristics - Lawful Neutral Personality: Very rough and gruff Ideal: There’s no time for joking around Flaw: Cannot take a joke Bond: Building discipline in his troops String: Many have left Ris because of their unfortunate interactions with Leif 15 56 +3 +1 +1 +8 Leif has been expanding his group’s patrols around the town trying to find the root of the curse that afflicts Ris. He has been losing at least one man per day. The running gag is that they are running off to find brides in the forest, but the joke isn’t far from the truth. Quest #12: Several Huldra have been migrating south for the winter and have setup a lair not far from Ris. They’ve been looking for young strapping men who can keep their beds warm while they frolic in the freshly fallen snow. Many of the men are happy to desert a town that’s cursed and to spend time with these beautiful women. In Leif’s investigations outside the town walls, he came across some unhappy Hrokkvir. With his nonexistent diplomacy, the encounter quickly turned violent. He retreated and has vowed to return with the huskarls and lumberjacks. Shorthanded, this fight won’t go well. Richard Harris (Order #28855998)
278 Newlywed Cottage This unassuming cottage looks like it was built within the last few months. It’s rather small, but quaint. Bruni [Paladin 4] is the Jarl’s eldest son and he has moved out of the family hall and struck it out on his own. He has been fighting frequently with his mother, a personality clash perhaps? He doesn’t know that she is a Doppelgangr. He built this house this past summer, a gift to his new bride. Characteristics - Lawful Good Personality: Take charge alpha personality Ideal: Self made man, don’t rely on others for success Flaw: Quick to anger Bond: His wife is his universe String: He has hidden the fact that his wife Savna is a Huldra from his family and town. 16 32 +3 -1 +3 +2 Bruni is newly married to Savna, a Glaistig. He is aware of her nature, but keeps it secret from the townsfolk. Vilma the Godi married them, and while Vilma suspected Savna’s race, she kept it to herself, since Bruni is a religious devotee of the temple. Quest #13: Svana, true to her nature, has started crafting items of incredible quality and worth, igniting jealousy in the blacksmiths (Location #22) who are willing to pay good coin to find out her secrets. A typical small hall in Ris The Quiet Home This cottage shows signs of disrepair. It doesn’t seem like anyone visits this home much. Asti was an elder in the community, being one of Ris’ original founders. Venerable age broke her mind, and with time she alienated everyone who visited her. Her tirades went from annoying to offensive and unbearable. A week ago a Kobold visited her home, and in her foggy mind, she forgot proper custom when receiving a visit by the fey-kind. The Kobold was not impressed, and proceeded to deliver a particularly harsh and cruel fate upon the senior. After her demise, the Kobold consumed her in a stew and then proceeded making himself at home in her cottage. He sent invitation to his kin to come and join him in his new home. The curtains had been drawn over the windows for months, and she rarely left her home, often cursing at anyone knocking at her door. So when neighbours and the produce vendor came by to see if she needed anything, the kobold used his magic to impersonate her voice and sent them scampering away from a furious tirade. Quest #14: Ris is a tight-knit community and as time passed without anyone seeing Asti, the populace grew concerned. But Asti knew everyone really well, and when she doled out tongue-lashings, they could really hurt. No one wants to barge in on her, and in their cowardice, they will ask the adventurers to come to their aid. The Kobold can use magic to create visual illusions and see who’s coming to the door. They will keep up the ruse as long as possible, and if backed into a corner, will fight back with a particular viciousness. Kobolds tend to deliver their justice with a cool head, so their revenge will be well thought out and designed to inflict the maximum amount of misery upon those who they deem deserving. Richard Harris (Order #28855998)
279 Golden Fields These fields are vast and were clearly verdant and bountiful before the harvest. Piles of dried stalks are rolled into bales, ready to be delivered to the animal barns for the winter. Thorkell [Bard 3] is the owner of these fields, hauling the produce to his shop (location #3). Now that harvest is over and done with, all of the pickling and preserve work is being done at the shop. The feed that remains has already been bought by Floki as winter food for his animals. Floki’s children Thorvald and Gudrun [Sorcerer 2] are in charge of hauling the bales back to the barn. Characteristics - Chaotic Neutral Personality: Open and pleasant Ideal: Loves to chat with visitors to her town Flaw: Obsession with magic and the occult Bond: One day she will travel the world String: The farm requires a lot of work and she hoists chores on her brother while she practices magic 10 8 -1 +3 +1 +2 Thorvald and Gudrun were sent to collect all of the bales for the animals. Thorvald has a good heart allowing Gudrun to offload most of the work to him. She has been out in the woods practicing her magic while he works. Quest #15: While left to his own devices, Thorvald let his curiosity get the better of him. He saw a wounded warrior riding past the fields in a panic. Asked what he was running from, the warrior replied “a worm, a dragon, I don’t know! My friends are dead, I’m getting out of here, and if you’re smart you’ll run too!” The monologue had the opposite effect, and Thorvald headed in the direction from which the warrior had been fleeing. Now he’s been missing overnight and his sister is a wreck. Floki demands that they do their chores together, and she’s afraid to fess up. She asks the adventurers if they can help track him down. The creature Thorvalds met was a Lyngormyr! Hovel on the Hill A murder of crows flies from the boughs as you approach. There are those who avoid crowds, and would rather live away from prying eyes and gossip- this is the perfect place for such folks. The hall on the hill has a peculiar vibe, you could say “unwelcoming” or perhaps “menacing”. Gunnlod [Wizard 10] does not enjoy the banal politics within Ris, but she needs a hub to gather important material components and day-to-day necessities. If the town needs help, she will help for a fee, prepaid of-course. Jarl Harald doesn’t like her, but knows that she can have value. Characteristics - Lawful Evil Personality: Seek those who can impart power Ideal: Ignore those who are beneath you Flaw: Can be bribed to compromise ideals Bond: Create and lead a powerful network of mages String: She has been creating and selling powerful spell scrolls, selling them to Svart Alfar warlords 11 26 0 +5 +2 +4 While her power and influence are vast, no one in Ris is aware of her activities and status among powerful arch-mage circles. Gunnlod has been supplying scrolls of power to the Svart Alfar to bolster their power in the War of Shadow. This has caught the attention of a Lios Alfar prince who has chosen to oppose her actions. The DM has 2 ways of running this quest, version “a” or “b”. Quest #16-a: The Lios prince arrives in Ris looking to take her down, but needs help from the adventurers to do so. In this scenario the prince is lower level. Quest #16-a: The Lios prince arrives at Ris’ doorstep ready to destroy her and anyone who gets in his way. In this scenario the prince is higher level. Richard Harris (Order #28855998)
280 The Dark Woods The woods that lie to the north of Ris are thick, verdant and dark. The Yule season brings the Wild Hunt and many terrors from the otherworld. The townsfolk know to avoid this sinister place, but it is a time when young boys prove their manhood by volunteering to go get firewood for their kin. This show of bravado doesn’t always end well. Fjallar [Druid 8] “the mad hermit” makes his home in these woods. He knows the townsfolk are at odds with the denizens of the woods. When they go logging, the denizens are angered. To keep the peace Fjallar secretly uses his magic to regrow the vegetation. Characteristics - Neutral Personality: Socially awkward, introvert Ideal: Charity to those who deserve it Flaw: Cannot maintain friendships Bond: Live a life of solitude and contemplation String: He blames himself for the death of his daughter who had an accident when she was very young 12 48 +2 +5 -1 +3 Its unclear how Fjallar received his moniker, “the mad hermit”, but it has becomes part of the fabric of Ris’ lore. Perhaps it is because he prefers the company of woodland creatures to that of mankind. The Dark Woods are filled with mysterious denizens, the Askafroa, Hrokkvir and even a wandering Banshee. During the Yule season, Krampus romp through these parts, sowing fear in the hearts of the young men who test their bravado. Quest #17: Trolls have come to inhabit all roads leading to-and-from Ris, cutting the village off from the outside world. The Troll queen has set up her lair in the Dark Wood, doling out her commands from within this sunless demesne. The adventurers are tasked with reopening the roads, but fighting each and every Troll toll bridge will be risky. The most efficient way will be to face the matron who orchestrates the extortion ring. Tavernkeeper’s Home The smell of fermenting ale and mead surrounds this home. It is clear that someone loves their alcohol. There are barrels littered around the property and singing can be heard emanating from the hall. Bruni [Bard 3] is the tavernkeeper and his home is conveniently withing staggering distance from the town’s mead hall. The Jarl takes great pride in the mead hall and has placed the burden of its success upon Bruni’s shoulders. Characteristics - Neutral Good Personality: Cheerful and chatty Ideal: To create the best mead in all of Midgard Flaw: Easily stressed and uses drink to relax Bond: Has friends in high places outside of Ris String: He is supposed to keep the financial books for the Jarl, but he makes up the ledger numbers 14 18 +2 0 +2 +2 While on his travels, the Jarl never fails to brag about his mead hall. This has kicked off a rumour-mill and tourism industry of drunkards coming to Ris for the fine ale and mead. The pressure upon Bruni to excel is enormous, and he doesn’t take stress very well. Besides drinking to settle his nerves, he shirks his duties in keeping a profit ledger for the mead hall, making up the numbers when the Jarl asks for a report. Instead he spends his time trying to perfect his mead recipe. In his quest to brew the best drink, he has enlisted the aid of a Slibinas. Bruni met the Slibinas when the dragon visited the mead hall shapechnaged as a human, looking to sample a legendary drink. They both shared a common interest in great mead recipes. The Slibinas decided to stay in Ris and help Bruni create the best mead in all of Midgard. Quest #18: Slibinas has become infatuated with Helga (location #2) and has charmed her to come live with him. Floki demands the return of his wife and blood will be spilled. Bruni asks the adventurers to step in and help since he cannot convince the Slibinas to break his charm spell. Richard Harris (Order #28855998)
281 The Mead Hall The largest building in all of Ris is the mead hall. It specializes in fine drinks, but also has a menu of delectable pork delights. The food is so fresh that it wanders around in the pen out back, sometimes even wandering into the mead hall. “Meet your food before you eat it” should be their motto. Leidi is the floor manager of the mead hall. Her job is to ensure that everything runs smoothly for the patrons and that the kitchen is a well oiled machine. Her husband Rungnir [Barbarian 9], is a mercenary of great renown, but spends most of the year Viking, only returning to Ris for the winter months. Characteristics - Lawful Neutral Personality: Loud and boisterous Ideal: Takes pride in good organization Flaw: Lives humbly, doesn’t know how to spend Bond: String: With her husband gone most of the year, Leidi enjoys the company of young companions 18 99 +5 0 0 +3 Leidi is very well organized, and should be in charge of the mead hall’s books, but instead is relegated to managing young staff, who are often irresponsible and unruly. She and her husband live in the modest cottage to the south of the mead hall, hiding the fact that they are awash in riches. When Rungnir returns from his summer raiding, he brings more wealth than they can spend in a year. As such their basement is packed tight with a hoard of wealth that will last them multiple lifetimes. This success has brought her to the attentions of an errant Valkyrie. The Valkyrie is drawn by her husband’s exploits and subsumed Leidi’s body right before Yule. She senses the presence of a Wight Sovereign (location #8). Quest #20: Save Ris from the collateral damage, should the Valkyrie and Wight Sovereign do battle. The Faery-Home This was the site of a burned out home, a tragic fire that claimed the lives of an entire family. However, as of yesterday, a brand new house stands where the remains had previously stood. There are no windows, and the door is bolted shut from the inside. Almost everyone in town has gathered to see this strange spectacle. No one knows who built it overnight, and why even the strongest warriors cannot break down the door. What had happened is quite a strange tale. As the house burned, the family was trapped inside, with no way out. Succumbing to the smoke, they noticed a tiny, shining figure leading them through the smoke. It was a Fairy Queen; she had saved their lives. She made them an offer they couldn’t refuse: an exchange of homes- she and her court would take their home, and they could live out their days in the Queen’s Otherworld kingdom. They couldn’t understand why she would want their burnt home, but they eagerly accepted. The War of Shadow is a strange one, since it takes place in all realms, yet entirely out of sight of both gods and men. The Fairy Queen is here for a few reasons, and she will use the adventurers for some of them. Quest #19: The adventurers are allowed into the home, and the space within is much bigger than the volume of the house. It is a castle, built from fairy stones and fey ores. The queen is welcoming but evasive when asked questions. She has a few objectives for the adventurers, each will have a compensation offered: • Negotiate a meeting with Gunnlod for the Fairy Queen (location #16) • Find and kill the Fire Skui that infest the town (location#21) • Deliver a crate of ores to Savna (location #13) and in a few days time, bring back some crafted items to the Fairy Queen • If the Jarl dies, set up a meeting between the widow and the Fairy Queen (then ensure that the widow inherits the town) After she establishes a foothold and allies in town, the Fairy Queen will work against the Lios Alfar and will support the Svart Alfar prince (location #7). Richard Harris (Order #28855998)
282 Charcoal Maker The outside of this building is covered in black soot, and the ground around the building is billowing steam and smoke. The person who lives here must be the charcoal maker. Narr [Monk 3] is the town charcoal maker. The blacksmith next door is the biggest consumer of the charcoal, but there are many industries in Ris who also need charcoal. Any excess is sold in the center square market to travelers passing through town. Characteristics - Lawful Evil Personality: Introvert but funny joker Ideal: There’s no right and wrong in personal gain Flaw: Will do anything for money, buy undervalues Bond: He has ties to the black market and shady String: For a price, he has placed murder victims in the charcoal pits in order to remove evidence 14 18 +2 +2 0 +2 Narr has connections to crime syndicates throughout Jutland. He is the goto guy in Ris for any dirty deeds that need to be done dirt cheap. Due to his unique vocation, he is the perfect candidate to burn up evidence. As a result the criminals who pass through Ris seek out his services when trying to outfox the law. In an effort to meet demand, Narr has enlisted the aid of the Fire Skui who he keeps confined to his basement. They have an agreement that keeps both parties happy- the Skui create a sustained burn effortlessly while they are fed a buffet of their favourite Midgard delights. Quest #21: Due to the Troll embargo (quest #17), supplies run short and the Skui cannot work. They decide to leave the basement and poke around town. The general populace have no idea how to deal with them and inadvertently offend them, causing them to unleash their wrath upon the town. Narr asks the adventurers for help in getting them back into the basement. The Smithy From the sound of the hammer and anvil, you know that this is the town blacksmith. The front of the hall is an open store, while out back are the forges and anvils. Jarnsaxa [Blacksmith 6] is the town blacksmith. She employs several apprentices who are coming into their own. Facing the town square and being next to the inn, her store’s location is ideal. Characteristics - Neutral Personality: Competitive, opinionated and fiery Ideal: Be the best at what you do Flaw: Obsessively competitive Bond: Crush competition in Ris so you are the best String: She has done some unsavoury things to her competition including holding up shipments of ore 17 50 +2 +2 +2 +3 Jarnsaxa’s smithy has always been the best in town. If someone sprang up to compete, her quality and prices drove the others out of business. Now she faces a new inexplicable rival Bruni and his wife Savna. Jarnsaxa has known Bruni since he was little, and knows that he lacks the patience and precision in order to be a good blacksmith. That leaves his new wife Savna, about whom Jarnsaxa knows very little. The woman is petite, not the physique of a blacksmith, yet what they are selling is of exemplary quality and craftsmanship. Jarnsaxa has sent spies and knows that they aren’t importing these wares. Quest #22: Jarnsaxa hires the adventurers to find out Savna’s secret. Regardless of their success with this first task, she then hires them to go to see a Dvergar and to negotiate a price for his aid. She wishes him to train her and her apprentices the way of Dvergar engineering. She isn’t going to roll over and let this tart get the better of her. The Dvergar will teach the Craft skill to those who aren’t proficient in it, and to those who are, he will teach a prestige skill. The cost will be very unbearable, painful in fact. Dvergar seem to know how to negotiate the maximum payment for their services, and are not shy doing it. Richard Harris (Order #28855998)
283 The Cottages The cottages that line the town palisade belong to Valtyr, the innkeeper. When the inn is full, guests can rent these shared cottages. If the price is right, they can be ranted outright to someone who does not wish to share their space with strangers. Among the cottages are stables where visitors can leave their horses and carriages, for a fee of course. Just before a Yule a strange man came into town. Valtyr did not like the look of the man, nor his mount. This stranger barely spoke the language and had strange clothes and markings. He also rode a giant wolf! Quite the sight indeed. Rather than cause trouble, he told the man that he can stay in one of the cottages with his wolf for the regular shared fee, but that he would have the space to himself. This man is a Skraeling Shaman and has escaped his slavery. He was captured in Gronland and was trafficked and sold in Ath-Cliath to a wealthy merchant. He escaped this merchant and during his travels throughout Midgard found himself a strange travel companiona Vargr! The Vargr had a similar history, captured and traded at a slave auction, but his master was weak, and Vargr do not and cannot respect weakness. The Skraeling Shaman is mighty and resourceful, and has managed to keep them from being recaptured in foreign lands. Ris has been somewhat welcoming to the odd pair, so they have decided to stay longer and to see what the future holds. Both are very skittish, and should their safety come into question, they will not shy away from a fight. If they are treated well by the townsfolk and the adventurers, they can become powerful allies. The Inn The inn can be found just inside Ris’ southern gates. The ground floor doubles as a general store for travel necessities. The innkeeper looks like a retired warrior who has seen his fair share of the world. He walks with a limp and has a ferocious looking face scar. Valtyr [Fighter 7] had a near death experience which led him to a quieter life in Ris. He has a wife named Keila and a daughter named Eistla who help manage the inn. Ris has seen an increase in visitors, forcing him to expand the inn by building stand alone cottages out back (location #24). Characteristics - Neutral Good Personality: Gruff but friendly Ideal: Do good by serving others Flaw: Deeply superstitious Bond: He relives his glory days whilst telling stories String: He let allies die, because he chose glory for himself upon the battlefield, obtaining pyrrhic victory 16 56 +3 +1 +1 +3 While a soldier in Jutland’s army, he sailed against many distant foes. The most memorable battle was off Hibernia’s coast against the Fomorian giants. They had to retreat, but he managed to steal a coral artifact from their priest. As the 7th anniversary of the battle approaches, he has been plagued by dreams involving Fomorians invading Ris. He cannot help think that they return to get the coral artifact. Quest #23: Valtyr is deeply troubled and hires the adventurers to guard the artifact. The Fomorians do come via the river in the dead of night and attack, looking to steal away their sacred artifact. If they can, they will lure the adventurers into the river. Their pestilence will taint the town and even if they are defeated, the poison will leech into the well. A subsequent quest will be to purify their taint from the land. Richard Harris (Order #28855998)
284 Index A Actions 16 Adamantine 31 Adoration (social condition) 11 Aging 13 Alchemist 41 Alfar, Lios 44 Alfar, Svart 50 Anger (social condition) 11 Apathy (social condition) 11 Artificer 41 Askafroa 56 Awe (social condition) 12 B Banshee 62 Berserkir 68 Blacksmith (class) 38 Blinded (condition) 24 Borghild 74 Brave (social condition) 12 C Called Shots 13 Characteristics 11, 16 Charmed (condition) 24 Circular reference. See 284 Compel 10 Concentration 36 Conditions 13 Crafting 26 Creature Reliquary 32 Curse 19 D Damage Reduction 13 Deafened (condition) 24 Death Bone 31 Desire (social condition) 12 Disgust (social condition) 12 Doppelgangr 80 Draugar 86 Dvergar 93 Dvergar Engineering 33 E Effigy 102 Enchanter 40 Exhaustion (condition) 24 F Fairy Queen 109 Fimbulwinter 43 Fomorian 114 Fossegrimen 121 Frightened (condition) 24 Frightened (social condition) 12 G General Actions 37 Glaistig 129 Grappled (condition) 24 Grief (social condition) 12 H Half-Troll 233 Haugbui 134 Hrokkvir 141 Huldra 147 Huldufolk 153 I Incapacitated (condition) 24 Infusing 31 Invisible (condition) 24 J Joy (social condition) 12 K Kelpie 158 Kobold 164 Kraken 170 Krampus 177 L Laumes 182 Legendary Actions 15 Legendary & Lair Actions 16 Lust (social condition) 12 Lyngormyr 188 M Madness 16 Mead Iron 30 Mithral 29 Morale 13 Richard Harris (Order #28855998)
285 Motivation 13 N Nisser 195 P Paralyzed (condition) 24 Pesta 201 Petrified (condition) 25 Plague 203 Poisoned (condition) 25 Power Dice 13 Power Dice (rules) 34 Power Die Actions 16 Prone (condition) 25 Provoke 10 Q Question 10 R Realm Ore 29 Restrained (condition) 25 Ris, town of 270 Roc 263 Rune Glyph 32 Rune Lord 41 Rune Magic 37 Rusalki 206 S Schools of Crafting 40 Scorn Pole 239 Secrets (creature) 15 Seith Magic 35 Shadow Steel 30 Size 14 Skraeling 213 Skui 218 Slibinas 224 Social Conditions 11 Social Equipment 13 Song Wood 30 Spell Songs 36 Strings 11 Stunned (condition) 25 Swan Cloak 245 T The Plague 203 Tiers 14 Troll 230 Trust (social condition) 12 U Unconscious (condition) 25 Utburden 237 V Valkyrie 242 Vargr 248 Velnias 257 Vulnerability tables 18 W Weak Actions 13 Weaknesses (creature) 15 Weapon Material 13 Wight Sovereign 265 Wraith 263 X XP 16 Richard Harris (Order #28855998)
Adoration Effect: While in the presence of the object of your adoration, you are more confident and feel supported. • Social Saves are at -3 versus the object of your adoration. In their presence, your Social DC’s are boosted by +1. • In combat you will put their interests first, protecting them in the process. Move +5’ if moving towards them. If you stand next to them, you confer a +1 AC bonus to the object of your adoration. Removal: The object of your adoration shatters your impressions. Anger Effect: You are filled with irrational rage and fury at an object or at an event/ circumstance. • You gain +1 on your Social saves, but also suffer a -2 on your Social DC’s. • Your melee and thrown attacks deal +1 damage, but your AC suffers a -2 penalty. Roll a d20 as you cast a spell. Non-damage spells fail on a roll of 1. Damage spells deal 1 extra damage die on a roll of 19 or 20. Removal: A long rest. Apathy Effect: You feel emotionally crushed and impotent. Your actions are shadows and your zeal is dashed. • Your Social saves are made at a disadvantage • You automatically roll 1 on initiative. Your attack actions are Weak (deal half damage) and your move is Weak as well (movement rate cut in half). Removal: After a personal victory that overcomes the weight of past failures. Awe Effect: You are humbled by a place, thing or person that takes your breath away. • You apply a +1 bonus to your Social DC’s, but suffer a -2 on Provoke and Question saving throws. • Your Move is +5’ if your object of awe is visible. You take a -2 to-hit penalty as you show off, adding your proficiency bonus to damage dealt by melee attacks. Removal: A long rest as long as the object of awe is no longer visible Brave Effect: Someone has used their Persuade skill or Compel action to inspire you to great heroism. If afflicted, remove the Frightened condition. • You suffer a -2 on your Question and Compel Social saving throws, but gain a +1 bonus on your Provoke DC. • You are unlikely to back down from violent confrontation. Facing a creature with a CR higher than your level, you gain +1 to-hit and +1 on damage. You will refuse to retreat even if losing the fight. Removal: A long rest or another Social condition being applied to you Desire / Lust Effect: You will abandon logic and reason in order to obtain the object of your overwhelming desire. • Question and Compel Social saves have disadvantage versus the object of your desire. • In combat you will lay down your life for the preservation of the object of your desire. Removal: A long rest. Disgust Effect: You will prioritize getting the object out of sight and out of mind, even if it is by violent means. • Your Provoke Social saves are at +3 while Question and Compel suffer a -2 penalty. If you attempt to rally others to remove the disgust, you gain a +1 DC bonus. Removal: A long rest as long as the object of disgust is no longer visible. Frightened Effect: You have been traumatized by something or someone. • Your Social saves versus the source of your fear have disadvantage. You lose and cannot gain the Brave and Joy conditions. • You have disadvantage on ability checks and attack rolls while you are within 30’ of the object of your fear. You cannot move closer to the source of your fear. Removal: A long rest as long as the object of horror is no longer visible. Grief Effect: You suffered a terrible loss that hangs over your mood and actions. This condition removes Joy and Brave and makes you immune to them while you grieve. • Your Provoke saves are at +2, but your Question saves are penalized by -2. If you are Provoked to Anger or Apathy, you have disadvantage on your saving throws. • While an ally has 0 HP your attacks are made at disadvantage. Removal: After a long rest, roll a d6, on a result of 1, the condition is removed. Richard Harris (Order #28855998)
Joy Effect: You are filled with a natural high bestowed upon you by an individual, event or place. • You have a -1 penalty vs Question saves, but gain a +1 DC on your Social attacks. • You gain advantage on saves vs spells and any spells that heal you add +1 for each die rolled. Removal: If you suffer from any other Social condition, remove this condition. Trust Effect: You place unwavering trust in someone. • You get a -3 penalty vs Question saves versus the person you trust. You will aid them when they are in social combat. • You automatically succeed stabilizing the person you trust and visa-versa. Removal: The object of your trust breaking the trust. Social Combat Choose approach: • Emotional approach (WIS) • Logical approach (INT) Choose Social Action: • Question: learn something from your opponent (+1 String) DC 8+skill* • Provoke: apply a social condition/ emotion DC 6+skill* (+string) • Compel: have them perform a favor that doesn’t clash with their characteristics DC 4+skill* (+string) Enemy makes a reason (INT) or passion (WIS) save to negate your action * If a skill isn’t used, use ability score **Proficiency is added if applicable to ability saving throw or skill Each string grants a +3 bonus Social Combat Choose approach: • Emotional approach (WIS) • Logical approach (INT) Choose Social Action: • Question: learn something from your opponent (+1 String) DC 8+skill* • Provoke: apply a social condition/ emotion DC 6+skill* (+string) • Compel: have them perform a favor that doesn’t clash with their characteristics DC 4+skill* (+string) Enemy makes a reason (INT) or passion (WIS) save to negate your action * If a skill isn’t used, use ability score **Proficiency is added if applicable to ability saving throw or skill Each string grants a +3 bonus Social Combat Choose approach: • Emotional approach (WIS) • Logical approach (INT) Choose Social Action: • Question: learn something from your opponent (+1 String) DC 8+skill* • Provoke: apply a social condition/ emotion DC 6+skill* (+string) • Compel: have them perform a favor that doesn’t clash with their characteristics DC 4+skill* (+string) Enemy makes a reason (INT) or passion (WIS) save to negate your action * If a skill isn’t used, use ability score **Proficiency is added if applicable to ability saving throw or skill Each string grants a +3 bonus Social Combat Choose approach: • Emotional approach (WIS) • Logical approach (INT) Choose Social Action: • Question: learn something from your opponent (+1 String) DC 8+skill* • Provoke: apply a social condition/ emotion DC 6+skill* (+string) • Compel: have them perform a favor that doesn’t clash with their characteristics DC 4+skill* (+string) Enemy makes a reason (INT) or passion (WIS) save to negate your action * If a skill isn’t used, use ability score **Proficiency is added if applicable to ability saving throw or skill Each string grants a +3 bonus Social Combat Choose approach: • Emotional approach (WIS) • Logical approach (INT) Choose Social Action: • Question: learn something from your opponent (+1 String) DC 8+skill* • Provoke: apply a social condition/ emotion DC 6+skill* (+string) • Compel: have them perform a favor that doesn’t clash with their characteristics DC 4+skill* (+string) Enemy makes a reason (INT) or passion (WIS) save to negate your action * If a skill isn’t used, use ability score **Proficiency is added if applicable to ability saving throw or skill Each string grants a +3 bonus Social Combat Choose approach: • Emotional approach (WIS) • Logical approach (INT) Choose Social Action: • Question: learn something from your opponent (+1 String) DC 8+skill* • Provoke: apply a social condition/ emotion DC 6+skill* (+string) • Compel: have them perform a favor that doesn’t clash with their characteristics DC 4+skill* (+string) Enemy makes a reason (INT) or passion (WIS) save to negate your action * If a skill isn’t used, use ability score **Proficiency is added if applicable to ability saving throw or skill Each string grants a +3 bonus Social Combat Choose approach: • Emotional approach (WIS) • Logical approach (INT) Choose Social Action: • Question: learn something from your opponent (+1 String) DC 8+skill* • Provoke: apply a social condition/ emotion DC 6+skill* (+string) • Compel: have them perform a favor that doesn’t clash with their characteristics DC 4+skill* (+string) Enemy makes a reason (INT) or passion (WIS) save to negate your action * If a skill isn’t used, use ability score **Proficiency is added if applicable to ability saving throw or skill Each string grants a +3 bonus Richard Harris (Order #28855998)
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Copy of this License: You MUST include a copy of this License with every copy of the Open Game Content You Distribute. 11. Use of Contributor Credits: You may not market or advertise the Open Game Content using the name of any Contributor unless You have written permission from the Contributor to do so. 12. Inability to Comply: If it is impossible for You to comply with any of the terms of this License with respect to some or all of the Open Game Content due to statute, judicial order, or governmental regulation then You may not Use any Open Game Material so affected. 13. Termination: This License will terminate automatically if You fail to comply with all terms herein and fail to cure such breach within 30 days of becoming aware of the breach. All sublicenses shall survive the termination of this License. 14. Reformation: If any provision of this License is held to be unenforceable, such provision shall be reformed only to the extent necessary to make it enforceable. 15. COPYRIGHT NOTICE Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, LLC. System Reference Document 5.1 Copyright 2016, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford, Chris Perkins, Rodney Thompson, Peter Lee, James Wyatt, Robert J. Schwalb, Bruce R. Cordell, Chris Sims, and Steve Townshend, based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. END OF LICENSE Richard Harris (Order #28855998)
289 Bring your 5e game to new lands and explore the wonders of Creatures from Fairy-Tale and Myth. Rediscover monsters you thought you knew, brought forth from their fairy-tale origins. Learn about strange new monsters drawn from Scandinavian, Baltic, Slavic and Celtic myth. This is more than just a series of stat blocks. Every creature is presented with beautiful art and a detailed breakdown, including an innovative, easy-prep look at 5e rules; a detailed backstory on the creature from the researchers that brought you Fate of the Norns: Ragnarok—the most Viking of roleplaying games; and supplementary text on the creature bursting with enough ideas to light a fire under any game master. Each creature is designed not as an encounter, but as a whole session, or with a whole campaign of possibilities. Creatures from Fairy-Tale and Myth 5e brings you a deep dive into historical myth and high fantasy to ignite your fascination and set your 5e game ablaze. This book includes: • Brand new creatures compatible with the 5e game system • Brand new class for players • A comprehensive crafting system for all manner of magical and exotic items • Expansions for the 5e game system rules (social combat, dynamic power dice, an much more) Richard Harris (Order #28855998)