Posted on November 4, 2015November 2, 2015 by Mike Myler — Leave a comment

Mohkba Mania: Familiar Steps Haunt

Familiar Steps Haunt CR 9
XP 6,400
N haunt (25 ft. by 10 ft. alleyway)
Caster Level 9th
Notice Perception DC 20 (to hear the squeaking of a panicked rat familiar)
hp 18; Trigger proximity; Reset 1 day

Effect The familiar steps haunt is triggered when a spellcaster with a familiar enters its area. The spellcaster’s familiar wanders into the most crowded area nearby (no save), prompting its master to follow (DC 20 Will negates). Each turn spent in a square occupied by a creature of Small-size or larger prompts a Reflex save from minuscule and infinitesimal creatures (DC 25) or they are unknowingly trampled by the regular folk (1d4+3 bludgeoning damage, Fort DC 20 or knocked prone). Prone creature take triple damage from the familiar steps haunt. After being trampled by due to the familiar steps haunt, a creature must make a DC 20 Will save or be compelled to travel in a random direction (roll 1d8).

Destruction The remains of the familiar once belonging to Vagraxxa the Vivid (another mage that attempted to teleport into Mohkba against the will of the Sanctioned Arcane Practitioners) must be exhumed from the foundations of a building nearby, ground into dust, and used as a spell component in order to permanently destroy the familiar steps haunt.

Posted on October 28, 2015October 27, 2015 by Mike Myler — 2 Comments

Wandering Wasteland: Primordial Tar Haunt

Primordial Tar Haunt CR 6
XP 2,400
CN Persistent haunt (20-ft.-radius pool of tar)
Caster Level 6th
Notice Perception DC 22 (to hear the dying cries of primordial creatures)
hp 27; Trigger proximity; Reset 1/day

Effect When the primordial tar haunt is triggered, a deinonychus, pteranodon, and rhinoceros rise from the bubbling sludge (as summon monster IV) and charge at the nearest creatures (melee touch attack +8). Creatures struck by the primordial tar haunt gain the tarred condition and make a Reflex save each round (DC 16 + 1 per previous check) or are dragged 5 ft. closer to (or into) the tar pit.

Destruction The bones of a deinonychus, pteranodon, and rhinoceros must be doused in holy water and set ablaze with a divine spell before being cast into the primordial tar haunt.

Tarred: You take a -4 penalty to all Charisma-based skill checks. Spells that target you instead affect a random target within 30 feet (no save) and have a 10% chance per caster level of triggering a random effect from the list below. The tarred condition can only be removed via dispel magic (CL 18th), heal, limited wish, miracle, or a wish. After 2d4+1 days the tarred condition alleviates itself as the substance crumbles away.
1 – Splay: targeted spell now affects all targets within 30 ft. of the original target
2 – Negate: targeted spell is negated and has no effect
3 – Damaging: targeted spell does twice the damage (in the case of spells that do not deal damage, double duration)
4 – Penetrating: targeted spell grants its caster a +10 circumstance bonus to bypass spell resistance
5 – Tricky: the saving throw DC(s) for the targeted spell are increased by +5
6 – Rebound: targeted spell also rebounds back on its caster

Posted on October 21, 2015October 16, 2015 by Mike Myler — Leave a comment

Wandering Wasteland: Ashen Choker

Ashen Choker
Aura strong enchantment; CL 17th
Slot neck; Weight 1 lb.

DESCRIPTION
Before being worn this item appears to be a wondrous piece of magical jewelry; a DC 18 Knowledge (history) check reveals it is from the outskirts of Ravine. As soon as it is worn by a creature it transforms into a thick, rounded piece of ash that attaches to the wearer’s neck, transforming them into a mutant (if they are not already a mutant, roll once on the table below). [More on mutants tomorrow! —MM] Once the painful transformation is complete the wearer is under the effects of a permanent charm monster spell towards whomever attached the ashen choker and convinced via a suggestion effect that any attempts to remove it will result in instant death; these compulsions remain until the ashen choker is removed and the wearer does not receive a saving throw to negate either the charm monster or suggestion effects. After the ashen choker is removed, a transformed creature returns to their natural state after a number of days equal to double the number of days they wore the cursed item.

CREATION
Magic Items necklace of adaptation, necklace of fireballs, necklace of ki serenity

Ashen Choker Mutation Table

The wearer suffers the Ashen Death; roll on SL-2: Transgression Mutations. [Tomorrow! —MM]
The wearer’s skin sags, cracks, and becomes horned, resulting in a -2 to all Charisma-based skill checks.
One of the wearer’s legs expands, becoming a large slab of meat. The wearer can no longer be tripped or go prone but takes a -4 penalty to Dexterity.
Pus fills the wearer’s sweat glands giving the creature the stench monster ability (DC 15, 10 minutes). Unlike normal, this affects the mutant.
Large prongs extend from the wearer’s hands, making it so it can’t use manufactured weapons and suffers a 35% chance of failing to cast any spell with a somatic component. The wearer gains two claw attacks as secondary attacks as well as the attach monster ability.
The wearer’s eyes become large crystals that extend a few inches past their nose, granting darkvision 60 ft. and low-light vision, but sunlight powerlessness as well.

[Submitted by Tim Snow!]

Posted on October 14, 2015October 11, 2015 by Mike Myler — Leave a comment

Wandering Wasteland: Ashen Corpse Haunt

Ashen Corpse Haunt CR 8

XP 4,800
CN haunt (15-ft.-radius centered around humanoid ash pile)
Caster Level 8th
Notice Perception DC 28 (to see a humanoid pile of cinders subtly move)
hp 16; Trigger proximity; Reset 1d4 days

Effect The ashen corpse haunt targets the first creature to approach within 15 feet of the pile of cinders. The ashen corpse rises and the nearest creature to the haunt must make a DC 22 Will save or switch souls with the deceased creature (otherwise this effect functions as the magic jar spell). The effect lasts until the ashen corpse haunt resets 1d4 days later, the ashen corpse is destroyed, or the pile of cinders is scattered by a wind effect of 50 mph or greater.

Destruction The ashen corpse haunt can be permanently destroyed by scattering the remains of the ashen corpse with a 50 mph or greater wind effect as they are cleansed by a fire-based effect (such as burning hands, fireball, and other fire-based spells with an area of effect). Once disrupted or destroyed any soul trapped in the ashen corpse is returned to his body.

The ashen corpse haunt is a relic made by one of many victims to fall to the Transgression’s deadly passing, an unfortunate soul cursed to rise as a horror of cinders every 1d4 days only to suffer its death again and again. Driven mad, the ashen corpse seeks any escape—even if only temporary—and attempts to possess any creature that wanders near it.

[Submitted by Rory Toma!]

Posted on September 30, 2015September 25, 2015 by Mike Myler — Leave a comment

Awake in Alucinar: Metallic Puddle

Metallic Puddle

On casual observation a metallic puddle looks like any other sitting pool of water, but a closer look (normally requiring a DC 22 Perception check) notes the peculiarities of its reflections—and that they don’t mirror what they should. These strange anomalies appear randomly across both Aventyr and Alucinar, though wayward planar explorers claim to have seen them elsewhere as well. Metallic puddles are gateways between planes, separating dimensions with only a permeable barrier of liquid.

Creatures native to a plane that a metallic puddle is connected to can make a DC 20 Sense Motive check to sense where it leads and particularly focused individuals familiar with the portals are able to attune them to go to planes they are familiar with after an hour of meditation and a DC 22 Wisdom check. When traveling through a metallic puddle, creatures experience potent synesthesia (the confusion of senses)—tasting colors, seeing odors, smelling music, and feeling sweet or sour for the duration of their travel through the barrier and 3d20 minutes afterward. Otherwise these are highly valued and generally protected when found, as after a certain number of uses (generally 20, though it varies with the size of the portal) a metallic puddle loses all of its magical qualities and becomes regular standing water.

Posted on September 23, 2015September 22, 2015 by Mike Myler — Leave a comment

Awake in Alucinar: Suicidal Shadow Haunt

Suicidal Shadow Haunt CR 10
XP 9,600
CE Persistent haunt (60-ft. to 100-ft.-radius of a Shadow Overlap)
Caster Level 10th
Notice Perception DC 22 (to notice subtle movements of the shadows)
hp 45; Trigger proximity; Reset 1 minute

Effect When the suicidal shadow haunt is triggered, creatures inside of its radius make a DC 18 Fortitude save to resist its effects. Creatures that fail this save take 1 point of Constitution damage after 1d10 rounds but seem to be unaffected otherwise, though in truth the suicidal shadow haunt grants some limited malevolence and intelligence to their shadow. Only a true seeing spell recognizes that a suicidal shadow is present before it strikes.
The next time a creature affected by the suicidal shadow haunt goes to sleep their silhouette animates itself in a fashion similar to shadow projection, though the shadow is focused entirely on killing its originator. The instant before a suicidal shadow attacks, its originator receives a DC 18 Will save to wake up and resist it but otherwise takes a coup de grace attack while they slumber (made with whatever weapons the shadow has at hand).

Destruction Removing the supernatural affliction of the suicidal shadow haunt requires a remove curse and remove disease cast within the same minute, causing an additional point of Constitution damage. To completely destroy the suicidal shadow haunt a total of 5 suicidal shadows must be simultaneously subjected to daylight effects until destroyed.

[Submitted by Stefanos “netlich” Patelis!]