Posted on October 30, 2015October 29, 2015 by Mike Myler — Leave a comment

Wandering Wasteland: Part 2

After landing in the Scorched Lands, the PCs pick up on the trail of the nefarious P.R.A.N.K.S.T.E.R. cabal. Heading off into the desert they find the Canyon March, a network of smugglers that help escaped slaves reach freedom. Unfortunately they aren’t the only ones traveling into the sand and the PCs are soon forced to either help defend or kill a mutant named Scowl Carver. Either way they garner a few pairs of striding boots and some valuable information on where the nefarious faction was operating in the wastelands.

Heading back to Ravine and canvassing the city doesn’t drum up any new information and though at first it seems like the criminal group has given the party the slip, that very night a host of P.R.A.N.K.S.T.E.R.S. fall upon the PCs while they sleep! Fortunately some evidence on their boots lead the adventurers to one conclusion: whatever the nefarious cabal is up to, they are active in the dreaded Grave Morass on the southern reaches of the Scorched Lands.

More dangers of the desert threaten the PCs as they travel—lethal respite offered by corpse cactii, devious merchants with equally fell gifts, the scorching Transgression [the final reveal of its full effects! —MM], magically aggressive tar changed by the passing of the Shard of the Sun, and the restless spirits of those creatures claimed by the ash, oil, and sand pit long ago—but nothing as deadly as what awaits them in the Grave Morass.

Tune in tomorrow to see how Bleirvar the Biomancer fits into Wandering Wasteland and why the PCs need to collect as many contraband cyphers as they possibly can!

Posted on October 29, 2015October 27, 2015 by Mike Myler — Leave a comment

Wandering Wasteland: Grave Morass

Whatever catastrophe or circumstances led to the creation of the Grave Morass ensured the death of an untold number of primitive peoples and primordial beasts that sheltered in its canyon-like confines rather than suffer the prowling undead of NaeraCull’s jungles. Macabre scholars believe it an irony of the gods that these residents have become animated themselves, and none know how many of them persist or where they might tread when beneath the surface of the black. Exploratory parties sent by the warlords of the deserts or Ravine’s politicians rarely return, prompting the rulers of the southern reaches of the Scorched Lands to keep no small amount of anti-undead equipment and holy water close at hand.

Undead of the Grave Morass
Any type of non-cold skeletal undead can rise from the tar of the Grave Morass, but these animated creatures are predominantly humanoids and large primordial beasts (such as dinosaurs, mammoths, and sabertooth tigers). There is a 50% chance that the tar covering the undead that rise here has been magically affected by The Transgression and attacks from these undead have a chance of inflicting the tarred condition; each hit dice an undead possesses grants one such consecutive attack. For example, a 4 HD skeleton with two weapons would grant the tarred condition for one attack after charging, two attacks during a full-round attack the next round, and the first of its next attacks during a full-round attack the following round (but no more afterward). Any undead able to inflict the tarred condition in this way increase their CR by +1.

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 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.

Posted on October 27, 2015October 27, 2015 by Mike Myler — Leave a comment

Wandering Wasteland: Tar Pit Trap

Tar Pit Trap CR 10
Type magic; Perception DC 34; Disable Device DC 34
Trigger proximity (30 ft.); Reset 1 day
Effect target gains the tarred condition (DC 28 Reflex negates)

Tarred: 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

The Transgression affects everything in the Scorched Lands. Sometimes a portion of the tar pits in the Grave Morass become perverted, superheated into monstrous swathes of bitumen that cause magic to behave erratically. This sludge animates when a creature approaches it, coating them in a thick layer of disruptive tar.

[Submitted by Rory Toma!]

Posted on October 26, 2015October 23, 2015 by Justin Andrew Mason — 1 Comment

Wandering Wasteland: Contraband Cypher

Contraband Cypher
Aura none (special circumstances); CL 20th
Slot none; Price 128,000 gp (lesser), 320,000 gp (greater); Weight 2 lbs.

DESCRIPTION
This small 3-inch cube is crafted from refined alligotonium and appears to be an amalgam of smaller 1-inch cubes. Mostly sienna in hue, the middle cubes in the center of each larger face have been dyed a unique color.

A contraband cypher is a magic puzzle box made up of 26 identically-shaped 1-inch alligotonium cubes arranged to form a larger cube—each side consisting of nine exposed faces of the smaller cubes. There is no center cube within the larger arrangement, allowing for any one of the smaller cubes that make up the center square on each side of the larger paradigm to be depressed inward until it occupies the open space in the core of the puzzle box. When closed, the smaller cubes of a contraband cypher cannot be pulled apart by any means that wouldn’t totally destroy the magic item.
The smaller cubes are held together in the form of the larger cube by an attracting arcane force that draws each inwards towards the center of the box. However, when a smaller cube is depressed into the core of the larger construct, it automatically shifts back to its original location when released, once again vacating the empty space inside the puzzle-box. In this way the middle cube comprising each of the six faces of a contraband cypher can be depressed, one at a time, like a button.
The cubes that can be depressed are uniquely hued for identification (carmine, cerulean, verdant, titian, perse, and ashen).
To open a contraband cypher, the buttons on each of its faces must be depressed in a specific order to solve a combination. When the combination has been input, the smaller cubes suddenly expand outward to float, spin, and twirl in midair as they orbit around an ardent spherical field containing an extradimensional space within (and any items that were stowed inside).
A successful DC 30 Disable Device check reveals the first button to be pressed in the contraband cypher’s combination. Subsequent successful Disable Device checks (DC 30 + 5 for each new part of the combination) reveals the next button in the combination.
When the box is opened, items stowed within the extradimensional space float weightlessly inside the spherical field as the small cubes continue to erratically orbit its outer edges. If an item is placed into the extradimensional space that would push the weight capacity of a contraband cypher over its limit, that item falls to the ground.
A full-round action is required to open a contraband cypher, and it remains open for 1d4 minutes. Then the small cubes are automatically drawn back together, securing any items floating within the spherical field by compressing the opening to extradimensional space within the core of the puzzle box. When closed, this extradimensional space functions as a vacuum. The alligotonium construction of the puzzle box makes the interdimensional space contained within immune from outer planar confluences—as long as the box remains closed, the interdimensional space contained within remains unaffected by the presence of an extradimensional space (such as a bag of holding).
A lesser contraband cypher conceals a 1 ft. spherical extradimensional space that can hold up to 25 lbs., and requires a combination of three buttons to solve.
A greater contraband cypher conceals a 3 ft. spherical extradimensional space that can hold up to 50 lbs., and requires a combination of five buttons to solve.
While a contraband cypher is closed, it generates no aura and masks the auras of any magic items contained inside as well as providing those items within with spell resistance (SR 25) which it also shares.
A contraband cypher retains the overall mass of the contents stowed inside, causing it to seem unusually heavy when the extradimensional space is being utilized.
The combination of a contraband cypher can be reset by a creature familiar with the current combination (DC 20 Use Magic Device check). This is done by rearranging the colored cubes as they orbit around the extradimensional space when the puzzle-box is open; failure results in a totally random new combination.
To determine a random combination due to recombination failure or determining the existing combination of a discovered contraband cypher, roll 1d6 for each part of the combination and use the following chart:
1d6 Cube to be depressed
1    carmine
2    cerulean
3    verdant
4    titian
5    perse
6    ashen

CONSTRUCTION
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, Enlarge Spell (for greater contraband cypher only), create demiplane (CL 15th), mask dweomer (CL 5th), ½ lb. of refined alligotonium; Cost 64,000 gp (lesser) / 160,000 gp (greater)

Posted on October 25, 2015October 23, 2015 by Mike Myler — Leave a comment

Wandering Wasteland: Bleirvar the Biomancer

BLEIRVAR THE BIOMANCER CR 11
XP 12,800
Male tiefling blood kineticist 12
NE Male outsider (native)
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +11

DEFENSE
AC 24, touch 15, flat-footed 20 (+5 armor, +1 deflection, +3 Dex, +1 dodge, +4 shield)
hp 133 (12d8+72)
Fort +13, Ref +11, Will +5
Defensive Abilities orc ferocity; DR 5/magic; Resist cold 5, electricity 5, fire 5

OFFENSE
Speed 40 ft.
Melee +1 dagger +9/+4 (1d4, Crit 19-20/x2)
Special Attacks elemental overflow +4, kinetic blast, metakinesis (empower, maximize)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 12th, concentration +14)
1/day—darkness
Blood Kineticist Wild Talents Known (CL 12th, concentration +17)
Defense—shroud of blood
Infusions—draining infusion (touch, Fort DC 21 for quarter damage, 1 burn), foe throw (Fort DC 21 negates)
Kinetic Blast—blood blast +13 (6d6+12, 2 burn), water blast +13 (6d12+12 bludgeoning), wrack (3d6+6 untyped, Fort DC 21 halves)
Substance—bleeding infusion (Fort DC 21 or 6 bleed; 2 burn), gut-wrenching infusion (Fort DC 21 or sickened 1 minute; 3 burn), vampiric infusion (3 burn)
Utility—blood tell, kinetic cover, kinetic healer, veil of mists, water manipulator

TACTICS
Before Combat Bleirvar activates shroud of blood and drinks his potion of fly.
During Combat Bleirvar uses foe throw to put his enemies into the Grave Morass and otherwise inflicts as much bleed damage as possible (using Shot on the Run to stay out of reach of melee combatants).
Morale Bleirvar fights to the death, drinking his potion of cure serious wounds when reduced to 40 hp or less.

STATISTICS
Str 8, Dex 16, Con 20, Int 14, Wis 13, Cha 8
Base Atk +9; CMB +8; CMD 23
Feats Craft Wondrous Item, Dodge, Mobility, Point-Blank Shot, Shot on the Run, Weapon Focus (kinetic blast)
Skills Acrobatics +11, Bluff +6, Craft (biomancy) +17, Heal +16, Intimidate +4, Knowledge (nature) +17, Perception +11, Stealth +15, Swim +7, Use Magic Device +7; Racial Modifiers +2 Bluff, +2 Stealth
Languages Abyssal, Aklo, Common, Draconic
SQ blood focus, burn (3 points/round, maximum 8), expanded element (blood), gather power, infusion specialization 3, internal buffer 2, supercharge
Combat Gear potion of cure serious wounds, potion of fly; Other Gear +1 glamered chain shirt of invulnerability, belt of physical might +2 (Dex, Con), boots of striding and springing, ring of protection +2, ring of sustenance

5E RULES

BLEIRVAR THE BIOMANCER
Tiefling warlock 12, neutral evil
Armor Class 17 (3 mage armor, 3 Dexterity, +1 magic)
Hit Points 87 (12d8+24)
Speed 30 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
8 (-1)	17 (+2)	15 (+2)	15 (+2)	14 (+2)	20 (+5)

Saving Throws Strength +0, Dexterity +4, Constitution +3, Intelligence +3, Wisdom +7, Charisma +10
Skills Deception +9, Nature +6
Senses Darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 12
Damage Resistances fire, lightning
Languages Abyssal, Common
Challenge 11 (7,200 XP)

Eldritch Invocations. Bleirvar adds his Charisma bonus when dealing damage with eldritch blasts and can fire them at a range of 300 feet, casts detect magic, disguise self, and mage armor without expending spell slots, and can see normally in all types of darkness,
Spellcasting. Bleirvar is a 12th-level spellcaster that uses Charisma as his spellcasting ability (spell save DC 17; +9 to hit with spell attacks). Bleirvar knows the following spells and has a total of 11 spell slots of 5th-level:

Cantrips—blade ward, fire bolt, eldritch blast, mage hand, spare the dying, thaumaturgy, true strike
1st—command, hex, protection from good
2nd—crown of madness, invisibility
2nd (1/long rest)—darkness, hellish rebuke
3rd—fly, fireball
4th—dimension door, fire shield
5th—hold monster, scrying
6th (1/long rest)—eyebite

Warlock. Bleirvar gains 5 temporary hit points when he reduces a creature to 0 hit points, can add +1d10 to an ability check or saving throw once per short rest, and has resistance against lightning damage.

ACTIONS
Eldritch Blast. Ranged Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, range (300 feet), up to three targets. Hit: 10 (1d10+5) force damage per beam (3 total).

TREASURE
boots of speed, hat of disguise, ring of protection