Stat Blocks - Plaguechanged Creatures of the Chasm

The Chasm

Tonight the PCs descended in the Chasm in their quest for the third Tear of Selûne.

As they approached the Chasm, they encounter a band of plaguechanged ghouls - something they had fought before - before the plaguechanged white dragon, Haaldisath, swooped in to join the grand melee. 

These were the stat blocks I used:

Plaguechanged Ghoul

This is essentially the plaguechanged ghoul from the Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide with its level reduced and it used the post-MMIII monster maths. I haven't checked but it wouldn't surprised me if this post-MMIII level 3 brute does more damage than the pre-MMIII level 9 brute in the FRCG.

Haaldisath

Haaldisath is the level 3 solo brute young white dragon from Monster Vault with some Spellplague-related powers inspired by those in the Forgotten Realms Players Guide. Her picture is, of course, simply from the cover of the D&D Encounters adventure Lost Crown of Neverwinter. 

I had decided some time ago that a deepspawn would be responsible for spewing forth the various plaguechanged creatures that threaten Neverwinter. Fortunately, one of the DDi adventures had the perfect piece of art for a plaguechanged deepspawn and so Plaguewomb was born:

Plaguewomb

This is Plaguewomb's stat block which, I think, is going to need a bit more work:

Plaguewomb's Stat Block

The stat block is basically the one from the DDi adventure with a few custom changes to make it feel a bit more like a deepspawn. Again, it needs some work.

While Plaguewomb is a good way of explaining why Neverwinter faces a near-daily threat from hordes of plaguechanged creatures, I'm assuming also that a deepspawn - even one so thoroughly transformed by the Spellplague as Plaguewomb - needs food to provide the raw material for the spawn it births.

I thought a foulspawn seer with an accompanying horde of foulspawn would be perfect for this. Here's a 4E illustration of these creatures:

Foulspawn - seer, wretch, berserker, hulk, mangler (L to R)

Of course, these needed to reduced in level to match the fact that this campaign is for the Heroic Tier - the foulspawn are otherwise early Paragon Tier monsters - and they need a power or two to reflect their plaguechanged nature.

In reality, the following stat blocks are simply the pre-existing stat blocks for foulspawn but reduced by 3 or so levels and with a single spellscarred power inspired by those in the Forgotten Realms Players Guide as their point of difference.

Plaguechanged Foulspawn Seer

There will only be one seer and he/it will serve in a role similar to a high priest for Plaguewomb. I don't think they will be encountered together - Plaguewomb is probably better matched with wretches as they are minions - but I may do that if I feel it is appropriate. The seer will definitely be guarded by at least a pair of hulks.

Plaguechanged Foulspawn Wretch

The wretches are basically the same as their non-plaguechanged versions which can be found in MMIII. While solo monsters seem to benefit the most from post-MMIII design standards, the wretch shows that minions also benefited from the designers getting a better handle on how 4E worked.

Plaguechanged Foulspawn Berserker

The foulspawn berserker is the 4E version of 1E's qullan from the Fiend Folio.  Finally, 30 or so years after I tried to understand how on earth I would ever use that creature I can use the 4E version and feel like it makes sense.

Plaguechanged Foulspawn Hulk

The hulk is basically a simple brute but a pair of them make some nice "blocking terrain" to protect the seer - although, obviously, a soldier would do a better job. Then again, I just can't see a foulspawn soldier - I seem to recall that the foulspawn berserker is statted up as a soldier but has no powers that make it feel like it is suitable for the role - so I'll just have to use brutes.

And finally - for the foulspawn at least - we have a rather dangerous foulspawn:

Plaguechanged Foulspawn Mangler

I'm particularly interested to see this one in play because I think dagger dance, in particular, has the potential to make the mangler rather dangerous.

There is one more plaguechanged creature that I am currently planning to use and that is this aboleth from the DDi adventure That Which Never Sleeps:

Iltharshub

Iltharshub's stat block is a slightly modified version of the one from That Which Never Sleeps:

Iltharshub

I haven't thought about allies for Iltharshub yet. It's probably going to be a toss-up between the aboleth remnants from the Neverwinter Campaign Setting (basically devolved and degenerate aboleth brutes) and plaguechanged nothics from the same source.

At the moment, my plan is to have Iltharshub as some sort of unnatural choirmaster for various creatures trapped in blue fire per the picture above who are unable to interact with the world except to sing a song of madness. Fortunately I have a few days before I need to work out the exact effects....

One thing I do know: a bard will be able to sing a countersong with successful Arcana checks. Yes, it is possible to do things in 4E without having specific rules for them. ;)

Homebrewed Lair Assault: You Shall Not Pass!

A quick idea while I can't sleep.

My regular insomnia was just getting the better of me and I was lying there trying to think of what combination of story/background (Forgotten Realms, naturally) and mechanics I could combine to create a homebrewed Lair Assault.

(A quick sidebar. How would I define a Lair Assault? At its heart, it's a time-limited single encounter that involves an objective which can be achieved by wiping out all of the monsters but also be achieved in other ways. Also, the nature of the location - the features of the area, the monster roster - will change roughly halfway through the Lair Assault to make it more difficult.)

The first thing that sprang to mind was "Rangers of the North": an elite band of rangers and other classes based in the North of Faerûn that ensures that orc hordes do not form and, if they do, does something about them. Essentially, their the North's "special forces".

That got me thinking about orcs... which led to be thinking about a portal. And when I started thinking about orcs in the North it also made be think of Grintharke, a fairly famous balor of the North who is getting a guernsey in my Neverwinter campaign as the leader of, inter alia, a horde of orcs.

And, yes, that means my quick idea for a Lair Assault is based on orcs plus a "balrog" from Lord of the Rings and a portal for the mass movement of an orc horde from Warcraft.

Putting these plagiarised ideas together with the title we have a scene where the Rangers of the North are defending a bridge across a chasm - I could even steal the battlemap from Gauntlgrym Gambit in Dungeon 193 of a bridge formed from a colossal statue of a dwarf that has fallen to make a bridge across the chasm - to hold back the orcs from access to a portal that is either shrinking in size as a result of what has already happened before the Lair Assault commences or part of the challenge of the Lair Assault includes a skill challenge that requires a PC trained in Arcana to gradually close the portal.

The PCs start facing a horde of orcs for at least half of the allotted time and then a balor - Grintharke, most likely - arrives to have his special brand of fun. (Another quick sidebar: I have reduced the levels of monsters to match their AD&D hit dice so, IMC, a balor is an level 13 elite brute not an Epic threat). The PCs have probably formed a line of some sort to stop the orcs from getting through the portal to the balor, with its ability to break a line with its whip by simply "plucking" and moving PCs, will  be invaluable to the orc cause.

I'm also thinking that the orcs have shamans who can make the skill challenge to close the portal go awry. Killing the shamans could be an important part of the Lair Assault, especially if a wall of fire or similar can block off the portal allowing the PCs to break their line to hunt individual threats.

Anyway, it's just an idea and one I probably won't play with much more. We have enough trouble getting out regular games going before even trying to fit in a Lair Assault. For the moment, it's just some not-yet-ripe fruit of my insomnia.

Neverwinter - Adding New PCs

While I don't think it will happen, there's a small chance that we will add some new PCs to the game.

If that does happen, I would like to be prepared.

One of the interesting things about the character theme mechanic is that it - far more than race and class - strongly suggests what the character's goal and destiny in a campaign will be. I like that. It gives a strong hook to the player and also gives the DM a lot of ideas to play with.

(Of course, there's nothing new about this. Players have been inventing backstories for their characters ever since the game was invented. For some reason, the fact that the character themes are published material seems to make them resonate a lot better with my players... which shows we haven't done a good enough job with backstories in the past, I suppose!)

If we do get a new player or players these are some of the character concepts that I think will work well in the game and fit with both the story so far and where I see the story going.

• A Bloodsworn dwarf battlerager fighter, inspired by a slayer from Warhammer, would fit well with the Gauntlgrym storyline. (This theme would also work with the elf ranger I mentioned in connection with the Fey Beast Tamer theme.)
• A Callidyr Dragoon human paladin of Chauntea from the Moonshaes could arrive in Neverwinter on the trail of an Amnite criminal who is now a member of the Neverwinter's mercenary guards, possibly even a swordcaptain. While his initial goal is to bring justice to that particular miscreant, the scent of the evil behind Neverwinter and its connection with the evil in Snowdown ties this character nicely into the Heretics of the Harlot's Coin storyline.
• The Archwinter Emporium is a front for an illithid of the Sept of Ill'ghact and its doppelganger druuth. It is easy enough to imagine an assault on their lair resulting in the release of prisoners, one of whom could be an Escaped Thrall githzerai monk. While I am not planning on making the Sept of Ill'ghact a particularly significant part of the campaign, a githzerai may also be interested in following up rumours of the Elemental Chaos such as how the Dread Ring was originally to be empowered by the primordial imprisoned beneath Gauntlgrym. (I think this particular character could actually bring a lot to the game. Also, you can never go wrong adding another striker.)
• While we have an eladrin and a DMPC archer - actually a kobold thief - we don't have an elf and we don't have a more traditional archer. A Fey Beast Tamer elf ranger focussing on ranged attacks would work well in the group and tie in nicely to the Sharandar storyline. Like the githzerai character already mentioned, this is one I would like to see. It would work well with an archer warlord which, in turn, would fit with either the Callidyr Dragoon character theme I have already mentioned or the Noble or Disgraced Noble character theme I mention in the next paragraph.
• One thing that is interesting about Lord Neverember that I haven't really explored yet is his connection to the city of Waterdeep and to the noble families there. A Noble or Disgraced Noble human warlord - the latter possibly disgraced by the treachery of Neverember - has potential as a character with a strong link to Neverember and a desire to bring him down. Of course, that ties in nicely with the Heretics of the Harlot's Coin storyline also. (A Blackstaff Apprentice human wizard could also be fitted into the story with a similar sort of motivation for being in Waterdeep.)
• With the PCs shortly to explore the River District, finding an orc battle captive makes a lot of sense. This could be a way to introduce an Uthgardt Barbarian druid or shaman to the party and tie this into the orc horde/Grintharke storyline and also stopping Valindra Shadowmantle from corrupting Morgur's Mound and releasing the tarrasque.
• Finally, I would actively like to see - much in the same way that I like the githzerai idea above - a Renegade Red Wizard human wizard with a strong emphasis on control as the party's existing wizard, an eladrin bladesinger, is more of a striker than a controller. However, the Renegade Red Wizard theme is mechanically very weak, and that is being charitable, so such a character should actually have the Order Adept character theme as it works much better.

In summary, I think the Escaped Thrall githzerai monk and the Renegade Red Wizard (replaced with Order Adept) human wizard are the next two characters that should join if there are going to be more players. That would mean a pure striker and a pure controller, although a pure controller plus another leader would also work well. I do think the party needs a pure controller or will need one shortly.

Neverwinter - Where Are We Going?

The campaign restarts in earnest next week so I've been thinking about the principal threats and the ultimate destinies of the PCs. This is not to transform the campaign into yet another railroad but simply a way of getting my thoughts straight and, most importantly, ensuring I am giving each PC a chance to shine in a story-sense.

If you have been reading this blog, this might be a good way to see where the campaign is actually heading. A lot of my posts are disjointed and leave out a lot of things I have in other notes that don't make their way to the blog.

Edit: Sorry for those who are reading and seeing random formatting. One of the things I hate about blogger is that it randomly formats paragraphs in terms of font type and font size and then randomly inserts and deletes line spaces. 
 

Principal Threats & Their Goals

Valindra Shadowmantle, Mistress of the Dread Ring of the Neverwinter Wood

Elite controller 10; eladrin lich wizard

Goal: Valindra wishes to activate the Dread Ring to provide Szass Tam with the power he desires. Of course, this will end all life in Neverwinter and across much of the North....
 

I have already posted about Valindra already but I see defeating her as the end of the Heroic Tier and, in effect, the end of the campaign in terms of the bare minimum I would like to see achieved. Ideally, Valindra's  defeat will give the PCs enough XP to reach 11th-level and thus the Paragon Tier. I think this is the perfect break point.
 

Faendarra, Goldeye of the Counting House

Solo controller 11; half-succubus harpy cleric/warlock

Goal: "Faendarra" simply wishes to deliver the city and its souls to Graz'zt to form another layer (along with two others unrelated to this campaign) as the Dark Prince seeks to double the size of his realm from three layers to six.
 

After Valindra has been defeated, the PCs will likely return to Neverwinter. At this point, they are seen as a true threat to New Neverember and the rule of Lord Neverember so Neverember and his masters in the Heretics of the Harlot's Coin will seek to assassinate them. This should result in an urban campaign involving sewers and a hidden temple of Graz'zt/heretical temple of Waukeen.

While Faendarra appears to be an eladrin cleric (or invoker) of Waukeen, she is actually a half-succubus (they're demons again IMC) harpy cleric of Waukeen/dark-pact warlock of Graz'zt named Tyralandi. Tyralandi, of course, comes from Paizo's Savage Tide adventure path - as do the harpies known as the Sisters of Lamentation which I also plan to use in this campaign - and she is the true power behind Dagult Neverember, the Lord Protector of Neverwinter and the Open Lord of Waterdeep, on behalf of their shared master, Graz'zt the Dark Prince.

(My original plan was for Faendarra to be a lamia but I thought a harpy would be a better match for the bard in terms of providing him with a specific nemesis. The original Tyralandi was not part-harpy but was, instead, part-nymph. That was also tempting but, again, I wanted the "grand melee" involving her to be a combat where the bard would really shine.)

When the PCs loot the Counting House, they will discover information about the fate of Sharandar that will be of interest to the Iliyanbruen Guardian, in particular, and that will put them on a collision course with the next principal threat, Treerazer.
 

Treerazer, Keeper of Sharandar

Solo skirmisher 12; unique demon

Goal: Treerazer's soul task is to keep Sharandar imprisoned in the Barrens of Oublivae. In return for his eternal servitude, he is able to enjoy himself by brutalising the eladrin and elven inhabitants. 
    

Armed with information from the Counting House, gathered after the PCs defeated Tyralandi and her forces, they head toward the ruins of Sharandar and seek to unravel the mystery of the city's loss.

The short version is this: servants of Lolth - drow from House Fey-Branche, to be specific - used a ritual granted by Oublivae, the Monarch of the Barrens, to summon the fey-hating tanar'ri, Treerazer, to assault the city of Sharandar. When the eladrin high mages performed a ritual of banishment, the true trap was triggered: the drow had carefully prepared eight pillars of abyssal stone - the Eight Legs of Lolth - so that the ritual of banishment not only banished Treerazer but it took the city and its inhabitants with it.

In the Feywild, this resulted in a great circular spiral pit beign formed and the twisting and corruption of the trees around this pit for several miles around. Only a renegade fomorian tainted by the Abyss (elite controller 13), and his cyclops servants, dare live in this rare wasteland which is nothing but a wound in the Feywild.

What the PCs will eventually discover is that the city and its inhabitants can be freed simply by defeating Treerazer: this tanar'ri is the key.

Restoring Sharandar to the world and repairing the reflected wound in the Feywild would be a singular major accomplishment for the Iliyanbruen Guardian PC.

When Sharandar is returned to the world, the PCs will soon find that the true threat to Neverwinter and the North is revealed: the balor, Grintharke, and his Scourged Legion of tanarruka and fey'ri and the orc horde he has whelmed with the power of the Bloodbone Throne of Uruth Ukrypt which is now located in the depths of Gauntlgrym.
    

Grintharke, Lord of the Scourged Legion

Solo brute 13; balor warlord

Goal: Grintharke simply wishes to raise the North under the feet of the tanarukka and orcs that he controls. This is pure chaotic evil: it is nothing more than destruction.

I realise that the visuals of a balor leading an orc horde seem like something out of Lord of the Rings, especially when his lair is in the ruins of an ancient dwarf city.  Well, it may be completely unoriginal but it's something I have never done... until now.

For me, this is the true end of a campaign. The history of the region simply known as The North in Faerûn is replete with the destruction wrought by orc hordes. Neverwinter itself has been a target many times in the past. It somehow seems appropriate that a campaign set in Neverwinter end with the threat of an orc horde, albeit one with a few differences inspired - at least subconciously - by Lord of the Rings (and the "demands" of the Heir of Delzoun character theme!).

I expect that the adventure that will ideally conclude with a battle between the PCs and Grintharke in the depths of Gauntlgrym in front of the Bloodbone Throne of Uruth Ukrypt will also include an attack by part of the horde on the walls of Neverwinter. I can draw on Rich Baker's 3.5E Red Hand of Doom and 4E King of the Trollhaunt Warrens for inspiration.

After defeating this mini-horde, the PCs - and this is obviously of particular interest to the Heir of Delzoun PC - will learn than even larger horde - possibly the largest orc horde ever whelmed - is forming in the Crags and seems to be controlled from Gauntlgrym (I'm writing this as if the PCs know where Gauntlgrym is: they do not at present but may do by the time they reach his point in the campaign).

The PCs will have two goals: defeat Grintharke and destory the the Bloodbone Throne of Uruth Ukrypt. In reality, this will represent the end of the campaign with the exception of the final encounter involving the dracolich from the cover of the Neverwinter Campaign Setting.
 

Lorragauth, the Dracolich of Castle Never

Solo lurker 14; black dragon fettered dracolich

Goal: Lorragauth is simply a menace who threatens all of Neverwinter from his perch high on Castle Never.

While I certainly believe that Neverwinter is a great setting - it's like a well done version of the ruins of Phlan from 1E/2E's Ruins of Adventure minus, of course, the really silly fourth wall-breaking names - I sometimes think that the real reason I am running a campaign in Neverwinter is simply because of the cover art.  Seriously, is there any DM who looks at Ralph Horsley's magnificent picture and doesn't immediately think, "I must run that!"

For my part, I want the final encounter of the game to involve a battle with Lorragauth using the Gargantuan black dragon miniature I bought six or so years ago. If we end the campaign after Valindra's defeat - an option I alluded to above - I still want to run one final battle in 3D involving Lorragauth and this particular miniature. I can just change his level to something more appropriate.

This battle won't necessarily involve a large story - although exploring the ruins of Castle Never and recovering the Crown of Neverwinter could certainly turn this into an entire adventure rather than a single encounter - I just want to end the campaign on a high note that reflects the cover art. It's something I have never done before.

And that way, anytime anyone in my group - including me - looks at this picture in the future, we will be reminded about what is turning out to be my favourite campaign of the past 30+ years.

Destinies of the PCs

Of course, I realise some who read this might immediately silently counter that it's not the DM's role to determine the destinies of the PCs.  I agree. 

A more accurate - but longer-winded - way of putting it would be to phrase it as this question, "Knowing the player, the character, the events of the campaign so far, the various hooks and situations that are in place and the character theme that has been chosen, what do I think will be both a logical and satisfying conclusion to a particular PC's story arc?" 

Please read these comments - and this post - in that context.

Dead Rat Deserter

Half-elf Valorous Bard

I think rooting out the Heretics of the Harlot's Coin and their spies and assassins - leaving room for a new organisation of spies to assist Neverwinter's ruler - would be a suitable "end game" for this PC. 

Also, the bard is going to be key to defeating Tyralandi for two reasons:

1. The Dead Rats will be needed to find the secret entrances from the sewers to the Counting House. It's too well-protected otherwise in terms of both guards and wards.

2. Tyralandi is going to have a really potent song-based power and only the bard will be able to counter it. This will be something like a skill challenge but, hopefully, a lot less boring.

Key Battle: The half-succubus harpy, Tyralandi. Song vs song.

Heir of Delzoun

Dwarf Weaponmaster Fighter

My players are fans of R A Salvatore so I think the thought of a dwarf reclaiming his heritage will be really appealing. I also think being the one responsible for the defeat of the balor that controls an orc horde threatening the whole of the North is something that will ensure that the name of this dwarf will live on for hundreds of years in the tales of the dwarves of the North.

For this reason, the battle with Grintharke before the Bloodbone Throne of Uruth Ukrypt is this PC's "end game".

Final Battle: The balor, Grintharke. Much as the bard will be key to the defeat of Tyralandi, I think the dwarf will be given extra bonuses by the dwarven ghosts of Gauntlgrym that will see him become the key to the defeat of Grintharke.

Iliyanbruen Guardian

Eladrin Bladesinger Wizard

Finding and restoring Sharandar? This will be an even bigger achievement than finding Gauntlgrym and cleansing it of its demonic taint. After all, what the inhabitants of Sharandar have been experiencing over the past centuries has been literally (and I am, unusually for the internet, using the word "literally" correctly) a fate worse than death and this PC is going to put an end to that torment.

Yes, that's definitely this PC's "end game".

Final Battle: The tanar'ri, Treerazer. Obviously the eladrin will be key in this battle and will be able to harness the powers of Sharandar's mythal (if it didn't have one, it has one now) to perform various effects to aid the rest of the party. At a bare minimum, fey step is going to be an at-will (minor: 5 squares; move: 15 squares; standard: anywhere) and the eladrin will be able to bring every adjacent ally with him.

Neverwinter Noble

Human Thaneborn Barbarian

There can be no other "end game" for this PC than simply finding the Crown of Neverwinter and taking the throne as Neverwinter's ruler. However, first he needs to deal with the other threats - threats that prove to be the "end games" for the other PCs - before he can fulfil his own destiny.

And, somehow, that seems really appropriate.

Final Battle: The dracolich, Lorragauth, on the spires of Castle Never. This is it. In front of the city that he is destined to rule, the PC - with his friends, of course - takes the battle to the final threat of the campaign. Morale will be high and reflected mechanically. I suspect the Neverwinter Noble will end up being granted various warlord-like powers for the duration of this battle: he's going to be the key to Lorragauth's defeat. I also think that Lorragauth will have a trait that ensures that the Neverwinter Noble is the one who lands the final blow.

Further Developments

I've basically ignored the threat of the Netherese and their werewolf servants but there's potential there for continuing the campaign... or starting a new one a year or so later where Neverwinter is undergoing a boom but there is a threat lurking in the shadows and the Neverwinter Wood. Of course, if the PCs leave off following the current hooks to pursue the Netherese then, obviously, I am going to have to make some changes.

Assuming the PCs end the campaign with the defeat of Grintharke - Lorragauth is, more or less, a bonus encounter simply to tidy everything up - the PCs will have defeated the Red Wizards, stopped the tarrasque from being awakened, stopped Graz'zt from absorbing Neverwinter into the Dark Prince's realm in the Abyss, freed the city of Sharandar and the souls of its inhabitants from their abyssal imprisonment and stopped a demon-led orc horde from rampaging across the North in an orgy of death and destruction.

And the final battle will bring us back to the cover art of the book that inspired the campaign.

I think that's enough for one campaign.

Anyway, taking the time today to organise my thoughts has been helpful. I know where I should be focussing my time and creative energies and I have a really clear sense of the direction of the rest of the campaign.

I'm excited!

Scoundrels of Skullport - Some Quick Thoughts

Scoundrels of Skullport

I have posted a few times about some general ideas I have for a campaign based in Waterdeep. We had some great experiences there during our 2E days and I still have the enormous maps that came with the City System product which I find really help to bring the city to life.

My ideas normally begin with a piece of art 

However, yesterday I noticed that Ralph Horsley had updated his Deviant Art site with a new piece: the cover art for the Scoundrels of Waterdeep expansion for the Lords of Waterdeep expansion which also appears at the start of this post.

It's stunning. Seriously stunning.

I'm a big fan of his work - I particularly love his cover art for the Neverwinter Campaign Setting - but seeing this latest piece of his has me re-thinking my plans for an eventual Waterdeep campaign. Basically, there's no way I can ignore his Scoundrels of Skullport cover art! Also, it has a trio of villains and I very much prefer to have at least three factions in my games.

While Halaster is canonically dead, one of the Character Theme articles in DDi included a Halaster's Clone theme and, while is is very Manshoon-like, I rather like the idea of a less-than-all-powerful clone of the Mad Mage waking up, finding a very different Waterdeep and also an absent Weave thanks to the effects of the Spellplague, and then he tries to find his way in this new world.

Of course, the return of Halaster - even if only a clone - would set off alarm bells amongst the existing powers beneath Waterdeep... such as the beholder - The Xanathar - and the illithid - a representative of the mind flayer city of Ch'Chitl - depicted in the picture. I can just see the PCs starting as pawns of a broken clone of Halaster - who, in vernacular terms, basically wants his stuff back - and finding that they are cutting across the plans of both.

In other words, it's a perfect picture to inspire campaign.

Of course, I can still begin such a campaign in the Yawning Portal - so that I can still use that wonderful piece of cover art! - but I can replace the noble family mentioned in the 4E adventures Halls of Undermountain with a clone of Halaster instead. The idea of an ancient wizard manipulating adventures to get his stuff back is something I find rather appealing in an Old School way....

Neverwinter - NPC: Laelran Aelerothi

The fey'ri bladesinger, Laelran Aelerothi, and a Balorclaw tanarukk.

Précis

Laelran poses as an unusual eladrin scholar searching for information about magic in Neverwinter from before the Spellplague, a cover for his search for where the group of mages known as The Covenant hid the Bloodbone Throne of Uruth Ukrypt pictured here:

The Bloodbone Throne of Uruth Ukrypt and the sinister orc shaman, Wund.

Roleplaying Laelran

Key Traits: bored, dangerous, dilettante, narcisstic, playful
Goal: Laelran has been tasked by Grintharke with the recovery of the Bloodbone Throne of Uruth Ukrupt.
Motivation: It's simple: the fey'ri were bred to serve Grintharke. His blood flows in their veins and they are compelled to obey the balor. They even think they do it willingly.
Fears: None.
Weaknesses: Boredom is his principal weakness. Laelran has lived a long time and faced many challenges. Sometimes he simply allows things to develop that are a threat to him simply because he enjoys the challenge or, even better, a chase.

Favourite Sayings

"I am merely a seeker of knowledge. A scholar. That is all. And this blade by my side reminds me of who I am and where I have come from."

"The demonic orcs? Yes, we are together. They are known as the Balorclaws. You might say we're related. Distant cousins. Of course, now I shall order them to tear you apart."

Inspiration

Laelran Aelerothi is mentioned in 2E's Cloak & Dagger, as is his past and former identity in Luskan, but otherwise he's a custom character.

Background

Before the Spellplague, Laelran was based in Luskan where he posed as an aspiring human summoner, Sorndyrn Scarletsash, and in that guise joined the ranks of the Arcane Brotherhood. He was aided in his tasks by his quasit familiar, Noxit, who remains with him to this day.

The Spellplague wreaked havoc on Laelran's magic and he found he had to relearn the Art all over again, after turning to the blade to defend himself for nearly two decades after the Spellplague hit.

In due course he found an elven kiira (lore gem) in the ruins of Sharandar and used its knowledge to learn elven bladesong magic making him the first of the post-Spellplague fey'ri to return to the elven path of the bladesinger.

When Grintharke returned to Toril, Laelran felt compelled - like so many other fey'ri and also tanarukka - to return to the dungeons of Hellgate Keep in response to the balor's summons to creatures of spawned from the balor's blood. There Laelran and the others learned of the returned Grintharke's plan to burn the North.

In an audience with the great fiend, Laelran was able to explain what he had learnt in Luskan about the Bloodbone Throne of Uruth Ukrypt and how it had the power to gather an orc horde. The balor saw this as a perfect way to whelm an orc horde the likes of which the North has never seen!

While Grintharke and his tanarukka travelled to Gauntlgrym, the place where the balor was summoned by Valindra Shadowmantle, Laelran was despatched to search for the Bloodbone Throne of Uruth Ukrypt. (Grintharke is seeking to finish what the Thayans could not do: to awaken the primordial, Maegara, imprisoned beneath Gauntlgrym.)

Accompanied by a warband of fanatically loyal tanarukka, the fey'ri explored numerous sites of the ancient orc kingdom of Uruth Ukrypt and used rituals to trace the path the mages of The Covenant took when they stole the throne.

A month or so ago he and his demonic orcs arrived in Neverwinter and ultimately came across the ruins of the School of Wizardry sponsored by The Covenant but he has been unable to solve the puzzles that lead to the Door of Seven Stars or to find site that was formerly inhabited by The Covenant.

Vansi did not know what to make of the elegant eladrin when she first met him - but she knew enough to tread carefully around a "brittle bones" who commanded a war band of tanarukka. As a result, he has her leave to travel about the River District as he wills although she would dearly love to know what he is. All she does know is that he is interested in the mages of The Covenant so she supposes he is a wizard of some sort.

Despite their orc blood, the tanarukka do not carouse with the other orcs. They sometimes fight in the various fighting pits - and these are always bloody affairs: typically only an ogre or troll will accept the demonic orcs' challenge - and the war band often divides itself into two so that half of them can hunt in the Neverwinter Wood.

This is not a hunt for food, per se; this is a hunt for pleasure. Their favourite prey is a unicorn. If they manage to locate one of these fey steeds, they will not end their pursuit until the alicorn is ripped from the creature's head and its flesh has filled their bellies.

Laelran has a small collection of alicorns as a result of these hunts, not to mention several tanned unicorn hides. Any true fey, or follower of any of the sylvan deities, would be horrified if they saw these things.

The fey'ri and his tanarukka lair in the ruins of the School of Wizardry. Laelran found a secret library in the dungeons and spends much time researching The Covenant and its history, always looking for clues as to where the throne may be hidden.

Laelran takes pride- much like an ordinary eladrin - in his family's heritage, corrupted as it may be. He proudly wears and wields the Blade Aelorothi, a silver longsword is of obvious elven workmanship, delicate but durable and magically sharp.  The House Aelorothi elves were followers of Aerdrie Faenya before their fall and this blade reflects their devotion: the hilt and pommel are shaped like a winged elf while the blade bears grooves patterned like swirling winds.


(The Blade Aelerothi is a silvered aftershock longsword +3. While its description in the Compendium says, "This weapon sends ripples of force toward nearby foes", the Blade Aelerothi instead is surrounded by strong breeze. On a critical hit, these breeze coalesce into a mighty blast of wind that knocks the wielder's enemies prone that are adjacent to the longsword's target. It's just a small reskinning of the description but no change to the mechanical effect.)

This scion of House Aelerothi typically appears as a black-haired eladrin (the Aelerothi were principally sun elves but there were some darker haired moon elves in their ancestry and Laelran takes after them) in the expensive robes of an eladrin scholar... except that this particular scholar wears a clearly potent sword at his hip. And, of course, it's hard to imagine any other eladrin being guarded by a band of demonic orcs....

Further Development

If the PCs were to find out that Laelran was in the River District searching for the Bloodbone Throne of Uruth Ukrypt and then communicated this to Vansi, the Blue Balor would be forced to attack the "eladrin" and his tanarukka because she is also after the throne. Of course, if the PCs did this, Laelran would want his revenge and it would likely bring them to the attention of Grintharke.

(Note to self: revise Vansi's write-up so that she's not looking at the ruins of the School of Wizardry... yet.)

Stat Block

I find this stat block unusual for its length. This is one of those times where length does not equal complexity, at least in the context of running the creature in combat. The traits provide the bulk of the extra length but two of those six only apply in the first round of the encounter (and I've loved strategist's epiphany since I first read it three or so years ago - particularly when coupled with the Luruar regional benefit that allows for History checks to be rolled twice) so I will keep it there despite the length it adds to the stat block purely for the sake of the first round of the encounter. (Eladrin will is only there because the section where you were able to customise saving throw bonuses seems to have disappeared from Adventure Tools.)

Generally speaking, running Laelran each round involves barely any choices which makes him simpler to use than he first appears. His "meat and potatoes" is a combination of Blade Aelerothi (melee basic attack),  a triggered bladespell if Blade Aelerothi hits (with a subsequent choice between two damage types and effects) and then a pair of magic missiles as a minor action plus a fey step to a more advantageous position, or two pairs of magic missiles if Laelran doesn't need to fey step. And I shouldn't forget opening with bladesong and then using it again when Laelran is first bloodied.

Although I have built him as a soldier, it's clear that Laelran is not a soldier except for his high AC. However, he doesn't fit the other categories either so soldier he is. (And bladesingers can have very high ACs, IME).

While burning hands is a nice mass attack - and probably a good opening attack (or action point attack), circumstances permitting - blissful ignorance is quite different. It is there purely to maximise Laelran's ability to escape a situation he does not like - although having fey step as an at will tends to ensure that in any case. It's also an interesting opening: it certainly slows down enemies who would otherwise seek to take the battle to the fey'ri and his allies.

So, really, running Laelran is simply a case of Blade Aelerothi, bladespell, magic missiles and fey step in whatever order is appropriate.

On a personal note, he's one of my favourite NPCs so far. I like his picture, his name, his background and his combination of powers. I can see myself becoming quite attached to him. 

Revised Stat Block

I've just finished running a mock combat that involved Laelran and four tanarukka against Valindra Shadowmantle and four dread protectors. 

Laelran's ability to take shoot two magic missiles three times a round simply made him into artillery. I've limited magic missiles to once per round - as a minor attack should be in most cases - and reduced the damage (from standard minion damage to low minion damage).

I've also add back in his bladespell attack - a rider that goes with his basic melee attack on his turn which for some reason I failed to copy over to Adventure Tools from the text document I was working from. It seems even playtesting something alone can bring improvements!

And now to finish off Valindra's revised stat block....
 

More Names by Ed Greenwood - 2,575 names, to be precise

I've updated my lists again and included names from several issues of Polyhedron. The list is now 2,575 names long and I've decided that it's better to post a link to a Google doc than to continue simply posting the names.

And here it is.