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D&D 5E Monster Books

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This was a resource which I wish existed while I was working on the Alexandrian Remix of Descent Into Avernus. Having compiled it, I thought others might also find it of use in planning and running their campaigns in the Nine Hells.

The lists below simply compile all the available devils in both official sourcebooks and a number of DM’s Guild and 3rd Party sourcebooks, organizing them according to their challenge rating. It includes some non-devil fiends (like hell hounds and succubus) that are common in Hell, but does not include demons or yugoloths. (Yugoloths, however, are listed in a separate section below.) The sources include:

(If you’re reading this you might also be interested in the random encounter tables which use many of these devils.)

Note: The terms “Archdevil” and “Daemon Lord” below are not always strictly accurate from a lore perspective, but they indicate incredibly powerful, unique individuals.

(more…)

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Zariel's Flying Fortress - Raid Map

GENERAL CONDITIONS

There are a few things to keep in mind as the PCs are exploring the flying fortress.

Announcements: There are frequent announcements that can be heard throughout the ship. They include things like:

  • Summons for particular devils to go to various places. (“Signifier Yurtarth, report to the abjuration generator.”)
  • Navigational announcements. (“Prepare for acceleration.”)
  • Personnel announcements, like shift changes, mess calls, or general quarters. These can include obscure references like “condition omega” or “enact red protocol.”
  • Blaring alarm klaxons (if, for example, the PCs trigger an alert).

All verbal communication, of course, will be in Infernal.

Telepathic Communications: Are likely to be jammed by the Telepathy Station.

Teleportation: Is blocked by the Abjuration Generator.

Scrying: Is blocked by the Abjuration Generator.

ENTRANCES

ROOFTOP HATCH: Found on the Lookout Deck (see Locations, below).

SIGNAL VENTS: Tiny hatches on the hull connect to 1-foot-diameter chutes that lead to the Imp Roosts. Imp couriers use these chutes to enter and exit the flying fortress.

  • Can be accessed by Tiny or gaseous creatures.
  • Vent Labels in Infernal indicate if a vent is intake or exhaust (to avoid imps having head-to-head collisions).
  • There is a chance of encountering an imp when the vents are used: 1 in 10 when ship is in dock; 1 in 8 when ship is in the field; 1 in 4 when ship is in battle. (PCs observing the vents – and able to see the potentially invisible imps – may be able to discern a traffic pattern to reduce or eliminate the possibility of encountering an imp.)

SOUL INTAKE PIPE: Grilled vent on the bottom of the fortress, just above the ventral battery, leading to a 5-foot-diameter pipe.

  • Pipe leads to a 10-foot-diameter, spherical iron cistern.
  • Souls from the River Styx are drawn up into the flying fortress when it is docked at the Stygian Dock and used for fuel in the cistern.
  • The pipe and cistern are flooded with necrotic energy, and any creature starting its turn in either location takes 16 (3d10) necrotic damage.
  • The cistern is located in the Engine Room, and there is a maintenance hatch allowing access. From the inside, there is no handle, but it can be broken open (DC 20 Strength check). This will also flood the Engine Room with necrotic-infused soul fuel.

LOWER PERCH: It’s not unusual for one or two of the lower perches to be open during flight to allow flying devils to come and go, so it’s often possible for the PCs to simply fly in (if they can somehow avoid being detected by the devil legionnaires on security duty and also actively working throughout the perch).

UPPER PERCH: The Upper Perch is generally not open except during an actual deployment. The doors can be raised or lowered from a control room at the back of the bay.

Go to Part 7D-C: Fortress Locations

Zariel's Flying Fortress - Command Deck

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This map is designed for use with Part 7D: Raid on the Flying Fortress. You can download a large version without labels for VTT use by clicking the image.

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Avernus - Zariel's Flying Fortress - The Brig

(click for large map)

This map is designed for use with Part 7D: Raid on the Flying Fortress. You can download a large version without labels for VTT use by clicking the image.

Go to the Avernus Remix

5E Monster: Ash Wraith

November 22nd, 2021

Ash Wraith - David Edwards

Ash wraiths are the undead, burnt remains of corpses. They take the form of a swirling cloud of gray-black ash, usually vaguely humanoid in shape. Although they cannot properly be said to have corporeal bodies, their touch retains the passionate heat of their deaths and is scalding to mortal flesh.

Hauntings. Ash wraiths are most often found haunting ruined crematoriums or lingering near the horrors of execution pyres, but there are also tales of woods being haunted by ash wraith animals for years or even decades after the devastation of forest fires.

From One, Many. Ash wraiths can be created using the animate dead spell, although it requires special knowledge to do so.

Necromancers who perfect the rare art of creating ash wraiths are often able to claim two undead servants from a single corpse. Although the rites which create a skeleton usually consume the flesh of the corpse (if it has not already rotted away), a necromancer can first flense the corpse. The flesh and fat is then burned, providing the ashes for the wraith, while the skeleton is animated separately.

Undead Nature. An ash wraith doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.

ASH WRAITH

Medium undead, neutral evil


Armor Class 12

Hit Points 18 (4d8)

Speed 0 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover)


STR 7 (-2), DEX 14 (+2), CON 11 (+0), INT 6 (-2), WIS 8 (-1), CHA 5 (-3)


Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons

Damage Immunities necrotic, poison

Condition Immunities exhaustion, grappled, poisoned, prone, restrained

Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 9

Languages understands all languages it knew in life, but can’t speak

Challenge ¼ (50 XP)

Proficiency Bonus +2


Ashen Movement. The ash wraith can move through other creatures’ spaces as if they were difficult terrain.

Undead Embers. If damage reduces the ash wraith to 0 hit points, it must make a Constitution saving throw of DC 5 + the damage taken, unless the damage is radiant or from a critical hit. On a success, the ash wraith will reform in 1d4 hours.


ACTIONS

Fiery Touch. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) fire damage.

Design Note: Ash wraiths are designed to provide an incorporeal form of undead that can be used in a fashion similar to skeletons and zombies. (In other words, minor undead that aren’t mind-searingly terrifying.) They were originally created for the original 1974 edition of D&D, and that stat block can be found here.

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