Allies, Enemies & Quests
Join us Live on 5/17/20 at 7pm Est on Twitch/Facebook/Youtube
Crit Academy is joined by best selling DMsguild author Jeff Stevens. We discuss one of his newest collaborative, "Allies, Enemies & Quests". Expand your D&D game with this collection of 20 unique NPCs of various Challenge Ratings. Each NPC is designed so they can used as an ally, or as an enemy. Included are several quest ideas for each of the NPCs, three of which have detailed mini adventures and a map.
Written by some of the best-selling authors on the Dungeon Masters Guild, each NPC includes an image, a backstory, motives, flaws, and statistics. There are also a few new magic items.
Segment: Crit Nation Feedback: Let’s talk about Blank!
New Unearthed Arcana: Subclasses Revisited
Give Away: Loresmyth: Modular Dungeon Tiles - Arcania
Modular dungeon tiles are an easy way to create your own beautiful digital maps. The Arcania lets you make dark, shadowy dungeon map, rich with the fumes of arcane secrets.
Winner: rfpaustian
Didn’t win? Np, head to www.critacademy.com/loresmyth a free set of digital terrain and much more.
Segment: Main Topic:
Jeff, for those just joining us for the first time, can you tell Crit Nation a little bit about yourself and what you do in the world of D&D?
Can you share with us a recent memorable D&D Moment?
What is Allies, Enemies, and Quests?
Can you tell us about the artwork and layout?
Jeff, we will have you pick an NPC from the list to be the primary focus of our discussion and questions.
NPC of Focus: Eduardo HIghcamp pg 31. Eduardo Highcamp was once a shy and caring wood elf druid before a nasty witch placed a curse on him.
Can you tell us the significant differences between this product and your Villains and Lairs series?
Any new secret projects coming up that you can give the listeners a little taste of?
Give Away: Jeff Stevens: Encounters on the Savage Seas II!
Revolutionize your game with this collection of 16 mini-adventures and includes NPCs, locations, new creatures, and magic items to add to your nautical adventures.
Winner: Sheenrl0119
Didn’t win? Np, head to www.critacademy.com/jeffstevens to get Encounters on the Savage Seas III Free
Segment: Unearthed Tips and Tricks! (We give you creative content for your next adventure)
Character Concept:
Smoke Master is a master of using magic to manipulate smoke, often from a pipe or incense. Using magic to bring to life the smoke from their pipe like the old merlin in the cartoons. This is heavily inspired by weed kage and a character from hunter x hunter.
Monster Variant:
Blight - Breath Catoblepas (Theros)
“Whenever it walks, famine follows behind.”
The Blight - Breath Catoblepas is a bizarre, loathsome creature that is known to dwell in swamplands consuming the plants growing within. On a rare occasion fallen undead sink into its waters and corrupted plant life grows from that spot. These creatures have consumed too much and have slowly warped into something more twisted than the original. Its foul breath brings blight and death with it.
Origin Statblock: Triceratops
New Features:
Breath Weapon (Recharge 6). The catoblepas uses one of the following breath weapons.
Slowing Breath. The catoblepas exhales gas in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in that area must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature can’t use reactions, its speed is halved, and it can’t make more than one attack on its turn. In addition, the creature can use either an action or a bonus action on its turn, not both. These effects last for 1 minute. The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of iteach of its turns, ending the effect on itself with a successful save.
Weakening Breath. The catoblepas exhales gas in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in that area must succeed on a DC 13 Strength saving throw, or have disadvantage on Strength-based attack rolls, Strength checks, and Strength saving throws for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Legendary Actions:
The catoblepas can take 2 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. The catoblepas regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Imposing Figure. The catoblepas stands on its hind legs and lets out a roar. Any creature within 30 feet
of the catoblepas that can see and hear it must make a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of the owlbear until the end of their next turn.
Stubborn Furiosity. The catoblepas rerolls its saving throw against one effect causing it to be charmed,
frightened, incapacitated, or stunned.
Encounter:
I Did It! (Allies, Enemies & Quests)
The adventurer’s encounter Kellan when trying to claim the reward for a quest they have
recently undertaken. When they find the quest’s patron, they see Kellan attempting to claim the bounty himself. Kellan claims that he undertook the quest before the characters, and did most of what was asked before they came along and finished the job. His commanding presence makes the quest patron surrender the reward to him, and apologize briefly to the characters before running off.
Magic Item:
Flicker of Fate (Theros)
Wondrous item, rare
“An infinite journey in an infinitesimal time.”
This pearl-like orb has “Exile” etched into it in Celestial. You can use an action to throw the orb up to 60 feet away. When it reaches the end of its trajectory, the orb detonates in a flash of radiant light as a 4th-level banishment spell (save DC 15).
Dungeon Master Tip:
Charms - DMG
“A charm is a minor supernatural gift, which can be received in a large variety of ways. For example,
a wizard who finds an eldritch secret in a dead arch mage's spellbook might be infused with the magic
of a charm, as might a character who solves a sphinx's riddle or drinks from a magic fountain. Legendary
creatures, such as ancient gold dragons and unicorns, sometimes grace their allies with charms, and some
explorers find themselves bearing the magic of a charm after discovering a long-lost location that is drenched in primeval magic.”
These are a powerful alternative reward for players who sink into the roleplay, or take the extra initiative to learn about the big bad or the lair they are entering.
Player Tip: Don’t be a Dick
Eccentricity - (XGtE)
Endless hours of solitary study and research can have a negative effect on anyone’s social skills. Wizards/Scholars/Sages who are a breed apart to begin with, are no exception. An odd mannerism or two is not necessarily a drawback, though; an eccentricity of this sort is usually harmless and could provide a source of amusement or serve as a calling card of sorts.
If your character has an eccentricity, is it a physical tic or a mental one? Are you well known in some circles because of it? Do you fight to overcome it, or do you embrace this minor claim to fame of yours?
A great example is Sheldon Cooper from Big Bang Theory.
Closing: Please join us on our next episode we will discuss Final Fantasy VII Materia System 5e.
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