The Sixth GM Inspiration: 0one Games

 

The Sixth GM Inspiration: 0one Games

This is yet another inspiration I use a lot, but in talking about it it ends up being a free plug for a great product. Specifically, I have been leaning on the incredibly wealth of interesting old school styled maps from Mario Barbati's 0one Games on Drivethrurpg.com (link above), over the many many years I've been gaming. These maps are, similar to Dyson's, filled with stylistic old school sentiment, but that doesn't make them any less useful to a modern gamer. In fact while Dyson's maps are great for short scenarios or 2-3 night sessions, if you want some serious dungeon delving and don't want to do your own cartography then 0one Games can provide some serious weight to your needs. 

All of the maps they produce are either in a white-on-blue or white-on-black format that is a familiar look to gamers from the 80's, and TSR modules in particular. Most include areas to take notes, and maybe some brief titles to engender the imagination, but just as many are more like well-executed maps with nothing more than evocative or suggestive title to go by. The net result is that you can take the Palace of the Vampire Queen, the Megacity Underdungeons, Mysterious Island, Pirate's Galleon or pretty much any of their hundreds of available maps and make them your own. Although they are all available for purchase and therefore are not a free resource, you can get some pretty decent maps for as low as $2 and the larger packages are often quite worth it. I have purchased a lot of 0one's maps over the years and gotten mileage out of them through three editions of D&D and two editions of Pathfinder now. 

It's a bit old (dating back to 2016) but the Blue Book is a free download showcasing a lot of the maps here, so it may help you decide if a few purchases are worth your time. Check it out!

It does look like 0one Games is still going strong, too. New products are out that I realize I haven't seen before, including Rooms with Flavor which I will now be checking out. Anyway, definitely take a look....for the lazy or time-strapped GM 0one Games is a valuable resource.

Secrets of Enzada: The Sunken Temple of Vorkath

I have dozens of these on the hard drive, in note books, stuffed in folders.....instant mini adventures for that right moment:

The Sunken Temple of Vorkath

The Ruined Expanse Juts from the water off the shore of Southern Erasmar, looming over the beach like a dark and dreadful shadow.

Encounter 1: The shoreline before the ancient ruinous temple just off the coast is guarded by three maddened albino apes. Unknown to the PCs, the maddened albino apes are the degenerate, transformed survivors of the last shipwreck to crash on the coast after a failed attempt to steal the treasure of the temple.

Encounter 2: the slippery steps of the ancient temple are a danger to traverse (Climb check DC 12 to avoid slipping and falling for 1D6 damage). Midway up, four harpies nesting at the top near the well-like entrance will fly out and then dive to attack. The harpies shriek "Blood for Vorkath!" as they attack and also appear to be mad with rage.

Encounter 3: At the top of the temple a heavy capstone can be found sealing the pit entrance to the temple. (two people must succeed at Strength (Athletics) rolls DC 15 to lift). The pit is deep and slippery, and a climb check DC 16 (advantage if using a rope) must be made to descend safely. If the task fails then the climber falls 1D6X5 feet (taking 1D10 damage per full 10 feet fallen).

Encounter 4: The deep heart of the temple is guarded by an ancient immortal minotaur, who will seek to take advantage of the darkness by attacking any light source/bearer first. The minotaur has maximum hit points, is resistant to non-magical weapons, is 1 CR greater than normal, and wields a great axe +1. 

Encounter 5: The temple is loaded with gems and jewels, in the amount of 500 silver pieces and 1,600 copper pieces. There are four jewel-studded golden statues worth 100 GP each. The treasure is located in four basins, each a votive bowl to the enigmatic Vorkath. His statue in the darkened inner chamber appears to be of a great beast with the head of a bull, wings of an eagle, clawed talons, chest and arms of apes, and holding a trident. If any fail to offer a prayer of supplication or sacrifice (such as the minotaur's head; Religion check DC 18 to perform a proper ceremony) before taking the treasure a great storm will roll in outside, and the sea will rise to flood the temple and shatter the PC's ship (if they have one) against the island's rocky coast.

Tales from the Sea of Chirak IV: Intrigue in Dunnare

I am way behind on these! Time to catch up:

Our intrepid crew:

Naivara, the noble half-elven wizard
Tia, the half-elven priestess of Kalieyana
Ungarak, the half-orc paladin of the cult of the forgotten
Nehenac, the immortal last emperor of Xaxican and former prisoner of the Fortress of Hathor (NPC)

We have had some in-and-out guests, will name their PCs if I remember who they were....

Session 4 Summary:

When we left off, the crew had arrived in Port Dunnare after some harrowing adventures. Here they have had a day's rest before awakening to a busy day.

In this session the group divvied up to gather information and learn about the port. Key events that transpired include:

Ungarak stumbles on a murder....a druid was slain outside the city in the farmland and crucified on a tree. Evidence suggests it was orcs who did the deed. In following up on this they met the Watch Commander of the city, and learned that this has been an ongoing problem....the orcish tribes of the Northwood seem to be uniting, and are targeting the druids dedicated to the "White Goddess," a local spirit figure revered by the tuadathen elves.

Naivara enjoyed a pleasant stay in the Royal Inn. In the morning she meets Kargath, the minotaur who is a priest-dedicate to the mysterious cult of Hun'hunal, who is sipping martinis on the patio and scaring away customers. She learns Nehenac awoke at dawn and left early on an unknown (and worrisome) errand. She investigates where he went, meeting with Ungarak on his own investigation.

Tia spends time at the local (and smaller) temple of Kalie'yana, before setting out to meet the rest.

The group ultimately finds that they are directed to the Hunting Lodge in northwest Dunnare, where the Warden of the Northwood, a ranger named Ovidio, keeps his own special order. Ovidio might know more about this mysterious local threat by the orcs which has all concerned.

They arrive at the North Lodge and learn that this ancient fortress on the city's edge has been here for at least six centuries, predating the arrival of the old Sea Kings and the founding of Espanea. It was further built on top of older ruins that may be ancient. Ovidio, a pleasant older ranger, has had the complex in his family for almost four centuries.

As it turns out, Ovidio's lodge had an unexpected visit this morning: a mysterious man that by description must be Nehenac broke in, entered the catacombs beneath, and sealed the passage off with a hidden stone block that even the rangers didn't know about. They are working to find men who can remove or chisel away the stone so they can pursue the invader, who is now locked in a catacomb that runs seven levels deep before ending at a flooded passage.

Tia uses her true seeing to discover three hidden secret doors: one is a plastered wall behind which it turns out is what appears to be an ancient planar gate, now overlooking the pig pens. A second secret passage is in the back of the pantry, and a third is in the armory. Ovidio knew of only the pantry, which leads to a secret passage out....a safe passage to escape the fortress if it's defenses were ever compromised. The other two were mysteries; none lead to alternative routes to the catacombs so far as they know....at least not without investigation!

The group begins with the armory secret door, after determining the other is a hidden gate that is very worrisome. Ovidio explains that Taddeos, the high wizard of the local Academy, outfitted the armory as a gift a few years ago with four enchanted suits of animated armor. Each suit contained a silvered skeleton on which the suit draped. As they investigated, pulling a decorative shield triggered the skeleton-armor to turn and push a pivoting hidden door in the wall, revealing a wide spiral staircase going down. This is quite a surprise to Ovidio.

The stairs descend in to a chamber with a strange, blue-illuminated pool dominating a large chamber, with a passage to the right and a far wall in the chamber that appears to have a charnel stone sculpture of human flesh and limbs carved out of marble, partially overlapping two doors along that wall, such that they don't look like they can be opened without breaking the wall statuary to do so. As Naivara gets closer, it turns out the wall is alive! It is flesh with a gray pallor, and moves slowly but certainly, speaking in telepathic whispers, asking the adventurers to come closer, just a bit closer. They decline.

The group, fascinated at what's going on here, head to the passage in the right and follow a cooridor to a large, oddly shaped chamber with six deep cistern-style pools on the floor with utterly still water, and what appears to be a massive white dragon skeleton suspened with metal wires from the high ceiling. Each cistern has what appears to be a sealed iron hatch at the bottom of each pool.

Before they can really investigate a horde of bloody skeletons burst in from two of the three doors at the end of the chamber! A brutal fight ensues, as several of the skeletons appear able to summon a maelstrom "blood storm" in which acidic blood fills the chamber, eating at flesh and blinding the eyes. The party is immediately fighting for its life, and narrowly defeats them after a brutal fight.

In the middle of the fight one of the bloody skeletons is knocked in to a cistern, and its body begins to dissolve immediately....the cisterns are not full of water, but caustic acid!

After they skeletons are defeated the adventurers, with a badly wounded Ovidio, quickly retreat to recover and regroup. They have a very dangerous mystery to solve...

While resting up, a messenger boy from the Royal Inn arrives, looking for Naivara. He has a message from Nehenac, who states that he needs to learn if his "old cache" is still intact, and that he feels he must prepare for the revenge he is commited to against the ancestors of the Masirians who wronged him. He states that he knows the Lodge contains a secret entrance to the old Vault which he built beneath the lost Xaxicani colony that once rest on this exact spot, 2,500 years ago before the Masirians razed it to the ground....and he thinks they may never have found his hidden cache in the vault.

Next: Masurana's Secrets Revealed!

Dual-Classing in Swords & Wizardry Complete

Dual-classing is an option that appears in 1^st and 2^nd edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, but was not so far as I am aware in 0E D&D. It’s a way for human characters to multiclass, but in a fashion which doesn’t work in the same way as traditional multi-classing, a feature reserved for demi-humans.

One reason you could opt to allow dual-classing is to accommodate smaller groups. If you are playing a game with only one or two players this will let them have more options for their characters, and help them to fill more than one role. Another reason could be story-driven; you could include monasteries, warrior’s school, wizard’s insitutes, temples, thieves’ guilds and other such institutions which can offer training for the right price (and right skill). This could be another option for players to explore with their characters.

Dual-classing is basically a “career change” option in which the character decides to shift focus from his existing class to a new one. It’s a bit convoluted as presented in AD&D (both versions), requiring significant base attributes to qualify, followed by specific rules on how the XP gain works, depending on what abilities are used. Logisitically it’s a bit of a mess, because you have to track whether the PC was using his old class abilities or his new class abilities in a given instance, or limit what abilities can and can’t be used, and the old class can never advance after a dual-class transition. The system I propose below is a reductionist view, cleaning up this process for ease of use.

Dual-Class Requirements: a human (and even any demi-human at the GM’s option) can choose to dual-class in a secondary class at a later date. When he does so, the following rules take effect:

Prerequisites: the character must qualify for the prime requisite XP bonus in both the old class and the new class in order to dual-class. Example: a magic-user that wishes to dual-class as an assassin must have an INT, DEX and STR of 13 or better.

Optional Training Cost: the GM may want the character to spend 1D6 months and 1D6X100 gold pieces training before gaining level 1 in the new class, to justify the development of the new abilities at level 1.

Hit Dice: Hit dice are based on the old class level and do not improve until the new class’s bonuses would exceed the old class. For example: a wizard (level 5) who cross-classed as an assassin would not gain new hit dice until he reached assassin level 6. He would use the better of the two attack chart options for his class.

Saves: use the better of the two classes saves. In our magic user/assassin example a level 5 magic user has a Saving throw of 11. He will go to Save 10 when his assassin class reaches level 6.

Attack Rolls: On attack rolls use the better option of the existing class levels vs. the new class. So, to look at our magic-user level 5 who dual-classes into assassin, his chart is the same for both classes, so when he reaches assassin level 6 he’ll advance on the attack table like normal. A level 5 magic-user who dual-classes into fighter has a magic-user THAC0 of 18 at level 5, which means his THAC0 goes to 17 when he reaches fighter level 5. If you use the attack bonus and ascending AC option on page 44 of S&WC it’s even easier to figure, and according to that chart a level 5 MU has a +1 attack, while the fighter improves to +2 at level 4, so our dual-classed MU 5/F 4 has +2 attack.

Armor and Weapon Proficiency: when dual-classing the character gains the additional armor and weapon skills of the new class. However, the character still suffers any special restrictions regarding the use of such weapons and armor in the old class; this means a magic-user can’t cast spells in non-magical armor, and a thief can’t use thieving skills while wearing anything heavier than leather (just like multi-classing restrictions).

Experience Gain: while advancing in the new class the character divides all XP gained by ½ but applies the remainder to his new class only. When his new class reaches the same level as the old class he may start applying 100% of the XP gained to the new class. Thereafter he gains all class advancements as he improves his new class like normal (so improves hit dice, saves, attack modifiers and abilities as the new class only).  He retains his old class levels and abilities but only at that level of experience.

Optional Continued Class Advancement: The GM can optionally allow the dual-classed character to advance in the old and new class once both of them are the same level. At that time, continue to divide the XP into two parts, but both classes gain the XP. This requires keeping track of two separate XP totals. For example: our magic-user level 5 reaches assassin level 5. He had 25,000 XP in magic-user when he decided to dual-class in assassin. Once he reaches level 5 (12,000 XP) in assassin he may now proceed to advance in both classes, tracking XP separately but dividing all XP earned equally between the two classes. Once he reaches this point all multi-classing rules in the main book now apply.

 Example Dual-Classed character:

Vastor Redscar

Chaotic Human male of Aeronost

Magic-user level 5/Assassin Level 6 (MU XP 25,000-frozen, Assassin XP 27,000-active)

STR 14, DEX 16, CON 10, INT 13, WIS 12, CHA 8

HP 17, HD 5D4+1D6, Save 10, AC 6 [13] (leather plus Dex bonus), Attack Bonus +2 (or TAC 17)

Languages Known: aeronistic (common), Emon, elvish, Camrinal (forbidden tongue)

Weapons: long sword (1D8), short sword (1D6) (fights w-weapon style)

Assassin Skills: climb walls 88%, tasks and traps 30%, hear noise 4 in 6, hide in shadows 25%, move silently 35%, open locks 25%

Assassin Abilities: disguise, poison, backstab (+4 to hit and triple damage),

Spell Slots: 4 level 1 slots, 2 level 2 slots, 1 level 3 slot

Spell Book:

1^st Level: charm person, detect magic, light, magic missile, read magic, sleep

2^nd Level: darkness 15’ radius, ESP, invisibility, knock, phantasmal force, strength

3^rd Level: darkvision, fireball, haste, hold person, monster summoning I, protection from normal missiles, slow

Vastor Redscar was a student of the dark arts out of Asvinar under the tutelage of the wizard Taraman Dazaes when his master was assassinated. He was spared by the assassin, a woman named Rapineleth, who was impressed at his resourcefulness. She indoctrinated him in to the Guild of the Riven Flesh, an esoteric order of cultic assassins dedicated to the mad god of darkness, Ghaol, where he has prospered ever since. 

D&D 5E Saturday Creature Factory: Silgur Skinmen

Silgur Skinmen

CR 4 (1,100 XP)

CE medium humanoid aberration

Initiative +3

DEFENSE

AC 13

HP 55 (10D8+10)

Immunity: necrotic, poison and poison effects, disease

Vulnerable: radiant

OFFENSE

Speed 30 feet (20 feet in a corpse puppet)

Multiattack the silgur may strike once or twice with its razor claws.

Melee Attack – Razor Claws +7 (reach 5 ft, 1 target), 2D8+3 slashing damage and target must make a DC 15 Constitution check or become paralyzed for 1 minute. The target may make a new save each round to shrug off the paralysis.

Stealth Attack: silgur skinmen are natural stalkers and gain advantage on stealth checks to sneak up on victims unawares in dark or shadowy environments. They add 3D8 damage to strikes against a surprised opponent against whom they have advantage.

Statistics

STR 17 (+3), DEX 16 (+3), CON 12 (+1), INT 8 (-1), WIS 12 (+1), CHA 10 (0)

Languages: common, one other

Senses: superior darkvision, blindsight, Perception +3 (passive 13)

Skills: Stealth +7

TRAITS

Regeneration: Silgur skinmen recover 5 hit points per round. Damage from radiant sources will halt regeneration until the end of the silgur’s next round.

Corpse Puppetry: any small, medium or large target that reaches zero hit points to which the silgur is adjacent may become puppeted by the silgur as an action. This kills the target if it was not already dead, as the silgur will cut a hole into the victim’s corpse and enter with chilling speed, wearing the body almost like a skin. While wearing a “corpse puppet” the silgur can escape casual detection (DC 15 perception check) although those who are aware of the silgur’s presence previously may be suspicious and roll with advantage. If the corpse puppet sustained heavy damage prior to death it might also grant advantage to those observing the puppet’s motions. Silgur skinmen cannot puppeteer a corpse more than an hour or two old, however.

The silgur uses corpse puppets to sustain additional damage; the corpse puppet can sustain 40 points of damage before the silgur takes damage (60 HP for large puppets and 20 HP for small puppets), at which time the corpse falls apart due to the loss of structural hit points. While worn, the silgur can benefit from using any weapons in hand of the corpse puppet, as well as any armored AC due to armor worn by the victim.

Silgur are an ancient race descended from the stars. The stories are that they were a servitor species of an ancient star-traveling realm, used to manipulate test subjects by their vile masters. One day a silgur escaped into the wild, and as its species procreates through the seeding of a corpse puppet host it laid eggs and propogated before it could be caught. Now the silgur are a threat everywhere.

Silgur skinmen get their name from their slender, gaunt appearance. A sligur’s skin is black and leathery with a glistening wet sheen, with sharp silver knife-like fingers. They have no visible eyes, mouths or noses. When the silgur kills a target it rapidly cut an incision in the victim’s back and slides almost effortlessly in to the body, creating disturbing protuberances beneath the skin. The silgur then puppeteers the fresh corpse, its skin somehow manipulating muscle and bone to do it’s bidding.

Silgur can only manipulate a corpse for one to two hours, and as rigor mortis sets in they must leave the body or go into a state of torpor from which they do not awaken until all nutrients in the body have been absorbed, a process that takes nearly as long as the body normally would to decompose. Silgur in this state of torpor usually awaken when they sense the presence of a new viable life form approach within three hundred yards of their location.

Silgur, though intelligent, still behave strangely due to the programming of their lost masters. A silgur, left to its own devices, will seek out victims, slay and puppeteer them, and drop the corpses off in a sort of eerie charnel house as if it is gathering bodys for the research of its lost masters. Despite being able to speak, silgur do not seem capable of deep thought or questioning their own behavior beyond the insatiable need for freedom and the gathering of corpses.

The Magic Item Economy in 5E - Why it manages to be mechanistic and filled with verisimilitude at the same time (maybe)

I was reading a thread over at rpg.net about magic item economies. If you know rpg.net then you also know it's sort of the cool place to bash 5E, albeit with a lot less effort and energy than the old edition war days. Some of this is because most of the remaining 4E fans of that edition still linger at rpg.net, and they have some old grudges against the way WotC cavalierly speared their edition through the heart and roasted it over 5E's birthing fire. That said, I had some comments about 5E's magic item economy I thought I'd share here, for fun:

So far in practice, after I got over the initial shock/hump of resetting my perceptions from the magic item economy of Pathfinder and 4E to the 5E methodology, I am extremely content. From a verisimilitude perspective the costs of magic (which are defined in terms of creation, selling and even purchasing albeit with a lot of emphasis on the GM deciding on how inexact the market is) are useful in identifying the fact that gold is also devalued in 5E....or more accurately less gold goes farther, and its an important element of the whole game economy. I say game economy because clearly D&D does not (and never has) done actual mirroring of a fantasy economy very well; it does just enough to make the game playable....but no edition to date will hold up under scrutiny without making a lot of special assumptions (one of which* is very safely that not only are adventurers the only ones who regularly find magic, they may be the only "adventurers" in your campaign to find magic at that moment, too.)

In actual play my players have figured out that any item they seek to make has a cost and a quest attached. This is fodder for future games, but has only been acted on a few times now. They've also figured out that selling a magic item is a bigger deal than just selling regular stuff; they don't just dispose of a magic item of note, they need to find a buyer with the money, and the haggling rules in the DMG facilitate that process. In one game I let players have some say (4E style) on what they found in a loot horde. It was a HUGE mistake as it turns out. 5E does not work well with "player agency" in loot acquisition like 4E did (I'm eyeballing that Staff of the Magi you've got Jeff!!!)

As GM, being able to assert that there is no local magic item economy (except if the players dig hard to find someone locally who might have a lone item or two to sell, or at best a potion or scroll shop run by the local mage's guild) has been not just liberating but shockingly effective at removing what has long been a Big White Elephant in the room for the last 15 years of 3rd edition: the demystification of magic items as a unique treasure, instead being treated as a commodity that you buy and sell like anything else. Now they are rare, valuable, and not something you can just buy....even if you do sell them; and so valuable that just like other exceedingly rare and covetous items in the market today, once you've sold it the chances of getting it back are insidiously hard.

The magic item selling rules on page 130 in the DMG really encourage the thought that the "base price" in the book is a mechanical base price.....that the actual price of magic in value is less than the stated price on average, and only occasionally worth more. I'm no economist (it should be obvious) but to me this helps emphasize that in 5E a little gold goes a lot further than it does in prior editions. It also suggests that if selling magic items is happening a lot in your game (which lower value seems to me is a way to discourage such.....or at least prevent the sale of such from being a means of gaining quick cash) then maybe you're handing them out too often.

Items selling at a devalued worth is contradictory to items being rare and coveted enough that no market exists because they are "too valuable" to those who own them. It implies an entirely different market out there: pawns. I think back to my youth when after my first marriage ended I needed money and went to pawn my wedding ring. It was worth (by sale price) like $1000 but the pawn shop offered me $30. Wake-up call on gold value in jewelry! Maybe the devaluing of magic items comes from the fact that since no one in 5E land knows the average value of such items...or their use....then the sale of such goods is severely devalued? Or just as likely even if they are known to have value, no one actually has much coin (a shockingly realistic moment in D&D coinage and economics, I admit) to buy them with, such that the only sales of such rarities always come from suspicious fellows, noblemen with money to burn and weird wizards who'd rather get you to quest for them anyway?

Imagine if attunement was only possible for characters with a level in a class, or some training? Not in the rules, but it makes sense to me that average merchants and commoners would lack this talent to use such items, rending them mostly ordinary.

Heck, imagine if every time you attuned to an item there was a 5% chance the item lost its power? And that increased by 5% each time it was re-attuned. Not a 5E rule, but it would really clarify why magic item trading and selling was rare.

For that matter: the 3 item attunement limit really does put a crimp on use and need, anyway. Think for a moment what our world would be like if each person was assigned exactly 3 power sockets for their entire life, and power-strips/surge protectors did not exist. We'd save money, that's for sure....and the competition of the market to get you to buy their amazing all-in-one appliance would be great, I imagine.

If you look at the starting equipment at different levels of play (and magic) in a campaign on the DMG, page 38 it's interesting to note that a 17th to 20th level character in a standard campaign has only 2 uncommon magic items and 1 rare magic item. That's pretty stingy by...say...Pathfinder rules. Even with the starting GP it is unlikely that the PC could afford another rare item if the GM allowed the purchase of such. This tells me that in 5E's realms where characters can only attune to 3 items, it is entirely possible that you could adventure for 20 levels and only ever find 2-3 items to attune to....and possibly never even find opportunity to swap out. That's extremely different from 3.5/PF assumptions which had a mechanically forced magic-item churn economy.



*two others would be: clear rules and guidelines on how and when magic items lose their power, and the most important of all: how many magic items are actually out there, and how many actual artificers are there? Set these sliders really high and you have Eberron. Set them really low and you have what I think is standard for 5E now.

The Even Dirtier, Simpler Monster Conversion Method for Swords & Wizardry to Dungeons & Dragons 5E (playtest update)

Playtest Update #1: I am revising how to do quick and dirty hit points based on my playtest experiences tonight.

As I was mulling over my recent Swords & Wizardry Complete acquisitions it occurred to me that at its core there is a single on-the-fly method to use S&W stat blocks with minimal or...seriously...almost no "real" conversion at all in D&D 5E. In fact most of the conversion work would be in guesstimating DCs for saves and skill/ability checks; the stat blocks themselves can be used with some simple rules in place for quick on-the-fly numeric conversion. The new method below will work with any 1st edition stat block as well, and I think is a bit cleaner than my prior system for conversion.

Here are my conversion method suggestions so far:

Preamble: before converting something in a S&W Complete tome from Frog God make sure they didn't do it already in Fifth Edition Foes; and remember a significant number of the creatures in Monstrosities are already in the 5E MM.

1. Hit Dice
I've mentioned in a prior conversion that you could figure "5E HPs" by looking at the hit dice of the monster and comparing that to the equivalent CR on the table on page 274 in the 5E DMG; there's a simpler formula that gets a good approximation:

The Dirt Simple Hit Point Method: Roll HD as normal (or figure from an average; usually 4.5) and multiply by 4. This will generate a wider range on the hit dice and avoid uniformity. You should still roll regular hit dice for humanoids (like humans and elves) that normally progress with levels, however. PLAYTEST UPDATE: I didn't like the hit points this way in tonight's game, and have revised this to work as follows: use regular hit dice rolls for level/class based humanoids. Take the hit dice, roll or multiply by the average (4.5) and then multiply by 2 otherwise (shortcut: take HD and multiply by 9). X4 is a lot of hit points...do not use unless you want to challenge the party, or have a lot of high damage dealers in the group.

2. Armor Class:
S&W's armor classes include an ascending scale that is very close to what 5E uses....you rarely see S&W ascending ACs that are higher than what you normally see in 5E. If you're using a non-S&W stat block for conversion, or a module for S&W that uses descending AC, remember the formula: subtract descending AC from 20 for 5E AC.

3. Saves: 
On the saves, I think you could give S&W conversions a bit of oomph and also simplify your math by dividing HD by 3 and rounding down; apply this modifier to any saves the creature makes in lieu of determing attributes. If the creature has a noteworthy stat mentioned in its description, apply a +3 or +4 bonus for that stat's saves only.

4. Attack Rolls: 
There are a few ways to do this, neither is any better than the other, but I settled on the following because it is easiest to do on the fly:

The Dirt Simple Attack Bonus Generator: use the HD as the attack bonus. This may mean the monster is 1-2 points higher on average (or lower) than the option one conversion, but it works just fine and is going to give you a range that will be level appropriate or even superior to other monsters without being out of bounds. Bump this up by +2 if the creature is noted for exceptional strength (or dexterity if ranged or finesse) on specific applicable attacks.

5. Initiative Bonus:
In 5E very few monsters have an initiative modifier beyond Dex. My suggestion is divide HD by 3 (round down) and provide as the init mod/Dex mod. If the creature has a noteworthy Dex, use the mod you settle on instead.

6. Damage:
I have worked out three methods, but personally default to the preferred version:

The Preferred Quick and Dirty On the Fly Damage Conversion: add the hit die number to each damage set rolled. So a 5 HD beast with 3 attacks dealing 1D4/1D6/1D6 (average damage 9.5) now deals 1D4+5/1D6+5/1D6+5 (average damage 24.5). If you want a really tough boss monster then add double the HD to each damage roll.

If you compare the above to our HD determination method, to use the example a 5 HD monster has 90 hit points (average) on conversion....going by the DMG chart on page 274 that means it's average damage expression is around 15-20, so we're higher than the average for defense CR right now, which is just fine, I assure you.

Option 1-The Extra Dice Method: treat hit dice as extra damage dice instead. Add those damage dice evenly as multples to the existing attacks. So in the case above with three attacks dealing 1D4/1D6/1D6 from a 5 HD monster, you have 5 extra damage dice to deal: adding it evenly works out as follows: 2D4/3D6/3D6 (for average damage of 24); you can fudge it to make attack expressions line up properly (in this case we assume the D6 attacks are claws so they'd be equal).

Option 2-The Extra Deadly Straight Multiplier Method: if you want the monster to be a terrifying threat, do this. Just multiply the damage rolled by the hit dice of the monster. It's up to you if you multiply any adds, but strictly by the 5E rules you shouldn't. So a 5HD monster with  1D4/1D6/1D6 expression in this gets a damage average of 47.5....yowza!!!! but it does make the monster hit much tougher.

7. Save DCs
Just use this formula for a good average: 8+HD=Save DC. Maybe give it +2 if it has exceptional ability of note in the stat that fits any spell casting ability. If the creature has more than 10 HD then increase the Save DC by 1 for ever 5 additional HD after that (i.e. HD 11-15 = DC 19; HD 16-20 = DC 20, etc.)

8. Converting Save or Die Effects:
For save or die effects, to convert to 5E I suggest the following: figure the damage type (i.e. necrotic or poison), then change it to a save vs. DC against appropriate stat from step 7 above. Then have the attack deal dice of damage of that type equal to the HD or the monster, using D8 (or higher if it seems appropriate). Problem solved. EX: A 7 hit die creature has save vs. poison or die. Convert this into a Save vs. Con DC 15 or take 7D8 poison damage (or 1/2 on successful save). Convert other effects precisely, but maybe add a save after 1/0th of the time has passed for the effect to shake it off. EX: save vs. paralysis or become paralyzed for 1 hour. Allow a save to recover after 6 minutes. Another example: creature does a paralysis for 1 minute, so let the victim save after 1 round.

A little secret: this is going to be a houserule for my upcoming S&W Complete game; I never liked save-or-die even in the 80's, so all save or die effects in my games will deal damage equal to the hit dice instead.

9. Magic Resistance:
You can use the percentage as-is, or just subsitute the 5E standard magic resistance. I do the latter (easier) but either method is fine. Feel free to beef up resistances and immunities on the creature if it looks like it could use some.

10. Converting "hit only by magic weapons:"
In 5E this is always resistance against normal damage, but silvered/magic weapons bypass.

11. Level Drain
Convert that into 5E's "reduced hit point maximum" rule with Save DCs vs. constitution.

12. Movement: 
Divide by 4 and multiply that result by 10 feet for movement.

13. Everything Else:
When you're done, you might see something that makes less sense in 5E without it. For example, MR is a big deal in S&W Complete, but not as much in 5E....a lot of creatures that used to be highly magic resistant now express that through additional resistance/immunity in 5E, so feel free to beef defenses up if needed.

12. Pulling it All Together: The Cheat Sheet
Here's my "preferred list" cheat sheet for conversion. Print it out and stick it inside Monstrosities and Tome of Horrors Complete....congratulation, you've just doubled (or tripled) your monster options for 5E.

THE QUICK AND DIRTY S&W to 5E CONVERSION CHEAT SHEET:

• Size: medium, unless text suggests a larger or smaller creature.
• Hit Dice: Take HD number and multiply by 9. Roll HD as normal (figure a Con mod) for level/class based humanoids.
• Armor Class: use the ascending AC as is.
• Initiative: divide HD by 3 and round down for init mod/Dex mod.
• Save Modifier: use HD as CR to look up save bonus; for quick conversion divide by 3 and round down.
• Attack Bonus: use the hit die as attack bonus (so 5 HD = +5 attack).
• Damage: add HD as a bonus to damage to each damage roll; for boss monsters double the bonus.
• Save DC: 8+HD=save DC. Add +2 if it's a spell casting monster or boss monster.
• Movement: divide by 4 (round up) and then multiply by 10 feet
• Convert Abilities/Save or Die Effects: use the force to guide you; for save or die deal damage of appropriate type equal to HD in damage of monster (with save for half). Convert MR to 5E, and magic weapon immunity to 5E resistance.
• Challenge Rating: calculate it using the 5E DMG or just make it equal to HD

Here's a link to the Cheat Sheet

Done!

Challenge Rating
Now, calculating the CR....this is obviously easy enough to do with the final conversion averages, using the rules on page 274-277 of the DMG, and good to try out since it will give you an idea of what converted S&W monsters look like in 5E under this method. If you are rushed (doing a conversion on the fly) but use the cheat sheet version above, just look up CR by hit die and call it a day.

Sample Conversions:

Malcarna (from Monstrosities, page 313)
Chaotic Evil large fiend
CR 6 (2,300 XP)
Hit Points: 45
Init Mod: +4
Defenses:
Armor Class: 16 (natural plus shield)
Magic Resistance: rolls advantage on saves vs. magic
Resistance: fire, only magic or silvered weapons do regular damage
Immunity: charming, banishment
Saves: +2 on all saves; +6 Charisma
Attacks: 
Multiattack: 1 tail plus 3 weapon attacks
Tail Attack +5 to hit (reach 10 feet, 1 target) 1D8+5 bludgeoning damage
3 long swords +5 to hit (reach 5 feet, 1 target each) 1D8+5 slashing damage each
Movement: 30 feet
Hideous Beauty: targets must make a Wisdom save DC 13 to even attempt to hit a malcarna. Creatures of level 4 (or HD 4) or less roll at disadvantage to this save.
A hideous four-armed snake-tailed demon reminiscent of the Marilith, a half-demon often born of Marilith and mortal relations. 

Spire Monkey (from Monstrosities, page 456)
Unaligned small beast
CR 1/2 (100 XP)
Hit Points: 18
Init Mod: +0
Defenses:
Armor Class: 12
Saves: +0 on all saves; +4 Dexterity
Attacks: 
Multiattack: 3 claw attacks
claws +2 to hit (reach 5 feet, 1 target each) 1D3+2 slashing damage each
Movement: 40 feet (both normal and climbing speed)
Spire Monkeys are two-headed, six-armed little simians that live on rooftops and trees. 

Xole (Monstrosities, page 520)
Chaotic Evil medium elemental 
CR 6 (2,300 XP)
Hit Points: 91
Init Mod: +2
Defenses:
Armor Class: 17
Immunity: fire, cold
Saves: +2 to all
Attacks:
Multiattack: 2 (weapon and tail)
Stone Mace +7 to hit (5 foot reach, 1 target) 1D10+12 bludgeoning damage
Tail Swipe +7 to hit 10 foot reach, 1 target) 2D6+7 bludgeoning damage
Movement: 30 foot (earth-phasing or regular)
Earth-Phasing: xole move through earth in a semi-incorporeal state. It takes 1 movement action to begin the process, then they move normally.
Evil Elementals: Xole are evil and can be affected by protection from evil.
Elemental Mace: the mace can only be lifted/wielded by elementals of stone and earth.
Xole are similar to salamanders, but native to the plane of elemental earth; 7 foot long humanoid torsoes and 10 foot long tails.

Cinder Ghoul (Tome of Horrors Complete S&W version, Page 270)
Chaotic Evil medium undead
CR 5 (1,800 XP)
Hit Points: 54
Init Mod: +2
Defenses:
Armor Class: 15
Immunity: necrotic, fire, psychic, poison, disease, does not breathe
Saves: +2 to all
Attacks:
Slam +6 to hit  foot reach, 1 target) 1D8+6 necrotic damage plus 1D6+6 fire damage plus target must make a Save DC 14 vs. Constitution or it's hit point maximum is reduced by the necrotic damage dealt and can't be regained until after a successful save at the end of a long rest. If the target is reduced to 0 HP on its maximum it dies (and probably comes back as a cinder ghoul).
Movement: 30 feet flying
This ghost-like monster of ashes and charred body parts is a terror to behold.

(Conversion Note: the ToH stat block doesn't mention fire immunity but...come on, it's gotta have it; the rest are implied for 5E undead immunities)

Barking Alien's What are you good at? GM Challenge!

Barking Alien posited a list of questions for GMs, and I shall answer the challenge. The questions (and answers for me) are:

What genres, settings or games in general do you GM best? Which do you think totally rock?

Top Five:

Dungeons & Dragons - It sort of goes without saying...

Basic Roleplaying - I don't run this as often as I'd like, but every game is memorable.

GURPS Horror - I've used GURPS for some really strange horror games.

GURPS Space (not often, but always an experience when I do)

DC Heroes (MEGS edition) RPG - may never happen again, but still the best campaign and system I ever ran in the 90's.

Which games could you use work on? That is, if your group wants to play one of these games, you yourself would probably recommend different GM.

Bottom Three:

World of Darkness - I can't abide the core conceit of this universe, and would do it no justice. My version of this universe ends with a stake in the heart or silver bullet of every vampire and lycanthrope.

FATE (any version) - I spent a long time trying to discern how it worked, and when FATE Core came along I finally figured it out and was severely underwhelmed. An RPG for a different breed of gamer.

Hero System - despite owning all of it and being endlessly intrigued the actual process of pulling the trigger on this monstrosity is beyond me. My one attempt to run a Space Hero campaign was thwarted by my players who much preferred GURPS anyway.

What elements of gamemastering do you do best? What aspects do you nail more often than not?

Top Five:

World Building - d'uh.

Descriptive narration - I have been accused of making every orc's death meaningful and every chamber pot interesting.

Player Accomplishment - it's more art than science but I think I've got a generally harmonious balance between "difficulty of the job" and "wow we pulled this off" in my games, such that the players do feel genuinely rewarded when they figure stuff out. This is why I never really understand the core conceit of a system like Gumshoe...it's for GMs who don't know how to get what's needed to the players, basically.

Consistency - I show up 99% of the time every wednesday or try to make sure there is a sub GM if I can't make it. (Less consistent on Saturdays, but gotta slack somewhere!) Honestly, if you like this hobby, the best way to engage with it is to find a spot where you guarantee you will be present and running a game for 4-5 hours a week, every time. People will show, and soon you will have a loyal gang of players who appreciate you.

Agency - I work hard to imbue players with sense of agency and reinforce it. This makes everyone much more invested in the experience.

Which elements are still a work in progress? Name some things that you don't do as well as you like.

Bottom Three:

Keeping the Party Together - I am great at providing incentive for them to split up, terrible at getting them back together. Even when I use death as a motivator.

Wandering Eye - I sometimes get horribly distracted by whatever fancy thing is attracting me at the moment, which takes time away from whatever game I should be prepping for. This blog is almost like a clinical diagnosis of what my wife calls my "gamer ADD."

Love D&D Too Much - I really would like to run more space, horror, zombie apocalypse and planetary romance genre games, but D&D is just too seductive for me to escape. Even when I am feeling burnt out and need a break, I can't escape!

D&D 5E Saturday Creature Factory: Korozonti (Lightning Men)

Korozonti (Lighting Men)

CR 8 (3,900 XP)

LN medium celestial outsider

Initiative +9 (improved)

DEFENSE

AC 19 (natural armor plus dexterity)

HP 77 (14D8+14)

Resistance: thunder, acid

Immunity: lighting, fire

Special: cold damage heals krozonti and doubles their movement for one round

OFFENSE

Speed 30 feet, 60 feet flying

Multiattack Korozonti are literally lightning quick. They may strike three times with any combination of fist, weapon or lightning strike attacks each round.

Melee Attack – Fist +9 to hit (reach 5 ft, one target), 1D8+5 bludgeoning damage and 3D8 lighting damage

Melee Attack – Lighting Whip +9 to hit (15 foot reach, one target), 2D4+5 slashing damage and 3D8 lighting damage plus target is knocked prone if it fails a DC 17 Dexterity Save.

Ranged Attack – Lighting Blast (Recharge 5, 6) (120 foot range, all targets in line of effect) targets in line of effect must make a save vs. Dexterity DC 17 or take 12D8 lightning damage; success means ½ damage.

Reaction – Lightning Shield (Recharge 6); Korozonti can evoke a wall of lightning and force that grants resistance against the attack that prompted the reaction.

Statistics

STR 14 (+2), DEX 20 (+5), CON 12 (+1), INT 18 (+4), WIS 14 (+2), CHA 12 (+1)

Languages: common, primordial, Korozonti

Senses: blindsight, Perception +6 (passive 16)

Skills: Arcana +8, Insight +6

TRAITS

Lighting Magic: Korozonti are often encountered with levels of storm sorcerer, and korozont wizards and druids favor storm and lighting magic.

Superconductive: cold damage actually heals a Korozont and doubles their movement until the end of their next round in which the cold damage is dealt.  They become “hyperconductive.”

Blindsight: Korozont can actually “see” in other spectra of light and as such invisible creatures are plainly visible to them, due to infrared radiation and other waves of light the body works in. This gives them functional “sight distance” blindsight.

Korozonti are a race of lighting elemental humanoids that migrate through the planes. Though they are identifiably native to the Elemental Chaos, they have been found far and wide, usually in the service of lawful, neutral and good deities and their servants. A large enclave exists in the Outlands in a dominion called Peace, where it is said the demiurge of peace (known as an obscure primordial called Saedra’hadal in the Anansic language) exists. This demiurge is allegedly a benevolent being of light and purity, served by a host of dedicated seraphim, the city of Kamaskos in which the Korozonti reside, and other celestial beings.

Korozonti physically look like men of glass and mirror surrounded by lighting. They usually wear cloaks and robes to disguise the bulk of their form. Merely touching a korozont can cause 3D8 lighting damage unless they will themselves “harmless” so the need for thick robes and gloves when moving in crowds is evident. Korozont robes are distinct, in that they seem to negate static charge, creating an insulating effect; normally a korozont in regular clothes will rapidly build up a charge and accidentally release a lighting blast within 1D10 minutes of moving about, half that in a dry and arid environment.

Korozonti are dedicated to philosophical pursuits of truth and knowledge. They are prone to following whatever power they meet in the planes that promises this, and are known to occasionally be duped into following evil beings.

Optional Trait: Lightning Movement

Some korozonti are so proficient at their form of lightning that they can move with near instantaneous speed from one location to another. This ability may be used once per day, and allow them to arrive literally "like a bolt from the blue" at another location within 1,000 miles. This arrival is impossible to disguise, with a thunderclap and lighting strike. In the event a target is standing at ground zero (by accident or design) he or she must make a DC DC 17 Dexterity save or take 4D8 thunder and 4D8 lighting damage and be knocked prone adjacent to the point the korozont arrives.

Demiurges of Chirak: Milina, Daughter of the Betrayer

Doing lots of work on the 2nd edition Realms of Chirak when I'm not being distracted by my S&W retool of Sarvaelen. Here's a write-up on the demigoddess Milina....for those of you not familiar with Chirak's divinities, the short version is: the pantheon of gods died in an apocalypse, and the only "divine" figures in the world of Chirak today are aspiring mortals who have found one of the surviving Zodiac Stones that contain the divine essence of the fallen gods, and seek to unlock the secrets within which will grant them true godhood. 

Milina

Milina is the daughter of Minhauros, and she at once loved and hated him. Milina holds a shard of the Taurus Stone which carries her down the path of the demiurge, and she is now the sole keeper of the essence of the stone (the remainder is kept on the Isle Outside of Time). She was always opposed to Minhauros, yet was his unwitting pawn on more than one occasion, including leading Mardieur Mardieux to Minhauros' rotting corpse where he was ambushed and murdered (long story), and Minhauros’s cultists then imbued the vestige spirit of the dead god into Mardieur’s body with the power of the Taurus Stone. It was with this action that Minhauros returned, the first true god to walk the lands of Chirak in twenty-six hundred years, and once again began his bid for world domination and resurrection.

Milina was discharged of whatever unknown pact she held with her father after his resurrection, and after his subsequent death three years later during the Siege of Barcen she disappeared. Milina now wanders the Realms of Chirak seeking enlightenment and the means to heal the corruption Minhauros wrought through the essence of the Taurus Stone. She has discovered that this is an onerous task, for she seems to be cursed with a taint of chaos due to her father’s nature; she finds it difficult to do good without also sewing discord in her wake.

Though Milina seeks to heal the corruption of the Taurus Stone as its avatar, she wrestles constantly with the evil that she inherited from her father. This perpetual struggle has manifested on more than one occasion as she is compelled to do great harm, then work to make amends.

Milina’s cult is small, and her following does not seek many followers due to the reluctance of the goddess to grow her own cult. Her priests who have met directly with her realize that she fears that the curse she labors under with the stone will also transform her cultists, but the wisest priests of her flock point out that this may be a necessary process; that her destiny may be to carry an aspect of both order and chaos within her, perhaps for a very long time until the spiritual taint of Minhauros is at last lifted from the Taurus Stone.

Milina’s shrines and temples can be found in secretive locations throughout the Kaldinian Isles where the lawless descendents of the Sea Kings find her quite popular. She has also found popularity along the western shores of Grelmaine and even in the murky lands of Xaxican; she is regarded as one of the 113 demon gods by the Xoxtocharit, which irritates her to no end, especially when a Xoxtocharit priest uses a summoning ritual on her; Milina’s demon taint from her father is enough for her to feel the compulsion of the summoning.

Milina’s three largest temples can be found in Westgate, the Freeport nominally allied with Espanea, where a fierce band of expatriates continue to worship her and some even still worship Minhauros. Another temple is said to be found deep in the mountainous lands of Masiria, and a final great temple is said to lurk somewhere in the far east, where the Skeledani Nomads rule. That temple is said to have once belonged to Minhauros, but a prominent gnoll shaman had a vision of the god’s demise and quickly converted his entire flock to the worship of Milina.

Milina’s Cult in Dungeons & Dragons 5E:

Followers: Milina’s doomed nature as a demiurge of chaos who tries to become a lord of order attracts the attention of those with a torn or dualistic nature, perhaps those who have a desire for authority but a tendency toward anarchy. She is especially prone to gaining the attention of hermits and madmen who for some reason, often trying to commune with her. Her total cult following among humanoids is believed to be somewhere around 2,000 strong, but it is more than ten times that when you factor in monstrous denizens such as gnolls, ogres and minotaurs.

Profile: Milina’s cultists gain access to the trickery domain.

Alignment: Milina’s actual alignment is chaotic neutral with good tendencies. Milina’s outward conduct confuses many as she appears to be neutral good (and any detection spells will indicate such). The reason for her strange alignment issues is that the Taurus Stone itself is still heavily corrupted by Minhauros’s use and radiates a chaotic evil effect on her spirit and those around her.

Cultist Alignments: Milina’s cult tends toward chaotic neutral to evil in the east, neutral evil to neutral good in the Kaldinian Isles and is all over the place in the west, though the cultists in Westgate fall firmly on the neutral evil side. She has a handful of clerics who have embraced her duality and who are actually neutral good or chaotic good. These clerics and followers tend to be the ones who have the greatest empathy for her plight of nature.

Armament of the Demigoddess: clerics of the demigoddess favor short blades (shortsword, dagger) and shortbows as these are seen as iconic of the goddess.

Current Location:

Milina travels the planes easily, and has even been spotted in the City of Doors itself. Since divine powers are not ostensibly allowed in the City of Doors there is some suspicion that she actually parts with her zodiac stone, leaving it hidden in the mortal plane of Chirak for a time.

Milina was last sighted in the region of Shaddizhar, near Arenjun, and it is believed she was investigating the enigma of the “forgotten god” cult that manifested in that region. That was four years ago. There is a rumor that she may currently be somewhere in the region of Xaxican, traveling with a Preservationist named Ascalar who has been writing a biography on her life. This rumor comes from a Grelmanic captain named Esvaradio who claims to have carried them northward on his ship, the Unfettered Pennance just a few months prior.

Stats: 

Milina, Daugher of Minhauros

CR 25 (75,000 XP)

NE medium demigod (planetouched immortal)

Initiative +11

DEFENSE

AC 20 (dexterity plus permanent mage armor)

HP 600 (70D8+280)

Resistance: cold, thunder, lightning, psychic, poison and necrotic (and normal piercing, bludgeoning and slashing weapon attacks if stoneskin is active)

Immunity: fire, disease, fatigue and all damage from slashing, piercing and bludgeoning weapons of a non-magical source

Special: Magic Resistance, rolls advantage on Consitution Saves

OFFENSE

Speed 30 feet

Multiattack Milina may make six shortsword attacks per round or up to six short bow attacks per round.

Melee Attack – shortsword (enchanted +3 Flaming) +16 to hit (reach 5 ft vs. one target), 1D6+10 slashing damage and 4D12 fire damage per strike. Milina deals an additional 2D6 slashing damage against targets she has advantage against.

Ranged Attack – Shortbow (enchanted +3 fiery) +16 to hit (60/120 range vs. one target), 1D6+10 piercing damage and 4D12 fire damage per arrow.

Reaction – Planestep (recharge 5-6); as a reaction Milina may planestep as a teleport reaction up to 60 feet in any direction.  

Statistics

STR 14 (+2), DEX 24 (+7), CON 18 (+4), INT 20 (+5), WIS 22 (+6), CHA 24 (+7)

Saves: strength +8, Dexterity +13, Constitution +10, Intelligence +11, Wisdom +12, Charisma +13

Languages: Espanean (common), Old Mythric, primordial, abyssal, infernal, elvish, Nithiadian, Mercurian, Syrgian, Grelmanic, Xaxicani, Xoxtocharit, Sabiri, gnomish, dwarvish, ignan

Senses: darkvision

Skills: Arcana +11, History +11, Insight +12, Religion +11, Stealth +13, Deception +13, Intimidation +13

TRAITS

Master Evoker: Milina is a 20^th level Evoker and has access to all spells from levels 1 through 9. Milina’s spellcasting ability is at +13 attack and Save DC 21; she has access to empowered evocation and overcharge. Her memorized array of spells typically include:

Cantrips: blade ward, fire bolt, mage hand, mending, true strike

1^st:  (4/day) burning hands, magic missile, protection from evil and good, Tasha’s hideous laughter, unseen servant

2^nd: (3/day) alter self, charm person, blur, cloud of dagger, detect thoughts, scorching ray

3^rd: (3/day) bestow curse, counterspell, fireball, fly, tongues

4^th: (3/day) fire shield, greater invisibility, stone shape, wall of fire

5^th: (3/day) creation, scrying, wall of stone

6^th: (2/day) eyebite, flesh to stone, move earth

7^th: (2/day) delayed blast fireball, plane shift, teleport

8^th: (1/day) demiplane, incendiary cloud

9^th: (1/day) meteor swarm

Cautious Demiurge: Milina has cast the clone spell to insure her longevity, restoring her in a grotto on a remote Kaldinian island. She will seek out her slayers with a vengeance, and to restore her ownership of the Taurus Stone shard.

Bond of the Taurus Stone: Milina has held possession of the Taurus Stone shard for centuries now, possibly much longer (her age as well as whether she is a direct daughter of Minhauros is sometimes called into question). She can sense the presence of the stone, either her own shard if it is taken or any other shard of the Taurus Stone’s precise direction/location so long as it is on the material plane.

Shard of the Taurus Stone (unique, requires attunement): this divine artifact grants Milina the following traits. The stone is embedded in her chest and can only be removed by force when she is reduced to zero hit points or otherwise rendered helpless. Each of the  following powers becomes unusable if the stone is taken from Milina, but only those with a * after the title are initially available to a newly attuned user. The stone’s powers include:

Demiurge Saving Throw Bonus:* the Taurus stone lets Milina roll advantage on all Constitution saves. She gains her proficiency score on all attribute saves.

Magic Resistance: Milina rolls with advantage on all magic saves.

Stoneskin:* the bearer of the Taurus Stone may invoke stoneskin; this ability is restored with a short rest.
Ageless:* while bearing the stone the user does not age.

Fire Immunity: the bearer of the stone gains immunity to fire damage.

Spell Restoration:* once per day the bearer of the stone may recover one spell slot as a bonus action. If the bearer does not have any spellcasting ability then the bearer gains the ability to cast burning hands that may be cast once at his or her level of ability with intelligence as the magic attribute.

Legendary Spell Mastery of the Demiurge (recharge 5-6): at the end of a target’s turn the stone-bearer may invoke one of the following spells as a legendary action at 20^th level of effect (+13 attack, DC 21): flesh to stone, wall of stone, wall of fire, fireball, disintegrate, meteor swarm, shapechange, incendiary cloud.

Equipment: +3 enchanted fiery shortbow, +3 flaming shortsword, Taurus Stone shard, additional random treasure, usually some cash (250 PP and  a pouch of 3D6 gems worth 1D10X50 GP each), component pouch, a traveling spell book.