Lover's Leap

In time for leap day!

Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 2, Brd 1
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: 1 min./level (D)
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell enables the target to jump over obstacles (including the air itself) when on quests of passion. The subject gets a +10 enhancement bonus on Jump checks for each Passion point spent by the caster at casting time. The enhancement bonus increases to +20 per Passion point at caster level 5th, and to +30 per Passion point at caster level 9th. For bards, this spell's duration can be extended by singing the letter to music.

Material Component

A love letter to the caster, which can be reused for a full year after it is written, as long as the sentiment holds true. The verbal component is the reading of a key passage from the letter.

Gil Devine

Gil has traveled around certain locations within the Republic of Esrun, often finding the need to leave the city under questionable circumstances. Luckily for her, her adventuresome spirit is always looking for a new place in which to venture, so this suits her.

Gil is a liar and a cheat, and that's why so many men like her. She is as aggressive a person as you'll ever meet, but not always (in fact, rarely) to your benefit. Unless you're on her good side, she'll leave you with a lighter purse at every encounter. And she rarely lets anyone onto her good side. It's a matter of survival, you know?

Her favorite activity is employing forgery and disguise to her benefit, but she'll settle for a good old fashioned pickpocketing anyday!

Gil Devine
Medium-size Female Human
Rogue 4
Hit Dice: (4d6)
Hit Points: 19
Initiative: +5
Speed: Walk 30 ft.
AC: 17 (flatfooted 17, touch 15)
Attacks: *Sword +1 (Short) +6; ;
Damage: *Sword +1 (Short) 1d6+3; ;
Vision:
Face / Reach: 5 ft. / 5 ft.
Special Qualities: Evasion (Ex), Sneak Attack +2d6, Trap Sense (Ex) +1, Trapfinding, Uncanny Dodge (Dex bonus to AC)
Saves: Fortitude: +1, Reflex: +9, Will: +3
Abilities: STR 14 (+2), DEX 20 (+5), CON 11 (+0), INT 11 (+0), WIS 14 (+2), CHA 12 (+1)
Skills: Appraise 3; Balance 14; Bluff 8; Climb 4; Concentration 0; Craft (Untrained) 0; Decipher Script 1; Diplomacy 4; Disguise 8; Escape Artist 5; Forgery 9; Gather Information 1; Heal 2; Hide 11; Intimidate 3; Jump 4; Listen 2; Move Silently 9; Ride 5; Search 1; Sense Motive 4; Sleight of Hand 16; Spot 2; Survival 2; Swim 2; Tumble 10; Use Magic Device 5;
Feats: Armor Proficiency (Light), Deceitful, Deft Hands, Nimble Fingers, Simple Weapon Proficiency
Challenge Rating: 4
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Possessions: Gloves of Dexterity +2; Leather; Sword +1 (Short);

Fringilla Monk

The Fringilla monks are acclaimed vintners who live in the isolated hilltop monastery Kloster Finch in Ettal Valley among the birds and their alchemical concoctions. In addition, they are mixologists that excel at making potions that bring joy and a mellow state in the populace. Through these concoctions, the people of the nearby towns of Garlston and Harlsbridge have come to appreciate and even revere the monks over the past twenty or more years.

However, more recently, the hills have grown more wild, ettins and ogres finding their way into the countryside, and the monks have modified their mixes with an aim toward incapacitating these foes. These once-peaceful monks have also been forced to take up martial arts in recent years in response to these external pressures. They combine tai chi with judo to embody a form of martial discipline that uses their attackers' momentum against them, a technique which they have now begun to train the people of Garlston in.

Their brotherhood has grown so fast that they have begun construction of a new wing of the monastery. This has not been without a certain amount of political upheaval, as many of these new brothers are still naive to the more spiritual practices of the brotherhood. As such, a distinct caste-like structure has developed as a hierarchy within the brotherhood, with the elder monks enjoying some hypocritical leisure time while the young recruits learn their discipline.

A typical Fringilla monk has a high strength and a high dexterity and is spiritually aware. Many of the monks are privy to the highly specialized alchemy employed in the monastery, so they will have the brew potion feat, for which they only pay half the cost of normal brewing costs, since they pay the difference with their penance. In addition, all the monks know their fringilla style martial art, which provides a +1 to their base attacks, and another +1 if more than one monk engages a single foe.

Zuggtmoy's Gift

This little guy just got done being slain by my players at the top of the Black Spike in the Temple of All-Consumption. Since the Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil didn't include the stats for this 20HD mushroom, I thought I'd write them up and share them with you. Enjoy!

Advanced Violet Fungus CR: 11
Neutral Evil Huge Plant
Initiative: -3

Armor Class: 20 (-3 Dex, +15 natural, -2 size), touch 5, flat-footed 25
HP 238 (HD: 20d8+140)
Saves: Fort +19, Ref +3, Will +6

Speed: 10 ft. (2 squares)
Attack: Tentacle +25 melee (1d6+10 plus poison)
Full Attack: 4 tentacles +25 melee (1d6+10 plus poison)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./20 ft.
Base Attack/Grapple:+15 / +33

Special Attacks: Poison
Special Qualities:Low-light vision, plant traits

Abilities: Str 30, Dex 4, Con 24, Int Ø, Wis 11, Cha 9

Environment: Underground
Organization: Solitary

Treasure: None


Combat

A violet fungus flails about with its tentacles at living creatures that come within its reach.

Poison (Ex) Injury, Fortitude DC 27, initial and secondary damage 1d8 Str and 1d8 Con. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Passion

This variant rule has the DM keep track of the passion of the characters, enabling the DM to introduce quests of passion into the campaign. From these characters earn passion points which can then be used to modify rolls and to improve the likelihood of successful negotiations in certain contexts, for instance when seducing lovers, sweet-talking captors, or rallying troops.

Try passion out in your games, along with fame, infamy, fear, and other traits, and see how it livens up the experience, providing role-playing prompts and entry points when players feel somewhat distanced from their characters, or too wrapped up in the standard rules.

Withering Grasp

With a touch, the caster permanently withers an opponent's limb.

Necromancy
Level: Cleric 5, Sorcerer/Wizard 5, Corruption 4
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: permanent
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

With a magic phrase, your hand glows with dim red energy. Grasping your foe's arm, all his strength leaves him and he drops his weapon, his once-mighty limb withering away.

This spell permanently withers the touched limb. On a successful melee touch attack, a random limb is crippled and useless and the victim suffers 2d6 points of damage. Depending on what limb is withered, this spell has different effects.

Crippling a leg causes the opponent to fall down unless they make a DC 15 balance check, and halves their land speed. Furthermore, moving on only one leg requires a DC 10 balance check.

Crippling an arm, tentacle, or other grasping limb causes anything held with that arm to be dropped, and prevents it's use. Full-body strength checks suffer a -4 penalty, as do grapple checks.

Crippling a wing prevents flight and causes an airborne creature to fall from the sky.

If they wish, the caster can attempt to cripple a specific limb. This type of "called shot" suffers a -4 penalty to the melee touch attack.

As this spell instantaneously destroys use of the limb, heal, restoration, regeneration, or similarly powerful healing magic of at least 5th level must be used to restore use of the crippled limb.

As this spell only requires verbal components, it is often used in close quarters and when wrestling desperately with opponents.

Crippling Grasp

Necromancy
Level: Cleric 3, Sorcerer/Wizard 3, Corruption 2
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: 1 rd / level
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

With a magic phrase, your hand glows with dim red energy. Grasping your foe's arm, all his strength leaves him and he drops his weapon, his once-mighty limb now useless.

This spell cripples the touched limb. On a successful melee touch attack, a random limb is crippled. Depending on which limb is crippled, this spell has different effects.

Crippling a leg causes the opponent to fall down unless they make a DC 15 balance check, and halves their land speed. Furthermore, moving on only one leg requires a DC 10 balance check.

Crippling an arm, tentacle, or other grasping limb causes anything held with that arm to be dropped, and prevents it's use. Full-body strength checks suffer a -4 penalty, as do grapple checks.

Crippling a wing prevents flight and causes an airborne creature to fall from the sky.

If they wish, the caster can attempt to cripple a specific limb. This type of "called shot" suffers a -4 penalty to the melee touch attack.

After the spells duration ends, when it is dispelled, or when heal, restoration, remove curse, or similarly powerful healing magic is used, the victim regains use of the crippled limb.

As this spell only requires verbal components, it is often used in close quarters and when wrestling desperately with opponents.

Whirling Doom

Evocation [Force]

Level: Clr 9, Good 9, War 9
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Effect: Wall of whirling blades up to 20 ft. long/ level, or a ringed wall of whirling blades with a radius of up to 5 ft. per two levels; either form 20 ft. high
Duration: 1 min./level (D)
Saving Throw: Reflex half or Reflex negates; see text
Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell functions in all respects as blade barrier, with the exception that the caster can cause the wall of blades to move.

Each round the caster can use a standard action to move the barrier 10 ft in any direction. Additionally, the barrier can be turned, by moving the endpoints of the barrier up to 10 ft each.

Any creatures that the blade barrier passes over take 1d6 points of damage per caster level (maximum 15d6), with a Reflex save for half damage.

Prattleberries

These grape-sized berries bear strange markings on their skin. When eaten, their sour-sweet juices tingle through the tongue and jaws.

Adventurers who consume the mystical berries are advised to avoid operating siege machinery or riding horses while under their influence.

Prattleberries are commonly used for long-range communication. For two weeks out of the year, each bud on the plant produces a pair of berries with identical sigils. When picked and eaten, the creature is able to slip his attention into a dreamstate where he may communicate freely with any creature that has eaten the partner berry.

Once eaten, a creature can communicate telepathically with the partner berry eater on the same plane up to 100 miles away. Along with sight and sound, the dreamstate communication allows the dreamselves to feel physical sensations including taste and smell. When in this state, their real bodies are treated as stunned.

This effect lasts up to 90 minutes. It does not have to be used continuously but will no longer function two days after they were consumed. Slipping in or out of the dreamstate is a move action.

An unwilling recipient of incoming communications is able to chose not to participate in the dreamstate, and will hear the faint, incomprehensible voice of the one trying to initiate the dreamstate.

In regions that prattleberries are native to, finding them when they bear fruit requires a DC 25 Survival check.

Once picked from the stem, the prattleberry will spoil and lose its ability after 6 days, unless steps are taken to preserve it and the partner berry. If a pair of prattleberries spoil, they can be made ripe again (and therefore regain their magical ability) for an additional 6 days with a DC 18 Craft: Cooking or Survival check. Thereafter, they become rotten for good and decompose.

To preserve a pair of prattleberries, a creature with ranks in Survival, Craft: Cooking, or Craft: Alchemy can make a skill check (DC20) to bottle them in preservative. The process takes 8 hours to complete and requires a sealable jar and 2 gp worth of materials.

Properly preserved pairs of prattleberries probably price approximately 10 platinum pieces.

Plague Dog

Plague dogs are canines that carry a plague that afflicts humanoids.

These dogs are surprising nimble for as sickly as they look, with tufts of fur stripped, visible scars, and a foamy gleam in their eyes and maws. Though their mouths don't seem to close comfortably, there is no comfort that they will likely close around nearby flesh. Only the most aggressive breeds become proper plague dogs; their temper is only tempered by their desperation.

Size/Type: Medium Magical Beast
Alignment: Usually lawful good
Environment: Bogs, marshes, dark city alleys
Organization: Solitary or pack (10-20)
Challenge Rating: 3
Initiative: +3
Senses: Darkvision 60', low-light vision, scent

Armor Class: 16 (+3 Dex, +3 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 13
Hit Dice: 5d10 (30hp)
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +5

Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Attack: Bite +6 melee (1d6)
Full Attack: Bite +6 melee (1d6)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Base Attack/Grapple: +5/+5

Feats: Iron Will, Run, Track, Blind-fighting
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., plague-carrying, low-light vision, scent

Abilities: Str 12, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 11
Skills: Hide +4, Listen +6, Sense Motive +3, Spot +5, Survival +5

Treasure: None

Advancement: 5-7 HD (Medium); 8-12 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: +2 (cohort)

Plague dogs are canines that carry a plague that afflicts humanoids.

These dogs are surprising nimble for as sickly as they look, with tufts of fur stripped, visible scars, and a foamy gleam in their eyes and maws. Though their mouths don't seem to close comfortably, there is no comfort that they will likely close around nearby flesh. Only the most aggressive breeds become proper plague dogs; their temper is only tempered by their desperation.

Combat

Plague dogs often hunt in packs, surrounding their prey, allowing some of them to take advantage of flanking and delivering their plague through their diseased maws. However, some are loners that roam the dark alleys of cities.

Plague (Su)

Plague dogs carry plaguelets in their saliva, tiny creatures that eat through the flesh of humanoids.

Plague Offal/Dung (Su)

The dung of plague dogs also carries plaguelets. Any creature coming in contact with plague dog dung must make a Fortitude save or contract the plague.

Skills

A plague dog has a +4 racial bonus on Survival checks when tracking by scent.

Plague

Plague is a new supernatural disease type, with symptoms resembling the black plague.

Gamemasters will likely want to limit the amount of plague in their games, as it tends to drag the players down, but in certain tainted planes, over-populated cities, and bogs, plague might creep its way into the game.

Plague infects its victims on contact with an infected creature, requiring a DC 22 Fortitude save to avoid. The incubation period is 1d12 days since there are so many ways in which it can spread. Plague causes 1d4 Con damage per day afflicted with the disease on a failed save, and once they feel symptoms of the disease, can easily spread it to those they touch. Unlike normal diseases, the victim must make 3 days worth of successful saves to begin recovering from the plague.

Plague is immune to remove disease, though heal and other higher-level spells will remove plague from a victim.

Hellskin Tunic

These shirts are made from the hides of slain fiends. As such, their appearance varies depending on what type of demon or devil originally wore the hide: some are scaly, some smooth and barbed, some blue-white as ice, and some fiery red.

Those who wear these specially-treated shirts find that they help resist the points of weapons and the tearing of teeth and claws. While worn they confer a natural armor bonus of +2.

Minor abjuration; caster level 3, Craft Wondrous Item, magic vestment, barkskin or mage armor; 8,000 gold

And thanks to my players for inspiration: the story of Doombringer's return