Sonic Earrings

These earrings cancel sound effects, providing a +5 resistance to sonic damage and other sound-produced effects. This includes sonic bursts, etc. This bonus stacks on rings of resistance and other bonuses.

Faint abjuration; CL 3rd; resist energy, Craft Wondrous Item, Price 6,000gp.

A greater version of these earrings provides a +10 resistance to sonic damage and also stacks with other forms of sonic resistance.

Faint abjuration; CL 5th; resist energy, Craft Wondrous Item, Price 12,000gp.

Random Encounters

Random encounters have gotten a bad name in recent years, and mainly that's because they have not evolved past a simple chart of monsters to be fought. Presented below is a chart of random encounters that I came up with for my next homebrew campaign. Not intended to be the meat of any session, they are more like a quick spice I can throw in when the characters travel from place to place.

The categories and encounters in this list create flavor more than anything: they each allow me to present details that build the themes I want to emphasize in my game. For example, the lands where the game takes place in have been ravaged by war for 40 years, so battlefields and refugees help me reinforce that theme to the players.

Feel free to borrow it and modify it as you like to add a little flavor to your games!

some ancient thing

• -skeleton or skull or creature(s)
• -shrine or roadside statue
• -battlefield
• -ruined village / town

caravan or merchants

• -lone farmer(s)
• -long distance caravan (with guards)
• -pilgrims
• -refugees
• -wedding / funeral / festival procession
  
• beggars, plague victims and horribly maimed veterans of conflicts begging for alms
  

bandits

• -local
• -roaming

other

• -party of adventurers (only up to 9th? level)
• -typical random encounter (monstrous)

tiny communities

• -farming / fishing / herding community
• -fey community (be careful!!!)
• -demi-human community (goblin etc)

local fauna

• -wild animals (after parties animals? will not fight to the death: at half HP will run away)
• -pack of starving wolves
• -bear and cub
• -puma / mountain lion, will stalk party and attack one of them (or a mount) when they are alone.
• -domestic animals

Curse of the Beast

Warlock (Fey) Attack 13

With a magic word and gesture, your foe is transformed into a bleating sheep. "Bah! I thought you'd be a tougher foe than that!" you exclaim.

Encounter <> Arcane, Polymorph, Implement
Standard Action Ranged 10
Attack: Charisma vs Will
Hit: The foe is turned into a harmless animal of your choosing that is native to the area (save ends). This transformation does not alter the target's stats in any way, except that they can fly or swim as appropriate to their new form. While transformed, the target cannot make standard actions or activate any powers: they only actions they can take are map moves.
Upon three failed saves this effect becomes permanent and must be removed by Remove Affliction or similar magic.

Aldric Tréburne

Older brother of Kilmore Tréburne, Aldric stayed home to care for the ailing family while Kilmore went forth in search of adventure. Now that the family is stabilized, thanks to Avandra's blessings, Aldric has now left home in search of his brother and his own adventure.

Along the way, he has met up with an eldarin war wizard and traveled from town to town, lending healing powers and fighting off brigands and ferocious wolves.

A playful, yet grounded, working-class elf, Aldric has developed many talents, though none that he pursues with more passion than his faith in Avandra, and healing in her name. he has been called too humorous for serious elven service, and too ill-mannered to ever represent his people abroad, so his only hope is in following his own dreams and desires.

He maintains his own gear, but is not too proud to ask for help in repairing or caring for it. His most prized possessions are a pair of ornate, buckled catgrace boots, a finely-carved shortbow +1 thunderburst, and his holy symbol of Faith to Avandra (+1d6 healing).

In addition, he wears a suit of chainmail with a small cape and carries an adventurer's kit in a backpack.

Aldric in your game: Aldric tells a decent tale, and with his diplomacy will likely have learned some things about the local area. As a healer, he is likely to have learned much of the recent adventurers of others. Aldric could serve as an NPC in a party that did not have a player in the leader role. He would allow the DM to give the party some extra healing without having a character overly bent on seeing his own will done.

Aldric Tréburne: Level 3 Cleric of Avandra
medium fey humanoid - XP 2,690
age (equivalent of 28 in human years)
height 5'10", weight 155, brown hair, green eyes

Initiative +1 Senses Perception +1

HP 35; Bloodied 12 Healing Surges: 9
AC 19, Fortitude 14, Reflex 15, Will 16
Speed 7

Powers
Channel Divinity:
* Healer's Lore
* Healing Word (2/Encounter)
* Divine Fortune
* Turn Undead
Lance of Faith - (Standard; At-Will)
Sacred Flame - (Standard; At-Will)
Elven Accuracy - (Standard; Encounter)
Command - (Standard; Encounter)
Beacon of Hope - (Standard; Daily)
Shield of Faith - (Standard; Utility)

Basic Attacks
Short sword: +4 vs AC, 1d6 + 1 damage
Short Bow +1 thunderburst (40 arrows): +5 vs AC, 1d8 + 3 damage

Alignment Good
Languages Common, Elven
Skills: Athletics 4, Arcana 5, Athletics 3, Bluff 1, Diplomacy 6, Dungeoneering 2, Endurance 2, Heal 8, History 5, Insight 3, Intimidate 1, Nature 3, Perception 5, Religion 7, Stealth 4, Streetwise 1, Thievery 1
Feats: Elven Precision, Avandra's Rescue
Str 12 Dex 15 Wis 16
Con 13 Int 11 Cha 14

Galonadel Silma-ehta

I played this character at Gencon Indy last month. Dan and I played a whole bunch of RPGA games and got our characters to 2nd level. He be played a paladin, so we had lots of healing available, and we needed it, especially against the ware-rat beneath the streets of Waterdeep!

Golanadel Silma-ehta (Starlight-Spear in elvish) is a warrior of noble birth, his armies defeated and his family slain, exiled from his lands in the Feywild by the Beastmen of Vargyr. He now wanders the mortal world seeking his fortune, allies and coin to raise an army and return to his family's lands and reclaim them.

A serious and morose elf, the tragedy of his family's end hangs over him like a dark cloud. Noble and honorable, he is a great friend to those he has fought alongside, yet his sadness has made him cynical and hard.

His armor and weapons are kept in good condition, but he has left his blue hauberk, with his family's silver star-tipped spear design, torn and cut just as is was when he was knocked out and left for dead on the battlefield of his family's defeat.

Galonadel in your game: You could use Galonadel's sad tale as the start of a quest, or a series of quests, to drive the Vagyr Beastmen from his lands in the Feywild. He could also serve as an NPC in a party that did not have a player in the leader role. He would allow the DM to give the party some extra healing without having a character that would take over the party.


Galonadel Silma-ehta: Level 1 Warlord
medium fey humanoid - XP 150

Initiative +0 Senses Perception +0

HP 24; Bloodied 12 Healing Surges: 8
AC 17, Fortitude 21, Reflex 19, Will 18
Speed 6

Powers
Viper's Strike - (Standard; At-Will)
Wolf Pack Tactics - (Standard; At-Will)
Warlord's Favor - (Standard; Encounter)
Lead the Attack - (Standard; Daily)
Inspiring Word – (Minor; Encounter x 2)
Fey Step (Minor; Encounter)

Basic Attacks
Longsword: +6 vs AC, 1d8 + 5 damage
Javelin: range 5/10, +5 vs AC, 1d6 + 5 damage

Alignment Unaligned
Languages Common, Elven
Skills: Diplomacy +7, Heal +5, History +10, Intimidate +7
Feats: Eladrin Soldier
Str 10 (+3) Dex 15 (+5) Wis 12 (+4)
Con 19 (+7) Int 11 (+3) Cha 15 (+5)