Map-a-Week: Surface Level, Legend

Well, I guess I should have started with the monthly issue of Dragon Magazine, since that's what would make this make more sense. Dragon 277 has the theme of futuristic fantasy, where technology advances at a roughly equal pace to how it did here on Earth. There's a mini-gazetteer for Greyhawk 2000, fourteen centuries or so after the Greyhawk setting that we're all familiar with. So, this month's Map-a-Week is a Surface Level modern city street, which can be used for a Greyhawk 2000 adventure. And it comes with a Legend, which you see below.

So, since I'm not going to be doing a 'Greyhawk 2000' adventure or campaign, I'm not going to be using this month's maps for Tasiri. I might use them for a Champions campaign, though.

So, I'll just add a couple of other online things for the month instead. There are a couple of new monsters that got added in November that are linked to an online adventure; I'll do that adventure tomorrow. In the meantime, let's meet our new monsters, shall we?

First, there's a pair of new Celestials, the Stellar Devas. There is the Starkin (Medium, 2 HD, CR 6) and the Emprix (Medium, 6 HD, CR 10). They're both lawful good all the time, and of course they are Outsiders. They can both fly with perfect maneuverability, and their attacks involve positive energy and high-intensity light. They can both shift their shape from a human form and a bright, twinkling point of light like a star in the night sky. Mind you, that's a human-sized twinkling point of light. So they will be noticeable. They also have spell-like abilities like a 10th-level sorcerer, and carry magical crystal rods that can focus positive energy and hurt evil beings and the undead.

The Starkin is the 'basic' Stellar Deva; the Emprix is actually a ruler, sort of like a queen ant except much more powerful. In addition to the standard abilities of a Starkin Celestial, the Emprix gets additional spell-like abilities such as suggestion and mass charm, as well as the ability to brand any non-evil, living being with something called 'The Sigil of Stars'. It's an eight-pointed star that offers several useful spell-like abilities, but you only get to use a total of eight before the Sigil vanishes. Still, it's a sweet reward for helping out the Stellar Deva Celestials.

The other creature is the Vrill, which is a not-nice counterpart to the Stellar Devas. These are Small Outsiders with 3 HD and a CR of 5; they're always neutral, but...ooh, that's interesting. the Stellar Devas actually invaded the vrill's home plane and enslaved them a long, long time ago. Well, now. That's a bit of a twist, isn't it? Anyway, the vrill are sort of like minotaurs, except they have the heads of musk oxen instead of the standard bull's head. And they have thick horns, cloven feet, and shaggy, matted fur. And they're squat and thick-bodied, so I guess you could call them dwarf minotaurs.

Normally conflict-averse, the vrill have changed a bit since the Starkin enslaved them. They are capable warriors, using waraxes and shortbows, but they prefer to just gore and trample their opposition. They also have a nasty breath weapon that does Con damage, and if you fail the saving throw you're also retching and gagging. Ick. They can stun anyone they charge, and they are also immovable when they want to be. You know the Blob, from the X-Men? These guys can all do that, giving themselves a +4 racial bonus to opposed Strength checks when they are Bull Rushed. And they can generate a radial sonic burst that sounds like every guilt trip your mother gave you as a kid all rolled into one; make a Will save or be overcome with grief for 1d6 rounds. It's not a difficult saving throw, though; Mom was always better at it.

So, these two (three) creatures will be featured in the adventure I'll be going over tomorrow, The Vessel of Stars. Until then, have a great day.