XDMC #11 : Create a "Little Bad Evil Guy"
Sludmet
Sludmet was a devoted worshiper of Gruumsh. He sought a powerful artifact to destroy his enemies but the artifact was too powerful for him. It destroyed his tribe and transformed his body to a glob of slime and ooze. He still retains his mind for the most part. He believes his best chance of being restored is to prove his worth to Gruumsh. Grogor, leader of the Darkmoon tribe, knew of Sludmet before his transformation. Seeing the new power of Sludmet, Grogor offered him a place in his tribe.
Formerly arrogant and aggressive, Sludmet is a pale reflection of his former self. His self-assuredness dissolved with his body. He whispers to himself trying to build up his confidence. When angered he loses some control over his slime body and has a tendency to lash out. His faith in Gruumsh is shaken but still fairly strong.
Escaping Sludmet (Level 1, 500xp)
"Nooo!" gurgles a large glob of slime and ooze. "You've ruined everything." The goo begins bubbling and expanding. The immense mass of gunk threatens to envelope the entire party.
Setup: Sludmet has tunneled underneath an elven forest city. His men have tapped into the tree roots are draining the life from the plants. The collected life energy is to be used by Grogor for some other plan. After defeating Sludmet's men and disrupting the collection process, Sludmet enters the room, expands to Gargantuan size and flows towards the party.
Level: 2
Complexity: 4 (requires 10 successes before 3 failures)
Primary Skills: Athletics, Dungeoneering, Endurance, History
Acrobatics (hard DC): You escape from the grasp of Sludmet.
Athletics (hard DC): You manage to throw objects in the way or knock down some supports.
Dungeoneering (easy DC): You quickly take note of environment to give you clues on where the exit is.
Endurance (moderate DC): You manage to push yourself to run faster and longer.
History (moderate DC): You remember the path you took through the dungeon.
Perception (moderate DC): You take notice of signs that people have traveled through the area recently.
Success: The blob or party manage to destroy enough supports to bring the ceiling down upon the creature. Before doing so you hear "I will be restored."
Failure: You take a wrong turn. The floor collapses or you fall down a pit. Everyone loses a healing surge. You seem to have escaped the creature but are now much deeper underground.
Eliminating the Problem (Level 6, 1,200xp)
Unbeknownst to Sludmet, dragon blood is strong in Grogor. Dark dreams of the age of dragons fill his sleep. He has forsaken Gruumsh in favor of Tiamat. After acquiring several good dragon eggs, Sludmet asked about the ritual to make use of the eggs. Sludmet has also become curious about the various tasks he has been assign as he see little glory for Gruumsh. Sensing he control of Sludmet slipping, he sends the ooze creature to attack the adventurers that have proven so troublesome. Meanwhile he can complete the ritual to bring forth his draconian warriors.
Sludmet attacks the player characters as they rest in the inn for the night. There are more orcs than the four that attack the party but they are looting the inn and killing the other patrons. Throw some minions on the battlefields to represent them and the patrons in you wish.
This encounter includes the following creatures.
1 Sludmet
4 Orc Berserkers
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| HP 150; Bloodied 75 | ||||||
| AC 18; Fortitude 19, Reflex 15, Will 21 | ||||||
| Saving Throws +2 | ||||||
| Speed 5 | ||||||
| Action Points 1 | ||||||
| Basic Melee; Slam (standard; at-will) | ||||||
| +9 vs. AC; 2d8 + 4 damage. | ||||||
| Melee; Goop Fist (standard; recharge 6) | ||||||
| +9 vs. AC; 2d8 + 4 damage and target is slowed (save ends). | ||||||
| Melee; Unfocused Rage (minor usable only while bloodied; at-will) | ||||||
| The ooze may make an additional Slam attack but the target is randomized among all creatures within range including allies. | ||||||
| Expanding Anger (free usable only while bloodied) | ||||||
| The ooze starts expanding uncontrollably. On first use, increase size to Huge and add reach 2 to melee attacks. On second use, increase size to Gargantuan and add reach 3 to melee attacks. | ||||||
| Ranged; Corrupting Gust (standard; at-will) ♦ Necrotic | ||||||
| Ranged 5; +10 vs Reflex; 1d6 + 4 necrotic damage and one ally in sight gets to make a saving throw. | ||||||
| Ranged; Darkness Descends (standard; encounter) ♦ Necrotic | ||||||
| Ranged 10; +10 vs Reflex; 2d10 + 4 necrotic damage and one ally gains combat advantage against opponent until the end of Sludmet's next turn. | ||||||
| Ranged; Spiritual Weapon (standard; sustain minor; daily) | ||||||
| Ranged 10; +10 vs AC; 1d10 + 4 damage; see PHB pg 65 for addition rules. | ||||||
| Close; Bless (standard; daily) | ||||||
| Close burst 20; Until the end of the encounter, Sludmet and all allies in burst get +1 power bonus to attacks. | ||||||
| Ranged; Channel Divinity: Eye of Wrath (minor; encounter) ♦ Fear | ||||||
| Ranged 5; +10 vs. Will; the target takes a -4 penalty to AC (save ends). | ||||||
| Close; Healing Word (minor 1/round; 2/encounter) ♦ Healing | ||||||
| Close burst 5; Sludmet or one ally may spend a healing surge and regain an extra 2d6 hit points. | ||||||
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| Equipment holy symbol |
Sludmet's Tactics
Sludmet will recite a blessing to Gruumsh to inspire his men. Afterward he will summon a divine spear to destroy his foes. He will attempt to engage others in melee. The eye of wrath will be bestowed upon a good warrior that he is not fighting. He likes to promote the chaos of combat and will not focus his powers on a single individual. Darkness Descends and Corrupting Gust may be used if no one is in melee. Healing will be given to injured allies when possible. Once bloodied he will stop maintaining the Spiritual Weapon and use Unfocused Rage for move and minor actions if an opponent is within reach.
Optional Elements:
1. At least one confrontation is a non-combat skill challenge that uses no Charisma-based skills as primary skills.
6. The villain is neither humanoid nor unintelligent.
9. The villain serves multiple masters with contradictory motivations. (Gruumsh and Grogor)