Halloween themed boss (for players level 3-4)

[RumoCrytuf]

I need a Halloween themed boss within two hours of the time this goes up. It is 5:23 right now. My players consist of a Barbarian, A sorcerer, and a Rogue. Help me please!

[Aembrosia]

Have you met my friend orcus?

Stats and description can be found here:
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/142164-Out-of-the-Abyss-Preview-Backgrounds-Bonds-and-Orcus-Stats-Dungeons-and-Dragons-5e

[RumoCrytuf]

Have you met my friend orcus?

Stats and description can be found here:
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/142164-Out-of-the-Abyss-Preview-Backgrounds-Bonds-and-Orcus-Stats-Dungeons-and-Dragons-5e


This would be great, but it's too strong. (My players are level 3-4, barely fledgling adventurers)

[Aembrosia]

Oh hey. Vital information to start with. Neat. Uhhh

[Osrogue]

put a jack-o-lantern head on a shambling mound, and have it engulfing people.

[Aembrosia]

shambling mound is a safe bet. It would probably viciously murder 3 level threes. But thats kiiiinda the point right!

Would you prefer they fight the boss alone or the boss with some lackeys. This information helps refine your search for appropriate spookiness to CR ratio.

[RumoCrytuf]

shambling mound is a safe bet. It would probably viciously murder 3 level threes. But thats kiiiinda the point right!

Would you prefer they fight the boss alone or the boss with some lackeys. This information helps refine your search for appropriate spookiness to CR ratio.

I'm thinking They're going down the road, middle of the night, alone. The moon turns blood red, they get that feeling of eeriness, and BAM, boss monster.

[Aembrosia]

I invite you to consider the following:

Aaztar-Ghola
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/55568275/Aztargola.png

Arcanoplasm
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/55568275/arcanoplasm.png

Artificer of Yothri
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/55568275/Yothri.png

[Biggstick]

Have them investigate a haunted house as a quest given by someone from the tavern. Rumors of treasure in the attic. The attic has clues of something terrible happening down in the basement, with an also greater promise of treasure. As the PC's make their back down through the house, they've "unlocked" the actual spookiness of the house. (this actual spookiness doesn't start until they've either played with the "plot device" in the attic or found their way to the basement first. Until they've gone to either place, it's just a plain old abandoned house).

If they go through the attic choice first, have things appear on the edge of their vision, potentially leading them to more clues about what's going on downstairs. If they just decide to go downstairs first, have the "spookiness" start. Hopefully no one splits off and goes downstairs alone, but should that happen, allow them to "retreat" back to the rest of the party. Once anyone has tried going downstairs into the basement, all entrances to the house seal up, forcing them to deal with the issue of the monster in the basement.

As for actual boss, I'm a little unsure of what to go with. Having a large house that a Barbarian and Sorcerer can play around with and break while the Rogue is able to sneak in will make for some good fun.

[Zaydos]

Knight (MM page 347), riding a warhorse. However the knight is headless (blindsight 90 ft, blind beyond this radius), is immune to poison, resistant to necrotic, and considered undead. Give them +2 AC (due to shield), swapping from greatsword to lance (1d12 instead of 2d6), but they deal 2 necrotic damage per hit. In addition give them some Halloween themed ability, either a headless laugh which can frighten the PCs, or maybe make it a face on their shield which does the job, or the ability to animate shadows rendering dim illumination difficult terrain, and allowing the shadows to reach out to attack the PCs (or extinguish light sources). Something just to spice it up a bit. Might not be a full boss encounter (is theoretically a deadly encounter, but warhorse + knight doesn't feel 50% deadlier, even so the mount does add a fair bit of free maneuverability and the bonus ability will make them tougher). Possibly leave the knight with their head and just make them be rotting. If enough are Level 4, give it an extra little ability.

Edit: Also possibly just a banshee. CR 4 (1,100 XP), resistant to fire and non-magical weapons, immune to necrotic, psychic, and cold. Could be too deadly depending upon party's Con saves and ability to damage it (AoE DC 13 save or be put to 0 hp hurts)

[ClintACK]

Pick something that would be level appropriate... like an Ogre or a Wight.

Then use the DM's best friend for creative monster making: reskin it.

Don't describe an ogre *at all*. Describe it like an animated 7' tall scarecrow with a giant pumpkin for a head and eyes like candle flames.

For minions, give it a half a dozen or a dozen Giant Frogs, but describe them as the pumpkins in the pumpkin patch turn into animated jack-o-lanterns and are hopping around trying to bite the party.

You don't *need* to pick something that started out in the MM as Halloween appropriate.

[Arkhios]

A werewolf might be alright. (And it's level appropriate between medium and hard difficulty, depending on the level spread of your PC's).

Also, moon related.

[MrStabby]

Hmm. Maybe a hooded character that can turn a nearby flame into a will o'wisp - candle flames start leaving candles and attacking people, oil lamps become perilous...

[RumoCrytuf]

Thank you all for the suggestions! With this diabolical material I am sure to give my players a fright of a liftime (Presuming they don't die, of course >;). )

[Linker2k]

Thank you all for the suggestions! With this diabolical material I am sure to give my players a fright of a liftime (Presuming they don't die, of course >;). )

Now I need a post on the adventure you created! Please do an Adventure Log!

[RumoCrytuf]

Now I need a post on the adventure you created! Please do an Adventure Log!


Now I need a post on the adventure you created! Please do an Adventure Log!

Sorry for being late, classes have kept me held up. How many Horror/Spooky references do you see? XD

It started out like any normal day, resupplying provisions from the markets, repairing armor, etc... Once our heroes were finished preparing, they set out to find Riverguard Keep. Based on their information, it would be a day or so's travel. Being ever cautious however, Rold a human Sorcerer recommended they leave after noon and scope out the keep in under the cover of night. Rynn, the Half-Elven Rogue, volunteered whilst the barbarian, a dwarf named Beldin (Who was also an accountant/pirate) grumbled about how they should just charge headlong into battle, wherever the keep may be. Having finalized their course of action, they proceeded out of town to find this place. However, they were not expecting tonight to be the Night of Flame. An ancient curse layed upon the land in ancient days, the Night of Flame is all but forgotten to the people of the Sumber Hills. Night approached, and the Sorcerer's mind was filled with dark thoughts. Flashbacks of fire, blood, and despair. He could hear an echo in his mind, an echo of vengeance. His knowledge of eldritch and arcane forces told him of the darkness to come. Thus he urged his tired companions forward, saying that rest would not come to them this night. They pressed on, following the road they often traveled until they came upon... a house? This was not here before. The Dwarf, seeing something new, could not repress his spirit to break down the door. He burst in, finding a dusty room covered in cobwebs and molding furniture with an empty fireplace against the far wall. There was a staircase leading to a second floor, and another one underneath leading down. There was a door on the left wall. His companions came in quietly behind him, scolding his recklessness. Rold knew they had found that darkness. They searched the area for anything amiss. The draconic blood in the Sorcerer discovered a brick with magical runes scrawled across it,saying to leave and not to remove the stone lest the fury of the Dark One be unleashed. Beldin reaches to pull it out for further examination, resulting in a quick rap to the knuckles. After some deliberation, they check downstairs. Coming upon a darkness foreign to nature, they strike a torch (Much to Rold's displeasure, as he was descended from an ancient white dragon.) The basement was empty, barren save... something in the corner. The party inched closer, fearful of what it might be. Beldin, being ever courageous, investigated and found it to be a coffin. Empty. An eerie chill came over them. Fearing that any shadow could be a demon in the dark, the party made their way upstairs, where the room was illuminated in a red light from the moon. This was clearly a bedroom as evidenced by the bed, nightstand, cracked mirror, and a large painting. The painting stood out, depicting a man beside a horse, both of whom were clearly of noble blood. Flashing images flooded the party's mind.

This man was a knight, his horse a rare breed made for battle. Noble and courageous. However, he was confounded by his own mortality, and took to killing and feasting upon the innocents to preserve his strength of youth. He was eventually found, and his house was set ablaze. They butchered his steed, and through the head through a window. Upon seeing this, he let out a curse that he would have vengeance. As a fiery beam fell upon his head and severed it from his body. The moon turned a blood red, marking the first Night of Flame. In the aftermath, the townspeople marked a brick with draconic runes, warning everyone to stay away.

Coming out of their flashback, the party headed downstairs to the first floor. Looking at this brick the party came to the conclusion that the only way out of this night was to remove this brick. After pulling it out, the runes twisted shape and formed the words "There's no stopping him now..." A horse is heard, a shrieking noise piercing the night. Peering outside, Rynn sees a figure culminating in the darkness. A knight, without a head, in it's place a jack-o-lantern with eyes like the Nine Hells. Riding a pale horse. He charged at the party, drawing forth a greatsword coated in blackened fire. The dwarf, all too eager for battle, became enraged and pulled out his Greataxe. With a mighty cry "MO' AAAAXXXXEEEEE!!!!" He leaped into battle and attacked the knight. Their weapons clashed as Rold called upon his draconic blood to unleash a biting cold. Rynn, drawing her bow, fired straight at the chest of the knight... to no effect. The frost, the arrows, and the dwarf were ineffective. The knight landed a blow, his blade sinking deep into Beldin's shoulder. Beldin roared in pain, redoubled his attack, becoming more reckless with each swing. Rold, switching tactics, fired a shard of ice into the knight, exploding upon impact. Beldin was able to escape the blast, and followed with another swipe. Rynn, edging her way around, came behind the knight and stuck her shortsword deep into the knight's back. The knight fell to his knees, calling upon an ancient evil, and struck. His blade connected with Rynn and Beldin, knocking them back and burning them. His fiery eyes alight, and the ground around him became the dark fire his sword carried. Our heroes were engulfed, crying out in pain as the knight's power overcame them. Beldin, sturdy dwarf that he was, stood up in time to see the knight grab his axe. That, was the last straw. Overcome with rage, the dwarf reacted with lightning speed, and tore the greatsword from the knight's grip. He felt the dark power within, and struck the knight. Rynn retreated back, and proceeded to fight with her bow. Rold, barely conscious, used the last of his strength to cast another spell. A beam of ice fired from his hands, hitting the knight, slowing him down. With their renewed efforts, they gained the upper hand. At least, until the knight forced life out of Rynn, and took it for his own. She was alive, but only just. Beldin, becoming more enraged with every blow his friends suffered, stabbed the knight through the heart. The knight fell to his knees. Looking at our heroes, he whispered "This isn't over" and dissipated in black smoke.

How's that? :D

[MasterMercury]

Slow clap...
Well done.