Quantcast
Channel: Articles Archives - Kobold Press
Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 1646

Arcane Adventures: Spirit of the Wild

$
0
0
Arcane Adventures: Spirit of the Wild

Many campaigns take place in the wilds, far from civilization. Warriors of nature might seek to protect natural areas by driving others away or offering succor to the rare traveler. Folklore is filled with stories of mercurial nature spirits that twist the local landscape to help or hinder.

In this chapter,we look at spells that summon a nature spirit to infuse a natural feature with aspects of its being, either aiding those that travel its borders or driving them away.

Spirit of the Comforting Vista

5th-level conjuration (bard, cleric, druid, ranger, warlock)
Casting Time: 1 hour
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M (a seed from a rare herb native to the area that is planted)
Duration: 1 year

You summon a neutral good spirit of the wild and bind it to a geographical feature no larger than a square mile, such as a wood, hill, oasis, stretch of a river, mountain pass, or portion of a jungle. The area of effect may not possess any permanent structure, or the spell fails. If the geographical feature is destroyed, the spirit is banished. You do not control the spirit. It is indifferent to you and behaves according to its alignment.

The spirit of the wild takes a pleasant form made from native materials, such as a unicorn woven of leafy vines or a bear of earth and stone. The spirit patrols the geographical feature, nurturing it and making it safe. Those traveling through the area find the spirit aids those in need of help, making animals friendly and food easy to locate and providing a safe place to rest. However, those with violence in their hearts that abuse nature find the spirit turns against them in defense of the local flora and fauna.

When you summon a neutral good spirit of the wild, you choose one regional effect from this list. The chosen effect may not be changed once assigned.

Regional Effects. Transformed by the spirit’s presence, the geographical feature might include any of the following magical effects:

  • Creatures native to the region have an easier time hiding and have advantage on all Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide.
  • When a good-aligned creature rests within the region, the target regains the maximum number of hit points possible for each hit die spent.
  • Animals are friendly to those not native to the region and do not attack visitors unless attacked first.
  • Wisdom (Survival) checks made to locate food or shelter with the region are made with advantage.
  • Safety and peace are easy to find within the region. The chance of a random encounter is halved.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 6th level or higher, you may pick an additional regional effect for each slot level above 5th.

Spirit of the Foreboding Land

5th-level conjuration (bard, cleric, druid, ranger, warlock)
Casting Time: 1 hour
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M (the rotting corpse of an animal native to the area that is buried)
Duration: 1 year

You summon a neutral evil spirit of the wild and bind it to a geographical feature no larger than a square mile, such as a wood, hill, oasis, stretch of a river, mountain pass, or portion of a jungle. The area of effect may not possess any permanent structure, or the spell fails. If the geographical feature is destroyed, the spirit is banished. You do not control the spirit. It is indifferent to you and behaves according to its alignment.

The spirit of the wild takes a threatening form made from native materials, such as a boar made of obsidian and lava or an animated rotten tree with noose-like vines. The spirit patrols the geographical feature, enraging local wildlife, turning plants poisonous, and lengthening shadows. Those traveling through the area find the spirit violent, and the feature becomes a dangerous place to tarry.

When you summon a neutral evil spirit of the wild, you choose one regional effect from this list. The chosen effect may not be changed once assigned.

Regional Effects. Transformed by the spirit’s presence, the geographical feature might include any of the following magical effects:

  • The region becomes hostile and poisoned. Saving throws to resist exhaustion, recover from disease, or resist poison are made with disadvantage.
  • The region takes twice as long as normal to traverse as the plants grow thick and twisted, swamps are thick with mud, sand is loose and shifting, or the terrain becomes rocky and broken.
  • Animals are hostile to those not native to the region and flee or attack when spotting intruders.
  • Wisdom (Survival) checks made to locate food or shelter with the region are made with disadvantage.
  • Shadows lengthen, halving the radius of all light sources within the region.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 6th level or higher, you may pick an additional regional effect for each slot level above 5th.

Spirit of the Wild

Large elemental, neutral good or neutral evil
Armor Class 12 + your proficiency bonus (natural armor)
Hit Points 50 + 10 times your proficiency bonus
Speed 40 ft.

STRDEXCONINTWISCHA
17 (+3)15 (+2)15 (+2)8 (−1)10 (+0)16 (+3)

Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities exhaustion, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, unconscious
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages Primordial, Sylvan

Spirit of the Comforting Vista. A neutral good spirit of the wild has the following additional abilities:

  • Innate Spellcasting. The spirit’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 11 + your proficiency bonus, +3 plus your proficiency bonus to hit with spell attacks). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
    • At will: druidcraft, guidance, mending, produce flame
    • 3/day each: animal friendship, create or destroy water, goodberry, speak with animal
    • 1/day each: conjure animals, pass without trace, plant growth
  • Teleport (1/Day). The spirit magically teleports itself to a location within the region.

Spirit of the Foreboding Land. A neutral evil spirit of the wild has the following additional abilities:

  • Frightful Presence. Each creature of the spirit’s choice that is within 60 feet of the spirit and aware of it must succeed on a DC 11 + your proficiency bonus Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to the spirit’s Frightful Presence for the next 24 hours.
  • Legendary Resistance (1/Day). If the spirit fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
ACTIONS

Multiattack. The spirit of the wild makes a number of attacks equal to your proficiency bonus.

Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: your spell attack modifier to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d10 + 3) bludgeoning damage.

Adventure Ideas

Summoning a spirit of the wild changes the very land and creates a helpful ally or dangerous enemy for your foes.

  • Haunted Forest. Spirits of the foreboding land might be used to create a “haunted” area, deterring travel or investigation.
  • Removing Civilization.Characters looking to cast one of these spells might be wise to search the intended area for any permanent structures, and if found, they will need to destroy them before they can successfully cast the spell.
  • Succor. A friendly druid or ranger might conjure a spirit of the comforting vista to provide a safe place in the wild for travelers to rest.
  • Threatening Obstacle.An already difficult nature obstacle in an enemy’s path could be made an even more effective barrier by summoning a spirit of the wild to protect it. Character might use this spell to deter an invading army or bandits hiding in the area, or it might be used to prevent the characters from traveling through an area.

<<PREVIOUSLY

The post Arcane Adventures: Spirit of the Wild appeared first on Kobold Press.


Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 1646

Trending Articles