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Crit Academy is excited to talk about our favorite new DMsguild D&D product, Mythic Encounters!
First introduced in Mythic Odyssey's of Theros, a Mythic Encounter is an optional rule you can apply to a creature which increases the difficulty. This takes the form of a Mythic Trait, which triggers most often on reducing the creature to 0 hit points. After which, it transforms, musters its strength, or exposes a new objective—extending the fight and unlocking new powers and abilities for the creature.
In Mythic Encounters, they bring that mechanic to all your old favorite creatures! Across all your favorite monster books.
36 monsters of CR 21+, updated to Mythic Proportions. Covering all CR 21+ creatures from the following official hardcovers (plus more):
Monster Manual
Volo’s Guide to Monsters
Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes
Mordenkainen’s Fiend Folio Volume 1: Monsters Malevolent and Benign.
Segment: Crit Nation Feedback: Let’s talk about Blank!
NeverEnding, Inc.'s product allows you to easily capture and relive your favorite and most memorable #rpg moments as a short comic or cartoon! The customization seems nearly endless! I feel you could almost use it to summarize an entire adventure or campaign. What a fantastic gift that would be for the group around the holidays.
Modular dungeon tiles are an easy way to create your own beautiful digital maps. The Arcania lets you make dark, shadowy dungeon map, rich with the fumes of arcane secrets.
Winner:
kennynewtonpt
Didn’t win? Np, head to www.critacademy.com/loresmyth a free set of digital terrain and much more.
Segment: Main Topic: Mythic Encounters!
A mythic encounter, as presented here, is a creature that is Challenge Rating 21 or higher and has a mythic trait. These creatures also come with lairs, lair actions, and are legendary creatures in their own right. We’ve taken a fight that was epic and turned it mythic by taking an exceptional creature from lore and adapting their own unique spin on the encounter.
What are Mythic Traits?
Mythic traits are the fuel that creates a mythic encounter. The mixture is: one part storyline-focused event, one part two-phase battle, and a dash of introducing a whole new way of battling your foe.
When a creature with a mythic trait is reduced to 0 hit points, it is instead reduced to 1 hit point. Then, it typically either regains all its hit points or gains temporary hit points equal to its maximum number of hit points. In some cases, a new goal for the fight appears, such as an exposed heart or other objective that must be cleared before the battle is truly over.
After activating its mythic trait, the creature gains access to mythic actions, and might also gain temporary passive benefits (as listed in its mythic trait). This mythic trait lasts until the creature completes a short or long rest (or is defeated), unless otherwise specified in the mythic trait text.
What are Mythic Actions?
Mythic actions are a set of additional actions a creature gains access to after its mythic trait is triggered. Functionally identical to Legendary Actions, these actions can be used whenever the creature could take a legendary action—costing one or more legendary actions when used.
These actions introduce new mechanics to the encounter, such as additional spellcasting, more frequent lair actions, or entirely new attacks. They are also used to augment existing actions, such as additional chances to recharge a breath weapon.
Creating your own Mythic Creatures!
Every mythic creature requires three things:
Mythic Trait
Mythic Actions
Description Call-Outs
Mythich Ascendant Background
It’s said heroes aren’t born, they’re forged.
Mythic Encounters! (Each of us pick one)
Brassheart: A phoenix is a creature of raw power—an eternal flame made physical. The birdlike visage is only a noble form chosen by the elemental, something that properly represents the pure power and chaos of fire. Brassheart is one of the greatest of its kind, larger than other elder fire elementals and second only to the archomentals like Imix.
As a force of nature, Brassheart has no ideals, bonds, or flaws. Its nature is either beyond comprehension, or as simple and singularly focused as “destruction.”
Austin’s Selection:
Yeenoghu: Stretching to a full height of 14 feet, Yeenoghu is the Lord of Gnolls and looks exactly like a giant version of their kind. Desiring nothing more than pure and utter destruction, he leads great packs of gnolls and hyenas across the planes to devour foes and breed new chaos.
Ideal. “There are only two things in existence: prey and me.”
Bond. “So many spleens, so little time.”
Flaw. “Let Baphomet use his ‘cunning’—I have no need for such weakness.”
Ian’s Selection:
Unit Zero: All maruts are crafted identically. The creature is a hulking construction with many layers of armor, similar to a golem save for a singular organic eye in the center of its torso just below where a humanoid would have their head. Lower than the eye is an arcane disc with the instructions the marut needs to follow inscribed upon it. Unit Zero is the first of its kind, having only known success in its endeavours.
As a creature designed to enforce contracts and chase down contract breakers, Unit Zero has a lair that is centered around it’s current target. When hunting a contract breaker, Unit Zero’s lair forms around them.
Ideal. “Obey.”
Bond. “My life has no meaning other than to fulfil my directives and to correct broken contracts.”
Flaw. “The words of a contract are all that matters. It does not matter if those signing it understand what they are signing.” can also reward them with the unerring maul, Kolyarut’s golden edict, or the spell marut’s march in
Spells
Voice of the Undead
9th-level necromancy (mythic)
Classes: Cleric, Wizard
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self (120-foot radius)
Components: V, S, M (a finger bone from a fiend worth
at least 250 gp, which the spell consumes)
Duration: Instantaneous
You let out a deep and booming voice, so loud that it could wake the dead. Each undead within the area of this spell must succeed on a Charisma saving throw or become charmed by you, allowing you to command it to act on your behalf.
On each of your turns, you can use a bonus action to mentally command any creature charmed by this spell if the creature is within 120 feet of you (if you control multiple creatures, you can command any or all of them at the same time, issuing the same command to each one). You decide what action the creature will take and where it will move during its next turn, or you can issue a general command, such as to guard a particular chamber or corridor. If you issue no commands, the creature only defends itself against hostile creatures.
Once given an order, the creature continues to follow it until its task is complete. Undead with a CR 3 or greater can repeat this saving throw once every 24 hours, ending the charmed condition on a successful save.
Items
Bardiche of The Endless Maze
Weapon (greataxe), mythic (requires attunement)
This menacing bardiche was carried by Baphomet, the Horned King. Its blade consists of a rough edge and large shards of jagged metal fused to it in random places. You have a +3 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this weapon. Whenever you hit an object with it, the hit is a critical hit.
The bardiche has 12 charges for the following property. It regains 3d4 expended charges daily at dawn. If you expend the last charge, roll a d20. On a 1, the bardiche is immediately teleported back to the Endless Maze and you lose your attunement to it.
Banish. When you hit a creature with this weapon, you can expend a charge to have the creature succumb to effects of the maze spell. If this hit was a critical hit, you do not need to expend a charge to use this property.
A masked menace terrifies the region, raiding villages to fund her devious plan. Unknowingly, the adventurers stumble into her most recent evil scheme: the kidnapping of a famous performer known as Devon Artis. Their mission is to deliver a ransom and collect Devon. Though, as in most cases, not all goes as planned.
Winner:
grim.punx
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Segment: Unearthed Tips and Tricks! (We give you creative content for your next adventure)
Character Concept:
Eternal Defender - WotC - DnD4e Martial Power
“You have taken the defender's ideal to heart. This devotion might have started at childhood, when you stood up for those weaker than you. Perhaps the ideal of the mighty protecting the weak was culturally instilled in you, as it is in all good-hearted dwarves. Whatever the case, rather than using your strength and power solely for personal gain, you willingly placed yourself in harm’s way to make sure that others had a chance to survive and thrive.
At the core of your personal morals and beliefs is the certainty that it is your job to protect your allies.
When among them, you stand in the forefront in times of danger, no matter how dire the foe. Your skill and courage ever prove an anchor for your companions during the tumult of battle.”
Monster Variant:
Quickling Runner
Origin: Pentadrone
Quicklings are swift, wicked Fey that kill other creatures for food, treasure, or sport. They like to set ambushes and outwit enemies. They prefer to slip past enemy defenders and attack the weakest-looking opponents first. If their escapades enrage an adversary too strong to overcome, quicklings have no problem fleeing in a chorus of nerve grating laughter and return later at a time when their foe is at their weakest.
Lost Features: Truesight, Axiomatic mind, disintegration
New Features:
Change Arm attack to shortsword and slashing damage.
Cunning Action. On each of its turns, the spy can use a bonus action to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action.
Quick Cuts. When the quickling makes a melee attack against a creature, it doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks from that creature for the rest of the turn, whether you hit or not.
Features of Note:
Can attack 5 times
Can use paralysis gas, recharges on a 5-6.
Encounter:
Poison Hunters
A quaggoth thonot is looking for material components for Drow Poison(DMG), stuffing anything that looks even remotely poisonous into a large sack that hangs over its shoulder. Lagging a few hundred feet behind the quaggoth are 2d4 drow and a drow veteran. Characters spot the monsters in the distance, far enough away that they can plan an ambush or choose to ignore them. For an ambush to succeed, the characters must catch the monsters by surprise by succeeding on a group DC 14 Dexterity (Stealth) check. The quaggoth’s bag contains raw materials of shadow fungus, scorpions and spiders used to create drow poison. A character attempting to craft the poison must succeed a DC 17 Intelligence (Nature) check with the Poisoner’s Kit and spends 1 day of downtime to create 2d4 vials of drow poison. On a failed a check, the character produces only 1d4 vials and poisons themselves gaining two levels of exhaustion.
Magic Item:
Blade of Bahamut
Weapon (Longsword), very rare (requires attunement)
Emblazoned with the platinum dragon’s profile, this platinum blade empowers the wielder to unleash divine retribution upon enemies or blind them with Bahamut’s holy radiance.
You gain a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this weapon.
You can use a bonus action to cause the blade of bahamut to flash brightly. Each creature that can see you and is within 10 feet of you must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or become blinded 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. This property can't be used again until you take a short rest while attuned to the weapon.
The sword emits bright light in a 10-foot radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet.
The light is sunlight. While the blade persists, you can use an action to expand or reduce its radius of bright and dim light by 5 feet each, to a maximum of 20 feet each or a minimum of 20 feet each.
Bahamut’s Blessing
If you worship Bahamut your connection to the weapon is stronger than most and you gain the following additional benefits.
When you are the target of a spell that causes you to regain hit points, you regain additional hit points equal to your Constitution modifier.
When you make an attack of opportunity you may make an additional attack with this weapon, you do not add your ability modifier to the damage of this attack.
Dungeon Master Tip:
Secret to Game Balance - Kobolds Guide to Game Design - Monte Cook
“So here’s the real secret of game balance: There is such a thing, but it has very little to do with rules and game designers. It emerges from the cooperation of the people sitting around the table. It comes from the players and, in particular, the GM. It all has to do with mutual trust.”
“...The first is that everyone is responsible for making the game fun for all involved. The second is to trust the GM to provide a fun and balanced play experience. This is the gamers’ social contract: the agreement that everyone makes, consciously or unconsciously, at the beginning of every game session.”
Player Tip: Don’t be a Dick
Gods and Fighters! - WotC - DnD4e Martial Power
“Bahamut and Kord are popular deities among fighters because of their influence over matters of war, while many fighters turn to Avandra as the god of adventure. Fighters who believe in the virtues of conquest often worship Bane, even if they’re not actually evil. Beyond these four gods, all the deities in the pantheon count some fighters among their worshipers. Fighters who view their martial skill as an art form, including many elf and eladrin fighters, worship Corellon. Erathis is a popular civic god, often revered by soldiers. As a god of knowledge, Ioun holds appeal for fighters who study the history of warfare and strategy. Some battlerager fighters seek to mimic the fury of nature that Melora represents. Moradin is commonly revered by dwarves and any fighter who seeks to protect a community. Pelor is popular among good-aligned fighters, while the Raven Queen is a common patron for grim, bitter soldiers and mercenaries. Sehanine’s doctrine of seeking one’s own destiny appeals to many fighters as well.”
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