Small Town, Big Dragon
Welcome to Masters and Minions, where I strive to give you interesting NPCs and encounters that can be placed easily into your game. For Gygax Week, I have an encounter with Nitsuj Yawollah, gnomish bard and disciple of Zagyg. You can find out more about the disciple of Zagyg prestige class in this week’s From the Workshop, Friday.
As the PCs are passing through a small town, they encounter frightened townspeople running away from town square; they tell the PCs about how a large red dragon appeared suddenly in the middle of town in a fiery explosion. Little do they know that this is just Nitsuj’s latest prank, which he pulled off with the use of his pyrotechnics and major image spells. If the PCs head to the town square they find the place in total chaos. Nitsuj is hiding in a barrel near one of the buildings, controlling his illusionary dragon from the safety of the barrel. PCs who make a Perception check DC 15 notice that although there is a fire-breathing dragon attacking the town, there doesn’t seem to be any fire damage done to any of the buildings.
If the PCs find Nitsuj, he flees, using his aura of transposition to escape by switching places with nearby PCs and townsfolk.
Nitsuj Yawollah |
CR 6 |
XP 800
Male gnome bard 5/disciple of Zagyg 2
CN small humanoid (gnome)
Init +7; Senses low-light vision; Perception +4
Aura aura of influence (transposition) (DC 18)
DEFENSE
AC 14, touch 13, flat-footed 11 (+1 armor, +3 Dex)
hp 21 (5d8+4)
Fort +2 Ref +6 Will +1
Defensive Abilities defensive training
OFFENSE
Speed 20 ft
Melee dagger +3 (1d4+1/19-20)
Special Attacks bardic performance 16 rounds/day (countersong, distraction, fascinate, inspire competence +2, inspire courage +2)
Spells Know (CL 7; Concentration +11)
3rd (2/day)—confusion(DC 16) , major image (DC 20)
2nd (4/day)—detect thoughts (DC 16), hypnotic pattern (DC 19), minor image (DC 19), pyrotechnics (DC 16)
1st (5/day)—confusion, lesser (DC 15), disguise self, hideous laughter (DC 15), magic mouth, silent image (DC 18)
0 (at will)—dancing lights, detect magic, ghost sound, mage hand, open/close
STATISTICS
Str 8, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 7, Cha 18
Base Atk +1; CMB +2; CMD 15
Feats Ability Focus (blessing of transposition), Extra Performance, Greater Spell Focus (illusion), Spell Focus (illusion)
Skills Bluff +14, Knowledge (history) +15, Knowledge (local) +15, knowledge (nobility) +15, Perform (act) +12, Perform (comedy) +14, Perform (sing) +12
SQ bardic knowledge, blessing of transposition*, lore, lore master, versatile performance (perform [comedy]), well-versed
Languages Common, draconic, gnome, goblin, sylvan
NPC Gear
Blessing of Transposition*
When activated, this blessing allows the disciple of Zagyg to switch places with any other living creature within 10 feet as a free action once per round. Unwilling targets are allowed a Will save (DC 10 + the disciple of Zagyg’s class level + the disciple of Zagyg’s Charisma modifier) to resist the effect. This blessing lasts 1 round for each class level the disciple of Zagyg possesses.
By sacrificing a 2nd level spell slot, a disciple of Zagyg can use this ability once per day.
By sacrificing a 8th level spell slot, a disciple of Zagyg can maintain this effect for a full 24 hours.
*For a full explanation of a disciple of Zagyg’s class features, be sure to check out From the Workshop this Friday.