Publication:Unearthed Arcana/Hrothgar's Journey (Incantation)

Hrothgar's journey is an incantation based on the tale of Hrothgar, a powerful barbarian hero from ages past. When the poetic epic of Hrothgar is recited in the stifling heat of a sweat lodge during the winter solstice, the orator and his listeners receive the same final reward that Hrothgar did: a one way trip to Ysgard's plain of Ida, where they can drink and make merry with the greatest warriors of myth.

To cast the incantation, the caster must construct a small, windowless hut in the middle of the forest, then build a bonfire in the hut's center. At least four and up to twelve others accompany the caster into the hut. Then the flames are lit and the telling of the tale of Hrothgar begins.

Because the bonfire is large and the hut is small, the atmosphere inside quickly gets stiflingly hot. This is the incantation's backlash; unlike most baclash components, it affects the incantation's other targets as well as the caster. Any creature inside the hut must make a Fortitude save every 10 minutes or suffer the effect of severe heat.

Just as the tale of Hrothgar approaches its conclusion (near the end of the casting time), the bonfire's flames light the hut on fire, which creates a great deal of smoke but no additional heat or damage. If the final skill check succeeds, the flames consume the hut's roof and walls, revealing the plain of Ida on the plane of Ysgard.

Material Component: A windowless, thatched hut in a forest.

Backlash Component: Severe heat.

Extra Casters: Four required; they provide the dialogue for other characters in the epic of Hrothgar.

Campaign Use: Hrothgar's journey is well within the reach of mid-level PCs, especially bards. Of all the Outer Planes, Ysgard is perhaps the most hospitable to PCs and the easiest to work into an ongoing campaign, so the incantation may be a good way to whet the players' appetite for planar travel without opening up the entire cosmology. In the hands of NPC's, Hrothgar's journey can be an escape route for the barbarian raiders the characters have been chasing for months. Or a mischievous NPC bard can beckon the PCs into a warm hut on a cold winter's night, promising them a wondrous reward if they just listen to a tale....