Circle of the Black Forest (4e Monster)
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The Circle of the Black Forest is a druidic order that practices a form of plant-based necromancy. Because undead can be created spontaneously through natural phenomenon without any intelligent interference, they argue that undeath is a perfectly natural - if uncommon - state of being. They derive their name from an enormous, overgrown forest in the Shadowfell where all manner of strange undead plants thrive in the dark light of that plane.
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Black Forest Cultivator[edit]
Not all of the species that the Circle imports from the Shadowfell can fare well in the natural world, and the cultivators are the de facto caretakers of the strange plants that their order grows. They ensure that their charges remain healthy and vibrant, but they also take care to prevent them from growing out of control and threatening the local ecosystems.
| Black Forest Cultivator Level 1 Controller (Leader)
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| Medium natural humanoid XP 100
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| Initiative +1 | Senses Perception +3 | |
| HP 30; Bloodied 15 | ||
| AC 15; Fortitude 13, Reflex 12, Will 14 | ||
| Speed 6 | ||
| Traits | ||
| Cultivation ♦ Aura 2 | ||
| Enemies take a –2 penalty to saving throws against necrotic seed while in the aura. Allied plants gain a +2 power bonus to speed while in the aura. | ||
| Standard Actions | ||
 Sickle (at-will) ♦ Weapon
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| Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +6 vs AC Hit: 1d6 + 3 damage. | ||
 Thorn Whip (at-will)
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| Attack: Ranged 10 (one creature); +4 vs Fortitude Hit: 1d8 + 4 damage, and the cultivator pulls the target 2 squares. | ||
 Necrotic Seed (encounter) ♦ Necrotic, Zone
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| Attack: Ranged 10 (one creature); +4 vs Fortitude Hit: 1d10 necrotic damage, and ongoing 5 necrotic damage (save ends). First Failed Saving Throw: The seed ruptures, triggering a close burst 1 on the target. The burst creates a zone of difficult terrain that lasts until the end of the encounter. Any creature that enters the zone or ends its turn there takes 5 necrotic damage. | ||
| Alignment unaligned | Languages Common | |
| Skills Nature +8 | ||
| Str 10 (+0) | Dex 13 (+1) | Wis 16 (+3) |
| Con 14 (+2) | Int 11 (+0) | Cha 12 (+1) |
| Equipment cloth armor, sickle | ||
Black Forest Cultivator Tactics[edit]
A cultivator uses necrotic seed on the first round of combat; if multiple cultivators are present, they target their seeds at different foes. They will then attempt to remain near enemies who have been implanted so that their cultivation aura can increase the chances of the seed rupturing, using thorn whip to pull any implanted enemies that attempt to escape. If a cultivator has plant allies with it in a fight, it will attempt to keep them close so that they can benefit from its aura. Cultivators aren't above sacrificing their non-humanoid allies to flee from a battle that seems to be going poorly: plants are more easily regrown than flesh, after all.
Black Forest Harvester[edit]
Harvesters are those members of the Circle who are somewhat lacking in druidic magic. They may be new to the practice, or they may lack the skill needed to master the more powerful evocations of their order. They make up for this shortcoming with a stronger focus on martial combat, wading into battle with massive scythes that they swing with almost reckless abandon.
| Black Forest Harvester Level 1 Soldier
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| Medium natural humanoid XP 100
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| Initiative +3 | Senses Perception +1 | |
| HP 30; Bloodied 15 | ||
| AC 17; Fortitude 14, Reflex 12, Will 13 | ||
| Speed 6 | ||
| Standard Actions | ||
| Scythe (at-will) ♦ Weapon
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| Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +6 vs AC Hit: 2d4 + 4 damage. Effect: The harvester marks the target until the end of the harvester's next turn. | ||
 Scythe Sweep (recharge .gif){kind=small} .gif){kind=small} .gif){kind=small} ) ♦ Weapon
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| Attack: Close burst 1 (creatures in the burst); +6 vs AC Effect: Allies in the burst can shift 1 square before the harvester makes the attack roll. Hit: 2d4 + 4 damage, and the harvester marks the target until the end of the harvester's next turn. | ||
| Triggered Actions | ||
| Thorn Whip (at-will)
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| Trigger: An enemy marked by and within 10 squares of the harvester makes an attack that does not include it as a target. Attack (Immediate Interrupt): Ranged 10 (triggering enemy); +4 vs Fortitude Hit: 1d8 + 4 damage, and the harvester pulls the target 2 squares. | ||
| Alignment unaligned | Languages Common | |
| Skills Nature +6 | ||
| Str 16 (+3) | Dex 12 (+1) | Wis 13 (+1) |
| Con 14 (+2) | Int 10 (+0) | Cha 11 (+0) |
| Equipment bark armor, scythe | ||
Black Forest Harvester Tactics[edit]
A harvester wades into the thick of combat at the earliest opportunity. They use scythe sweep to mark as many enemies as possible, relying on thorn whip to pull them back into melee if they attempt to go after more vulnerable members of the Circle. Allies use the free movement granted by scythe sweep to shift out of threatened squares so that they can safely retreat on later turns.
Circle of the Black Forest Lore[edit]
A character knows the following information with a successful check.
- DC 15:
- DC 20:
- DC 25:
Encounter Groups[edit]
Encounters
Level 1 Encounter (XP 500)[edit]
Back to Main Page → 4e Homebrew → Monsters
| Author | Dracomortis + |
| Identifier | 4e Monster + |
| Rating | Undiscussed + |
| Title | Circle of the Black Forest + |
