City of the Last Emperor

Monstrous City: Beholders

D.Skelector Bestiary, City of the Last Emperor, D&D 5e, Dungeons and Dragons, Fantasy, Homebrew, Monsters, world-building ,

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Eyes everywhere (law enforcement)

It’s called The Sanction. It truly is monstrous, literally. The “policemen” are beholders. A Sheriff beholder enforce the law in the area, with a cohort of lesser spectator beholders under his baleful supervision.

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Meet your sheriff

Origin

Many beholders were brought  under the rule of the Third Tyrant. A terrifying force they were. And loyal to him. When the City freed itself from the yoke of the Third, it was decided in a special assembly that the  beholders would still serve: the power of law! A bold idea, to say the least. Now, the slimy monsters roams the streets, waiting for an opportunity to punish crime-doers.

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To serve and protect?

Law enforcement

Incorruptible (or are they?), the beholders have many powers that helps them bring down criminals. They use charm person to compel unhelpful people. They’re reaaally good at intimidating, no surprise there. The Sheriff sees through the eyes of his spectators and can send reinforcements anywhere that needs it. He can also spy inside houses, magically popping a eyed-tentacle from the walls and ceilings.

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Crimes

the list of crimes in Legacy is very short.

  • Murder (attempted murder is not)
  • Identity theft
  • Property deed fraud
  • Burglary
  • Home invasion
  • Arson
  • Restricted weapon possession
  • Trespassing
  • Criminal mischief

Apprehending

If a spectator beholder witnesses a crime (they patrol without rest) or sent after someone reported a crime, they will try to arrest the crime-doer, softening him up with eye rays if he resists. Too much resistance or a botched arrest leads to a death warrant from the sheriff. Arrested criminals are sent to Detention Island, the prison under the care of the Sphynx Warden, whom even the beholders are afraid of.

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Vigilante

D.Skelector City of the Last Emperor, D&D 5e, Dungeons and Dragons, Fantasy, Homebrew , ,

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Origin

The consecutive Three Tyrannies have left the City in a state of Turmoil. The Law’s enforcement agency: The Sanction, deals only with specific offenses (i.e. murder, burglary, etc.). Meanwhile, the violence in the streets  have been steadily growing, with turf wars ever more frequent and intense. In such a state of affairs, it’s no wonder that individuals (and often whole groups of vigilantes) have taken justice in their own hands.

Ranger (hunter archetype): reskin

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor, medium armor

Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons (1)

Tools: none

Saving throws: Strength, Dexterity

Skills: Choose three from Athletics, Factions, Insight, Investigation, Perception, Stealth and Streetwise.

Favored enemy (adapting for SiT): you defend your neighborhood against gangsters

  • choose a gang, levels as favored enemy
  • advantage on factions and streetwise skills check whenever it concerns  the enemy gang

Hunter’s features

Hunter’s prey (PHB: cosmetic only)

  • Colossus slayer>>>Thug beater
  • Giant killer>>>Gang leader nemesis
  • Horde breaker>>>Hoodlum slugger

Primeval awareness>>>Sleepless nights

Land’s stride (have to be replaced)

  • I propose to take magical ambush (from the arcane trickster (PHB)) instead

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Spell list

I had in mind a lone vigilante with a taste for hit-and-run tactics for this selection of spells (the ranger list being inadequate, for obvious reasons).

Level 1: alarm, bane, color spray, compelled duel, disguise self, expeditious retreat, feather fall, hunter’s mark, jump, longstride, searing smite, shield, wrathful smite

Level 2: arcane lock, blur, cloud of daggers, cordon of arrows, darkness, enthrall, levitate, invisibility, mirror image, misty step, protection from posion, silence, spider climb

Level 3: blink, clairvoyance, conjure barrage, dispel magic, fear, feign death, glyph of warding, lightning arrow, meld into stone, nondetection, slow

Level 4: arcane eye, dimension doors, greater invisibility, locate creature, stoneskin

Level 5: conjure volley, mislead, passwall, swift quiver

  1. martial weapons are mostly illegals, but many vigilantes are beyond caring.

Penumbazaar

D.Skelector City of the Last Emperor, D&D 5e, Dungeons and Dragons, Fantasy, world-building

A maze of dark alleys and dead-ends, the Penumbazaar is the place to go for your shady dealings!

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Hidden from prying eyes

Situated mostly inside the Vermillon district, it snake beneath the shadows of the five Great Ziggurats and sometimes, even  inside of these antique (and creepy) buildings. Of major importance is the fact that, for some unknown reason, the beholders of the Sanction never visit  the Penumbazaar.

Exotic Market

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There’s a multitude of selling stands displaying common goods as well as the most exotic and, of course, if you know the right vendor you could go behind some well-concealed door to delve into a less Sanction-approved world (magical creatures, forbidden weapons, drugs rare components and spells, etc.).

House Coërsce

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The most powerful faction inside the Penumbazaar is without a doubt the secretive House Coërsce, one of the two elven Houses that is located outside the Enclave and the most obviously crime-oriented. A good half of the gangs in the area is under their allegiance and the other half have a hard time getting out of their way. You can be sure that they have a (greedy) hand in all of the business operations happening in the dimly lit Penumbazaar.

Streetwise

Most of the gangs won’t harass outsiders except maybe to “kindly” offer their help as guides through the maze in exchange for a not-insignificant fee. Those who are brave (or foolhardy) enough to refuse have better not take a bad turn along their way or they will have to pay much more once they find themselves in the wrong dead-end…