ENterplanetary DimENsions is out for blood today—but so is everyone else in the hunter’s ground of ruthless Resvree!
Illustration by Balazs Pirok.
It’s unusual for dimensional explorers to stay in Resvree long enough to understand its subtle nature—they arrive and quickly become disenchanted with its peoples, leaving of their own accord soon after their task is done. There seems to be need enough for adventurers however, with small villages dotting the countrysides and dangerous monsters prowling about. These threats are a carefully tended trial in a realm that is truly a purgatory for warriors slain outside of battle, a final chance to prove themselves and earn an afterlife of glory—and a trap to capture the power of trespassing mortals that have worthy souls.
Most mortals brought here after their deaths become hollowed out shades of their most humble selves, settling into pointless labors of drudgery interrupted only by the intervention of those still alive or the horror of monsters they no longer have the heart to fight. They are lorded over by the Cardiac Court, their weak wills bent to manipulate explorers into slaying the creatures that terrorize them to identify any worth challenging. The real denizens of Resvree only reveal themselves when it is time to take the soul of a proven adventurer, tracking them through the seemingly medieval realm to issue a challenge to single combat that few succeed.
Planar Traits. Resvree has the following planar traits and the Narrator should make use of the darkness, memory crystals, miring ground, poisonous plants, and strong winds encounter elements. When it is possible to do so, noticing one of these encounter elements before it is too close to avoid requires a DC 19 Survival check.
Crafting Components: Soul of a monstrosity from Resvree
The pommel of this silver-bladed polearm is forged into the shape of a heart. You have a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon. While you are attuned to and wielding this halberd, it loses the Heavy property, and you are able to use the Bloodtracker and Sanguine Shield properties.
Bloodtracker. After damaging a living creature with an attack using this weapon, you can use a bonus action to bloodtrack it for the next hour. While bloodtracking a creature you know the direction and distance to it as long as you are both on the same plane of existence.
Sanguine Shield. After you hit a living creature with this halberd you can use a bonus action to capture the blood in mid-air to form a floating shield around you. Until the start of your next turn your Armor Class increases by an amount equal to your proficiency bonus.
Once you have used one of these properties a number of times equal to half your proficiency bonus, you cannot use that property again until you finish a long rest. While on the plane of Resvree, you can use each of these properties a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.
AC 15 (natural armor)
HP 93 (11d8+44; bloodied 46)
Speed 40 ft., climb 30 ft.
Proficiency +3; Maneuver DC 15
Saving Throws Str +7, Wis +2
Skills Athletics +7, Insight +1 (+1d8), Intimidation +3 (+1d6), Perception +1 (+1d8), Stealth +5, Survival +1 (+1d8)
Damage Resistances necrotic, psychic, thunder; damage from nonmagical weapons
Condition Immunities fatigue, frightened, paralyzed, stunned, strife
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 15
Languages Common
Bloodtracker. After damaging a living creature with its halberd the knight knows the direction and distance to it as long as they are on the same plane of existence.
Glamered. The knight appears to be a normal humanoid until it is bloodied, damages a bloodied creature, or is infuriated by a successful Stealth check opposed by its Perception check.
Magic Resistance. The knight has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The knight attacks three times.
Halberd. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (1d10+5) magical slashing damage.
Ram (Bloodied Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (1d8+5) magical bludgeoning damage and the target makes a DC 15 Strength saving throw or is knocked prone.
Halberd Slash. Ranged Spell Attack: +5 to hit, range 50/150 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d6+2) thunder damage.
BONUS ACTIONS
Practiced Sweep. When the knight hits a creature twice on the same turn with its halberd, it uses the Knockdown basic maneuver against the creature.
Monstrous Tentacle (Bloodied Only). The knight uses the Disarm or Knockdown basic maneuver.
Sanguine Shield (Recharge 5–6). After the knight hits a living creature with its halberd it captures the blood in mid-air to form a floating shield around it. Until the start of the knight’s next turn its Armor Class increases by 3.
REACTIONS
Heart Strike (1/Day). When the knight uses its halberd to make a melee weapon attack against a living creature and hits, it can swivel the blade of the weapon to turn the attack into a critical hit.
AC 17 (natural armor)
HP 247 (26d8+130; bloodied 123)
Speed 50 ft., climb 35 ft.
Proficiency +5; Maneuver DC 18
Saving Throws Str +10, Wis +6
Skills Athletics +10, Insight +6 (+1d12), Intimidation +9 (+1d8), Perception +6 (+1d8), Stealth +8, Survival +6 (+1d8)
Damage Resistances necrotic, psychic, thunder; damage from nonmagical weapons
Condition Immunities fatigue, frightened, paralyzed, stunned, strife
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 20
Languages Common
Bloodtracker. After damaging a living creature the noble knows the direction and distance to it as long as they are on the same plane of existence.
Combat Expertise. The damage of the noble’s attacks includes a d8 expertise die.
Glamered. The noble appears to be a normal humanoid until it is bloodied, damages a bloodied creature, or is infuriated by a successful Stealth check opposed by its Perception check.
Innate Spellcasting. The noble’s spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 17, +9 to hit with spell attacks). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). When the noble fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. The noble has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The noble attacks four times.
Ram (Bloodied Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (1d8+5) magical bludgeoning damage and the target makes a DC 15 Strength saving throw or is knocked prone.
Royal Blade. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8+5) magical slashing damage plus 4 (1d8) thunder damage.
Royal Scepter (King Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (1d8+1d6+5) magical bludgeoning damage plus 9 (2d8) thunder damage.
BONUS ACTIONS
Heart’s Desire (Recharge 4–6). The noble chooses a creature it can see within 60 feet. The creature must make a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or become distracted as it suddenly feels despair regarding what it desires most. The noble gains advantage on its attacks against the distracted creature until the end of the noble’s turn or until it misses with an attack roll.
REACTIONS
Cardiac Surge. When the noble scores a critical hit against a living creature, it regains an amount of hit points equal to half the damage dealt as it draws the blood into itself.
LEGENDARY ACTIONS
The noble can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. It regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Attack. The noble makes a melee attack.
Royal Tentacle (Bloodied Only). The noble uses the Disarm or Knockdown basic maneuver, and the saving throw against it cannot gain advantage or any expertise die.
Seek Heart. The noble casts true strike.
Spell (Queen Only). The noble casts a spell.
Step Lightly (Jack Only). The noble moves its Speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
Royal Rage (King Only; Costs 2 Actions). The noble becomes infuriated and bolsters itself with rage, taking half damage until the start of its next turn.
While in Resvree an adventurer’s Prestige Rating increases based on the number of members of the Cardiac Court that they have defeated as per Table: Reputation Hearts, and when their Prestige Rating in Resvree equals or exceeds their proficiency bonus they are sought out and challenged by a noble of the heart.
When an adventurer leaves this dimension their Prestige Rating returns to normal and increases by an amount equal to 1/3rd their Prestige Rating in Resvree.
Table: Reputation Hearts
Apathetic Amnesia. The creature completely forgets its life before coming to Resvree, it has difficulty remembering anything from more than a week prior (making Intelligence checks to remember such information with disadvantage), and it cannot remember anything from a month ago or longer.
Neverdying. When the creature is reduced to 0 hit points its body fades away and 1d4 hours later it reappears in its last resting place at its full hit points. The only way to permanently destroy the creature is by a means determined by the Narrator.
Author’s Note: This was scheduled to post months ago and is not intended to be commentary on current events. Thank you.
Illustration by Balazs Pirok.
It’s unusual for dimensional explorers to stay in Resvree long enough to understand its subtle nature—they arrive and quickly become disenchanted with its peoples, leaving of their own accord soon after their task is done. There seems to be need enough for adventurers however, with small villages dotting the countrysides and dangerous monsters prowling about. These threats are a carefully tended trial in a realm that is truly a purgatory for warriors slain outside of battle, a final chance to prove themselves and earn an afterlife of glory—and a trap to capture the power of trespassing mortals that have worthy souls.
Most mortals brought here after their deaths become hollowed out shades of their most humble selves, settling into pointless labors of drudgery interrupted only by the intervention of those still alive or the horror of monsters they no longer have the heart to fight. They are lorded over by the Cardiac Court, their weak wills bent to manipulate explorers into slaying the creatures that terrorize them to identify any worth challenging. The real denizens of Resvree only reveal themselves when it is time to take the soul of a proven adventurer, tracking them through the seemingly medieval realm to issue a challenge to single combat that few succeed.
Planar Traits. Resvree has the following planar traits and the Narrator should make use of the darkness, memory crystals, miring ground, poisonous plants, and strong winds encounter elements. When it is possible to do so, noticing one of these encounter elements before it is too close to avoid requires a DC 19 Survival check.
Cardiac Court
The hunter’s ground of Resvree is ruled over with undisputed impunity by the ferocious Court of Hearts, beings with an intrinsic need for violence that can only be sated by spilt blood. Each was once a mortal warrior brought here after perishing away from battle and still wears that guise, their transformation by the dimension into the very monsters they hated most (after proving beyond doubt to be cowardly in the face of danger after their arrival) hidden by an illusion that mocks what they’ve become. Now they are obsessed with regaining some semblance of pride by defeating newcomers, cursing their victims to become ghostly apparitions—or dying again and ceding their power to the newly transformed victor when their heart is consumed. Those in charge of the Court of Hearts each live in their own castle where they directly lord over their attendant knights of the heart, overseeing the repopulation of monstrous dens and remaining apprised of the plane’s new arrivals. The jack’s fortress (the smallest) contains only 3 knights of the heart, the queen’s citadel houses 5 knights of the heart, and the king’s keep (the largest) is home to 8 knights of the heart, though at any time half of these monstrous soldiers are usually away supervising the realm’s spectral serfs.Knight’s Halberd
Weapon (halberd), rare (requires attunement; cost 850 gp)Crafting Components: Soul of a monstrosity from Resvree
The pommel of this silver-bladed polearm is forged into the shape of a heart. You have a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon. While you are attuned to and wielding this halberd, it loses the Heavy property, and you are able to use the Bloodtracker and Sanguine Shield properties.
Bloodtracker. After damaging a living creature with an attack using this weapon, you can use a bonus action to bloodtrack it for the next hour. While bloodtracking a creature you know the direction and distance to it as long as you are both on the same plane of existence.
Sanguine Shield. After you hit a living creature with this halberd you can use a bonus action to capture the blood in mid-air to form a floating shield around you. Until the start of your next turn your Armor Class increases by an amount equal to your proficiency bonus.
Once you have used one of these properties a number of times equal to half your proficiency bonus, you cannot use that property again until you finish a long rest. While on the plane of Resvree, you can use each of these properties a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.
Knight of the Heart Challenge 5
Medium monstrosity 1,800 XPAC 15 (natural armor)
HP 93 (11d8+44; bloodied 46)
Speed 40 ft., climb 30 ft.
STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
18 (+4) | 15 (+2) | 18 (+4) | 10 (+0) | 9 (–1) | 15 (+2) |
Saving Throws Str +7, Wis +2
Skills Athletics +7, Insight +1 (+1d8), Intimidation +3 (+1d6), Perception +1 (+1d8), Stealth +5, Survival +1 (+1d8)
Damage Resistances necrotic, psychic, thunder; damage from nonmagical weapons
Condition Immunities fatigue, frightened, paralyzed, stunned, strife
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 15
Languages Common
Bloodtracker. After damaging a living creature with its halberd the knight knows the direction and distance to it as long as they are on the same plane of existence.
Glamered. The knight appears to be a normal humanoid until it is bloodied, damages a bloodied creature, or is infuriated by a successful Stealth check opposed by its Perception check.
Magic Resistance. The knight has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The knight attacks three times.
Halberd. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (1d10+5) magical slashing damage.
Ram (Bloodied Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (1d8+5) magical bludgeoning damage and the target makes a DC 15 Strength saving throw or is knocked prone.
Halberd Slash. Ranged Spell Attack: +5 to hit, range 50/150 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d6+2) thunder damage.
BONUS ACTIONS
Practiced Sweep. When the knight hits a creature twice on the same turn with its halberd, it uses the Knockdown basic maneuver against the creature.
Monstrous Tentacle (Bloodied Only). The knight uses the Disarm or Knockdown basic maneuver.
Sanguine Shield (Recharge 5–6). After the knight hits a living creature with its halberd it captures the blood in mid-air to form a floating shield around it. Until the start of the knight’s next turn its Armor Class increases by 3.
REACTIONS
Heart Strike (1/Day). When the knight uses its halberd to make a melee weapon attack against a living creature and hits, it can swivel the blade of the weapon to turn the attack into a critical hit.
Noble of the Heart Challenge 16
Legendary Medium monstrosity 15,000 XPAC 17 (natural armor)
HP 247 (26d8+130; bloodied 123)
Speed 50 ft., climb 35 ft.
STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
20 (+5) | 17 (+3) | 20 (+5) | 12 (+1) | 13 (+1) | 19 (+4) |
Saving Throws Str +10, Wis +6
Skills Athletics +10, Insight +6 (+1d12), Intimidation +9 (+1d8), Perception +6 (+1d8), Stealth +8, Survival +6 (+1d8)
Damage Resistances necrotic, psychic, thunder; damage from nonmagical weapons
Condition Immunities fatigue, frightened, paralyzed, stunned, strife
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 20
Languages Common
Bloodtracker. After damaging a living creature the noble knows the direction and distance to it as long as they are on the same plane of existence.
Combat Expertise. The damage of the noble’s attacks includes a d8 expertise die.
Glamered. The noble appears to be a normal humanoid until it is bloodied, damages a bloodied creature, or is infuriated by a successful Stealth check opposed by its Perception check.
Innate Spellcasting. The noble’s spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 17, +9 to hit with spell attacks). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
At will: friends, detect magic, misty step, true strike
3/day each: aid, detect thoughts, enlarge/reduce, false life, fear, flex
1/day each: eyebite, tearful sonnet
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). When the noble fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. The noble has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The noble attacks four times.
Ram (Bloodied Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (1d8+5) magical bludgeoning damage and the target makes a DC 15 Strength saving throw or is knocked prone.
Royal Blade. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8+5) magical slashing damage plus 4 (1d8) thunder damage.
Royal Scepter (King Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (1d8+1d6+5) magical bludgeoning damage plus 9 (2d8) thunder damage.
BONUS ACTIONS
Heart’s Desire (Recharge 4–6). The noble chooses a creature it can see within 60 feet. The creature must make a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or become distracted as it suddenly feels despair regarding what it desires most. The noble gains advantage on its attacks against the distracted creature until the end of the noble’s turn or until it misses with an attack roll.
REACTIONS
Cardiac Surge. When the noble scores a critical hit against a living creature, it regains an amount of hit points equal to half the damage dealt as it draws the blood into itself.
LEGENDARY ACTIONS
The noble can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. It regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Attack. The noble makes a melee attack.
Royal Tentacle (Bloodied Only). The noble uses the Disarm or Knockdown basic maneuver, and the saving throw against it cannot gain advantage or any expertise die.
Seek Heart. The noble casts true strike.
Spell (Queen Only). The noble casts a spell.
Step Lightly (Jack Only). The noble moves its Speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
Royal Rage (King Only; Costs 2 Actions). The noble becomes infuriated and bolsters itself with rage, taking half damage until the start of its next turn.
Heart Hunting
The recently beating heart of a creature just slain carries tremendous power in Resvree. When a creature eats the heart of a monstrosity native to Resvree that has died within the last minute, for the next 24 hours it gains an expertise die on ability checks, attack rolls, saving throws, and when dealing damage. A creature that eats the hearts from a number of knights of the heart equal to its hit dice is transformed into a knight of the heart. Consuming the heart of a noble of the heart transforms a creature into that noble of the heart.Reduced Reputation
What frustrates most adventurers that come to Resvree is that they are suddenly unremarkable, quickly forgotten by those they help, and unable to advance their station—the people of a village plead for help from a monster that terrorizes them only to be saved and make the same plea not a month later.While in Resvree an adventurer’s Prestige Rating increases based on the number of members of the Cardiac Court that they have defeated as per Table: Reputation Hearts, and when their Prestige Rating in Resvree equals or exceeds their proficiency bonus they are sought out and challenged by a noble of the heart.
When an adventurer leaves this dimension their Prestige Rating returns to normal and increases by an amount equal to 1/3rd their Prestige Rating in Resvree.
Table: Reputation Hearts
Creatures Defeated | Prestige Rating |
1 Knight of the Heart | 1 |
2 Knights of the Heart | 2 |
3 Knights of the Heart | 3 |
6 Knights of the Heart | 4 |
10 Knights of the Heart | 5 |
Noble of the Heart | +3 |
Suspicious Shades
On its surface Resvree seems like a medieval realm plagued by the threat of monsters. These monstrosities are the only truly living things in the dimension, all the beasts and humanoids across the countrysides only spectral projections of hollow spirits that lack the will to fight. When a non-monstrosity creature dies in Resvree it gains the following trait.Apathetic Amnesia. The creature completely forgets its life before coming to Resvree, it has difficulty remembering anything from more than a week prior (making Intelligence checks to remember such information with disadvantage), and it cannot remember anything from a month ago or longer.
Neverdying. When the creature is reduced to 0 hit points its body fades away and 1d4 hours later it reappears in its last resting place at its full hit points. The only way to permanently destroy the creature is by a means determined by the Narrator.
Author’s Note: This was scheduled to post months ago and is not intended to be commentary on current events. Thank you.
