Sound can tell us a lot about the world around us, and for adventurers a set of sharp ears is indispensable. But what use is the sense of hearing when a triggering trap sounds like a drop of water, a creaky hinges sound like a distant wind, or a bard's lute strings sound like clucking chickens? With this spell, puckish spellcasters can replace any one sound with another.

Appearance: Vriti have brownish, thick hides, armored with great sheets of scale. These long, legless dragons are the offspring of Vrita, a huge immortal dragon defeated in an ancient battle with Indra. In this battle several scales were torn loose from Vrita and fell to earth. There they sprung to life and became vriti.

Combat: Vriti bite with maws full of long, sharp teeth. They also will wrap themselves around an opponent and then tighten their coils, crushing them. Once a hit roll is successfully made, crushing damage is automatic.

Lightning and related attacks are saved at at ‑2 by vriti, who take +2 points of damage on each die of this sort of damage.

A vriti's breath is scorching and dry, and once per turn it can fire a searing blast of heat, for 1d6 points of damage per hit die they possess (save for half).

Habitat/Society: Vriti are so evil and treacherous that they do not like to associate even with each other.

Ecology: Vriti are the deadliest predators in whatever area they choose to dwell, for they will not live in the vicinity of creatures more powerful than themselves.

Variants/Notes: Half of all vriti have wizard spellcasting ability of 1st to 12th level. They specialize in spells that control weather, so that they can bring drought and destroy water. 

Vriti

Climate/Terrain: Ruins, arid areas

Frequency: Very rare

Organization: Solitary

Activity Cycle: Any

Diet: Carnivorous

Intelligence: Average

Treasure: Lots

Alignment: Chaotic Evil

No. Appearing: 1

Armor Class: 1

Movement: 12

Hit Dice: 10‑12

THAC0: 10 or better

No. of Attacks: 2

Damage/Attack: 5‑20 (bite); 7‑28 (crush)

Special Attacks: Breath, spells

Special Defenses: Spells

Magic Resistance: As per a dragon

Size: L

Morale: High

XP Value: Many

OLD MAN OF THE SEA

Medium Monstrous Humanoid (Aquatic)

Hit Dice:                          6d8+9 (36 hp)

Initiative:                         +1

Speed:                             30 ft. (6 squares), Swim 40 ft.

Base Attack/Grapple:    +6/+15

Attack:                             Claw +11 melee (1d4+5), Chokehold

Full Attack:                     2 claws +11 melee (1d4+5), Chokehold

Space/Reach:                 5 ft./5 ft.

Special Attacks:             Chokehold, Rust

Saves:                             Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +6

Abilities:                         Str 20, Dex 13, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 15

Feats:                              Alertness, Persuasive, Toughness

Environment:                 Any aquatic

Organization:                 Solitary or covey (one Old Man of the Sea,

                                         1-3 Sea Hags, plus 1-8 ogres, 1-4 evil giants, and 1-6 other victims)

Challenge Rating:          5

Treasure:                         Standard

Alignment:                      Usually chaotic evil

Advancement:                By character class

Level Adjustment:           —

Craft Alchemical Grenade (Item Creation)

You can create magical explosives.

Prerequisites: Brew potion, caster level 5th.

Benefit: This feat functions as brew potion, except it creates alchemical grenades by creating purposefully unstable versions of common potions. An alchemical grenade is a thrown weapon with a range increment of 10 feet. It inflicts 1d6 damage +1d6 for each spell level of the spell used in the creation of the grenade, with an area effect of 5 feet. If the spell used to create the grenade has an elemental or energy type or descriptor, the grenade's damage is of that type. If the spell used in the creation of the grenade is already a damage-causing spell, the grenade reproduces the damage and area effect (if any) of the spell. Alchemical grenades can be incorporated into traps. 

A couple of weeks ago, I posted the first half of the Challenge on Stormwalk Mountain. Today I will (one day late) close out the adventure. You can read the first part, but in brief, the Brightwaters were recruited to guard the way into the Storm Realm, and to Orlanth's Stead, for a group of Rune level Heroquesters who hope to make wyverns Air creatures by binding them to the Air rune in a ritual taming of the Storm Dragon Aroka, re-enacting the deed of Orlanth during the Godtime.

The Brightwaters faced an assault by massive Krarshtvermin, and repelled and destroyed them before the portal to the Storm Realm. 

In part Two, the Brightwaters began to wonder why the tunneling krarshtvermin were attackig gin plain sight clambering up the heights of Stormwalk, and decided they should look through the portal and check the progress of the Heroquesters. Doing so, they found them engaged with a gargantuan azure dragon and beset by a band of shadowy assassins. As they looked on, one of the Heroquesters dropped from the sky, his wyvern slain.

So they sprang to the rescue, plucked the falling quester from the air before he hit the ground, and attacked the assassins, allowing the Heroquesters time to tame Aroka. Wyrmhere even petitioned his master Jagrun Khan to send aid, and the storm tiger sent one of his creatures.

Attached is the Hit Squad of Krarsht Assassins that nearly killed the Heroquesters and spoiled the entire plan.

Art for the post is by the legendary Gustav Dore.

SUBSTITUTE SOUND

School transmutation Level bard 0, sorcerer/wizard 1

Casting Time 1 standard action

Components V, S, M (a parrot's tongue)

Range touch

Target one person or object that produces a sound

Effect One sound becomes another

Duration 1 day/level (D)

Saving Throw Will negates; Spell Resistance yes