Past the withered labyrinth lies the resting place of a massive eldritch monster, the Elder Brain. But it’s the monster’s dreams that must be confronted first. The dreams are instantiating twisted monstrosities that have terrorized the countryside. The sooner they confront the Elder Brain, the sooner the dreams stop. But the party can harvest some of the monstrosities as a form of protection against the brain itself. How long do they push their luck battling the dream-monsters before they think they’re ready for the the final fight?
Encounter
Outline
- The party must venture through the labyrinth of an old ritual site to fight an Elder Brain.
- The labyrinth is inhabited by various monstrosities formed by the sleeping Elder Brain’s nightmares.
- The party have been given an item that collects the nightmare essence of slain monstrosities.
- The item offers protection against the Elder Brain’s attacks, using collected nightmare essence as charges.
- At the center of the ritual site is a large gong that can be used to wake the Elder Brain and dissipate all of the monstrosities in the area.
- Once the Elder Brain is awoken, it attacks the party.
- The party must balance the risk of protracted battle with the monstrosities versus the benefit of collecting more charges to protect them against the Elder Brain.
Backstory & Flavor
Tales have emerged from scattered villages across the rolling countryside of several horrifying attacks: townspeople suddenly assaulted by twisted monstrosities appearing seemingly from out of nowhere.
The party has identified the source of these monsters, a cave entrance, and beyond it a strange underground labyrinth. Before they venture in, an obscure sage tells them that a long-sleeping entity, the Elder Brain, lies underneath the labyrinth, constructed by ancient cultists. Something has disturbed the Elder Brain’s slumber, and the resultant nightmares are manifesting the monsters.
Confronting the Elder Brain is the only choice, and it is likely to lash out in rage once awakened. The sage gifts the party the Phantasma Censor, a device that can collect the nightmarish essence of these monsters and use it to protect the party against the Elder Brain’s psychic powers.
The party must fight their way through the monsters to the center of the labyrinth where a massive bell was hung by ancient cultists. They had used it to wake the Elder Brain for offerings, now it must be used to end the nightmares and confront the Elder Brain itself.
At the heart of the labyrinth, the monsters come in steady waves, emerging from a massive gaping pit near the bell. Slaying the monsters collects charges in the Censor. Ringing the bell dissipates all of the monsters and wakes the Elder Brain who swiftly rises from the pit.
Item: The Phantasma Censor
A simple black iron censor hangs from a simple black iron chain. When a creature formed by psychic nightmares is slain near the censor, sickly black vapor drifts from the corpse to collect in the censor. Once activated, the censor emits a bright blue light that coalesces in a protective shield.
While holding the Phantasma Censor, you and any friendly creature within 15 feet of you may use one of the following abilities as long as the censor has enough charges to do so.
- When you take psychic damage, you may expend one charge to gain resistance to psychic damage until the start of your next turn.
- When you are forced to make a Wisdom, Charisma, or Intelligence Saving Throw, you may expend 2 charges to gain advantage on that Saving Throw or 4 charges to automatically succeed.
While holding the Phantasma Censor, if a creature forged by the nightmares of aberrant monster dies within 30 feet, the censor gains 1 charge.
Monsters
We recommend using an assortment of undead monsters for the labyrinth and area surrounding the cave:
And the Elder Brain for the boss fight.
The Fights
Reaching the Bell and Harvesting Nightmare Essence
The party should encounter 2 or 3 undead monsters before reaching the center of the labyrinth, at which point the monsters should be slowly climbing out of the pit, adding one or two monsters to an ongoing fight every 1 or 2 rounds.
The party can ring the bell as an action at any point, ending the fight with the monsters immediately.
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