Coming Together

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COMING TOGETHER

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The Abomination Vaults Adventure Path begins near the small town of Otari on the southern shore of the Isle of Kortos. A robust and spoiler-free description of the town can be found in this player’s guide. While this gazetteer does mention things that aren’t frequently discussed in polite company (such as the rough crew that hangs out at the Crook’s Nook), the contents of this gazetteer are considered common knowledge among Otari’s citizens. It’s possible for some (or even all) of the heroes to hail from Otari, but that isn’t necessary. Although most of the campaign’s action takes place in the dungeon about a half hour to the north in the swampy Fogfen, the heroes will return to Otari many times and should come to rely on its people.

The heroes might or might not know each other, but all of them should have a friend in common: the town’s eccentric oddities merchant, Wrin Sivinxi. Wrin’s mixture of tiefling and elven ancestry is impossible to miss: her eyes are devoid of pupils, small ram horns curl around her elven ears, and her fingertips sparkle with motes of glittering light. Wrin is more than a collector of unusual items and occult lore; she’s a scholar of the stars who possesses curious foresight about strange events (perhaps this foresight drove her to build a friendship with the heroes in the first place). In any case, once Wrin collects the heroes to tell them of a strange light she has seen around Gauntlight, the mysterious inland lighthouse deep in the Fogfen, the campaign can begin!

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ALIGNMENTS

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There isn’t any restriction on character alignments in the Abomination Vaults Adventure Path. The heroes aren’t likely to be evil, as they should care about the fate of Otari and its people, but characters of any alignment could investigate strange clues and seek their fortunes in dungeons.

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HERITAGES

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For being a small town, Otari has an exceptionally open-minded view of people from elsewhere. In part, this attitude is due to the town’s proximity to the cosmopolitan metropolis of Absalom, only a few days’ travel away. Townspeople in Otari might consider other people strange—certainly, Wrin Sivinxi is considered a good-natured eccentric by most— but that’s due to personal behavior, not ancestry. As the characters spend a lot of time delving into dark dungeons, a heritage or culture with darkvision has advantages but isn’t necessary. In short, any heritage and culture combination make a good fit for the Abomination Vaults Adventure Path.

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CLASSES

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Members of any class will have plenty of moments to shine in the Abomination Vaults Adventure Path, but keep in mind that dungeon-delving makes up a significant part of the campaign. Characters who excel at persuasion or deception will certainly have opportunities to talk their way out of dangerous situations and make allies out of enemies, but there’s not really a web of intrigue and influence in the Vaults to support characters who excel at such things. Characters who can handle themselves in a fight with bizarre and monstrous foes will excel, but so will knowledgeable characters like bards and wizards who can unlock some of the mysteries the dungeon presents. Traps and hidden doors abound in dungeons, so a rogue makes an excellent addition to any Abomination Vaults party.

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LANGUAGES

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Although Common will likely suffice for most heroes, certain other languages might prove useful to know. Aklo, Elven, and Undercommon all have some use during this Adventure Path.

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SKILLS AND FEATURES

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The heroes will perform best if their party contains a well-rounded selection of skills and feats. Acrobatics and Athletics are important for the physical mobility required in dungeons, while different knowledges can particularly help to identify the strange creatures and decipher the clues that await in this particular eldritch ruin. As far as good features to take, anything that helps to spot or avoid dangers, improve initiative, or increase or decrease damage taken or given may make winning a fight much more likely.

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BACKGROUNDS

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The following backgrounds are particularly suitable to characters in the Abomination Vaults Adventure Path, although heroes can select any background they choose and need not confine their selection to those provided below. People come from all walks of life to seek their fortunes, after all.

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BIBLIOPHILE

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You love few things more than a good book, and as a result, Odd Stories is your favorite shop in Otari. The bookseller Morlibint supplies you with fiction, anthologies, and other delightful reads, and he’s always eager to discuss his latest finds with you. You know that imagination is the greatest magic, but a working knowledge of actual magic helps, too.

Ability Score Increases: +1 to Intelligence or Charisma and one other ability score.

Skill Proficiencies: Arcana and Investigation.

Tool Proficiencies: Calligrapher's Supplies

Languages: One language of your choice.

Feature: Lover of Lore You have spent countless hours in libraries, and you have a knack for finding rare and obscure information. When you attempt to learn or recall a piece of lore, if you do not know that information, you often know where and from whom you can obtain it. Usually, this information comes from a library, scriptorium, university, or a sage or other learned person or creature. Your DM might rule that the knowledge you seek is secreted away in an almost inaccessible place, or that it simply cannot be found. Unearthing the deepest secrets of the multiverse can require an adventure or even a whole campaign.

Arcane Sense: You have an innate sense for detecting magic. As an action, you can open your awareness to magically detect the presence of spellcasting or the use of magic items within 60 feet of you. This sense can penetrate most barriers, but it is blocked by 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood or dirt.

Connection: You have a long-standing rivalry with a fellow scholar who believes that imagination is frivolous compared to the pursuit of hard facts. This rivalry often leads to heated debates and a competitive drive to outdo each other in academic achievements.

Memento: A weathered bookmark made from an unknown material, given to you by Morlibint after you found an extremely rare tome for him. It’s rumored to have magical properties that you have yet to unlock.

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ELDRITCH ANATOMIST

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You’re a trained physician who can ably tend wounds of many kinds. But more than a practitioner, you’re a scholar. Some cultures shape flesh to extreme degrees, creating aberrations from humanoid forms. The flesh forges of distant Nex practice this fleshwarping, as do certain subterranean societies you hope to one day study— preferably from a safe and clinical distance.

Ability Score Increases: +1 to Intelligence or Wisdom and one other ability score.

Skill Proficiencies: Medicine and Nature.

Tool Proficiencies: Herbalism Kit

Languages: One language of your choice.

Feature: Scholar of the Unnatural You have an extensive knowledge of anatomy, both natural and twisted by arcane means. You can identify aberrations and other creatures that have been altered by magic or other forces. Additionally, you can apply this knowledge to aid in treating wounds inflicted by such creatures. When you or a creature you can see within 30 feet of you takes damage from a creature of this type, you can use your reaction to allow the creature to regain a number of hit points equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1). This feature can be used a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and all expended uses are regained after a long rest.

Assurance: You can use your Medicine skill and a Healer's Satchel to stabilize a dying creature and grant it a number of hit points equal to your Medicine skill proficiency without needing to make a roll. This feature can be used a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and all expended uses are regained after a long rest.

Connection: You correspond with a secretive society that shares your interest in the anatomical oddities of the world. They occasionally send you specimens and texts, which you study with a mix of fascination and trepidation.

Memento: A peculiar scalpel with an intricately carved handle that was found beside an ancient and strange altar. It seems ordinary, but you feel a strange connection to it, as if it’s waiting to reveal its true purpose.

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FOGFEN TALE-TELLER

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You know there are monstrous things out in the swamp known as Fogfen; you’ve seen these things through the mist, gliding through the murky water and heaving themselves over sodden bits of land. No one in Otari believes your tales of swamp monsters from the depths, even when you embellish the creatures of your stories with fangs, wings, or tentacles. You’ll just have to prove to them that there are truly monsters out there, and that they were wrong to doubt you.

Ability Score Increases: +1 to Strength or Charisma and one other ability score.

Skill Proficiencies: Athletics and Nature.

Tool Proficiencies: None

Languages: Two languages of your choice.

Feature: Monster Mythos You have a knack for recalling and sharing tales of the creatures that lurk in the depths of swamps and mists. Your stories are so vivid and detailed that they can inspire or terrify those who hear them. As an action, you can captivate an audience with your tales, giving them either a sense of hope and inspiration or a shiver of fear. This can affect a number of creatures up to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one) within 30 feet who can hear you and understand the language you speak. The effect, whether it’s granting a 1d4 inspiration die or imposing disadvantage on the next ability check, lasts for 1 minute or until you lose concentration (as if you were concentrating on a spell).

Titan Wrestler: You have practiced grappling with creatures larger than yourself. You can attempt to grapple or shove a creature up to two sizes larger than you.

Connection: You have a sibling who is an avid skeptic of your tales and has bet a significant sum that you cannot prove the existence of the swamp monsters you claim to have seen.

Memento: A mysterious, scale-covered egg that you found on one of your expeditions into Fogfen. It’s dormant for now, but you feel it holds the key to proving your stories true.

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MARKET RUNNER

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Keeleno Lathenar, the proprietor of Otari Market, is a grim and bitter man. A werewolf named Jaul Mezmin mauled his wife, Ayla, to death 30 years ago. Keeleno has never forgotten nor forgiven this attack, and he believes against all odds that Jaul has evaded justice and is alive and well. Running errands for Keeleno around town, you’ve gotten to know him almost as well as you know Otari. Keeleno’s suspicions have rubbed off on you a bit, so you keep a wary eye on other people— particularly around the full moon.

Ability Score Increases: +1 to Constitution or Charisma and one other ability score.

Skill Proficiencies: Persuasion and Insight.

Tool Proficiencies: None

Languages: Two languages of your choice.

Feature: Keen Observer Your time spent watching for signs of deceit and danger has honed your observational skills. You have advantage on Wisdom (Insight) checks to determine if someone is lying to you, and you can use your action to make a Wisdom (Perception) check to spot hidden creatures or objects, including those in disguise or under the effects of illusion magic.

Hobnobber: You are adept at mingling and making connections. When you spend at least 1 hour conversing with others during a social event, you can make a Charisma (Persuasion) check contested by the Charisma (Deception) check of one creature you interact with. If you succeed, you learn a piece of useful information or a rumor about that creature.

Connection: You have developed a close bond with Keeleno Lathenar, who has become like a mentor to you. His tragic past and suspicions have influenced your worldview, making you cautious and protective of those you care about.

Memento: A silver coin that Keeleno gave you on your first day as a market runner. It’s an old and rare piece, and he claimed it brought him luck in his youth. You’ve kept it as a lucky charm ever since.

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RUIN DELVER

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You’ve looked through some of the smaller ruins in the Otari hinterlands but have never quite built up the courage to check out the creepy lighthouse called Gauntlight. You’ve heard that these ruins are pretty well picked over, and mostly collapsed, but you always planned to some day explore them and perhaps find some bauble left behind from the centuries-old battle where the Roseguard slew an evil sorcerer. You know that the crumbled stone of old ruins has a tendency to shift, so you’d better step lightly if you get the chance to explore Gauntlight.

Ability Score Increases: +1 to Intelligence or Dexterity and one other ability score.

Skill Proficiencies: Acrobatics and History.

Tool Proficiencies: Thieves' Tools

Languages: One language of your choice.

Feature: Ruins Intuition You have an uncanny sense for navigating through ruins and understanding their layout. You can find paths through rubble and collapsed structures that others would miss. When you make an Intelligence (Investigation) or Wisdom (Perception) check related to the structure or history of ruins, you can add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus.

Cat Fall: You have honed your reflexes to land gracefully from falls. When you fall, you can use your reaction to reduce any falling damage you take by an amount equal to five times your character level.

Connection: You have a mentor who is an experienced delver of ancient sites. They have taught you much about the dangers and rewards of such places, and you share a goal to one day fully explore the Gauntlight.

Memento: A small, ancient coin from a long-lost civilization you found in one of the smaller ruins. It’s your good luck charm and a reminder of the mysteries waiting to be uncovered.

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STARWATCHER

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You’re one of Wrin Sivinxi’s closest confidantes. You’ve spent many long nights with her under the stars, learning the tales associated with the Stellar Pilgrims' Conclave and how the heavens can predict the future. You know that Wrin has paralyzing claustrophobia; she sees menace in angles and danger in confined spaces, which is why her shop is an all-domed canvas that opens to the sky. If Wrin thinks there’s trouble, you’ll be the first to offer to help.

Ability Score Increases: +1 to Intelligence or Constitution and one other ability score.

Skill Proficiencies: Arcana and Insight.

Tool Proficiencies: Navigator's Tools

Languages: One language of your choice.

Feature: Celestial Intuition You have an innate connection to the cosmos and can read the stars to predict omens and portents. Once per long rest, you can spend an hour observing the stars to gain insight into an upcoming event, as determined by the DM. The DM may give you a vague hint about an upcoming challenge, opportunity, or threat.

Dubious Knowledge: When you fail an Intelligence (Arcana) check to recall information about celestial bodies or events, you still learn a bit of true knowledge along with something that sounds plausible but is actually false.

Connection: You have a deep bond with Wrin Sivinxi, who has become a mentor and friend. Your shared nights under the stars have created a strong trust, and you are one of the few who knows about her claustrophobia.

Memento: A small crystal that refracts light in multiple colors, given to you by Wrin after a particularly enlightening night of stargazing. It seems to glow faintly when the stars are bright.

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WITCHLIGHT FOLLOWER

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While in a dismal forest or remote swamp, you caught sight of a string of lights bobbing through the trees. You stepped forward for a closer look, and then still further when the lights retreated a few paces. Then you remembered the rumors. Will-o’-wisps, rushlights, corpse lanterns—whatever they’re called—such evil creatures lead people to their doom. With a supreme effort of will, you broke free from the alluring enchantment, and you’ve resolved to never let the strange lights of remote wildernesses claim you again.

Ability Score Increases: +1 to Dexterity or Wisdom and one other ability score.

Skill Proficiencies: Survival and Nature

Tool Proficiencies: None

Languages: Two languages of your choice.

Feature: Light’s Bane You have developed a resistance to the enchanting and misleading lights of the wilderness. You have advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks to navigate through swamps and other difficult terrain, and you cannot be charmed or frightened by creatures that use light or illusions to lure their prey.

Terrain Expertise: You are particularly adept at moving through your chosen terrains (swamps and subterranean bodies of water). When you make an ability check related to traveling or surviving in these terrains, you can treat a d20 roll of 9 or lower as a 10.

Connection: You have a close friend who shares your fascination with the mysterious lights and has accompanied you on several expeditions to uncover their secrets.

Memento: A small glass orb that seems to contain a bit of the strange light you once followed. It no longer moves or leads, but it glows softly when danger is near.