NMP Distributed Workshop: Neirave, The Sleepless Drift Encounter Kit

This is my Distributed Workshop for the latest cycle, Neirave. It’s meant to be Neirave and a few creatures and intended as a sort of Hard Encounter kit for a party of Five level 9 PCs using the DMG guidelines. Neirave’s defenses are lower than they should be – this is because despite being a Solo, she is meant to be accompanied. Her hit points are pretty large as well and she and all her allies can recover hit points if they are near to her, so the defenses were lowered in order to compensate for these. Increase her defenses by +3 or +4 if using her alone, except her Will Defense, which is already topped out.

The Sleepless Drift

Standing alone in a snow-covered clearing is a stark-white, delicate young woman, beautiful as an inert picture or bust, features as though perfectly frozen in time.

Neirave Eda, The Sleepless Drift Level 9 Solo Controller (Leader) XP2000
Medium Shadow Humanoid (Cold)
Initiative +5; Perception
Smothering Cold Aura 5; Enemies in the aura lose a healing surge when first bloodied and have a -2 penalty to saving throws against Cold effects.
Sleepless Drift Aura 10; Allies in the aura that possess the Cold keyword can take a Second Wind as a standard action and regain an additional 5 hit points.
HP: 388; Bloodied 194
AC: 21, Fortitude: 20, Reflex 21, Will 24
Immunities: Cold, Charm
Vulnerability 5 Fire
Saving Throws +5
Speed 6, see Winter Stride
Action Points 2
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[M-Basic] Ice Claw (Standard; AW) ✦Cold
+14 vs AC; 1d6+5 cold damage and the target is slowed until the end of Neirave’s next turn. If the target is bloodied, this attack deals 1d12+10 damage instead.

[Close] Arctic Breeze (Standard; AW) ✦Cold
Close Blast 5; Enemies only; +13 vs Fortitude; 1d12+5 cold damage and the target is pushed or pulled 2 squares.

[Area] Chilling Hail (Standard; 5-6) ✦Cold
Area Burst 1 Within 10 Squares; Enemies only; +13 vs Reflex; 3d6+5 cold damage and the target is weakened (save ends).

[Ranged] Freeze The Heart (Standard; Encounter) ✦Cold
Ranged 10; +13 vs Fortitude; If the target is weakened, it is reduced to 0 hit points. Otherwise, it becomes bloodied and cannot take a Second Wind during this encounter.

[Ranged] Create Ice Effigy (Standard; Encounter)
Ranged 10 or Melee touch; Targets one unconscious or dead enemy; +13 vs Will; the target rises from the ground as an Ice Effigy. It is dominated, gains the Cold keyword and has hit points equal to its healing surge value and Resist 5 to all damage. It remains dominated until it is reduced to 0 hit points, at which point it returns to being unconscious or dead.

Ice Mistress’ Resurgence (Minor; Encounter) ✦Healing
Neirave recovers hit points equal to its healing surge value and has a +2 bonus to all defenses and Resist 10 Fire until the end of her next turn.

Winter Stride
Neirave’s natural movement across squares covered in ice or snow is treated as teleportation and ignores difficult, hindering or blocking terrain.
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Evil; Common, Primordial
Skills: Perception +14, Insight +14, Nature +14, Intimidate +14
Str: 14 (+6) Dex: 12 (+5) Wis: 20 (+9)
Con: 17 (+7) Int: 19 (+8) Cha: 20 (+9)

Tactics: Neirave’s icy reach harms and drains her enemies over time. She commands many beasts of the forest, but keeps only her most prized alpha wolves as personal company, along with a large bear. Neirave uses the cold to weaken and toss around her enemies as food for her pets. But Neirave always finds at least one creature worth it in the groups of bugs that face her. This creature is often singled out, killed and raised as an Ice Effigy – Neirave’s prize. She does this as soon as she can to weaken her enemies.

Lore: A character knows the following information with a successful Nature check.

(DC15) Neirave Eda was once a young woman in the Reekoh village in Cogelos, who manifested an uncanny and potentially dangerous ability to extend the winter time that she had little to not control over. For this power, she was persecuted.

(DC20) Neirave eventually committed suicide, and it is believed this was the catalyst for her change into the Sleepless Drift, the powerful sorcerous creation that exists separated from Neirave’s frozen corpse. Neirave devastated her old home in revenge and seeks to cover the world in ice since then.

(DC25) Neirave can move across the Reekoh with ease thanks to her powers. Her corpse is her weakness – perhaps if revived or otherwise tampered with it could bring Neirave to her knees, enough to allow a direct confrontation with the cold queen of the forest and engineer her defeat.

Mauler of the Drift

A massive blue and white bear as though sculpted from frozen earth stomps on the ground in clear rage.

Mauler of the Drift, Level 7 Brute XP300
Large Elemental Beast (Cold)
Initiative +6; Perception +9
HP: 100; Bloodied 50
AC: 19, Fortitude: 22, Reflex 19, Will 17
Immunities: Cold, Charm
Resist 5 against effects that target AC
Vulnerability 5 Fire
Speed 5
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[M-Basic] Mauling Rampage (Standard; AW) ✦Cold
Close Burst 1; Enemies only; +10 vs AC; 1d12+5 cold damage.
Critical Hit: 1d6+17 damage and the target falls prone.

Winter Wraith (Move; Encounter) ✦Teleportation, Cold
The Mauler of the Drift teleports 8 squares. All creatures adjacent to it at the end of this movement take ongoing 5 cold damage (save ends).

Creature of Carnage
Creatures adjacent to the Mauler of the Drift grant combat advantage to all creatures making melee or ranged attacks against them.
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Evil; None
Skills: Perception +9
Str: 22 (+9) Dex: 16 (+6) Wis: 12 (+4)
Con: 20 (+8) Int: 6 (+1) Cha: 12 (+4)

Tactics: The Mauler of the Drift begins combat by charging into groups of enemies and recklessly clawing and biting whatever comes near. If its prey pushes it away, it uses its Winter Wraith power to close the gap.

Lore: A character knows the following information with a successful Nature check.

(DC10) See “Bear Lore” (Monster Manual)

(DC15) A Bear that has been covered in ice and grown to a massive size, the Mauler of the Drift is commanded by Neirave and can be seen beside her quite often. When loosed it is a vicious beast, descending into a frenzy of savage claws and bites that drop it foes. It is said to be able to vanish into a cold cloud and reappear from the snow to attack, pushing frost and ice upon its unlucky target.

Alpha of the Drift

From beneath the snow you hear a loud snarl, as a beast covered in frigid spikes that only vaguely resembles a wolf climbs out of the frozen soil.

Alpha of the Drift, Level 8 Skirmisher XP350
Medium Elemental Beast (Cold)
Initiative +10; Perception +9
HP: 88; Bloodied 44
AC: 22, Fortitude: 21, Reflex 20, Will 19
Immunities: Cold, Charm
Vulnerability 5 Fire
Speed 7, Burrow 3 (ice or snow only)
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[M-Basic] Bite (Standard; AW) ✦Cold
The Alpha of the Drift can shift 1 square before or after the attack; +13 vs AC; 1d8+5 cold damage

[Close] Frost Breath (Minor; Encounter) ✦Cold
Close Blast 3; Enemies only; +11 vs Reflex; 1d6+5 cold damage.

Winter Wraith (Move; Encounter) ✦Teleportation, Cold
The Alpha of the Drift teleports 8 squares. All creatures adjacent to it at the end of this movement take ongoing 5 cold damage (save ends).

Combat Advantage
The Alpha of the Drift deals 1d8 extra damage with melee attacks against any target it has combat advantage against.
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Evil; None
Skills: Perception +11
Str: 19 (+8) Dex: 16 (+7) Wis: 15 (+6)
Con: 16 (+7) Int: 8 (+3) Cha: 12 (+5)

Tactics: The Alpha of the Drift strikes any creature that is already being harried by another enemy, often teleporting in with Winter Wraith and opening hard with a Frost Breath and then a bite.

Lore: A character knows the following information with a successful Nature check.

(DC10) See “Wolf Lore” (Monster Manual)

(DC15) A Wolf given foul ice powers by Neirave, the Alpha of the Drift are the pack leaders in Neirave’s beast armies. Their breath can quickly form a cloud of harmful ice and they pair very well together with any other beast, flanking and striking down enemies with deadly precision. It said they can descend from anywhere where there is Ice or Snow.

Level 11 Encounter (3000 XP):

Neirave Eda (Level 9 Solo Controller): 2000 XP
2 Alphas of the Drift (Level 8 Skirmisher) 700 XP
Mauler of the Drift (Level 7 Brute) 300 XP