Chapter One: The Nexus
Swallow Whole (Ex): A kallendine can try to swallow a grabbed opponent of Medium or smaller size by making a successful grapple check. Once inside, the opponent takes 2d8+12 points of crushing damage plus 1d8 points of acid damage per round from the kallendine’s digestive processes. A swallowed creature can climb out of the kallendine with a successful grapple check. This returns it to the creature’s maw, where another successful grapple check allows it to get free. A swallowed creature can also cut its way out by using a light slashing or piercing weapon to deal 25 points of damage to the interior of the kallendine (AC 20). Once the creature exits, fast healing and muscular action close the hole; another swallowed opponent must cut its own way out. The kallendine’s interior can hold two Medium, four Tiny, eight Diminutive, or 16 Fine or smaller opponents. Poison (Ex): Both the bite and the stingers of the kallendine hold venom. Injury, Fortitude save (DC 22), initial damage 1d6 points of Strength, secondary damage 2d6 points of Strength. The save Difficulty Class is Constitution based. Tremorsense (Ex): The kallendine can automatically sense the location of anything within 60 feet that is in contact with the ground. Spikes (Ex): Rather than sting an opponent with its spikes, the kallendine can use its tendrils to fling the them, causing them to detach and sail through the air like deadly poisoned arrows. New spikes immediately form on the ends of the tendrils. This standard action is an attack with a range of 180 feet and no range increment. A spike deals a critical hit on a natural attack roll of 19 or 20. The creature can launch only 24 spikes in any one day.
Feat The inhabitants of the Nexus have access to a single new feat, Subtle Scrying.
Range: See text Effect: A one-way magical doorway Duration: Permanent Saving Throw: None Spell Resistance: No This spell creates a doorway through which you view another location. The doorway is a 5-foot-by-8-foot, one-way magical hole that allows you or anyone else to step into the desired location. You cannot choose or change the position, orientation, or angle of the doorway. Any spell that protects an area from teleportation or scrying also Adventure Seed (Levels 12+) prevents a doorway to Niveral-Sca uses paid agents to contact the player characters and ask them to come to the elsewhere from openNexus to speak with her. She shows them ing into it. around the otherworldly locale and tells them of its history. Then, she asks them to travel Any creature in the through a portal to D’Stradi (see Chapter Two) destination location and sneak into the throne room of Alikaba, where they are to plant a scry beacon†. In with an Intelligence exchange, when they are finished the PCs can of 12 or higher can use the Nexus to travel anywhere they wish. She also gives them a few scrolls containing notice the doorway some of the new spells found in this chapter. In by making an this adventure, the PCs will face a great number of demons and other monsters. Stealth and Intelligence check subterfuge are the order of the day, for fighting (DC 20). Even if the one’s way into the Bastion of the D’Stradi proves a challenge for a character doorway is noticed, of almost any level. however, it remains one-way and the creature cannot look or step in—he merely knows it is there. When creating the doorway, choose a place known to you that the doorway leads to—a place you have been or have had described to you. It can even be on another plane. To determine if the doorway appears where you want it to, roll on the following table.
Subtle Scrying [General] You are harder to detect when you are scrying someone. Benefit: When you scry upon a subject, the Difficulty Class for the subject to notice your scrying sensor is 30 rather than 20. Special: You can take this feat multiple times; each time the Difficulty Class to notice the sensor increases by 10.
Spells The inhabitants of the Nexus can access a number of new spells, some of which could be passed on to PCs via scrolls or, if they truly befriend Niveral-Sca, through instruction.
Doorway to Elsewhere Transmutation Level: Wiz/Sor 9 Components: V, S, M Casting Time: Six hours
9
Familiarity Very familiar Studied carefully Seen casually Viewed once Description False destination (roll 1d20+80)
On Target 01–97 01–94 01–88 01–76 01–52 —
Off Target 98–99 95–97 89–94 77–88 53–76 —
Similar Area 100 98–99 95–98 89–96 77–92 81–92
Mishap — 100 99–100 97–100 93–100 93–100
Familiarity: “Very familiar” refers to a place where you have been very often and where you feel at home. “Studied carefully” is a place you know well, either because you’ve been there often or because you have used other means (such as scry) to study the place. “Seen casually” is a place you have seen more than once but with which you are not very familiar. “Viewed once” is a place you have seen once,
