Page 251 - Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica

RAKDOS CARNIVAL Fire erupts from the ground at up to four points of the
DM's choice in the carnival. The fire lasts for 1 minute
As lumbering giants put up makeshift stages and cack-
or until this action is used again. Each jet of flame is
ling devils ignite the footlights, the first performers be-
a 20-foot-tall cylinder with a 5-foot radius. Each crea-
gin to gather the crowds. Exuberant music with erratic ture in the cylinder when it first appears must make
rhythms draws spectators from the surrounding neigh- a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 10 (3d6) fire
borhood. and cheers of approval greet the more accom- damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a
plished performers- along with gasps and shrieks as
successful one. Any creature that starts its turn in the
the acts get more risky and the first blood is drawn. Ac-
flames must also make the saving throw.
robats cavort through the streets while sword swallow-
• Whirling blades, spiked chains. or other implements
ers and knife throwers flash bright steel. The crowd gets
of agony appear for a moment to menace ld6 random
larger and wilder, the shouts and screams get louder, the
creatures in a 20-foot cube. Each target must succeed
fires burn brighter, and blood glistens red in the torch-
on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 9 (2d8)
light. The spectacle is gruesome but captivating; the
force damage.
crowd hates to watch but can't look away. Soon madness • Blood splashes all creatures in a 20-foot-radius sphere
takes them, and they- devils and ogres, acrobats and centered on a point within the carnival. Each creature
spectators- are caught up in a frenzy of violence. Only
in that area becomes the target of a confusion spell
when it is over does the horror of the event sink in.
(save DC 15).
A Rakdos carnival is more than the sum of its per-
formers and its audience. It is a frenzy that grips those REGIONAL EFFECTS
present, a fiendish madness that comes on suddenly The carnival exerts a powerful influence over those who
and departs just as quickly, leaving gore in its wake. The come close to the festivities:
carnival, in fact, has a life of its own-and when adven-
When a creature that is outside the carnival sees or
turers face the Cult of Rakdos in the midst of a revel, the
hears it. the creature must succeed on a DC 15 Wis-
carnival is one more foe arrayed against them.
dom saving throw or use its movement each round
When at least six Rakdos performers perform to-
to move toward the carnival. It can repeat the saving
gether in public, they can call on the carnival to aid
throw at the end of each of its turns. ending the effect
them. When determining the difficulty of such an en-
on a success. On a successful save, the creature be-
counter, consider the carnival to be one additional crea-
comes immune to this effect for 24 hours.
ture of challenge rating 3.
• If a creature attempts to leave the carnival. the crea-
LAIR ACTIONS ture must make a DC 15 Charisma saving throw. On
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the car- a failed save, the creature instead moves toward the
nival takes a lair action, causing one of the following center of the carnival. On a successful save, the crea-
ture becomes immune to this effect for 24 hours.
effects; the carnival can't use the same effect two
rounds in a row: If all the Rakdos performers in the carnival die or
leave its area, these effects end immediately.
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