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Hellsbreath 1.02

 2. The Bakery Gates, Interior

South: The Bakery Gates, leading to the Baker’s Square in the city proper. The Bakery’s exterior wall (35’ tall) curves away from the gates on either side.

West: A small guard house, and stairs leading up to a lookout tower above the wall.

East: A very large carriage house, and beyond it, stables.

North: Hellsbreath Bakery itself sits at the end of a 50’ cobblestone drive. It looks like a white beehive, 3 stories high.

Northwest and Northeast: the space between the exterior wall and bakery is ringed with gardens.

3. Guard House

  • Surprisingly homey

    • Clean, bright wood construction; solid and well-maintained.

    • Warm even in the depths of winter, thanks to a sizable hearth with a good pot of wholesome stew.

  • Usually 2 guards on duty, with a third up in the lookout tower. 

    • Guards are less capable than the adventurers.

    • They are equipped with antiquated bronze breastplates, helmets, and wooden batons.

    • These guards live out in the city, and show up for 12 hour shifts. 

    • They tend to like this cushy job, but find the dough golems eerie.

  • A rack with 8 halberds sits near the door.

  • Fourteen iron pots line the front of the guard house. 

    • These contain 12 dough golems (2 empty pots are for the two stationed outside the Bakery Gates).

  • A jail cell is tucked in the back of the guard house.

    •  It is usually used for guests who have over indulged in intoxicants, and is comfortable by cell standards.




Here’s a 5e stat block for a dough golem, although the referee should feel free to adjust it up or down to fit their game. The intention is that they are significantly stronger than the adventurers.

NOTE: I wrote this before the week’s revelations about Hasbro’s purported plans for the new Gaming License. At the time, I was thinking I’d write this as a mostly-system-neutral document, but with occasional dips into 5e. From here on out, I’ll stick to system-neutral. This is, I expect, the last 5e stat block I’ll write up for the Bakery.

Dough Golem

Large Construct, Unaligned

AC: 12 (18 in Black Iron armor) HP: 100 Speed: 20’

STR

DEX

CON

INT

WIS

CHA

18 (+4)

8 (-1)

18 (+4)

3 (-4)

8 (-1)

3 (-4)

Damage Immunities: Poison, Psychic

Damage Resistances:  Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from mundane attacks

Condition Immunities: Charmed, Exhaustion, Frightened, Paralyzed, Petrified, Poisoned

Senses: Darkvision 60’, Passive Perception 9

Proficiency Bonus: +4

Berserk. If reduced below 60 hp, dough golems have a 1-in-6 chance of going berserk. Berserk golems will attack the nearest creature or object. They will continue to rage until: 1. they are destroyed, 2. their hit points are restored, 3. they are cooled for three consecutive rounds by non-damaging cold magic.

Immutable Form. Dough golems are immune to any spell or effect that would alter its form.

Magic Resistance. Dough golems have advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Magic Weapons. Slam attacks count as magical.

Stretchy. A dough golem’s body is pliable. They can extend their reach up to 15’, although they cannot use their multiattack action when stretched out. If grappled and moved against its will, the golem can remain planted for 1d4 rounds during which the grappler only pulls along the part of the golem they are holding—the rest of the golem stays where it was.

Actions

Multiattack. The golem makes two slam attacks.

Slam. +7 to hit, reach 5’ (or 15’, see Stretchy, above), (2d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage. Target must pass a DC 15 CON Save or be knocked prone.

Black Iron Glaive. +7 to hit, reach 10’, (2d10 + 4) slashing damage.

Haste (Recharge 5–6). The golem bubbles up with activated leavener. Until the end of its next turn, it gains a +2 bonus to its AC, has advantage on Dexterity saving throws, and can use its slam attack as a bonus action.

Tactics: Dough golems begin using their glaives, which look intimidating, but will set them aside as soon as a threat proves viable in favor of their slam multiattack. If the target still presents a threat, they will start making use of their Haste action.


4. Lookout Tower

A spiral stone staircase leads up from the Guard House to a lookout station 10’ above the top of the 35’ wall. 

The lookout station has a clear view of the city to the south of Hellsbreath, allowing a lookout to see any traveling dignitaries in time for the dough golems to clear the square and open the gates.

  • It is a small room, 10x5’.

  • There is a simple wooden chair, table, and a brazier for coals during the winter.

  • On the table a wooden chest holds a telescope and a brass horn.

  • The walls are covered in inky scribblings—the bored doodles of generations of lookouts. There have been a few talented artists at post over the years, including one who recreated the southern cityscape on the eastern wall. Most of the doodles, however, are crude, idle marks.

    • These scribblings would be a good place to leave some clues to things. Maybe the statue in Baker’s Square is in a different position, hinting at how to access its purported secret door?

  • 1 guard is on duty during all watches.


5. Carriage House. 

A large outbuilding with room to unload and store carriages and wagons. 

  • The floor is paved with flagstones, dotted by dry horseshit.

  • From the lofty rafters hang wheels, tack, and other gear for the maintenance and repair of carriages.

  • For very heavy items, there is a block-and-tackle in a series of tracks up in the rafters.

Contains any carriages, wagons, or non-living means of conveyance that the PCs saw enter from the Baker’s Square + 1d4-1 others.

Loading, unloading, and storing carriages and wagons is the work of whichever Bakers and Apprentices are on Pantry Duty. At other times, the Carriage House is usually empty.

East: open doors leading to the Stables.

West: Carriage entry from the Gates.

North: A large platform for unloading goods and transporting them into the Bakery’s Stores.

Obscured door: Near the northern platform is a hinged flagstone trapdoor, currently obscured by a hessian blanket. This leads to a narrow passage used by the bakers to unload delicate goods during inclement weather. The passage leads directly to the Bakery Stores (but probably connects to a few other places as well).

6. Stables

East of the Carriage House are the stables. Here, there is ample room for the mounts of the Bakery’s esteemed guests.

The stalls currently contain 1d12 horses, and, in addition to any extraordinary mounts the PCs witnessed pass through the Baker’s Square, 1d6 additional extraordinary mounts.


1d20

Mount

Feature

Hide

1

Bat

Aberrant

Alabaster

2

Elephant

Aerial

Amethyst

3

Goat

Aquatic

Azure

4

Goose

Armored

Black

5

Griffon

Barbarous

Brindle

6

Hippopotamus

Battle-hardened

Buckskin

7

Lizard

Celestial

Chestnut

8

Moose

Chimerical

Crimson

9

Owlbear

Clockwork

Dun

10

Peryton

Colossal

Emerald

11

Polar Bear

Ethereal

Grey

12

Saber-toothed Tiger

Faerie

Leopard

13

Spider

Fiery

Palomino

14

Toad

Mineral

Pearlescent

15

Tortoise

Noble

Piebald

16

Triceratops

Pampered

Pinto

17

Unicorn Beetle

Shadowy

Silver Dapple

18

Walking Boat

Undead

Smoke

19

War Bird

Vegetable

Snowflake

20

Warhorse

Wizardly

Tiger-stripe


Sister Groomskeep, Stablemaster, is an onocentaur with expertise in caring for a bewildering variety of steeds and magical conveyances. 

  • Shaggy, gray fur and hair, brick red cheeks and forearms.

  • Dour with human, but glows with love and patience for even the foulest, most vicious animals.

  • She is physically capable, but would not be a match for trained adventurers in combat. She is solid and stubborn, however, and will be a match for adventurers in terms of persuasion or being charmed.

  • She has 1d4 lackeys, often adolescents from the neighboring communities, helping her feed, groom, and care for the animals and devices in her care.

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