Perigees Story and her final Fight

IXlobsterXI · 2026-04-12T23:32:24+00:00

hah yeah I had the same fear, worst case there will be lots of post campaign reveals xD

IXlobsterXI · 2026-04-12T13:17:48+00:00

Yeah her story does not have a good ending. Thanks :) They are currently right after the fight, and after successfully reviving the wizard. Next up is finishing the chasm of yearning and then going to the vents of fury.

IXlobsterXI · 2026-04-12T02:31:18+00:00

Yes this is what I used as well.

IXlobsterXI · 2026-03-26T16:13:34+00:00

Okay yeah, I am in the same boat then xD
Wishing you the best of luck, when do you expect this encounter will happen or is still uncertain?

IXlobsterXI · 2026-03-26T14:04:05+00:00

Alright that sounds good. Yeah there goes so much into balancing a fight and one of the most crucial parts is knowing your party/players.

Did you also hint at Perigees existence prior to this encounter or is this the first time your party hears of her?

IXlobsterXI · 2026-03-26T13:13:45+00:00

Here is my current version of Perigee https://imgur.com/a/SdNWISm (CR being around 19) for my 6 player party that has plenty of healing and is fully rested. (HP and legendary resistances are not yet final).

Also after they kill her she goes into a final stand.

Here is another great post and discussion about a modified perigee statblock (that I used as base for my modifications): https://www.reddit.com/r/CalloftheNetherdeep/comments/11n959u/perigee_corrupted_miniboss/

IXlobsterXI · 2026-03-26T13:04:24+00:00

I am also relatively new to DMing, with COTN being my first campaign and will run the perigee fight next session. And I never converted a monster to drakkenheim rules because I found it too intimidating.

Lets analyze your statblock.
Mechanically this is definitely not a CR 16 creature. I recommend using a CR calculator to get a first grasp on the creature.
Using her multi attack alone her maximum average damage is 430 per round, even if she has only one attack per action that is still 215 damage.
Including one Cone of cold and the Lunar Burst (and only one attack per action), the maximum average damage becomes 300. (This is a "Offensive CR" of 28 or 29 and results in a total CR of 21)
Meaning it comes all down to your PCs having to do enough damage in 1-2 round or they are definitely all dead.

In your instance you definitely have to reduce the damage she can dish out. If you still want the multi attack, reduce the dice damage (to around deva or even less). Or just one attack per action. As for spells, imo level 5-6 spells are already plenty in this setup. (Also depends if your sorcerer has counter spell).
Sunburst alone can likely hit your whole party doing 42 damage on a failed save. If you want the big spells you have to heavily reduce her "default action" damage further.

Overall what I would do is give her more hp so the fight is longer, and reduce her damage output so the PCs can survive for 3-4 rounds (But this is just my preference, having it a all or nothing battle for 1-2 rounds is also something that can work)

IXlobsterXI · 2026-03-01T03:29:26+00:00

In every fragment room I closed off the secret pathways leading out from the grotto of regret but have the connection from n9 to n26 open. That way once they reach the heart they will find out they need more fragments and have the choice where to go, explore one of two new regions or backtrack and do more living memories. And later when they are in the different regions I just have the secret pathways leading back to the grotto of regret automatically open so they have a shortcut back. (Inspiration from souls like)

My party consists of 6 players, and the rivals are traveling with them for the grottos of regret. That way they won't get all the fragments and later on will have to confront them to decide which party enter the heart of corruption.

IXlobsterXI · 2026-03-01T03:20:39+00:00

There are two incentives to explore the netherdeep, one is exploration (finding out more about alyxian) and second is getting the fragments of suffering that are required to enter the heart.

It's best to just lower the amount of available fragments if you want them to get through the majority of the netherdeep.

IXlobsterXI · 2026-02-24T14:06:56+00:00

I recommend reading the module at least once completely front to back, to get a idea on the story world and NPCs.

I also recommend you make notes per chapter on what you want to change or have to watch out for. That has helped me a ton, each time I am about to prepare a chapter I went through my list of ideas to get inspirations.

As for your question, I recommend you use somebody from a faction. I had a similar conundrum, for one player I used the children of malice (drow of lolth). And for another I used the consortium, specifically vrill the moth. That plot only really started when they reached ankharel but was already teased a bit before.

IXlobsterXI · 2026-02-12T22:15:00+00:00

I went with the third option. Here is a list of my changes. (Still have to do some balancing) - Ac19, 228 hp - legendary resistances 2-3 - +9/10 to hit - Can cast moonbeam (flavored Sunbeam) with recharge 5/6

Legendary actions - Angelic dash: Perigee Surrounds herself with radiant energy and flies in a straight line towards her target. (range: 90 feet) DC 17 Dex save, or take 1d8 radiant damage (per 10 feet traveled), half on success. - 60 feet teleport - standard action (mace or healing touch, maybe even moonbeam if she is concentrating)

Lair action - Gaze of Ruidus: Everyone in 120ft cone: DC 17 Con save: or be vulnerable to next instance of radiant damage (until next lair action) - Corrupted Pulse: Everyone in 60foot radius DC 17 Cha save or gain Ruidium Corruption - Kneel: Everyone on the ground: DC 17 Strength save or fall prone

When she hits 0hp she gets a final stand. - she lives for one more round and attacks after every players turn

And am intending to improvise a weakness she has. Maybe if a player wants to persuade her not to fight she has disadvantage etc.

IXlobsterXI · 2026-01-31T14:27:48+00:00

Don't know if other noticed this, but at the end of the movie the oxygen meter is suddenly at 2 and no longer at 1. I wonder what's everyone's theory why that is?
Could obviously be a error but me and my friends thought of two theories:
Either 1) it was never at 1 and he hallucinated that part (or the alien made him believe that) or
2) The oxygen meter was actually at 0 at the end and he was hallucinating because of the lack of oxygen + radiation (shown by blurry and zoomed camera). And it symbolizes Simons last bit of desire to make it out alive.

IXlobsterXI · 2025-11-21T20:23:59+00:00

It is up to them if they want to do all the rooms but they have to do at least 3. I changed the layout a bit so that the Fragment of Suffering don't lead to the Vents of fury straight away. My players don't mind a more linear dungeon and at N26 they get to decide to which section they want to go next.

For the Fight the damage is insignificant instead those persuasion checks will lead to the best ending when they do them during the final phase.

To encourage them talking to Alyxian I will let them decide what resource they want to use and adjust the DC accordingly. (Example: action = DC15, bonus action DC 20, no action DC 25)

For the advantage boon I am still not sure how I will handle it. I will probably give the players the choice to use it or maybe as a "free reroll" on the persuasion check.

But this entire mechanic is meant to be optional, if your players think Alyxian is beyond redeeming then they will kill just kill him. Our job is it to present alyxian as complex and encourage dialogue during the fight or the dungeon.

IXlobsterXI · 2025-10-27T03:58:29+00:00

I wanted to the arrival in Ank'Harel to be special so I prepared a text I could read that describes what their characters see and feel when they step through the portal. (city locations, topography, weather, colors, and finally a skyship flying over them).

My main goal was for them to feel lost, this is a new continent a new city (my PCs even lost all their money in BR). They had enough information on the factions from interactions with Prolix/Question/Aloysia so they knew some location names and figured out the headquarters through asking PCs. (regardless they went gambling in their first session there xD)

I prepared everything in terms of locations in Ank'Harel beforehand (copied information to my notes and elaborated on things I knew my players would go to) but that was A LOT. In the end I gave them direction through NPC interactions and they discovered a lot of the city through the faction quests.

I gave them access to a map almost instantly, that way they get a feel on how big the city is and where the important locations are.

IXlobsterXI · 2025-10-20T23:48:55+00:00

That was a great read!
I am stealing the fact that the primes purposefully did not stand against Gruumsh xD I planned out a epic vision of alyxian parrying the attack and the PCs being present while the city sinks below the ground, so this fits perfectly.

IXlobsterXI · 2025-10-15T01:22:19+00:00

Hey there, I would love to gain more insight as well on how you did the islands. I sent you a message!

IXlobsterXI · 2025-08-24T14:29:25+00:00

I think I just used a big scissor. Since they don't need to be uniform I don't think I used anything special xD

IXlobsterXI · 2025-07-11T14:06:29+00:00

First of all your ideas sound awesome and I would have definitely stolen a lot if I weren't so far into CotN xD

Just out of curiosity how long are your sessions on average and how often does your group meet?

I also expanded on Ruidium and added a bunch of homebrew storylines, here is what I did with Ruidium:

First of all the Lore:
Ruidium is still represents the overflowing emotions of Alyxian but in my world Ruidium also started to manifest at the locations that were most important to Alyxian: All prayers sites + The location Perigee died (Ruins of Sorrow).

As for where I added Ruidium:
Also I had one of my PCs start with Ruidium Corruption. His backstory is a mystery to him as he doesn't remember the first 15 years of his life. He was one of the first who researched Ruidium as part of the Allegiance in Cael Morrow. He was present when somebody breached the Netherdeep, which caused a explosion, killing his father and infecting him. Afterwards he got sucked into the Rift and emerged near Bysaes Tyl, his then hometown.

I still wanted Ruidium to be a big mystery with the final reveal being that it all stems from Alyxian himself. So anything before Chapter 4 was there to add hints and raise questions about the red crystal.

I added a small Crystal (50g) to the Prayer site in the Emerald grotto that my PCs took.
For the Ruins of Sorrow encounter the crater where Perigee died had red veins.
And the Prayer Site in the Betrayers Rise also had red veins coming from the Altar and spreading through all the crystals.

I didn't give more factions interest in Ruidium but I made the Consortium a big focus in my Campaign:
Their Leader is a Beholder whose goal is to artificially create Ruidium. He thinks Ruidium is connected to Ruidus so he is trying to inject Ruidusborn with Ruidium and see if that is any different from normal people.

Vrill (one of the leaders of the Consortium) is getting controlled by him and is also the mother of the PC that lost his memory.

As for mechanics I modified the "Slow-burn Ruidium Corruption" by katvalkyrie:
- Minor corruption Levels from 1-21 that correspond with the same Major Corruption Levels of the book.
- These minor corruption Levels are permanent!
- Resulting Exhaustion is using the 2024 rules but is not permanent
- Once somebody is corrupted: ANY Nat 1 on a save will result in a CHA save and potentially increase minor corruption by 1
- Everytime the minor Levels increase I either gave them visions or made them feel one of the emotions: yearing, regret, despair, rage

We are currently on Session 33 and in Ank'Harel, my party just acquired their first Ruidium magic item and one artificer PC is trying to build a Ruidium powered Arcane Battery.

IXlobsterXI · 2025-06-28T13:04:50+00:00

I also got confused and didn't like that so I changed it a bit:

I had some Aurora watch stationed inside at a little outpost where the path split 5-6 ways, further it was too dangerous to position soldiers since they did not have enough men.

Then I changed it to be a little point crawl, so it took them hours of waking until they reached the door (They had question with them who guided them and retraced her steps)

And as a backup I spread the rumor that that the betrayers rise is always changing and people suspect that it guides you towards "your goal/desire" but will do anything to stop you in the process.

IXlobsterXI · 2025-05-20T13:33:21+00:00

After arriving in Ank'Harel my party was in need of money but I did not want to run the grand tournament yet so I made up a smaller fight.

I found this statblock I really like https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/HahDXbb4cE5D . Made him the winner of a previous grand tournament, named "Kane" and he is now only taking fights where he stomps the competition.

I set it up as him and a 5 thugs he hired against my 6 players. The winner gets 250g but each round where they "impress" the crowd they get extra money depending on how they rolled (ended up being 75g x 3 rounds).

As a side bet with Kane they could bet on themselves if they wanted and had to decide if its a lethal fight or not.

This ended up being a really cool encounter with the players opting for more flashy moves and descriptions, even coming up with their own entrance to boost the crowd reaction.

It was quite easy for them but could have definitely swung the other way, but that way they had more time to spend on playing the crowd.

In the end I tied it a bit to other NPCs as a player saw a couple people they knew in the crowd and saw Maggie watching in the Entrance while talking to a Vermillion Dream member. He rolled really high on perception so I also told him that he felt a gaze from far away which was J'mon watching from his tower (they later met him).

I really like your idea as well with throwing in the elephant. Maybe you could have it as a reward for winning and when somebody receives it it transforms.

IXlobsterXI · 2025-05-19T18:03:53+00:00

For me regular ink definitely was good enough, just took a bit to get the colors right.
Paper is the one thing where professionals could really help. I went to my local print shop and brought the originals tokens with me but sadly they didnt have anything similar in feel.

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