Radaga and the Crown of Souls

[Mephisto of the FoS]

I was searching some miniatures for Radaga from Feast of Goblyns and I just understood a major hole in that adventure's scenario. Why doesn't Radaga wear the Crown of Souls since it can make her more powerful with its protections but she rather keeps it only to transform men into goblyns? Any suggestions?

[alhoon]

I don't remember the answer but I have asked that question when I ran the adventure and I came up with the answer of "doesn't work on Ragada/she is not aware".

[Mephisto of the FoS]

I don't remember the answer but I have asked that question when I ran the adventure and I came up with the answer of "doesn't work on Ragada/she is not aware".

Doesn't work for her? It should, she makes goblyns with this...
Not aware? She keeps it in her caverns... and makes goblyns with it.

Now that I think of it there are not many goblyns in the adventure to be called Feast of Goblyns (there are 16 goblyns detailed in the adventure plus a one out of eight chances for a random patrol encounter with 3d4 goblyns), its rather full with undead. When I played the adventure as a DM around 28 years ago, we spent a full session with the party fighting those 180 skeletons. They managed to survive the encounter, destroying every one of them with a clever strategy that allowed only some of the skeletons to be able to reach them at a time. (though this was before Players Options: Combat and Tactics and the rules for fatigue/exhaustion...)

I just came with an idea:
What if there is a contigency on the crown that makes it disappear when the PCs try to take it from the skeleton and it is teleported on Radaga's head? That way they must definitely kill her before leaving the Arkalias Hills.
https://ibb.co/C1R61kN

PS
Also as the caverns of the Arkalias Hills once lead to Bluetspur this could be a good introduction for the Dark Delvers or the Ildi'Thaan.

[Mephisto of the FoS]

Feast of Goblyns also features a 2e Greyhawk badass monster, a subtype of wraith called the Soul Beckoner. The Soul Beckoner was actually introduced in the 1st edition in the module Dark Clouds Gather (1985). Is there a 3e version of that monster somewhere?

Below is the 2e version but I found a 5e homebrew for anyone interested in the following link.
https://dnd-homebrew5e.tumblr.com/post/ ... -between-a

Soul Beckoner
Soul beckoners resemble shadows more than wraiths, being 90% undetectable unless seen in bright light. However, as soul beckoners drain energy levels, they take on the features of their victims, coming to resemble them in form.

Combat: When a victim is in range (see below), a soul beckoner lures him with whispers. Characters hearing the whispers must roll a successful saving throw vs. spell (Wisdom bonuses apply}or be drawn toward the creature. A successful saving throw negates the whisper and results in the character hearing an eerie wailing sound. The character must then roll another successful saving throw vs. spell or flee in terror for ld4+1 rounds. Creatures drawn to a soul beckoner are attacked by the monster with a +4 bonus to its attack roll, but a successful hit breaks the enchantment of the whisper. Otherwise, victims are allowed a saving throw every round to escape the creature's enchantment with a cumulative bonus of +2 per round. A silence spell or a character incapable of hearing (i.e., deaf, ear plugs, etc.) prevents the effects of both the whisper and the wail. This creature physically attacks with two claws, causing ld6 points of damage each and also draining one energy level with each successful attack. When first encountered, a soul beckoner has 4 Hit Dice. However, for each energy level that it drains, it becomes 1 Hit Die stronger, gaining the extra hit points and THACO appropriate to its new Hit Dice. Therefore, in one round the monster is capable of draining up to two energy levels and gaining 2 HD and the extra hit points. A soul beckoner is turned by priests as an undead according to its current Hit Dice.

Habitat Society: The solitary soul beckoner is normally found underground, where it waits for prey to come within 240 feet.

Ecology: The soul beckoner is simply a form of wraith that is more in tune with its previous living form, and thus has a stronger tie to the Prime Material plane than usual.

[alhoon]

Doesn't work for her? It should, she makes goblyns with this...

It works for the people she curses with it, not for her. You cannot turn Ragada to a goblyn. That would be an awesome end for her but I don't think it is possible.

[Mephisto of the FoS]

Doesn't work for her? It should, she makes goblyns with this...

It works for the people she curses with it, not for her. You cannot turn Ragada to a goblyn. That would be an awesome end for her but I don't think it is possible.

Oh I didn't mean her becoming a goblyn I meant taking all the special boons from the artifact
-2 AC (this is 2e its a good thing its like +2 AC in later editions), +2 to attack rolls, +2 damage rolls, +2 saving throws, +20 hit points, all class abilities will function as the wearer was 2 levels higher.

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The goblyn transformation works if the owner of the crown holds the artifact in the head of someone else, so since she is the owner she is immune to its transformation power and she is the only person who can do this to others. Which leads me to the another question, since she is the owner would the plan of creating an army of goblyns in Gundarak and invading Kartakass work? How does ownership goes from one person to the other? I guess by dying... if the one holding the crown (not wearing it) killed Radaga then that person becomes the owner and offering it to the Gundarakites means offering ownership, but since Radaga never "died" what happens then? Is it bad writing not explaining things so well? Also I believe only evil creatures can become owners of the artifact so PC's are exluded as long as they don't wear it too much and slowly have their alignments shift towards evil.