Nexus Core
Waytravel to the Nexus Core
O
ppressive darkness and a sense of harsh density give you the impression that you have arrived deep underground. The walls feel close this near to the Nexus Core, and claustrophobia sets in quickly. A pulsing hum draws you away from the waystone and you find yourself standing before a bridge of smooth granite overlooking a yawning chasm, with no rail to guard against your fall. At the other end of the bridge, impossibly distant but tantalizingly close, a swirling vortex of pure silver energy dances above a glimmering ziggurat.
Tier IV Waypoint | The Iron Coin will not allow anyone through of 16th level or lower.
Nexus Core Solo Encounters
CR 3: Grell
CR 4: Helmed Horror
CR 5: Mindwitness
CR 6: Core Spawn Emissary
CR 7: Oni
CR 8: Living Blade of Disaster
CR 9: Abjurer
CR 10: Death Kiss
CR 11: Dao
CR 12: Arcanaloth
CR 13: Beholder
Natural Resources
Aberrations are typically collecting Stellar Iron if encountered in this area.
New World Harvesting Guide
Stellar Iron
A white bright metal, soft on touch but very resistant, known for being used by celestial beings.
Unit value: 750 gp
Armor: A non-magical armor made with stellar iron reduces the radiant damage you take by 3. It's also used to craft an armor of radiant resistance (medium and heavy armor, but not hide).
Weapon: When you hit a fiend or an undead with a stellar iron weapon, you can roll the damage again and use either result. It's also used to craft radiant damage dealing weapons, such as the sun blade or duskcrusher.
Nexus Core Special Encounters
The following encounters appear only intermittently. When they have been slain, Notify a DM as they do not return automatically. The Petitioner and The Advocate return after a week, if The Magistrate has not been slain. The Magistrate never returns while any character which has previously slain it stands in its chamber, nor will The Petitioner or The Advocate return to face one who has defeated The Magistrate. For all others, The Magistrate returns one week after it has last been slain.
The Petitioner
Stellar Iron
A white bright metal, soft on touch but very resistant, known for being used by celestial beings.Unit value: 750 gp
Armor: A non-magical armor made with stellar iron reduces the radiant damage you take by 3. It's also used to craft an armor of radiant resistance (medium and heavy armor, but not hide).
Weapon: When you hit a fiend or an undead with a stellar iron weapon, you can roll the damage again and use either result. It's also used to craft radiant damage dealing weapons, such as the sun blade or duskcrusher.
| CR/Monster | Reward Type | Soloable? |
|---|---|---|
| CR 19: Red Abishai | Treasure Hoard | Yes |
| Slayer(s) | Date Slain |
|---|---|
| Tolbrin Mortise | 28 March 2021 |
| Mystan Baharoosh | 28 August 2021 |
WANTED: The Petitioner An emissary of Tiamat, known only as The Petitioner, has been sent to the Nexus Core in order to seek out a Cubic Gate of sufficient power to allow for the escape of the Dragon Queen. Though he has so far failed in his task, he lies in wait for adventurers strong enough to overcome The Magistrate and The Advocate, hoping to ambush them after they have been weakened by the other threats.
Prerequisites
- Complete a difficult skill challenge using at least one Intelligence (Arcana) check. If magic is used to pass the skill challenge, the spellcraft is detected by The Petitioner and he cannot be surprised.
- The aberrations which infest the Nexus Core are drawn to the magicks employed by The Petitioner. To reach him, you must defeat or disable a group of four Mindwitnesses which are attempting to force their way in through a magical barrier. If they are slain, their deaths alert The Petitioner to your presence, and he cannot be surprised.
- Combat with The Petitioner can be easily avoided if the party wishes, as he attempts to hide if not Surprised. However, he will ambush the party immediately after they defeat The Magistrate and attempt to take the Cubic Gate Core for himself before fleeing with Plane Shift.
Encounter Notes
The Ziggurat of the Nexus Core is a structure composed of alien geometry and impossible angles, but The Petitioner has grown accustomed to the mind warping building over his centuries of exploring the place. While within the Ziggurat, The Petitioner can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. The Petitioner regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.Detect. The Petitioner makes a Wisdom (Perception) check, it is possible for the Petitioner to succeed on this check through a solid wall, so long as a continuous path of clear air can be traveled from the Petitioner to the target.
Step Sideways. The Petitioner teleports up to 120 feet, but must appear adjacent to another creature.
Mirror Image. The Petitioner creates an illusory duplicate of themselves, by stepping through time. The duplicate is indistinguishable from the original in all ways and can move independently. If a spell or effect would affect only one or the other, roll 1d20. On a result of 11 or higher, the duplicate is targeted. Any damage causes the duplicate to be destroyed. If a duplicate already exists when The Petitioner uses this ability, a second duplicate is created, and a duplicate is targeted on a result of 8 or higher. If two duplicates exist when The Petitioner uses this ability, a third duplicate is created, and a duplicate is targeted on a result of 6 or higher. The Petitioner cannot use this Legendary Action if three duplicates already exist.
Loot
- Coins: 32,000pp, 46,000gp
- Gems: 7x 5000gp gems
- Art Objects: None
- Items: 2× Potion of Supreme Healing
The Advocate
| CR/Monster | Reward Type | Soloable? |
|---|---|---|
| CR 20: Pit Fiend | Treasure Hoard | Yes |
| Slayer(s) | Date Slain |
|---|---|
| Tolbrin Mortise | 22 June 2021 |
| N/A |
WANTED: The Advocate The Advocate stands before the gates leading to the innermost sanctum where The Magistrate holds court. Though the Magistrate is a fearsome foe, Asmodeus will take no chance that a destabilizing force might be able to navigate the Outer Planes with impunity, and has sent The Advocate to make sure only those bound to the cause may seek out the Cubic Gate Core.
Prerequisites
- The passages within the Ziggurat form a maze which defies all logical physical layout. Characters must fail five easy skill challenges in a row, using at least one Intelligence (Investigation) check in each skill challenge.
- Defeat any encounters triggered by the failed skill challenges.
- Though the Advocate stands vigil to prevent any who would destabilize the Blood War from obtaining a Cubic Gate Core, he is not opposed to signing on volunteers. Characters who are able to reach the gates of The Magistrate's Chambers are sufficiently powerful to be worthy of The Advocate's attention and he will allow them through if they sign a contract pledging their souls to the devil's service for eternity. Characters which accept this contract can no longer be saved by the Iron Coin, and any magics capable of resurrecting them after their deaths fail with the components consumed.
Encounter Notes
The Advocate guards the Nexus Core with the full infernal blessing of Asmodeus and has been gifted no small measure of his power and influence. While within the Ziggurat, The Advocate can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. The Advocate regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.Fireball. The Advocate casts fireball. At The Advocates discretion, this spell can deal either fire or necrotic damage.
Step Sideways. The Advocate teleports up to 60 feet, but must appear adjacent to another creature.
Summon Erinyes (Costs 3 Actions). The Advocate magically summons an erinyes with a hellish longbow and hellish longsword (as described in the erinyes' entry in the Monster Manual). The erinyes appears in an unoccupied space within 60 feet of The Advocate, acts as The Advocate’s ally, and can summon other devils if it has such power. The erinyes remains until The Advocate dies or until he dismisses it as an action.
Loot
- Coins: 30,000pp, 41,000gp
- Gems: None
- Art Objects: 1x 7500gp Art
- Items: +2 Studded Leather Armor
The Magistrate
| CR/Monster | Reward Type | Soloable? |
|---|---|---|
| CR 21: Astral Dreadnought | Treasure Hoard | Yes |
| Slayer(s) | Date Slain |
|---|---|
| Tolbrin Mortise and Death Knight | 21 Feb 2022 |
| N/A |
WANTED: The Magistrate This Astral Dreadnought has additional details.
Prerequisites
- Complete a difficult skill challenge within The Magistrate's Chamber. The skill challenge must include the consumption of a 9th level spell slot or 9th level spell scroll. At the successful completion of the skill challenge, a Gate to the Astral Plane appears in the domed ceiling of the chamber, 90 feet in the air. The Gate remains open until The Magistrate is defeated or when nothing lives in The Magistrate's Chamber and The Magistrate returns to the Astral Plane.
- When the Gate from which The Magistrate appears finally opens, hordes of monsters from the Astral Plane spill forth as a vanguard. Defeat a hard encounter to gain The Magistrate's attention. The Magistrate appears immediately following the encounter's conclusion and cannot be surprised.
Encounter Notes
The Gate to the Astral Plane remains open during the encounter with The Magistrate. The Magistrate may move back and forth through the Gate freely. If a creature from the Material Plane attempts to pass through the Gate, their soul is separated from their body as though by way of the astral projection spell with the soul passing through the Gate into the Astral Plane and their body falling back towards the ground (if they are held aloft by magic, the body drifts back towards the ground at 60 feet per round and lands safely). While the body and soul are separated, the body is unconscious, and the soul's silver cord is subject to The Magistrate's Sever Silver Cord attack. While within the Astral Plane the soul can make attacks and cast spells as normal, but is only able to affect targets also in the Astral Plane. Every Round on Initiative Count 20, roll 1d20. On a result of 2 or below, a Core Spawn Emissary from the Astral Plane is drawn towards the Gate and is added to Initiative as an ally of The Magistrate.Loot
- Coins: 26,000pp, 44,000gp
- Gems: 6x 5000gp gems
- Art Objects: None
- Items: Cubic Gate Core (Part 1 of 7)
Easy Combat Encounter
1x CR6 Kuo-Toa Archpriest
2x CR4 Drowned Assassins
3x CR3 Three Basilisks
Medium Combat Encounter
1x CR8 Hydra
1x CR7 & 1x CR5
- Water Elemental and Myrmidon
2x CR6 Kuo-Toa Archpriests
3x CR4 Three Drowned Assassins
Hard Combat Encounter
1x CR10 Aboleth
1x CR9 & 1x CR4
- Hydroloth and Drowned Assassin
3x CR6 Three Kuo-Toa Archpriests
4x CR5 Four Water Elementals
Deadly Combat Encounter
1x CR13 Storm Giant
1x CR12 & 1x CR4
- Ironscale Hydra and Drowned Assassin
1x CR11 & 1x CR6
- Morkoth and Kuo-Toa Archpriest
2x CR9 Two Hydroloths
3x CR7 Three Water Elemental Myrmidons
1x CR6 Kuo-Toa Archpriest
2x CR4 Drowned Assassins
3x CR3 Three Basilisks
Medium Combat Encounter
1x CR8 Hydra
1x CR7 & 1x CR5
- Water Elemental and Myrmidon
2x CR6 Kuo-Toa Archpriests
3x CR4 Three Drowned Assassins
Hard Combat Encounter
1x CR10 Aboleth
1x CR9 & 1x CR4
- Hydroloth and Drowned Assassin
3x CR6 Three Kuo-Toa Archpriests
4x CR5 Four Water Elementals
Deadly Combat Encounter
1x CR13 Storm Giant
1x CR12 & 1x CR4
- Ironscale Hydra and Drowned Assassin
1x CR11 & 1x CR6
- Morkoth and Kuo-Toa Archpriest
2x CR9 Two Hydroloths
3x CR7 Three Water Elemental Myrmidons
Type
Gorge / Rift
