Divine War
The skies rain blood and bolts of necrotic lightning strike the earth as celestials and fiends clash overhead in a battle of truly epic proportions, filling the sky with divine violence. Swarms of angels trace blinding radiance as demons and devils spout hellish flames in pursuit, and for every lance of pure light cast down onto the conflict from the clouds above there is a swarm of darkness that rises up to consume it.
Divine Interventions. Every hour the effect of so many extraplanar beings unleashing their power in such close proximity has an unintended impact that falls upon the party. Each adventurer rolls 1d20, and whoever has the lowest roll becomes the target of this effect. When there is a tie, the point in space between the two is targeted instead. Roll 1d8 and refer to the Divine Interventions table.
Creatures with the Good alignment trait have
advantage
on
saving throws
against celestial Divine Interventions, and creatures with the Evil alignment trait have
advantage
on saving throws against fiendish Divine Interventions.
Magical Effects. Divine interventions are magical effects. Using dispel magic on the effects of a Divine Intervention requires a spellcasting ability check. On a failed check, the spellcaster becomes a target of another Divine Intervention the next round.
Realize Danger. Any adventurer that makes an Arcana or Religion check realizes the less obvious dangers of being so close to this conflict and how the clash of divine forces manifests strange effects on the environment nearby.
There is no easy way to get through this challenge. The PCs must simply push through and suffer the effects of the Divine Interventions; there is no way to end the war. They might choose to join the fray (on either side) and powerful magic such as wish can delay the battle long enough for them to leave the region. With a Persuasion check to convince a squad of celestials or fiends that the party is neutral to the conflict, the adventurers receive either an angelic blessing or hellish enchantment, gaining an expertise die on saving throws against the exploration challenge’s Divine Interventions.
Table: Divine Interventions (1d8)
1 Fiendish Blood Rain. Crimson rain laced with negative energy falls in a 60-foot radius around the target. Each creature in the area makes a Constitution saving throw , taking 28 (8d6) necrotic damage on a failure, or half damage on a success. In addition, a creature that fails its saving throw loses 4 (1d4+2) Supply as provisions melt into moldy slop and water turns into sewage.
2 Fiendish The Fallen. The blazing corpse of a slain celestial plummets to the ground landing in a square adjacent to the target. Each creature in a 40-foot radius makes a Dexterity saving throw , taking 35 (10d6) fire damage and 35 (10d6) radiant damage on a failure, or half damage on a success. The target has disadvantage on this saving throw. The explosive inferno damages objects in the area and ignites unattended flammable objects.
3 Fiendish Harmful Blast. A virulent disease is released on the target and they make a Constitution saving throw , taking 49 (14d6) necrotic damage on a failure, or half damage on a success. In addition, a target that fails the saving throw reduces its hit point maximum by an amount equal to the necrotic damage taken. This damage can't reduce the target's hit points below 1. The reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest.
4 Celestial Restorative Ray. A surge of positive energy washes through the target and they regain 70 hit points. In addition, the ray cures a target of the blinded and deafened conditions as well as any disease affecting it.
5 Celestial Stunning Utterance. The target clearly hears the unfiltered song of a celestial’s rage, leaving it dumbfounded. If the target has 150 hit points or fewer, it is stunned until the end of its next turn and rattled for the following hour. If the target has more than 150 hit points, it is instead rattled for the next hour instead. At the end of every minute, a stunned target makes a Constitution saving throw , ending the effect on itself on a success.
6 Celestial Sunburst. Brilliant sunlight flashes down from the heavens in a 60-foot radius around the target. Each creature in the area makes a Constitution saving throw . On a failure a creature takes 42 (12d6) radiant damage and is blinded for 1 hour, or on a success it takes half as much damage and isn't blinded. Undead and oozes have disadvantage on this saving throw. A blinded creature repeats the saving throw at the end of every 10 minutes, ending the effect on itself on a success.
7 Either Lethal Utterance. The target clearly hears either a fiend utter a prayer or a celestial scream a curse. If the target has 100 hit points or fewer it dies, or if it has more than 100 hit points it takes 50 hit points of damage.
8 Either Exsanguinated Horror. Two of the divine combatants from above swoop down amidst a furious duel, soaring past the target. Creatures able to see witness the unfiltered purity and depravity of celestials and fiends sliced open in a gruesome display. Each creature in a 30-foot radius (including the target) makes a Wisdom saving throw , becoming frightened for 1 minute on a failure. At the end of every round a frightened creature repeats the saving throw, taking 22 (4d10) psychic damage on a failure or ending the effect on itself on a success.