Open Post - October Release - Things That Go Bump in the Night

Tier Release Links 

• Loremaster Tier Release 

• Acolyte Tier Release 

• Adventurer Tier Release 

• Apprentice Tier Release 

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Hey Critical Crew!

This month's release Things That Go Bump in the Night pulls back the veil on the fears that crawl in the corners of every mind and drags us into the uneasy spaces where we must confront it. Here, horror is not some distant apocalypse but instead the quiet panic that grips your throat in the dark, the shapes that stalk your dreams, and the whispers that turn your heartbeat against you. Phobias take physical form - houses that hunger, swarms that blot out the sun, statues that move on the edge of your vision, and spiders that weave terror itself into their webs. Fear becomes flesh, dread is given purpose, and every shadow holds the promise of something waiting to break you. To face these nightmares is to confront the truths we bury deepest - that the monsters we fear most have always been with us. Will your players brave the terror...?

Personal Note

Speaking of scary season.... I was admitted to the ICU this past week with some super fun DKA caused by an infection (scary), but for us, the grind don’t stop! I’m on the mend, and we were still able to get the release out in time! (Praise be to ol' Chap)

Ok, on with the release!

.STL's

This month brings our latest .STL for our Apprentice and Loremaster tiers - the Graveyard Golem! This gargantuan .STL file comes presupported and ready to print.

As always - STL's are NOT backlogged, so be sure to download it locally this month!

Adventure

Just in time for your table's Halloween one-shot, this release features our latest 14-page adventure, The Fall of the House of Desdemona!

The Desdemona family’s estate was once a proud manor, but what lingers now is no home, but instead a predator. Twisted by betrayal, madness, and murder, the house has risen from its foundations as a living engine of misery, stalking the countryside on gnarled, rootlike legs. Within its shifting halls lie the echoes of the family’s gruesome fate, and the bloody jester who manipulated them still laughs from the shadows, juggling severed heads as trophies.

This "reverse dungeon crawl" has your players begin by facing the house itself in battle, only to be drawn into its haunted interior upon surviving the assault. Room by room, they must outlast lesser horrors, conserve dwindling strength, and uncover the terrible secret at its heart. Will your player be able to put the spirits of the Desdemona family to rest, or will they fail, causing the house to rise again hungry for new victims?

Stat Blocks

You get 5 brand new monster stat blocks of various challenge ratings that are sure to drive fear into your players. Beware the Bloody Jester, a sadistic Fey who feeds on joy before turning laughter into slaughter; face the crushing embrace of the Claustrophage, a gargantuan terror that gorges itself on the fear of confinement; and tremble before the Graveyard Golem, a hulking construct of earth and corpses that bolsters the Undead around it. Brave the Haunting House, a sentient structure whose halls shift and seethe with restless spirits; and confront the Horror Spider, a fiend-born predator whose webs weave terror itself into the minds of its prey. Together, these nightmares embody the essence of phobia and dread, each one a reflection of the fears mortals carry deepest, now given monstrous form.

Player Options

This release also introduces our latest subclass for our original player class the Sunscorned - the Tradition of the Broodlord. Broodlords surrender their cursed blood to the swarm, commanding clouds of bats, rats, ravens, and insects that fight as extensions of their own body. These vampires are never truly alone; their vermin grow larger, more aggressive, and more numerous, overwhelming prey in a tide of wings and teeth. Broodlords can dissolve into a living storm of creatures, strike through their swarms as if they were present in every corner of the battlefield, and eventually unleash a legion that devours all in its path. With the Broodlord, the line between predator and plague vanishes... you don’t fight as one hunter, but as an entire infestation!

You also get our latest player race - the Grotesq! Born not of flesh but of stone and spellcraft, grotesqs were once lifeless statues until the Arcanuum awakened them with long-forgotten magic. Now they walk the world as living constructs; guardians without masters, relics without purpose, caught between loyalty to their creators and the yearning for freedom. Shaped by their sculptors, grotesqs come in one of three subraces - Sanctified marble wardens, Sepulchral tomb-guardians, or Bastions hewn from fortress stone - each bound to the places they once watched over, yet free to choose their own fate. Both ancient and newborn, they are statues come to life, marked as spies, outcasts, or protectors in a world that views them with awe and unease.

Items

You will also find our 6 latest Items - bring the spooky, festive fun to your table with items like the Monster Head Bucket (in three variants); Razie's Pieces (a fun candy hiding a lethal razor blade!!); and Spool Paper, highly absorbant paper that is perfect for throwing at creatures and unsuspecting trees!

And lastly this release brings our 6 latest sigils (magical runes that can be applied to items and equipment to bestow magical features to them)!

Spells

This release also brings our 5 latest magic spells to your table. Check out spells like Summon Coffin, allowing you to conjure a coffin to act as a hiding place (or other nefarious means); Murderous Crows, summoning a swarm of crows to peck and blind your target; and Deal with a Devil, creating a pact with a demonic force in exchange for evil augmentations.

Maps

We've also got 8 total battle maps (gridded and gridless variations) - ready for the included adventure (or just as easily used as standalone maps).

Tokens

And lastly, we are bringing you 12 VTT-ready tokens for all of your online needs!

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As always, we have to share some love with the folks in the Hivemind for helping us brainstorm and fine tune the content in this release! If you have yet to join the Critical Crafting discord community and get involved, you're missing out!

Step inside if you dare, but remember: the things you fear most already know your name...

- Dillon, Cameron, Connor, and Sarah