Monster Manual Encounters #1

Aarakocra
 Encounter Design:
Michael Loving
Twitter: (@OG_Captain_MEL)

Artwork:
Cover
Ethan Meyerson (@VorpalPen) Used with permission
Interior
Interior artwork is copyright Wizards of the Coast, used with
permission.

Layout
Homebrewery
(http://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/)

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This work contains material that is copyright Wizards of the Coast and/or other authors. Such material is used with permission
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All other original material in this work is copyright 2019 by Michael Loving and published under the Community Content
Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild.

2
Aarakocra
T
his adventure takes place as the party travels
through the mountains or other remote high-
elevation area. The encounter is suggested for
characters between 5th-8th level, the second
tier of heroicism.
The midair battle with the djinni can be used as a
standalone encounter, or as a way to introduce a storyline
involving an invasion of the Material Plane by elemental
aggressors.
Fall from the Heavens
  While journeying through the mountains, you come across a
fallen aarakocra. One of the bird-man's wings is visibly broken,
and he is in the process of painfully setting it. Seeing you, he
staggers to his feet and approaches.
  Speaking in accented Common, he pleads: “Travelers, you
seem capable warriors. I beg your aid. My kin, and your world,
are in peril. Above us, evil creatures from the Plane of Air seek
to create a doorway to your world. I cannot fly like this, but I
can make it so that you can.”
  Plucking a handful of feathers from his wing, the aarakocra
speaks an incantation over them, and offers one to each of
you.
    The Aarakocra is not hostile. Healing magic can treat his
wounds, but his wing is too badly broken to be healed by
basic healing spells or abilities.
Each feather is a single-use item which grants the bearer a
fly speed of 50 feet (with hover) for one hour; at the end of
which time the user drifts gently back down to earth as if by
the Feather Fall spell. While the feathers bear the
enchantment the aarakocra himself cannot fly. Should the
group accept his plea and take to the sky, read the following:
War on the Winds
  Soaring high into the air, you quickly spy the confrontation. A
djinni and an aarakocran mage are engaged in a battle of
arcane might, surrounded by a whirl of magical energies near a
shifting tear in the fabric of the Material Plane, from which a
powerful stream of air billows. Four towering tornadoes swirl
around the battlefield, threatening to suck up any creature
foolish enough to get too close.
  Around the mages, eight more aarakocra are battling a group
of three large air elementals and what looks to be a dozen
imp-like creatures of various elemental origins. A quick glance
is enough to tell the aarakocra will not win this fight unaided.
   Two of the Air Elementals have already lost half of their
Hit Points, while the third is only down 1/4 its starting total;
all twelve Mephits (four each of Smoke, Ice, and Dust) are
uninjured. Three of the eight aarakocra are spellcasters (use
the spellcasting abilities of an Acolyte), the other five are
normal Aarakocra. In the center of the battle is an
aarakocran mage (use the Archmage stat block, but with an
aarakocra’s flight and racial abilities) and a Djinni,
surrounded by an impenetrable wall of wind and arcane
power (see below).
The mage and the djinni are occupying one another’s full
attention, while the other Aarakocra are fighting defensively –
trying to use their dive attacks to bring down the extremely
dangerous elementals before any other Aarakocra are killed.
The Mephits are making this difficult, however, as they circle
and unleash their breath weapons upon the bird-men as often
as they recharge.
Depending on the party's level, there are a two ways they
can easily intervene in the conflict:
Murdering the Mephits: The mephits are engaging the
battered aarakocra using guerrilla tactics - swooping in,
delivering their breath weapons when they recharge, and
diving back out of range before the aarakocra can
retaliate. Should the group attack the mephits, the
excitable creatures will descend upon the party en masse
as the battle between the elementals and aarakocra
continues above. (If your party is below 5th level, consider
having half the mephits break off instead)
Engaging the Elementals: It's clear that although the
aarakocra have been able to wound a few of the air
elementals, they are being battered by the stronger
opponents. Should the party swoop in to battle the
elementals, the aarakocra will thank them, and promise to
keep the mephits off their backs. (If your party is stronger,
consider adding additional air elementals, or reducing the
damage the elementals have taken prior to the beginning
of the encounter)
The Eye of the Storm: In the center of the battle,
hurricane-force winds and swirls of powerful arcane
energy completely isolate the archmage and djinni from
the rest of the combat. Spells or weapons attacks made at
either creature are deflected or destroyed before they
reach the duelling spellcasters. Once the aarakocra
outside the vortex are free to concentrate, they can open
the shield to expose the djinni.
As the party engages either the mephits or the elementals,
the aarakocra will focus on eliminating the other threat. If
your group enjoys combat, consider printing off the
aarakocra's stats and allowing the party to roleplay that
encounter as a separate battle. If the group is not interested
in this, or if time is an issue, assume the aarakocra are able
to drive the mephits away without assistance while the group
handles the elementals; or, should the group tackle the
mephits themselves, assume two of the three elementals fall
before the group rallies to aid the aarakocra in destroying the
final air elemental.
3
 Elemental Chaos
    Although the battle takes place in midair, there are some
interesting elements due to the presence of the Rift. The
djinni and aarakocran archmage are approximately forty feet
in front of the Rift, at opposite ends of their 10-foot radius
barrier. The rest of the battle takes place around them.
The Rift: The influence of the Plane of Air is impossible to
ignore. Any time a character moves within 30 feet of the rift,
roll a die. On an even number, the wind is blowing outward,
requiring a DC 10 Strength (Athletics) check to move any
closer, and each “square” (or cube) moving towards the rift is
considered difficult terrain; on an odd number the rift is
drawing air in, and a character must succeed a DC 10
Strength (Athletics) check or immediately be pulled 10 feet
closer, and any squares within 30 feet of the rift are
considered difficult terrain for characters moving away from
it.
Every 1d4 rounds, a Mephit (randomly determine its type
between Smoke, Ice, or Dust) is disgorged by the rift, and
joins whatever remaining mephits or elementals are in the
battle (once all of the mephits and air elementals are killed,
the aarakocran warriors will guard the rift and dispatch any
additional nuisances who invade).
Tornadoes: Four ten-foot-diameter tornadoes swirl around
the djinni and the archmage. Each round at Initiative count
20 (losing any ties), each tornado moves 20 feet in a random
direction. Any creature caught in a tornado is considered
grappled (DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check to escape;
Dexterity (Acrobatics) does not help escape the cyclone). The
Air Elementals are immune to this effect, as are the Djinni
and Aarakocran Archmage while they remain within their
shield; the mephits, other aarakocra, and PCs are all
susceptible to this effect. If more than one creature is trapped
in a single tornado, roll percentile dice on each of their turns.
On a result of 25 or lower, the creatures collide, each taking
2d6 bludgeoning damage.
The Tornadoes are unaffected by the winds issuing from
the rift, though if they pass directly over it they will be sucked
inside and spit back out the following round. They cross over
the magical barrier around the dueling mages without effect,
and if two or more tornadoes occupy the same space they
either merge or negate one another (decide, or determine
randomly).
During the battle, a character can use their action to make
a DC 12 Wisdom (Insight) check to determine how the battle
between the archmage and djinni is going:
The archmage seems to be stalling the djinni’s ritual. While
the djinni attempts to enlarge or stabilize the portal, the mage
actively weakens the arcane bonds the djinni speaks into
existence. It is waiting for the other aarakocra to defeat or
drive off the enemies so that the acolyte aarakocra can join it
in attempting to overpower the djinni's ritual.
The djinni, meanwhile, doesn't seem overly concerned. It
believes that once the elementals it has summoned defeat the
other aarakocra, it and its minions will have no trouble
overpowering the archmage and completing the gateway
without any further interference.

4
Closing the Gateway
    Once the mephits and elementals fall, the acolytes will fly
down near the archmage and begin a ritual to close the rift.
The howling winds surrounding the spellcasters die down,
and the party can assist to end the threat. The djinni focuses
on completing its spell unless it is attacked, at which point it
draws its scimitar and defends itself (giving the aarakocra a
good chance to complete their ritual unhindered, at the risk of
the party fighting a powerful foe).
The Ritual
The ritual used to open or close the gateway to the
If the archmage closes the rift:
Plane of Air is a competitive skill check: As an
action, a participant in the ritual may attempt a DC
20 check using their spell attack bonus to either
generate one success for their side, or to remove
one success from the opponent's side. Rolling a
natural 20 or succeeding this check by 10 or more
allows you add or remove 2 successes, or do each
once.
Both the djinni and the archmage add +9 to their
checks, and are tied at 0 successes when the
barrier falls. Rather than attempting the check
themselves, each acolyte that joins the archmage
in the ritual adds +1 to the archmage's checks.
Characters with the ability to cast spells who
wish to join the ritual may attempt a DC 15
Intelligence (Arcana) roll to memorize the arcane
gestures and intonations required (Bards have
advantage on this check), then attempt spellcasting
checks on subsequent turns to contribute to the
ritual’s completion.
Once one side accumulates 3 successes, the
ritual ends and the gateway either closes or
becomes permanent.
The ring is a Ring of Feather Fall, and any aarakocra who
sees it will treat the wearer as a trusted friend and aid them
to the best of their ability.
Should the djinni succeed:
  An impossibly strong burst of air tears through the rift,
ripping the gateway much larger and sending you and the
aarakocra both hurling through the sky away from it. The genie
laughs as you plummet through the air, finally regaining
control nearly 200 feet below the rift. Turning to look at you,
the djinni smiles maliciously before turning to mist and
wordlessly drifting through the howling portal, which pulses
ominously in the now empty sky…
As the archmage completes their spell, the wind spilling from
the rift reverses direction. Powerful gusts of wind draw you
towards the gateway, and the aarakocra around you grab onto
you and one another to withstand the gale. Alone, the genie
fights the maelstrom for a moment before their strength fails
and the winds drag them back through the open rift, which
folds upon itself and disappears as the last of the invaders is
drawn through.
The archmage flies over to you. Its brown plumage and avian
features closely resemble those of a golden eagle, and a red
gem is prominently displayed just below the gorget of its light
armor.
  “Heroes, you have done us a great service this day.
Without your intervention I fear many more of my people
would have fallen, and a dangerous gateway to your world
would have been opened. You have my thanks.” It removes a
silvery ring from its finger, holding it out to one of the heroes.
“Take this ring as a symbol of your loyalty to my kind. Any
Aarakocra who sees it will know you as a friend, and do what
they can to aid you in your travels.”
  The ring is remarkably light, and covered in delicate aerial
scrollwork and subtle feather designs.