SECTION 5: ENCOUNTERS & NPCs
Encounters in The High Fantasy blend traditional threats with cannabis-infused creatures, magical hallucinations, and social interactions that can resolve through smoke, song, or strain. This section introduces unique enemy types, encounter dynamics, and notable NPCs that enrich your campaigns with flavor, humor, and worldbuilding.
5.1. Cannabeasts and Enemies
Creatures in the Budlands range from corrupted plants and living smokescreens to enforcement constructs and ancient spore-warped monsters. Use these creatures as battle encounters, puzzle elements, or protectors of sacred land.
Blunt Golem
Type: Construct
CR: 3
HP: 60
AC: 16
Abilities:
- Blunt Slam (2d10 bludgeoning)
- Rolling Knockback: On hit, pushes target 10 ft and leaves a contact high zone
- Burning Core: Explodes into a 10-ft cloud when destroyed, forcing HC (DC 15)
Notes: Created by the Blackglass Cartel to guard their strain vaults.
Terp Troll
Type: Aberration
CR: 5
HP: 95
AC: 14
Abilities:
- Terp Breath: Cone of citrus fog that causes confusion (Wis Save DC 16)
- Stink Regrowth: Heals 10 HP per round unless exposed to fire or concentrates
- Loud Mouth: Can mimic voices heard while high
Notes: Smells like a skunky rainbow. Likes riddles. Lives under overgrown strain bridges.
Trim Zombies
Type: Undead
CR: 2
HP: 40
AC: 12
Abilities:
- Sticky Cling: Halves movement speed of targets it hits
- Overworked Moan: Disorients with a monotone hum
- Chain Reaction: Explodes in kief dust if caught in flame
Notes: Spawn in overharvested zones cursed by greed or labor abuse.
Kief Elemental
Type: Elemental
CR: 6
HP: 120
AC: 17
Abilities:
- Kiefstorm: Blind, slow, and confuse in a 20-ft radius
- Terp Pull: Pulls enemies 10 ft and covers them in glowing crystals
- Dry-Sift Spin: Disperse into invulnerable mist form once per battle
Notes: Legendary creatures created when pure kief is exposed to moonlight and music.
Smoke Wraith
Type: Undead/Spirit
CR: 4
HP: 75
AC: 13
Abilities:
- Possession Puff: Can possess stoned targets
- Inhale Soul: Deals necrotic damage while draining strain charges
- Echo Drift: Immune to non-magical weapons, half damage from magic unless cannabis-based
Notes: Born from abandoned strains and broken rituals.
Firebreak Inquisitor (Smokeless Order)
Type: Humanoid
CR: 7
HP: 135
AC: 18
Abilities:
- Prohibition Field: Disables strain effects in 30 ft
- Ash Cannon: Deals radiant damage, ignores resistance
- Burn the Crop: Spell that targets all grow-related items or companions
Notes: Elite anti-strain operatives—hate all things green.
Plant-Based & Strain-Born Creatures
Strain Sproutling
CR: 1/4
HP: 12 | AC: 12
Type: Plant
Traits: Often spawned near freshly cured strains
Abilities:
- Puffburst: 5 ft radius smoke cloud causes giggles and disadvantage on stealth
- Soilbound: Gains +2 AC while touching fertile ground
Terphound
CR: 2
HP: 45 | AC: 14
Type: Beast
Traits: Sniffs out rare strains, highly loyal
Abilities:
- Scent Lock: Target marked with scent cannot hide
- Growl of Elevation: Allies within 10 ft gain +1 to HC rolls
- Terpshock: Bite causes stunned on failed Constitution save (DC 13)
Sporeleaf Lurker
CR: 4
HP: 78 | AC: 15
Type: Plant-Mutant Hybrid
Traits: Often found in Mycel Den or corrupted Green Sea
Abilities:
- Spore Jet: 30 ft cone causes confusion
- Camouflage: Advantage on stealth in fungal or forest terrain
- Choking Rootgrab: Grapples one target; deals 2d8 poison on failed Dex save
Strain Elemental
CR: 5
HP: 100 | AC: 16
Type: Elemental
Subtypes: Indica (defense), Sativa (speed), Hybrid (random), Ruderalis (chaos)
Abilities:
- Aura of the Bloom: Radius aura gives strain-specific effects to allies
- Terp Slam: 2d10 + status effect (based on strain)
Wild Reconstitution: Reforms from smoke after death with 1 HP once per day
Extracted, Infused & Mutated Creatures
Hashspawn Golem
CR: 6
HP: 110 | AC: 17
Type: Construct
Origin: Hashguard Mountains
Abilities:
- Heatstrike: Slam causes burn damage and disarms on crit
- Concentrated Pulse: Emit a resin shockwave—knocks enemies prone
- Unyielding Puffcore: Immune to psychic effects
Kiefwraith
CR: 7
HP: 90 | AC: 16
Type: Undead
Traits: Formed from over-cured strains lost in the Ashen Void
Abilities:
- Memory Drain: On hit, erase target’s last spoken phrase
- Contact Echo: Can impersonate targets for 1 minute
- Drifting Puff: Can move through walls while in fog or smoke
Clone Horror
CR: 9
HP: 140 | AC: 17
Type: Aberration
Traits: A botched experiment by Blackglass Cartel
Abilities:
- Multi-Morph Flesh: Each turn it changes traits randomly
- False Face: Appears as an ally unless detected by Insight (DC 18)
- Chain Mutation: Explodes into smaller horrors when defeated
Faction Enemies & Humanoid Threats
Smokeless Inquisitor
CR: 6
HP: 105 | AC: 18
Type: Humanoid
Abilities:
- Zone of Prohibition: Disables all magical strain effects in 20 ft
- Burning Verdict: Targets one spellcaster for radiant burn
- Vapor Tracker: Always knows the location of a smoked blunt within 1 mile
Cartel Dab Mage
CR: 8
HP: 125 | AC: 16
Type: Humanoid (Glassforger bloodline)
Abilities:
- Dab Beam: 6d6 fire or force damage, requires concentrate charge
- Rig Warp: Teleport via vapor to any visible flame
- Oil Pool: Creates slick terrain that can be ignited
Circlebreaker Agent
CR: 5
HP: 80 | AC: 15
Type: Ex-monk/enforcer
Abilities:
- Circle Disrupt: Once per day, ends all current buffs from a Circle
- Ashen Bluff: Feign unconsciousness—auto-counter the next melee strike
Blunt Slash: Cuts through strain enchantments with infused blade
Spirit & Smoke Plane Entities
The Munchlord
CR: 10
HP: 165 | AC: 17
Type: Aberration (Manifested Hunger)
Abilities:
- Endless Appetite: Each kill restores 20 HP
- Aura of Crave: Enemies within 30 ft must pass Wisdom save or be compelled to consume items
- Chew Through Time: Once per day, eats a memory from each PC unless resisted
Pollen Seraphim
CR: 12
HP: 200 | AC: 20
Type: Celestial
Origin: Grove of Origins
Abilities:
- Petal Ray: 4 beams (radiant or psychic), 1 per turn
- Photosynthesize: Heals in sunlight or moonlight
- Resonant Bloom: Causes all seeds within 100 ft to instantly sprout into sentient plants
Echo of the First Puff
CR: Variable
HP: ??? | AC: ???
Type: Concept
Notes: Not a true enemy, but a cosmic event. When encountered, roll 1d100 and DM creates an encounter shaped by a personal memory, trauma, or vision tied to a player’s First Puff.
5.2. Encounter Types
Combat Encounters
- Traditional grid/tactical battles using strain effects, environment saturation, and player elevation states.
- Add strain-based effects like sticky terrain, hallucinations, healing fogs, or seed traps.
Social Encounters
- Smoke Circles: Conflict resolution via discussion and ritual smoke sharing
- Trade Tension: Haggling, deception, or charisma duels over rare strains
- Music Battles: Cannabards can engage in duels of vibe for information, influence, or items
Vision Quests
Triggered by overconsumption, sacred ritual, or region-based saturation.
Vision Quest Elements:
- Talking strain spirits
- Past lives tied to soil
- Puzzles involving musical frequencies or terpene recognition
- Memory maze within the Smoke Plane
5.3. NPCs of the Budlands
Zaz the Zipkeeper
Role: Traveling stash vendor
Traits: Eccentric, time-bender, hides stash in extradimensional zipper
Quotes: “I got that pre-reggie, post-legend, vintage fusion strain. You in?”
Plot Hook: Always appears when needed—possibly a demigod or hallucination
Mother Terpsa
Role: Druidic priestess of the Temple of the Great Blunt
Traits: Wise, deeply rooted in Indica traditions, can see strain auras
Quote: “Smoke with intent, child. That’s how the soil listens.”
Plot Hook: Guardian of the Eternal Hotbox—may choose champions
Rolando the Binder
Role: Bard and professional joint-roller
Traits: Sarcastic, loyal, performs ballads with a flame-tipped lute
Quote: “You need firepower or flower power? ‘Cause I got both.”
Plot Hook: Knows hidden verses about the Living Soil
Grimble Hashbreaker
Role: Blackglass Cartel engineer
Traits: Ambitious, greedy, half-elf chemist with gold-plated dab rig
Quote: “Everything’s got a yield. Even your loyalty.”
Plot Hook: Offers players rare gear in exchange for dirty work
Sister Rae of the Smokeless Order
Role: Inquisitor, main antagonist
Traits: Cold, calculated, led by trauma and revenge
Quote: “Smoke clouds minds. I clear them. Permanently.”
Plot Hook: Was once a Growcerer before converting to the Order
Sprig & Sprong
Role: Twin rogue rangers
Traits: Mischievous, teleport via rolling papers, love pranks
Quote: “We rolled ya… literally.”
Plot Hook: May help players smuggle clones or break into vaults