Ahmed provides us with something very interesting coming from his own lands. We already have genies in D&D, but in this article you will encounter 2 very particular genie NPCs that you can easily import to your game and create great stories. One thing I really like about this article is the fact that Ahmed really seems to have created this article around all the mythology around the genies from Arabia. You can even find what I believe to be some easter eggs as some of the durations for things in the article take 1001 nights.

Jamshat

Fikrah was a good aligned genie that disguised herself as an adventurers to have some fun and stories to tell. Tormented by the continuous passing away of her friends as they died of old age, her grief led her to create her own empire of constructs created from thoughts, memories, and clay. The interesting part is that the article comes with the whole traits of the race so you can play as these constructs. There is a whole side of how this empire works, and how it REALLY works, as well as information on alliances Fikrah has made, and the possible ways those around the territory might perceive her. No one is allowed to come into this region. Which secrets may hide in it?

Stat blocks

The article closes with some stat blocks you can use if you decide to import these NPCs into your game. The first one is the crowned genie, the “monster” you can use for both NPCs, with some small changes depending on which one you are using. As usual in MCDM’s fashion, these genies are action-oriented, having very powerful abilities for their bonus action and reaction, making combats much more challenging, and interesting. These are enemies you will want to take out by surprise.

A servant template is also included, making it extremely easy to apply properties to other monsters. I wish we saw more of these templates, as they add a layer of versatility that in good DM hands can make for very interesting encounters. Lastly, some stat blocks for servants were incorporated that are pretty much the commoner, assassin, mage, and veteran stat blocks with the template mentioned above. Not very interesting, but handy to have if you decide to use them.

For those of you who know about the False Hydra, this strange memory-stealing monster from an article some years back, comes the spiritual successor, created by no other than the SlyFlourish! So far, everything I’ve seen Mike make is amazing, and this article doesn’t disappoint either. This does not only provide us with an encounter for a lvl7 adventuring party, but also a new monster, with its minions, its story, location, and adventure hooks, easy to locate in any city or town you want.

The blackweald is a gargantuan mimic that looks like a city street. It’s been there for so long that it’s become part of the city, little by little eating one or two people that come walk through it, and erasing their existance from everyone’s memories. Spooky! That way, there is no real way one can know for sure there is a monster in there, or if there is any actual victim. As this was not enough, both the blackweald and its mimic servants can charm people into getting close enough to be eaten. These mimics range from barrels , mailboxes, to carts, windows, etc. The blackweald and its mimics come with their own unique action-oriented stat blocks that will surely make for a fascinating battle if the PCs ever discover there is something wrong here.

What’s most interesting about this article isn’t actually the monster per se, but its victims.  People are being puppeteered to live in these streets to make it seem like a normal place. Some taverns have patreons constantly playing dice that are actual mimics without the tavernkeeper even understanding there is something wrong with that. Shopkeepers repeat the same process over and over again every day as in some kind of trance, due to having their minds clouded by this abomination. Everything about this place screams at you in a way to get away as soon as you can in a way.