Monday, June 21, 2021

Monstrous Mondays: Titania, Queen of Faerie

Yesterday was the Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, also known as Mid Summers Day.  So today's Monstrous Monday should celebrate that.  Here is a character that has been in my games a very long time.

The Lords and Ladies of Faerie in my games are at the level of lower-level deities or the demon princes.  At the highest levels are the various Queens and Kings, though there tend to be more Queens.  The two largest courts are the Winter Court, ruled by Queen Mab, and the Summer Court ruled by Queen Titania and King Oberon.  There are smaller courts of varying power, but almost all of the faerie folk pay homage to either the Summer or Winter courts. 

Dorothy Hyson as Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, painting by Ethel Gabain
Dorothy Hyson as Titania byEthel LĂ©ontine Gabain
Titania, Queen of Faerie
Faerie Lady

Frequency: Unique
Number Appearing: 1 (1)
Alignment: Neutral [Chaotic Neutral, Good tendencies]
Movement: 120' (40') [12"]
  Fly: 150' (50') [15"]
Armor Class: 1 [18]
Hit Dice: 14d8+14*** (77 hp)
Attacks: Sword+4 or by spell
Damage: 1d6+4 or by spell
Special: Command any faerie, damaged only by magic weapons, 50% magic resistance, Witch spells (13th level) 
Size: Medium
Save: Witch 14
Morale: 10
Treasure Hoard Class: U (VI) x10
XP: 4,200 (OSE) 4,350 (LL)

Str: 12 (0) Dex: 17 (+) Con: 15 (+1) Int: 16 (+2) Wis: 18 (+3) Cha: 24 (+5)

The Faerie Court of Summer is co-ruled by King Oberon and Queen Titania, though ask anyone who has been to the faerie courts and they will tell you the true ruler is Titania alone.

Titania will seem soft-spoken, demure, and even gentle, but make no mistake she is the iron fist in the velvet glove of the Summer Court.   She helps keep up the pretense that her husband Oberon is the ruler of the Summer Courts. While she has "good tendencies" it is a mistake to assume that the Summer Courts are good where the Winter Courts are evil.  These distinctions are far too simplistic for these courts and this is even more true for their rulers.

Titania prefers to never enter into combat if she can avoid it.  She feels that anyone that goads her into fighting is a failure on her own part to remain the distant and untouchable Queen.  She will have any number of lords, knights, squires even down to the lowest serf in her kingdom ready to take up arms to defend her.  She can, if needed, use her ability to command any faerie to do her bidding.  This will work on any faerie including elves and half-elves.  They must save vs. spells to avoid this compulsion.  Half-elves gain a +1 to their rolls.

If she must fight she has a specially designed rapier that acts as a +4 Sword of Sharpness.  She can also cast spells as if she were a 13th level witch of the Faerie or Green Traditions.

Titania is a notorious adulteress and will attempt to seduce any elf, human, or half-elf with a charisma score of 17 or greater.  She in particular likes the challenge of a pure and virtuous knight or paladin.  She will soon grow tired of her new paramour and discard them for someone new.  Since time moves differently in the land of the Faerie the former lover may find themselves years or even decades removed from their own time.

Titania as a Witch Patron: Faerie witches and some Green Witches may have Titania as their Patron. She doesn't grant them spells as a god does a cleric, but she will, often through intermediaries, instruct the witch on the secrets of faerie magic.


2 comments:

W*E*R*D*N*A said...

You at putting out some monster books in the future, right? I'm excited.

Timothy S. Brannan said...

YES!

Just doing the editing now. Lots of work still to do.