D&D 5E Mythological Figures: Nymue, Lady of the Lake

D&D 5E – Mythological Figures: Nymue, Lady of the Lake | EN World | Dungeons & Dragons | Tabletop Roleplaying Games

Nymue is also known as Nimuë, Ninianne, Viviane, Nimane, Moistened Bint, Nimanne, Nivienne, Vivienne, Vivien, Vivian, Nimiane, Niniame, Nymenche, Ninieve, Niniane, Niviana, Uinuiane, Nymanne, Nynyane, Niniane, Watery Tart, Nimue, Nyneue, Nynyue, Nynyve, and Nenyve. There might even be a double in there I am so vexed by this listing of monikers I honestly can’t tell. Part of the reason for this is the multitude of authors who’ve published Arthurian fiction—sometimes she’s split into two with a villainous half, sometimes she’s a quieter influence, sometimes she isn’t Nymue at all and the Lady of the Lake is thought to be Morgan le Fay. In short, the mythology of this character has spread and seeped its way into so many nooks and crannies that trying to pull out any one true Lady of the Lake is a quest doomed to fail. You don’t have to believe me though and it’s kind of interesting how the character propagated so I recommend checking it out for yourself (not doing a 3-page context post today, folks).

For our purposes here the focus is going to stick to a few key points about Nymue/the Lady of the Lake—she lives in a lake, she gives King Arthur the sword Excalibur (yes, this one, not one of the other Ladies in the Lake [which again depending on the author, there may have been]), she seduces Merlin, and she raises Lancelot du Lac.

Design Notes: What to do with Nymue—this was pondered for a good bit before settling on the Artificer wizard archetype. “Artificer?!” you might say, spitting out your cup of tea all over the crumpets or what have you, “what in the devil did the Lady of the Lake have to do with constructing devices?” Nothing! The answer is nothing. However, she is best known for giving Excalibur to King Arthur, and Lancelot du Lac receives magic items as gifts from her. Thus is the reasoning behind putting her in the archetype for wizards that are all about enchanting objects. Water genasi as the character race seems like a simple pick (need to have Amphibious for her to live underwater, you know, in the lake), and while there could be more access to curative magics (for fixing Lancelot’s sanity) wish covers the ground where dispel magic and remove curse will be lacking. If it comes to blows Nymue can fall back on arcane sword and confusion, and it’s safe to assume that every turn she’s going to cast shield (because why not?), but even so she’s really not meant to be fighting much—which is why contingency snuck in there (probably with either greater invisibility or misty step queued up). Let’s look at the numbers! The DMG plots Nymue at 12.83 and the Blog of Holding rubric at 13.5, averaging out on the topside for a reasonable CR 13 (the same as Morgan le Fay).

Design Notes 2 – Naiad Boogaloo: None of you know it but we’re actually getting a touch divergent as far as character races go in Mythological Figures builds, and since in an upcoming entry we’ll be referencing it anyway (bonus points to anyone who figures out for who!) these notes can be used to change the Lady of the Lake from a water genasi into a nymph (as the race appears in the Odyssey of the Dragonlords Player’s Guide © James Ohlen 2019, © Jesse Sky 2019 www.arcanumworlds.com).

Speed Increase Nymue’s swim speed to 40 feet.
Skills Add Persuasion +8.
Damage Resistances Remove resistance to acid.
Traits Replace the Amphibious and Genasi Magic traits with Enthralling Beauty and Naiad Ancestry.

Enthralling Beauty (1/Short Rest). Nymue can cast charm person (DC 16) using Charisma as her spellcasting ability.​

Naiad Ancestry. Nymue can hold her breath for 1 hour, and she can cast the create or destroy water and control water spells once each between short rests. Charisma is her spellcasting ability for these spells.​

Nymue, Lady of the Lake
Medium humanoid (water genasi), neutral good wizard (inventor) 20
Armor Class 14 (mage armor, 19 with shield)
Hit Points 110 (20d6+40)
Speed 30 ft., swim 30 ft.

STR​	DEX​	CON​	INT​	WIS​	CHA​
8 (–1)​	12 (+1)​	14 (+2)​	20 (+5)​	12 (+1)​	15 (+2)​

Saving Throws Int +11, Wis +7
Skills Arcana +11, History +11, Medicine +7, Religion +11
Damage Resistances acid
Senses passive Perception 11
Languages Olde English
Challenge 13 (10,000 XP)

Background Feature: Divine Connection. Nymue has a deep connection with fey and nature, giving her keen insights into destiny and a mystical understanding of the universe.

Amphibious. Nymue can breathe air and water.

Arcane Recovery (1/Day). When Nymue finishes a short rest, she can choose to recover expended spell slots of a combined level that is equal to or less than 9th-level (although no single recovered spell may be higher than 6th-level).

Feat: Ranged Spellcaster. Nymue ignores half cover and three-quarters cover when making a ranged spell attack. In addition, she doubles the range of any spell she casts that has a ranged spell attack.

Feat: War Magic. Nymue has advantage when she is concentrating on a spell and has to make a Constitution saving throw from taking damage, she can wield weapons or a shield in both hands and still make somatic components for spellcasting, and can use her reaction to cast a spell (maximum casting time: 1 action) at a creature that provokes an opportunity attack from her.

Genasi Magic. Nymue knows the shape water cantrip and can cast create or destroy water as a 2nd-level spell once between long rests. She uses Constitution as her spellcasting ability for these spells.

Signature Spells (1 each/Short Rest). Nymue can cast misty step and major image once each at 3rd-level without expending a spell slot. If Nymue wants to cast either spell at a higher level, she must expend a spell slot as normal.

Spellcasting. Nymue is a 20th level spellcaster that uses Intelligence as her spellcasting ability (spell save DC 19; +11 to hit with spell attacks). She has the following spells prepared from the wizard’s spell list:

• Cantrips: dancing lights, eldritch blast, mage hand, message, prestidigitation, shocking grasp​
• 1st-level (4 slots): alarm, charm person, identify, mage armor, magic missile​
• 2nd-level (3 slots): darkvision, detect thoughts, hold person, invisibility, suggestion​
• 3rd-level (3 slots): dispel magic, remove curse, sending​
• 4th-level (3 slots): confusion, greater invisibility​
• 5th-level (3 slots): cone of cold, geas, scrying​
• 6th-level (2 slots): contingency, eyebite​
• 7th-level (2 slots): arcane sword, mirage arcane, project image​
• 8th-level (1 slot): maze​
• 9th-level (1 slot): wish​

Spell Mastery. Nymue can cast detect magic and shield without expending a spell slot.

ACTIONS
Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4+1) piercing damage.

CRAFTING
Magic Item. Over the course of a week, Nymue can craft one of the following magic items: bag of holding, cap of water breathing, cloak of the manta ray, dust of disappearance, dust of dryness, elemental gem, goggles of night, helm of comprehending languages, immovable rod, mithral armor, oil of slipperiness, philter of love, potion of animal friendship, potion of fire breath, potion of poison, potion of strength (hill giant), ring of swimming, robe of useful items, rope of climbing, wand of magic detection. At the GM’s discretion, she may be able to use this feature to craft other items. Afterwards she cannot use Craft Magic Item again for a month.

Magic Potion. Nymue can expend a spell slot and spend 10 minutes brewing a potion. Once she does so, she cannot regain that spell slot until the potion either loses its potency (1 week) or is consumed. She can have 4 such potions at a time. The spell level of the expended spell slot determines what potions she makes: 1st—climbing, growth, healing; 2nd—mind reading, greater healing; 3rd—invisibility, superior healing, water breathing; 4th—resistance.

Magic Scroll. After finishing a short rest Nymue can spend 10 minutes creating up to 2 spell scrolls that use spells she has written in her spellbook. The spell level of a spell slot used on a spell scroll is subtracted from Nymue’s recovered spell levels using Arcane Recovery until the scroll is cast and she finishes a long rest.

Magic Weapons & Armor. Nymue can expend a spell slot and spend 10 minutes infusing energy into up to 2 mundane items (either a weapon, suit of armor, shield, or 20 pieces of ammunition). For the next 8 hours, the item gains a magical bonus determined by the spell level of the expended spell slot: 2nd—+1 ammunition (20 pieces); 3rd—+1 weapon or +1 shield; 4th—+1 armor; 5th—+2 weapon or +2 ammunition (20 pieces); 6th—+2 armor.

Lady of the Lake (Viviane)

Elf , Aquatic CR 20

XP 307200
N Medium Humanoid Aquatic Subtype Sorcerer level 16 (skill points 80) Boreal (Fey ) Fighter level 10 (skill points 50) Knight (Fighter )
Init +6; Senses Low-light Vision; Perception +8

DEFENSE

AC 25, touch 17, flat-footed 22 (+2 Dex, +5 armour, +3 shield, +1 feats, +4 deflection)
hp 155 (0d8+16d6+10d10+26+16);
Fort +13, Ref +10, Will +12 Save Modifier +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells and effects.
Immunity to speep

OFFENSE

Speed 30ft., swim 30ft.
Melee +4 Adamantine Dancing Longsword +25/+20/+15/+10 (1d8+7/19-20)
Ranged Spear Thrown +20 (1d8+1 X3) range 20
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks
Fey Magic (Su) May re-roll caster level check to overcome spell resistance at will
Weapon Training become proficient in a weapon group 2

Spells Known:

Sorcerer Spells: CL 16 Concentration 2

• 1Level 0 (6) DC 15: Arcane Mark, Breeze, Dancing Lights, Daze, Detect Magic, Ghost Sound, Haunted Fey Aspect, Prestidigitation, Read Magic, ; 
• Level 1 (8) DC 16: Air Bubble, Blend, Comprehend Languages, Dancing Lantern, Discern Next Of Kin, Entangle, ; 
• Level 2 (7) DC 17: Bestow Weapon Proficiency, Blur, Detect Thoughts, Ghostly Disguise, Glitterdust, Mages Hideous Laughter, ; 
• Level 3 (7) DC 18: Ablative Barrier, Deep Slumber, Dispel Magic, Hold Person, Hydraulic Torrent, ; 
• Level 4 (7) DC 19: Cloud Shape, Dimension Door, Dimensional Anchor, Maximized Wave Shield, Poison, ; 
• Level 5 (7) DC 20: Alter River, Break Enchantment, Mages Private Sanctum, Maximized Locate Object, Tree Stride, ; 
• Level 6 (6) DC 21: Acid Fog, Control Water, Legend Lore, Mislead, ; 
• Level 7 (5) DC 22: Age Resistance, Greater, Elemental Bombardment, Phase Door, ; 
• Level 8 (3) DC 23: Bestow Curse, Greater, ;

STATISTICS

Str 11 + 2 = 13, Dex 15, Con 11 + 2 = 13, Int 16, Wis 8, Cha 19 + 2 = 21
Base Atk +18; CMB +19; CMD 36
Feats Dodge, Improved Initiative, Combat Expertise, Greater Weapon Focus, Shield Focus, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus, Weapon Specialization, Animal Affinity, Armour Prof Heavy, Armour Prof Light, Armour Prof Medium, Athletic, Combat Casting, Elemental Focus, Eschew Materials, Forge Ring, Improved Disarm, Martial Weap Prof, Maximize Spell, Persuasive, Shield Proficiency, Simple Weapon Proficiency, Skill Focus (Heal), Skill Focus (Stealth), Spell Focus, Swim-By Attack, Tower Shield Proficiency, Voice of the Sibyl;
Skills Acrobatics +7, Appraise +3, Bluff +22, Climb +3, Craft Armourer +6, Craft Weaponsmith +29, Diplomacy +12, Fly +2, Handle Animal +17, Heal +7, Intimidate +11, Know Arcana +9, Know Arch & Eng +3, Know Dungeon +3, Know History +7, Know Nature +7, Know Nobility +7, Perception +8, Ride +10, Spellcraft +32, Stealth +5, Survival +5, Swim +16, Use Magic Device +5
Languages Common

ECOLOGY

Environment any water
Organization Single, Pair, Group 3-8, Patrol 9-20
Treasure Standard

SPECIAL ABILITIES

ITEMS: Amulet of health (+2) +2 con, +1 (+1 special ability) Chain Shirt, Etherealness : 1/day allows the wearer of the armor to become ethereal, Belt of physical might-1 (+2) +2 STR +2 CON, Bracers of armour (+3) +3AC, Cloak of charisma (+2) +2 CHR, Headband of alluring charisma (+2) +2 CHR, Potion of Protection from arrows (15/magic) -, Potion of Remove paralysis -, Potion of Water breathing -, Potion of Neutralize poison -, Ring of Swimming (5) +5 swim, Ring of Protection (+4) +4 AC, +1 Shield, light steel, Blinding : 2/day within 20 feet must make a DC 14 Reflex save or be blinded for 1d4 rounds., +4 Longsword, Adamantine Weapon : Bypass hardness when sundering weapons or attacking objects, ignoring hardness less than 20., Dancing : fights for 4 rounds using the base attack bonus of the one who loosed it and then drops., Masterwork No Melee,

Sea elves resemble their land cousins with their slender bodies and exceptional grace and beauty. They have lustrous blue-grey skin, ranging from pale to dark. Their hair is typically green, silvery, pale blue or white. Eye color is usually dark, from deep blue or green to black. Their ears are delicately pointed like those of land elves. Sea elves have webbed fingers and toes and strong, lithe bodies adapted to swimming. They usually wear clothing woven from undersea plants, decorated with coral, shells, and pearls.

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