Ye Olde Shoppe of Magicks – Monster Manuals – Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

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In keeping with the Haunted Mansion our party is currently exploring, I came up with a WHOLE haunted library ala Gomez Addams

Encounter Mechanics

  • The books remain inert until one is pulled from the shelf. When disturbed, all awaken.
  • They can hover off the ground, flapping like birds. Some have the ability to run.
  • Their CR can be set between 2–3 each (slightly weaker alone, but dangerous as a group).
  • The fight can escalate as more books fall open—giving your party a frantic “stop pulling tomes!” realization.

Encounter Notes

  • Trigger: The fight begins when one book is pulled from the shelf. The rest join after 1 round, 1d4 books at a time, for rising tension.
  • Tactics: Books hover and swarm. “Art of War” boosts the others, “Odyssey” disrupts positioning, “Dracula” heals mid-fight.
  • Party Balance: Facing all 8 at once could overwhelm — consider staggering their arrival for a cinematic escalation.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
(Monster Tome)

Medium Construct, chaotic neutral

Armor Class 15 (shimmering illusion)
Hit Points 110 (13d10+39)
Speed 20 ft., hover 30 ft.

STR 12 (+1) DEX 16 (+3) CON 16 (+3)
INT 18 (+4) WIS 14 (+2) CHA 18 (+4)

Saving Throws Int +7, Wis +5, Cha +7
Skills Arcana +7, Deception +7, Acrobatics +6, Performance +6
Damage Resistances psychic, force, radiant
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, poisoned, prone, restrained
Senses truesight 60 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages all; speaks in riddles and paradoxes
Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)

Traits

  • Through the Looking Glass. When a creature targets the tome with an attack or spell, roll a d6. On a 4–6, the attack reflects back at the attacker as if mirrored.
  • Gravity is Optional. The tome can alter the direction of gravity in a 30 ft. radius around itself once per round (no action required). Each creature in the area must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or fall up, sideways, or down 30 ft., taking 10 (3d6) bludgeoning damage if they hit an object.
  • Nonsensical Portals. When reduced below half hit points, the tome creates three random portals (door, teacup, mirror, rabbit hole). Entering one teleports a creature to another, but orientation and size are random.
  • Summon Phantasms (Recharge 5–6). The tome conjures three Wonderland Phantasms:
    • The Cheshire Shade (see below)
    • The Mad Specter
    • The Queen of Screams
      Each has 30 HP and acts on its own initiative, vanishing after 1 minute (10 rounds).

Cheshire Shade – Tiny Undead
(Chaotic Neutral)
AC 14 | HP 30
Bite +5 to hit, 1d8+3 psychic damage.
Grin in the Dark: becomes invisible until it attacks.

Mad Specter – Small Undead
(Chaotic Neutral)
AC 13 | HP 30
Teapot Slam: 2d6 force damage in 10 ft. radius.
Drink Me: Restores 1d4 HP to a random creature (friend or foe).

Queen of Screams – Medium Undead
(Chaotic Evil)
AC 15 | HP 30
“Off With Their Head!”: DC 14 Wisdom save or be stunned until end of next turn.

Actions

  • Whirling Words. Ranged Spell Attack: +7 to hit, range 60 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (4d8+4) psychic damage as twisting text assaults the mind.
  • Mirror Duplicate (Recharge 5–6). The tome creates an illusory double of one random creature within 30 ft. that mirrors its actions with opposite outcomes (attacks allies, heals enemies, etc.). The duplicate lasts for 1 minute or until destroyed (AC 13, HP 20).
  • Down the Rabbit Hole (1/day). All creatures of the tome’s choice within 30 ft. must make a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or be sucked into a pocket dimension resembling Wonderland. Inside, the creatures perceive everything as nonsensical—directions shift, speech reverses, and logic fails. While trapped (1 minute), they take 10 (3d6) psychic damage per round from madness. Saving throws can be attempted each round as the only action available to the affected creatures.

Tactics & Flavor

  • The battlefield tilts, shifts, and flips, forcing constant movement.
  • The tome’s portals allow for creative ambushes — monsters or players might reappear in ceilings or walls.
  • The Phantasms bicker with each other mid-battle, sometimes sabotaging the tome itself.

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Monster Tome base images were built using ChatGPT using prompts by Alien Graphics ©2025 Alien Graphics

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