Kar'niss

Kar'niss
Light of the Absolute
Identity	Male
Voiced by	Joshua B. Sklar
Role	Moonlantern bearer
Faction	Cult of the Absolute
Stats
Size	Medium
Type	Monstrosity
Race	Drider
Balanced Difficulty Stats
Level	6
HP	184
AC	19
Initiative	+8
Proficiency	+3
Movement	9 m (30 ft)
Weight	150 kg (300 lb)
XP reward	150
Ability scores
STR	16 (+3)
DEX	16 (+3)
CON	18 (+4)
INT	13 (+1)
WIS	16 (+3)
CHA	12 (+1)
Saving throws
STR	+3
DEX	+6
CON	+4
INT	+1
WIS	+3
CHA	+1
Conditions
Spindleweb Fanaticism Affected entity and its allies deal an additional 1d6Psychic damage, as long as it isn't  Incapacitated. The entity's movement speed is also increased by 3 m / 10 ft.
Features
Alert You gain +5 to Initiative and can no longer be surprised.  Dark Devotion Advantage on Saving Throws against being  Charmed or  Frightened  Darkvision Can see in the dark up to 12 m / 40 ft.  Dual Wielder You can use Two-Weapon Fighting even if the weapons you are wielding aren't Light. You cannot dual-wield Two-Handed weapons.  Improved Critical Hit The number you need to roll a Critical Hit while attacking is reduced by 1. This effect can stack.  Multiattack: Wounded Target The drider can  Multiattack if its target has fewer than all of its hit points.  Opportunity Attack Automatically attack an enemy moving out of your reach.  Sting The Helpless A drow elf wielding this weapon deals an additional 1d4Poison against restrained targets.  Sunlight Sensitivity Has disadvantage on attack rolls and Perception checks while in sunlight.  Web Walker Not slowed or Enwebbed by web surfaces.
Explorer Difficulty Stats
Level	6
HP	128
AC	19
Initiative	+8
Proficiency	+5
Movement	9 m (30 ft)
Weight	150 kg (300 lb)
XP reward	150
Ability scores
STR	16 (+3)
DEX	16 (+3)
CON	18 (+4)
INT	13 (+1)
WIS	16 (+3)
CHA	12 (+1)
Saving throws
STR	+3
DEX	+8
CON	+4
INT	+1
WIS	+3
CHA	+1
Conditions
Spindleweb Fanaticism Affected entity and its allies deal an additional 1d6Psychic damage, as long as it isn't  Incapacitated. The entity's movement speed is also increased by 3 m / 10 ft.
Features
Alert You gain +5 to Initiative and can no longer be surprised.  Dark Devotion Advantage on Saving Throws against being  Charmed or  Frightened  Darkvision Can see in the dark up to 12 m / 40 ft.  Dual Wielder You can use Two-Weapon Fighting even if the weapons you are wielding aren't Light. You cannot dual-wield Two-Handed weapons.  Improved Critical Hit The number you need to roll a Critical Hit while attacking is reduced by 1. This effect can stack.  Multiattack: Wounded Target The drider can  Multiattack if its target has fewer than all of its hit points.  Opportunity Attack Automatically attack an enemy moving out of your reach.  Sting The Helpless A drow elf wielding this weapon deals an additional 1d4Poison against restrained targets.  Sunlight Sensitivity Has disadvantage on attack rolls and Perception checks while in sunlight.  Web Walker Not slowed or Enwebbed by web surfaces.
Tactician Difficulty Stats
Level	6
HP	239
AC	19
Initiative	+8
Proficiency	+3
Movement	9 m (30 ft)
Weight	150 kg (300 lb)
XP reward	150
Ability scores
STR	16 (+3)
DEX	16 (+3)
CON	18 (+4)
INT	13 (+1)
WIS	16 (+3)
CHA	12 (+1)
Saving throws
STR	+3
DEX	+6
CON	+4
INT	+1
WIS	+3
CHA	+1
Conditions
Spindleweb Fanaticism Affected entity and its allies deal an additional 1d6Psychic damage, as long as it isn't  Incapacitated. The entity's movement speed is also increased by 3 m / 10 ft.
Features
Cull the Weak +2d6 damage to targets below 50% HP.  Alert You gain +5 to Initiative and can no longer be surprised.  Dark Devotion Advantage on Saving Throws against being  Charmed or  Frightened  Darkvision Can see in the dark up to 12 m / 40 ft.  Dual Wielder You can use Two-Weapon Fighting even if the weapons you are wielding aren't Light. You cannot dual-wield Two-Handed weapons.  Improved Critical Hit The number you need to roll a Critical Hit while attacking is reduced by 1. This effect can stack.  Multiattack: Wounded Target The drider can  Multiattack if its target has fewer than all of its hit points.  Opportunity Attack Automatically attack an enemy moving out of your reach.  Sting The Helpless A drow elf wielding this weapon deals an additional 1d4Poison against restrained targets.  Sunlight Sensitivity Has disadvantage on attack rolls and Perception checks while in sunlight.  Web Walker Not slowed or Enwebbed by web surfaces.
Technical
UID	S_SCL_Drider
UUID	aa59ce01-3d2e-42e8-a539-c07e0ea292ab
Stats	SCL_DriderCaravan_Drider

Kar'niss is a drider in service of the Absolute, whom he serves after being cast out by Lolth, the Queen of Spiders.

“

They must keep up. The shadows are hungry.

„

— Kar'niss

Overview

Kar'niss is a key character involved in the questline  Seek Protection from the Shadow Curse, since he carries a Moonlantern that traps the pixie Dolly Dolly Dolly. He believes anyone who perishes to the  Shadow Curse makes it stronger, and is starkly opposed to 'feeding' it.

Involvement

Act Two

Arriving from the Rosymorn Monastery Trail

If arriving from the Rosymorn Monastery Trail a group of Absolute followers lead by Kansif are waiting for True Souls to arrive and summon the guide. The party can use a Spider's Lyre to summon Kar'niss, then  follow the convoy to Moonrise Towers. The party is then ambushed by the Harpers midway and has the choice to side with the convoy or the Harpers. Either choice leads to a combat encounter with the other group.

Arriving from the Underdark

If arriving from Grymforge and reaching a large ruined building at X: 10 Y: -15 the convoy arrives without them and the Harpers are absent, and the party can reveal themselves or hide. If staying hidden initially, Kar'niss murders Vez in anger as she is about to leave the light and feed the Shadow Curse further. If the party reveal themselves they can follow the convoy to Moonrise Towers without issue, attack the convoy or demand the Moonlantern for themselves.

It is possible to avoid this scene, by jumping up to a smaller ruined building along the eastern side and reaching Kansif, then summon the convoy as if arriving from the Monastery Trail. Once speaking with Gronag, the caravan no longer triggers mid-transit without the Harpers.

Harper ambush

Finally the party may encounter Kar'niss' caravan mid-transit alongside the Harpers to ambush them and claim the lantern as part of a quest  Seek Protection from the Shadow Curse given by Jaheira at Last Light Inn. The party can choose to follow the convoy to Moonrise, kill Kar'niss and his followers to take his lantern, or convince him through dialogue to relinquish it and walk away to his death. Disarming Kar'niss causes him to drop the Moonlantern and granting the inspiration  Shiny Trinkets and Baubles to party members with the  Criminal background.

If Kar'niss and his convoy are convinced to leave without the Moonlantern, they can later be encountered as  Shadow-Cursed Undead in Reithwin Town, south of the statue of Ketheric Thorm outside the Sharran Sanctuary and north of the bridge to Moonrise Towers. They are automatically hostile to the party in this form and cannot be interacted with other than by attacking, but Kar'niss still appears as  Temporarily Hostile if attacked. He is joined by several Shadows, undead Harpers, and undead prisoners.

If Kar'niss survives the road to Moonrise Towers, he runs up the tower to seek the Absolute's blessing on the rooftop, where he can be encountered one final time as he fights alongside Ketheric when storming the tower at the end of Act Two. The Dark Urge will also receive  Fly-Swatter upon arriving with him to Moonrise.

Combat

Attacks and abilities

 Lacerate ()   –  Cruel Sting

Damage: 5~12

1d8 + 4Slashing

Slash at your target's vital points to make it  Bleed.

Undead and Constructs can't Bleed.

CON Save

 Range: Normal weapon range

Recharge: Short rest

 Main Hand Attack ()   –  Cruel Sting

Damage: 5~12

1d8 + 4Slashing

Make a melee attack with your equipped weapon.

 Melee: 1.5 m / 5 ft

 Multiattack ()   –  Cruel Sting

Damage: 15~36

1d8 + 4Slashing

+ 1d8 + 4Slashing

+ 1d8 + 4Slashing

Target must be below its maximum hit points.

 Melee: 1.5 m / 5 ft

Recharge: Per turn

 Pommel Strike ()   –  Cruel Sting

Damage: 1~4

1d4Bludgeoning

Make a non-lethal attack against an enemy and possibly  Daze them.

CON Save

 Melee: 1.5 m / 5 ft

Recharge: Short rest

 Rush Attack ()   –  Cruel Sting

Damage: 4~7

1d4 + 3Piercing

Charge forward and attack the first enemy in your way, possibly pushing them  Off Balance.

STR Save

 Range: 9 m / 30 ft

Recharge: Short rest

 Sanctuary ( + )

You or an ally cannot be targeted until you attack or harm a creature. You can still take damage from area spells.

Until the affected entity attacks or harms another creature, it cannot be targeted by enemy attacks. However, it can still take damage from spells that influence a larger area.

 Range: 18 m / 60 ft

 Venom Claws ()

Damage: 8~37

3d6 + 3Piercing

+ 2d8Poison

Lash out with venomous claws..

 Melee: 1.5 m / 5 ft

Tactician and Honour Mode

 Spindleweb Sanctuary ( + )

Damage: 3~24

3d8Psychic

Protect yourself from attackers in the Absolute's gaze. If you attack or harm another creature, the sanctuary shatters, dealing 3d8Psychic to nearby creatures.

Until the affected entity attacks or harms another creature, it cannot be targeted by enemy attacks. However, it can still take damage from spells that influence a larger area.

INT Save

 Range: 18 m / 60 ft

AoE: 3 m / 10 ft (Radius)

Honour Mode

 Fanatic Retaliation

Damage: 6~60

6d10Psychic

Avenge a fallen  Spindleweb Fanatic with a psionic barrage that can  Silence its killer.

INT Save

 Range: 18 m / 60 ft

Allies

• Bedi
• Brawler Vez
• Kansif
• Sharp-Eye Lora
• Warrior Gronag

Loot

• Cruel Sting
• Moonlantern

Related quests

•  Follow the Convoy
•  Infiltrate Moonrise Towers
•  Seek Protection from the Shadow Curse

Speak with Dead

Kar'niss can be spoken to with  Speak with Dead.

Party member: Who are you?

• Kar'niss: Erased... forgotten... we are... drider...

Party member: What happened to you?

• Kar'niss: Lolth... cast out... Absolute... saved...

Party member: Who killed you?

• Kar'niss: Traitor... heretic...

Party member: Where are you from?

• Kar'niss: Moonrise...

Party member: What were you doing?

• Kar'niss: Shepherding... the faithful... carrying... our Lady's light...

Party member: You walk the shadows safely. How?

• Kar'niss: Lantern... our Lady's light...

Party member: How did you trap that pixie in the lantern?

• Kar'niss: Always... many voices... hers... the LOUDEST...

Party member: How did the shadow curse come to be?

• Narrator: *The corpse remains silent. It does not know.*

Gallery

• 

  model

• 

  Concept art by Tan Bur-Ci

• 

  Render by Maxime Ponslet

• 

  Alternate render by Maxime Ponslet

Bugs

• If summoned with the lyre after killing the Absolute followers at the meeting point, a dialogue bug may occur: none of the skill check dialogue options works and the player character is booted out from the Kar'niss dialogue whenever one of these is selected. Currently, no solution to this bug is known.

Notes

• As a drider, Kar'niss is half drow - which means his weapon, Cruel Sting, grants extra Poison damage (as it does when wielded by a drow.)^{[Needs Verification]}

External links

Kar'niss on the Forgotten Realms Wiki