Image: The Kernel, a cranium rat wearing candy corn pauldrons and a candy wrapper cape, wishes us a "Happy Liars Night, all!" Art by Kayla Cline.

Happy Liars Night, All!

Liars Night celebrates the change of seasons when nothing is as it once was. Some settlements increase activity to prepare for the sun's hibernation and find any excuse for merriment before the cold chases everyone indoors. Where the seasons become warmer, settlements celebrate the growth of once-dormant life.

No one is as they seem on Liars Night, or less so than usual. Children and adults alike disguise themselves with illusion and costume. Tricksters, pranksters, and performers play for genuine laughs. People wear boldly decorated coin purses filled with treats, specifically for practiced and amateur pickpockets to pilfer. Candlelit carved pumpkins and gourds indicate that no one will hold your deceptions and chagrins against you. That does not mean that mean-spirited mischief, abuse, and disrespect are excused. Colleagues, family, friends, and neighbors continue following social contracts (and real life codes of conduct), cooperating and acting respectfully. Mean-spirited actions, even as minor as blowing out others' candles and smashing decorated gourds, are judged poorly by the community. Leira, the deity of illusion and deception, and Mask, the trickster patron of spies and thieves, do not favor those who disrupt their holiday.

Holiday Special Events

Since 2018, Adventurers League has offered one-of-a-kind holiday events for a limited time. They've included Wandering Monster encounters, familiars, trinkets, and magic items. This year's celebration is transformative.

Image: The Kernel reads his Liars Night to-do list. Art by Kayla Cline.

Liars Night Lycanthrope

You've been bitten by the Liars Night "bug," a cranium rat named The Kernel (also known as the Candy King and Sugar Fiend). Now, your character has a temporary lycanthropy.

Duration:

The following effects last from October 9th to January 7th, 2024. On January 8th, the lycanthropy wears off.

Shifting Into Your Lycanthropic Form:

Once per session, as a bonus action, you can assume your lycanthropic appearance. This transformation lasts 1 minute, until you die, or until you revert to your normal appearance as a bonus action.

Spreading Lycanthropy:

This lycanthropy can only be passed on by The Kernel, not by your attacks.

Character Changes:

A character who becomes a lycanthrope retains their statistics except as specified below.

          Alignment: This lycanthropy does not change your alignment. The only possible change is your mood and actions, as you may feel more cheer for Liars Night or have a deep interest in preparing for the upcoming seasons.

          Damage Resistance: In or out of were-form, you have damage resistance to nonmagical attacks made by cranium rats.

          Temporary Hitpoints: Each time you shift into your lycanthropic form, you gain temporary hit points equal to 2 × your proficiency bonus.

          Proficiencies: In were-form, you are proficient in your lycanthrope's natural attacks.

          Languages: In were-form, your character can speak, read, and write as usual but may have minor changes to pitch, depending on the transformation you choose.

          Choose One: The Kernel's bite transforms you into one type of lycanthrope. Choose one from the options below. Rebuild rules can apply to this transformation while respecting the table and honor system.

Werejacko’lantern

While in the medium humanoid form of a jack o'lantern, you gain a +2 bonus to Strength, to a maximum of 19. You also have a +2 bonus to AC (from natural armor) while not wearing armor or using a shield. Your carved face and glowing eyes give you darkvision. Your vines give you a movement speed of 30 feet. While in werejacko'lantern form, you also add the following to your character's choice of actions and features.

Festive Fire. In jack o'lantern form, you provide bright light in a 20-foot radius and dim light for an additional 20 feet.

Pumpkin Spice Smell. As a werejacko'lantern, you have advantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks.

Actions

Natural Attack's Multiattack. In jack o'lantern form, you may make two thorny vine attacks.

Thorny Vine. Melee Weapon Attack: reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: (1d6 + modifier) piercing damage. On a critical hit, the target takes an additional 1d6 fire damage from your lycanthrope's festive fire. Attack and damage rolls are based on Strength.

Werewitchbat

While in the medium humanoid form of a witch-bat, you gain a +2 bonus to Strength, to a maximum of 19. You speak at a high pitch and gain advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing. You have a movement and climbing speed of 30 feet and a fly speed of 60 feet. While in werewitchbat form, you also add the following to your character's choice of actions.

Actions

Natural Attack's Multiattack. In witch-bat form, you may make two bite attacks or one squeak shriek.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: (1d6 + modifier) piercing damage. Attack and damage rolls for this action are based on whichever is higher of your character's Strength and Dexterity.

Squeak Shriek. Squeak shriek has no effect on Liars Night lycanthropes. All other creatures within 30 feet of you that can hear you must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC equal to 8 + your character's proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier. On a failure, a creature takes 2d6 psychic damage. On a success, a creature takes half damage.

Wereblackcat

While in the small humanoid form of a black-cat, the character gains a +2 bonus to Dexterity, to a maximum of 19. You gain darkvision and have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell. You have a movement speed of 40 feet and a climbing speed of 30 feet. While in wereblackcat form, you also add the following to your character's choice of actions and features.

Spontaneous Purring. On a successful hit, the target must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw with a DC equal to 8 + your character's proficiency bonus + your Dexterity modifier or be charmed. This charmed condition lasts until you are no longer in wereblackcat form or until you or your companions do anything harmful to the charmed creature.* On a critical hit, the target has disadvantage on this roll. A target that successfully saves is immune to Spontaneous Purring for 24 hours.*

Actions

Natural Attack's Multiattack. In black-cat form, you may make two claw attacks.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: (1d6 + modifier) slashing damage. Attack and damage rolls are based on Dexterity.

Werecandycorn

While in the large humanoid form of a pile of candy corn, you gain a +2 bonus to Dexterity, to a maximum of 19. You also have a +2 bonus to AC (from natural armor) while not wearing armor or using a shield. As an amalgamated pile of confections, you have candy corn teeth, a waxy mouth, and gravelly vocal cords. Your movement speed is 20 feet. While in werecandycorn form, you also add the following to your character's choice of actions and features.

Amorphous. You can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing.

Confection Confetti. When your werecandycorn is reduced to 0 hit points, your candy corn body explodes. Any creature within 5 feet of you must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or take 1 bludgeoning damage.

Actions

Natural Attack's Multiattack. In candy corn form, you may make two sweet tooth attacks.

Sweet Tooth. Melee Weapon Attack: reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: (1d6 + modifier) piercing damage plus 1d6 poison damage from too much sugar. On a critical hit, the target must succeed on a Strength saving throw with a DC equal to 8 + your character's proficiency bonus + the higher of your character's Strength and Dexterity modifier. On a failure, the target takes 1 level of exhaustion from a sugar overload crash. Attack and damage rolls are based on whichever is higher of your character's Strength and Dexterity.

*Change log: Added charmed duration information to the wereblackcat’s Spontaneous Purring (10/20/2023).