Five new magical scrolls for Castles & Crusades rpg Plus Guardians

Castles & Crusades (C&C), with its SIEGE Engine, is built on a foundation of classic fantasy, making scrolls a core part of its magic item economy.

In C&C, a scroll is typically a single-use spell that can be cast by an Arcane or Divine caster (often without needing to prepare the spell), and sometimes even by a non-caster with an appropriate attribute check (a Challenging or Difficult check against a Prime or Secondary attribute).
A mere scroll lying on a table is less exciting than one fiercely protected by a challenging guardian whose nature reflects the scroll's magic.

Here are five guardians, one for each of the new scrolls, designed for a party around level 5-7 in Castles & Crusades, with a focus on integrating the SIEGE Engine mechanics.

Guardians for the Scrolls

1. Guardian of the Scroll of Warded Passage: The Null-Golem

Location: The entrance to a forgotten dwarven treasury or a magically sealed hall.
Nature: An animated construct made of densely packed, inert stone. Its purpose is to physically ignore and neutralize any disruptive magic or tampering.
Threat Focus: Immunity to non-magical and lower-level magical effects, requiring strategic use of high-level or non-magical damage.

Null-Golem (Construct)	C&C Stats
CL: 6	AC: 18
HP: 60	HD: 8
STR: Prime (16)	DEX: Secondary (8)
INT: Secondary (6)	WIS: Secondary (10)
CON: Prime (18)	CHA: Secondary (3)
Attack: Slam (Melee), $1D10 + 3$ damage	Move: 20 ft.
Special Defenses:	Immunity: Immune to all non-magical weapon damage (except blunt weapons). Magic Dampening: Any offensive spell of 3rd level or lower cast within 10 ft. of the Golem has its effective level reduced by 1 (potentially neutralizing it).
Challenge: $15$ vs. STR, $18$ vs. CON, $13$ vs. DEX, $13$ vs. WIS, $15$ vs. INT, $10$ vs. CHA

2. Guardian of the Scroll of the Earth-Binder's Grip: The Clay-Warped Sentinel

Location: A natural cavern deep beneath an ancient temple dedicated to a forgotten earth deity.
Nature: A grotesque sentinel formed of living, sentient clay and soil, constantly shifting and anchoring itself to the floor.
Threat Focus: Area control and battlefield immobilization, reflecting the scroll's effect.

Clay-Warped Sentinel (Elemental)	C&C Stats
CL: 7	AC: 16
HP: 75	HD: 10
STR: Prime (18)	DEX: Secondary (10)
INT: Secondary (5)	WIS: Secondary (12)
CON: Prime (20)	CHA: Secondary (3)
Attack: Crushing Fist (Melee), $2D6 + 4$ damage	Move: 10 ft. (cannot fly or swim)
Special Attack: Anchor Slam (1/rd): Targets a 15 ft. radius; all creatures must make a Saving Throw vs. Dexterity or be Immobilized for 1 round as sticky mud and clay bind them. (CK Check $15$ )
Special Defenses:	Weakness: Takes double damage from cold and water effects. Regeneration: Recovers $1 \text{d} 4$ HP per round if standing on earth/stone.
Challenge: $15$ vs. STR, $18$ vs. CON, $13$ vs. DEX, $13$ vs. WIS, $13$ vs. INT, $10$ vs. CHA

3. Guardian of the Scroll of Hidden Resonance: The Echo-Beast

Location: A vast, acoustically strange chamber or an abandoned library filled with illusions.
Nature: A predatory creature of pure sound and shadow, capable of masking its presence until it strikes.
Threat Focus: High damage ambushes from unexpected locations; it uses the resonance of its environment against the party.

Echo-Beast (Aberration)	C&C Stats
CL: 5	AC: 17
HP: 45	HD: 6
STR: Secondary (14)	DEX: Prime (20)
INT: Secondary (10)	WIS: Secondary (12)
CON: Secondary (14)	CHA: Prime (18)
Attack: Shadow Claw (Melee), $1D8 + 2$ damage	Move: 40 ft.
Special Defense: Invisibility: Always invisible unless it attacks. Harmonic Scream (1/encounter): Can force one target to make a Saving Throw vs. Constitution (CK Check 15) or be Deafened for 1d6 rounds.
Challenge: $13$ vs. STR, $13$ vs. CON, $15$ vs. DEX, $13$ vs. WIS, $13$ vs. INT, $15$ vs. CHA

4. Guardian of the Scroll of the Merciful Strike: The Penitent

Location: A small, austere shrine or a cloister-like cell within a larger dungeon complex.
Nature: A fallen cleric or saint bound to protect the scroll as an act of eternal penance. It fights only to subdue, not to kill.
Threat Focus: Non-lethal combat, forcing the party to fight without inflicting killing blows, reflecting the scroll's purpose.

The Penitent (Undead)	C&C Stats
CL: 4	AC: 15
HP: 40	HD: 5
STR: Secondary (15)	DEX: Secondary (12)
INT: Prime (14)	WIS: Prime (18)
CON: Secondary (12)	CHA: Prime (16)
Attack: Blessed Fists (Melee, Subdual), $1D6$ damage + knocks prone on a successful Saving Throw vs. Dexterity failure (CK Check 12).	Move: 30 ft.
Special Ability: Aura of Peace: All successful attacks made by creatures within 10 ft. of the Penitent are automatically considered Subdual Damage.
Challenge: $13$ vs. STR, $13$ vs. CON, $13$ vs. DEX, $15$ vs. WIS, $15$ vs. INT, $15$ vs. CHA

5. Guardian of the Scroll of Shifting Shadows: The Cloaked Stalker

Location: A hall or cave system filled with intricate columns, stalagmites, or statues, creating many areas of deep shadow.
Nature: A lithe, fiendish assassin whose movements are constantly masked by shadows and dim light.
Threat Focus: Extreme mobility, using the shadows to make multiple sudden appearances and disappearing acts.

The Cloaked Stalker (Fey/Fiend)	C&C Stats
CL: 8	AC: 19
HP: 80	HD: 9
STR: Secondary (12)	DEX: Prime (20)
INT: Prime (16)	WIS: Secondary (14)
CON: Secondary (14)	CHA: Prime (18)
Attack: Shadow Rapier (Melee), $1D6 + 1$ damage + Shadow Strike: If attacking from the darkness, the attack deals an extra $2 \text{d} 6$ damage.	Move: 50 ft.
Special Ability: Shadow Warp (1/round): Can teleport as a free action to any area of dim light or darkness within 30 ft. after making an attack (successful or not). Requires a Saving Throw vs. Dexterity (CK Check 18) to interrupt this teleport.
Challenge: $13$ vs. STR, $13$ vs. CON, $15$ vs. DEX, $13$ vs. WIS, $15$ vs. INT, $15$ vs. CHA

Here are five new magical scrolls, including their effects, use mechanics, and unique flavor for your campaign: