These bizarre creations, now known only in ancient art dating back to the Age of Giants, are thinking machines that could control their slaves. For some esoteric reason, they are always depicted leading a band of lesser humanoids on collars.
The Cogitators, as they were known, were forged of dark magic and forbidden technology. First, the head of a dying Giant overlord was removed and preserved and enlarged by necromantic means. Then, mutilating blades and grasping arms were added, as well as a sheath of armour and a furnace of unknown origin, powering the entire creature and enabling it to float. These Cogitators were capable of incredible intelligence and logistical management, organizing enormous constructions. Statistics: Cogitators are huge 18- Hit Die Monstrosities. If driven to combat, they assault foes with a forest of weapons and grasping arms, inflicting 6d8 damage with brutal and horrific mess. Any foe who witnesses one of their living allies slain by a Cogitator's blades must make a Charisma save or become terrified for 1d6 rounds. They usually keep a gaggle of slaves on leashes, who can go no further than fifty feet from them, to prevent destructive magic being unleashed on them. From their eyes, a Cogitator can unleash a pair of rays. Those struck by the rays are affected by a Flesh to Stone effect, and then usually rendered into smaller parts and turned into building materials for the Giants' vast constructions. How you can use a Cogitator in your game: - Slave art from the Age of Giants, as shown above, might depict a Cogitator. Finding details of such a creature is nearly impossible, and should seem like perhaps some kind of bizarre allegorical art. - As relics of the Age of Giants, Cogitators should be extinct. Perhaps one has been preserved in some kind of stasis, or imprisoned within a cyclopean ruin which is unearthed by some disaster. A Cogitator could become a kind of mastermind, controlling lesser villains as a throwback to is own time, or might work for a greater villain towards some even darker outcome. - Realization of what happens to those who are transformed to stone by a Cogitator's eye rays should alarm anyone inside a Giant structure, and potentially explain the odd necromantic energy filling the building. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 29 February 2020. Apogee is a city beyond comprehension, drifting above the clouds, over a mile from the distant ground. It is home to an adventurous people who ride floating cloud-rays and make their home in the bright, clear light. It is a wondrous place of sorcery and art.
The ruler of Apogee is a Djinn-blooded sorceress named Trilquiri, of vast power and influence. She sends traders and raiders to the belowlands to obtain foodstuffs and servants, and sometimes trades skycrystals, only obtainable in the high Cirrus clouds- blazing and glittering gems that hold the light of the sun all night. One the size of a man's fingernail can sell for hundreds of gold pieces, and one the size of a man's fist sells for the price of a castle. How you can use Apogee in your game: - Raiders on cloud-rays can strike from out of nowhere and be away without leaving any tracks, making them extremely dangerous. The only clue is the cloud cover each time, and the shadows that pass overhead. - A particularly powerful light spell might require one of the fabled skycrystals. Journeying to Apogee to trade with the wily and wary Trilquiri will be a journey fraught with danger and beauty in equal parts. - If you want to borrow heavily from Bioshock Infinite, a game set in the city in the skies can be a fascinating setting. Skybridges, rails, and vast yawning gulfs can threaten adventurers, as well as the feral cloud-rays which swoop from tower to tower. The people of Apogee are clannish and protect themselves against outsiders, as well as their dangerous Queen. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 28 February 2020. As a mortal, the Marionette Maestro was a magical artist and a mime, a controller of minds, hearts, and bodies. Their evil extended into death, where they were offered a position as one of the Ten Thousand Kings of Hell. Now they rule a court of hideous monsters, immune to their charms and uncaring for their incessant humour.
In form, the Marionette Maestro is a horrid mimicry of humanoid form, the upper half of their skull missing and flared wide. They have no eyes, but can see using magical senses, allowing them to see the desperate hatred that all of their subjects have for their awful japes and overly-complicated pranks. Their movements are carefully posed and over-exaggerated. Those who can bring a smile to the Marionette Maestro's face, no matter how unplanned the pratfall or long-winded the shaggy dog story, earn the Maestro's favour, which may extend to safe passage, or even patronage. The Maestro's servants bear a mark, a caricaturish grin at all times. They are often commanded to sow chaos, to confuse the forces of order, or to humiliate those in power, those who cannot be mocked, those who take themselves far too seriously. Statistics: The Marionette Maestro is an advanced Bone Devil with 30 Hit Dice, and the abilities of a 15th-level Bard. In their court, they are served by a chorus of far-too-serious Bearded Devils who ignore or fail to understand any of the Maestro's entertainment, lovely as it may be. How you can use the Marionette Maestro in your game: - The Maestro's servants work tirelessly to tear down those in power who have no sense of the basurd or fanciful. Those who take themselves overly seriously sometimes find themselves the subject of relentless campaigns to humiliate them, writing and repeating catch tunes which undermine their authority. A ruler might well spend coin on investigators who can bring such a rebel to their justice. - The Maestro's servants also work against the servants of the other Kings of Hell, earning them many enemies. Any other servants might find themselves working against the Maestro's servants out of pride in their own service, or against a dedicated effort to destroy their own reputation. - As an option for player characters, the Maestro could be a patron for a warlock, or even an otherworldly patron for a bard. They may receive orders to circulate particular ditties in particular places, just to further grander plans. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 27 February 2020. Today's episode of #WestMarchesWednesday is about subplots for your characters! Now, this is something equally useful for players and GMs, because unlike a video game, everyone gets to be the main character, a bit, but unless all the players are in on one person being the main character, we all like to feel involved.
A way to break this up and "gamify" this is to give everyone some options, based on their character background. Sure, a GM can do this, but breaking it into chapters can stop one player's background becoming bigger than everyone else's. Ideally, you want a player's "focus episode" subplot taking about one session, not a lot. It can be useful if you have a few players out for a session, or you're between planned sessions of a game. I would also break these into "minor", "moderate", or "major" subplots, depending on their impact on the plot and the character, and the challenge posed. A character meeting a sister they didn't know about, resolving a gambling debt, or gathering some relics of one character's knightly order might be a "minor" subplot to resolve, maybe just one or two encounters. Going on a short mission for a group, dealing with a romance or other deep relationship, or stopping a murder might be a "moderate" subplot, two to three encounters and some large effect on the character. A "major" subplot might be more than one session to fully resolve, but could potentially be broken up into a few different encounters or areas, like storming a keep to rescue someone, fighting a series of battles in an arena, or entering the Fade to save a lost soul. As well as the in-character benefits (meeting your sister, stopping a murder, or rescuing someone who was kidnapped), some mechanical benefits are appropriate. For example, granting proficiency in a skill, or a minor magical item, as a benefit for resolving a minor subplot; proficiency in a saving throw or a moderate magical item for a moderate subplot; and a feat or a major magical item as a benefit for resolving a major subplot. While these seem like they could be extremely powerful, they don't stack- a character who has gained a major benefit can't gain any further subplot benefits, except the in-character benefits. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 26 February 2020. Although it's not specifically described, adding a Halo to your Aasimar or Celestials can make for an interesting descriptive element allowing others to see their 'unworldliness'. This might be something that springs up out of light when they're angry or feeling strongly about something, or it might even be constantly visible, depending on how you want to flavour them in your world.
If you allow you Aasimar to choose between them, granting a small skill bonus would be a cool way to differentiate them, and might make their celestial parentage more prescriptive about what they do For example, an Aasimar might have one as a 'default' mode and another as their 'active' mode, gaining a new 'active mode' each time their proficiency bonus increases. If they are using one, opponents have advantage on visual Perception checks to find them in a crowd or where this might be a problem. Here's what I'd recommend The Basic B/RGB: +1 on Persuasion checks The Minimalist: 'stealth mode', no benefits but opponents don't gain advantage to spot you The Sylvan: You can speak Sylvan while this is active The Green Thumb: +1 on Nature checks The Laser Demon: +1 on your first ranged attack roll per turn The Mercy: +1 on Medicine checks The Shiny Tiefling: +1 on Intimidate checks The General: +1 on Athletics checks The Royal: +1 on Deception checks Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 22 February 2020. Prophetic Visions can be an interesting tool to play with, letting you set up and explicitly foreshadow specific events or encounters that you have planned later in the game. It's important not to overdo this, or foreshadow too much, but can be a really exciting interlude for in between adventures or a quick flash of portent.
You can use a prophetic vision to let a Player Character experience a flash of a foe's power, or know a way around some of their weaknesses. Alternately, you could use it to let them know that the villain will not succumb to one of their spells or attacks, letting them feel a sense of accomplishment when they change up the rules later to avoid this exact scenario. How you can use Prophetic Visions in your game: - Foes with telepathy, or the Dream spell or something similar, might use these to torment a Player Character with their supposed failure, seeing their kingdom in ruins, or their friends dead at their feet. It might just be a bluff, or it might be letting them know what they're in for if they go without backup. - A foe might be using this to lay a trap, and setting up expectation of what they'll be up against, when the reality will be completely different. - An ally or deity might be trying to warn the PCs, attempting to give them an edge in an encounter that might be unwinnable otherwise. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 21 February 2020. Not every encounter should be equal- sometimes, a few brigands with a rope and simple weapons can defeat an armoured knight, where normally they'd be ridden down.
Sometimes, allowing enemies to ambush your Player Characters can make for a very different encounter, putting them on the back foot and unable to lay down a Fireball to instantly incinerate everyone. This might be a matter of planning, or just an attack of opportunity from people who mean them harm. It might even be just a few bandits, eager for enough coin to feed themselves for a few days. If not overused, this can turn a simple encounter into quite a threatening one. You can also let characters with high Perception scores shine here, spotting startled birds, trails of pipesmoke, or crushed branches, and allow them to counter-ambush their attackers. How you can use Roadside Ambushes in your game: - A well-timed ambush can turn the tables and eliminate (or disable) a bunch of NPC guards, allowing the PCs a chance to prove their worth and protect the rich merchant / noble / treasure which they've been guarding all along. - Letting your PCs turn the tables and ambush their foes once in a while can be really fun for them- eliminating some minions or taking a big chunk out of a boss monster and cutting down their mobility. - An ambush might become a complete turnaround if one party recognizes the other- "Malark? Malark, my old buddy, is that you? Have you gone legit now?" Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 20 February 2020. Today's #WestMarchesWednesday is about saving yourself some time!
Time is something we're all short on, and anything you can do to save some time is fantastic. So I'm going to let someone else have done all the work for me, and look at Inkwell Ideas' page, which came up as a sponsored link when I was browsing Facebook. Now, for a West Marches game, you could go out and map umpteen dozen dungeons which may never be explored, or you can use the route that a lot of video game designers use- procedural generation! With a set of these dice (and the corresponding 10" mats, which look like a fantastic idea), you can have random encounters, towns, and even dungeons using pre-generated maps, pieced together. Using the dice can randomize them enough to make each dungeon different enough, even if your players recognize a specific feature from a similar dungeon. If anyone mentions it, you can even explicitly call out the video game reference- make it a feature, not a bug! If you want to go all-out, you can even make it a lore thing- "ah, yes, Elvhen design influenced Tevinter architecture for centuries, that's why all these dungeons look similar!" So, check out DungeonMorphs Dic- they could save you some time, and also, who doesn't love cool and interesting dice? Disclaimer: This isn't an advertisement. I haven't bought/been given/borrowed the product. I just saw it and it looked interesting. If you have some, drop them a review, and let me know how they go! Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 19 February 2020. Archmage Valencian was once a mighty champion of Order hundreds of years ago, and was one of the first mages to establish the Circles, before he clashed with the powerful Maleficar known as the Mageking. No survivors witnessed the battle, but those in the vicinity witnessed sheets of lightning lighting the night, gouts of fire that devastated the nearby woods, and icy blasts which froze the clouds overhead and sent them crashing to the ground to melt in the morning.
Those who came upon the site of his tower found his body and staff, both shattered by the titanic sorceries unleashed in the battle. The Mageking was nowhere to be found, although he seemed to have been wounded by the battle, and it seemed that his sorcery was never as powerful thereafter. A vast tomb was established on the site of his old tower for the well-remembered Archmage. Contents: The doors of the tomb are solid bronze, with inlaid gold runes and relief patterns. There are four hollows in the door, and when united, the pieces of Archmage Valencian's staff can be inserted to unlock the colossal tomb doors. Valencian's apprentices laid the floors with magical traps to protect their master's legacy and spellbooks, and bound elementals and arcane spirits as guardians. At the heart of the great tomb is a gigantic hall with double rows of columns on either side, and at the front of the hall is a cyclopean throne with a spectral image of the hooded archmage, and the floor is covered in piles of rubble and treasure. The throne itself is warded by a quartet of statues in the forms of Valencian's apprentices, each of which animates as an Arcane Guardian if the tomb is disturbed. How you can use Archmage Valencian's Tomb in your game: - Archmage Valencian kept a hoard of spellbooks taken from mages he had defeated in battle, which would be a valuable treasure for any wizard going in search of his tomb. Those who think they can dream up a way of entering the tomb could walk away with priceless treasure, if they live. - Finding one piece of Archmage Valencian's staff, which might be a piece of treasure or an old stick propping up a corner of a table, can be used to point the way to the other pieces (much like the Rod of Seven Parts). Those who find the four parts can unlock the tomb doors. - If the Mageking awakens (as the prophecy indicates, "when the seven-fingered hand touches the heavens"), seeking out some of Archmage Valencian's writings or weapons might assist in battling the indomitable Maleficar. Seeking out this tomb and forcing a way past its defenders may be a necessary action... Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 13 February 2020. It is well known that Hags are dangerous and can make bargains with mortals, spreading misery and despair through the world. They even come in many different shapes and kinds. When three Hags can join together long enough to form a coven, however, they are even more dangerous.
The specifics of a Hag Coven are detailed in the Monster Manual. However, they sometimes take on a young female, often one which they have won in a bargain, and can grant her powers in the same form as a Warlock Pact. Otherworldly Patron: Hag Coven Your patron is a trio of hags who have imbued you with unearthly power. You can hear their voices in your mind, behind your eyes, and though they sometimes squabble with one another, they drive you inexorably to wicked deeds, guiding others to ruin and gradually increasing the evil within the world. Expanded Spell List: The Hag Coven lets you choose from an expanded list of spells when you learn a warlock spell. The following spells are added to the Warlock spell list for you. 1st: Identify, Ray of Sickness 2nd: Alter Self, Locate Object 3rd: Bestow Curse, Lightning Bolt 4th: Phantasmal Killer, Polymorph 5th: Dominate Person, Modify Memory Fey Presence: Starting at 1st level, a Hag Coven warlock has the same Fey Presence ability as an Archfey warlock. Entropic Ward: Starting at 6th level, a Hag Coven warlock has the same Entropic Ward ability of a Great Old One warlock. Beguiling Defenses: Starting at 10th level, a Hag Coven warlock has the same Beguiling Defenses ability as an Archfey warlock. Dark Delirium: Starting at 14th level, a Hag Coven warlock has the same Dark Delirium ability as an Archfey warlock. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 13 February 2020. Today's edition of #WestMarchesWednesday is about establishing the lore and legends for your sandbox.
It's important that your world feel lived-in, and have established lore explaining 'rules' of magic and how your world works, in order to help your players feel like they understand their characters' perceptions. In order to do this, you can scatter scrolls and books through the world, as well as using your Lore Cards to give "common" knowledge. You can use these to give out some little hints for some of your hidden secrets. As an example, some lore volumes about Saint Ushada can be found below: The Chant of Saint Ushada, vol i When the Fourth Blight came, many hearts failed And those who would guard Armagh's gates quailed For Darkspawn did despoil and ravage And their attacks were fierce and savage. Only Ushada would stand and fight And alone she fought, all through the night When dawn did come, the city still stood And this act sealed Ushada's sainthood. The Chant of Saint Ushada, vol ii She gathered the hearty and the brave For their redemption did they much crave Four more souls set out to seek vengeance And soon they each had become legends. Tailam, bold Jayk, Fanra, and Geretht Each became trusted, and their comp'ny cherish'd But little she knew, one'd be her doom And perished they all in the Blight's gloom. The Chant of Saint Ushada, vol iii On Hastline Summit they made their stand Their army slaughtered on blood-soaked land The Mageking's terrors would spell their end And 'gainst such evil none could defend. Bold Jayk died first, was split asunder Then Fanra, tricked into a blunder. Tailam, Geretht, and last Ushada With backs to back and sundered armour. The Chant of Saint Ushada, vol iv The last three stood 'gainst the countless horde Then by an Ogre, Geretht was gored Curs'd Tailem fled, left blessed Saint And though she fought hard, ignored her feint. On Griffons' wings the Wardens arrived And 'twas thought Ushada could survive The Mageking though, he sought out her death And last the Saint breathed her final breath. The Chant of Saint Ushada, vol v The Saint's dear sword, like blazing bright light, Carved through his armour, wounded with spite. The Mageking did flee, harmed and aggrieved The Wardens through his army they cleaved. They found her body, unmarred by wound They built a great pyre, and she was consumed The Saint's legacy speaks to bravery And battle against Darkspawn unsav'ry. The Chant of Saint Ushada, vol vi For each o' the comrades was built a tomb And her Chant was sung so none could assume. Her relics buried wi' those she did trust So her bequests could not be unjust. Her helm with Jayk, to Tailem her belt To Fanra her cuirass, a gift heartfelt. Geretht's tomb encompass'd her shield And for the Saint all bells they pealed. The Chant of Saint Ushada, vol vii The Saint's blade Sunblaze, never was found And hearsay tells that there in the ground It waits for one who can bring it back For evil forces have noticed its lack. The Mageking's armour knows well its bite And at its touch he will know true fright Those who would seek when darkest wind blows Should be pilgrims and search out the Rose. It's lengthy to write this much stuff, but can give your players history to read through and search for clues. With the above seven volumes (pro tip, don't make them rhyme if you want to make it easier to write. Why did I do this to myself?), we establish that Saint Ushada had four companions, and each is buried with a piece of her gear, which can be claimed by adventurers looking to grab some high-level stuff, as well as laying clues for the dagger Sunblaze. This also establishes where her final battle occurred, at Hastline Summit, which is a location which probably doesn't "pop up on the map" until your adventurers know that it's important. Hope this gives some ideas! Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 12 February 2020. Mere hags, which live in meres, or bodies of still water, are often-vengeful creatures which eat human flesh. Although they resemble pale or bluish-skinned humanoids from the waist up, their bottom half is a writhing mass of sinuous, fanged, eels.
Statistics: Mere Hags are 7-Hit Die medium-size Fey, of Chaotic and Evil alignment. They are, like all hags, surprisingly strong, and possess magic as a 3rd-level Druid. In combat, their eel appendages swarm foes within 5 feet of them, inflicting many terrible bite wounds. They can swim at great speed, and can make their way slowly on land, but in a disturbing fashion, slithering their eels back and forth. They possess the Horrific Appearance and Death Glare abilities common to a Sea Hag. How you can use a Mere Hag in your game: - Like all Hags, Mere Hags can grant bargains, and sometimes keep them. If there are no spellcasters nearby, sometimes one must turn to the only being which can help them... a Hag. Mere Hags are fond of asking their bargainers to slay another person in the vicinity after leading them to the Hag's water, and promise that they will rid their petitioner of any evidence. - A Mere Hag might have legitimate grievance against a nearby town, especially if they are allowing runoff from nearby industry to foul the Hag's water. Such a Hag might petition druids or other nature-serving folk to aid her in her vengeance. - A Mere Hag might have once been the child stolen away from a mother due to making a bargain. A child or even young adult might go in search of their long-lost baby sister, unaware that she has become a Mere Hag. Depending on how things go, they might be her latest victim, or they might strike up a lasting friendship. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 8 February 2020. Zheradius is an Augurist, a specialist wizard who reads the future in order to seek a better future for himself and for others. He founded a peculiar order known as the Watchers for the Coming Sunset, who prepare for disasters and apocalypses, and take direct action to ensure that they do not come about. He is one of their finest magic-users, and the reason that the world continues to turn, many times over.
As a junior wizard, Zheradius was bookish and shy. He kept to himself, and ignored the excesses his master indulged in, as he was trained. However, during a supervised ritual casting of a powerful divination spell, Zheradius spied a disaster about to occur- and saw himself, begging his master to intervene, and being denied. He sought out the one person who he had seen could help- a local woodcutter. Between the two of them, they were able to avert catastrophe, though Zheradius' master perished in the struggle. Zheradius, fortified with his master's spellbooks and resources, amassed more allies to help him battle ever more resent dangers, spiralling out from the changes he had made. He now sits at the centre of a large organization which is constantly busy defusing events which may not even ever occur. Statistics: Zheradius is a Chaotic Good 15th-level Divination wizard. He rarely involves himself in events as he keeps very busy, but is always keen to interview prospective allies in the battle against the end of all things. He has almost pitch-black skin and horns, with gold-leaf decorations upon his face and many rings and piercings, giving him a very exotic appearance. Despite this, his accent is precise and impeccable, and he always knows more than he is willing to let on. How you can use Zheradius in your game: - As the founding member of the Watchers for the Coming Sunset, Zheradius may be aware of your Player Characters long before they ever know of his presence or even that of his organization. He may arrange for a mysterious cache to be left for them, holding just what they are going to need for something coming up. - Once they have intervened to prevent some kind of catastrophe, Zheradius might send some of his junior agents to meet with them, and see if they have interest or capacity to assist with any of the other matters going on at the time. If they are very useful, they might even be able to meet with him. - If matters are dire, Zheradius himself might intervene. However, he is tracking so many potential threats to existence that taking his eye off the ball to concentrate on one threat might escalate the development of another. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 7 February 2020. This spell makes a quantum duplicate of the caster for a brief moment, allowing them to perform multiple actions at once.
4th-level Illusion Sorcerer/Wizard spell Casting Time: 1 action Range: Self Components: S Duration: Concentration, up to 1 round* You temporarily split into two duplicates of yourself, both of which are somehow real. Each version can act, take damage, avoid damage, and so on exactly as if it were you. You will need to track any damage taken, spells expended, and so on, separately for each quantum duplicate. When the spell ends (usually at the end of your next round), you choose which of the duplicates is actually you, and all of the others disappear, along with any items carried or used, effects created, and so on. However, any effects they have had on the rest of the world have still happened. At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a slot of 6th level or higher, it lasts one additional round per level above 5th, and creates one additional duplicate per level above 5th. You need to track effects for each duplicate separately, and remember that all effects and items from others vanish immediately when the spell ends. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 6 February 2020. Today's edition of #WestMarchesWednesday is about turning the world's flavour into game effects!
D&D magic is pretty generic, with different kinds of magic not particularly having any specific "in-world flavour", but setting up a world of your own (or borrowing someone else's) means you can build that flavour into the world and make some specializations which incorporate that flavour into the rules. I'm also writing this using 5th edition D&D rules, so creating an archetype for someone to choose makes sense. For my West Marches game, seeing as I'm basing it on the Dragon Age world of Thedas, blood magic is probably the most recognizable and flavourful kind. In Thedas, blood magic uses the power inherent in blood to fuel spellcasting energy, and dominate others or cause violence. Although it is not inherently evil, most of its practitioners are evil, and the cultural expectation is that any blood mage is a dangerous apostate. The Chantry (Thedas' main cultural church to the faith of the Maker) has outlawed blood magic altogether. Thoughts: I've seen some versions that people have already written up for this that involve the caster taking damage to power up their spells, but I decided not to go with this as it 's likely to just overtax any healer-types and tie up resources for an adventuring party. I want to emphasise that Blood Mages are powerful, that they can control people whose blood they're able to get hold of, and that they're very dangerous. So I want to give them some benefits against foes who have been wounded (using 4th edition's Bloodied status, which was pretty handy), or anyone whose blood they already have (in a vial, or that they've collected earlier). This is likely to lead to them being creepy people who collect other people's blood, which is generally frowned upon in polite society, but not an evil activity in itself. Seeing as the Dragon Age world also relies on mages being trained (Circle mages) or untrained (apostates), I think this suits Sorcerers better, who reflect being apostates well. What I'd do is give them a separate, selectable ability at 1st level, with them choosing their archetype at 3rd level, rather than 1st. This way, being a Blood Mage is a little more like a specialization, rather than something you are from the start. Archetype: Maleficarum (Sorcerer archetype) Blood mages, or Maleficarum, employ dark rites originally taught to mortal by demons, in order to access powerful magic. They must be willing to sacrifice their own life force, or that of others, to access this power. Sorcerer Level - Spells Gained 3rd - Hold Person, Inflict Wounds 5th - Fear, Vampiric Touch 7th - Blight, Death Ward 9th - Dominate Person, Geas Ritual Casting 3rd-level Maleficarum feature A Maleficarum gains the Ritual Caster feat, if they did not already have it. Blood Magic 3rd-level Maleficarum feature When a Maleficarum targets a living creature with a spell they cast (they must be a specific target- merely being in the spell's area does not count), they gain 1 free Sorcery Point which must be used on casting the spell, and the target has disadvantage on saving throws against the spell. This only applies if the Maleficarum can touch some of the target's blood (or has a sample within a vial within reach). Malefic Harvest 6th-level Maleficarum feature Within 1 round of a living creature dying, a Maleficarum may take an action if they are within touch range to regain 1 used Sorcery Point. Blood Control 14th-level Maleficarum feature When a Maleficarum of this level tries to control a living target's blood using the Blood Magic feature, they can access any blood within a 20-foot radius of them, not just within touch range. A Maleficarum using a damage-dealing spell and the Blood Magic feature inflicts +1d8 necrotic damage in addition to the spell's damage. Blood Corruption 18th-level Maleficarum feature A Maleficarum's control of their targets corrupts their blood. Any living target who has failed a saving throw against a Maleficarum's spell has disadvantage against any spells the Maleficarum casts. This effect is permanent, and cannot be dispelled (but could be removed with high level spells). See what you think of this, and whether it would a) be fun to play or play alongside, and b) reflects the world and gives some crunchy effects to go along with the creepy fluff. If you have any cool stuff reflecting your world's features, let me know about what it is, and what it does! Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 5 February 2020. Ghiabbely (pronounced "JABB-ily"), is a Satyr, and one of Pan's Beloved. She is a champion brawler and partier, and makes her home in the woods, luring young folk from the city to her frequent parties. She loves a fight, loves her food, and loves fornication. She is unabashed in all things, and could be of great use to anyone seeking help. Ghiabbely speaks with a thick Belfast-style accent, making her almost-incomprehensible to many people.
Statistics: Ghiabbely is a Chaotic Good Satyr with the statistics of a Gladiator. She is a fearsome combatant with any weapon, but favours her magical iron-bound greatclub. She is as likely to stop and celebrate a fine hit as to finish an enemy off. How you can use Ghiabbely in your game: - Ghiabbely's parties have grown so raucous and legendary that other-planar beings are beginning to attend, causing no end of trouble. The local lord asks some strong-minded adventurers to end the parties by nefarious means- fouling the punchbowl, ruining the dance, and embarrassing some of the attendees. The wrath of such creatures may be powerful, but unless they are directly harmed, is also likely to be somewhat petty. - A youth has heard of the parties and wishes to join in, but their parents hire adventurers to find and bring back their wayward child. Persuading the youth to leave will be a difficult task, but the payment may well make up for it. - Ghiabbely herself might leave the party for a little while, wanting a "breath o' fresh air". If some likely-looking folks wander by, she might just happen to want to go for a wander with them for a wee while. She might be looking to stir up some trouble or just have herself a few good fights. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 1 February 2020. |
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