Inheriting items or gear from family members or previous characters has the chance to make someone more powerful than the other characters, but can be a fun way to acknowledge their heritage.
5th edition D&D has trinkets as a part of character generation, and giving out items without a functional use, such a locket, lucky feather, old holy book, or broken sword can be something that drives character decisions. Even a parent's battered old sword might be something a character will keep out of loyalty, good feeling, or faithfulness. Some options of things that a character might have which could be of personal value are listed below: Roll (d8) - Item 1- Parent's lucky coin purse, with a handful of silver. It feels like there's always enough for a warm meal, no matter how destitute you are. 2- A broken-off sword, which can function as a dagger in an emergency. It's still sharp, but badly-weighted. 3- A small copper locket, containing a tiny watercolour painting of the character's family. 4- A claw or tooth on a leather thong, either from the first prey that the character hunted, or the character's old pet. 5- An old diary from a parent or relative's adventuring days. If consulted in the last day or so, the character gains a +1 bonus on Knowledge (dungeoneering) checks. 6- A lucky coin or holy symbol. If held in the hand, a character gains a +1 bonus on a saving throw, once per day. 7- A well-crafted weapon, still in good condition. It functions just fine, and is sturdy and well-lasting. 8- A weathered leather backpack, with lots of pockets. It's not magical, but holds an extra 10 lb more than a regular backpack, and fits well. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 31 August 2019. The King of Clangour was once a mortal monarch who prized hearing wonderful things, hoarding and even kidnapping musicians and minstrels of all kind, and maiming those who missed a note. For his cruelty, he was raised to become one of the Ten Thousand Kings of Hell in death.
His court, a vast amphitheatre, is filled with clamouring devils, all howling hellishly in hopes of attracting his favour. His emaciated form bears an enormous helm blocking out almost all sound and distorting even what little noise makes it through, twisting all around into a nightmarish cacophony. Even the choir of Irreverends howling non-stop blasphemy cannot soothe his anguish. Statistics: The King of Clangour's statistics are roughly equivalent to a Pit Fiend. His helmet blocks all sound, as if he were constantly subject to a Silence effect. Although this does not interfere with his ability to use magical abilities, it causes problems in communicating with him. In combat, he wields a mighty heavy flail, which causes damage as if he were a gargantuan-sized creature. The servants of the King of Clangour experience tinnitus, a painful and never-ending ringing in their ears, giving them a -2 penalty on any sound-based perception checks. How you can use the King of Clangour in your game: - As a patron for Warlocks, the King of Clangour is relatively inoffensive, sponsoring reckless hedonism over any actual evil plans. He'll often send people to hear or see interesting things, often at the expense of the artist themselves, though he does favour rewarding those who astonish him. - The King of Clangour often wars with the other Kings of Hell, mostly just to satisfy his rage. This sometimes causes conflict of hideous intensity, unleashing choirs of Irreverends and flights of Erinyes wielding sonic weapons upon his foes. - Player Characters may run afoul of the King of Clangour if they accomplish some great feat of artistry, whether bardic or visual art. This may even cause them to be abducted themselves if the work was great enough. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 31 August 2019. Irreverends are creatures of powerful evil will, mutilated and transformed to shape them into powerful weapons against the enemies of their deities.
The creatures are often made from failing acolytes of powerful evil clerics, and are blasphemous in their very existence against all sane faiths. Any deities who know of the creation of these beings will send servants to destroy them, although the effort may be futile. The throats of these beings have been brutalized and contorted so that they can speak only absolute desecrations. The use of a lesser Book of Vile Darkness is required in the creation of an Irreverend, and is mounted on the front of the creature's armour permanently. Statistics: Irreverends are 11-Hit Die Undead with slightly below-average Intelligence. They undertand their powers, but tend not to use them imaginatively. An Irreverend Levitates constantly at a sped of about 20 feet per round, moving slowly and purposefully. At will, they may use Blasphemy as a spell-like ability, as an 11th-level caster. They are often clad in full plate armour, hammered into their flesh with iron nails, which protects them from physical assault. How you can use an Irreverend in your game: - Powerful and evil cults sometimes create one of these as a guardian against opponents. As the Irreverend's Blasphemy does not affect evil-aligned creatures within the area, it can freely activate the ability in their presence. - More powerful Irreverends are sometimes created using an entire Book of Vile Darkness. These horrible creations have double or more the number of Hit Dice, allowing their power to affect even more creatures. - There are rumours of saints volunteering for similar duties on the side of the angels, speaking only Holy Words which can banish evil creatures and vanquish evildoers. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 30 August 2019. Some players love the nitty-gritty of combat, or character optimization.
Some, however, want to invest in the world you've put before them, and as you may have gathered, I'm firmly in favour of this behaviour. Letting players do some of their own building, whether that's starting an inn, taking over a ruined castle they've liberated from bandits, or establishing their own kingdom altogether, can really pay dividends in getting your players involved in the setting, caring about NPCs, and generally not being murder-hobos. It also means you can use this for following-on campaigns, and having new characters visit their old characters' inn or something can be a great callback moment. You can leave opportunities for your players to do this in all sorts of ways- giving them the ability to build stuff or take something over as they like. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 29 August 2019. I find writing a bit difficult, but it's definitely something I have a drive to do.
As a Game Master, it's a trait we usually share. So, how do you get yourself out of a rut, and just get writing? It's something I've really struggled with recently, and what I can recommend is to make it a routine- just write a little bit, every day. When I was doing daily posts, it was a little easier- I could push myself because I needed something in the pipeline every day. Now I'm back to four posts a week... I tend to be busy for a few hours on Sunday afternoons, and then forget about it for the rest of the week, which has made me sloppy sometimes. The late, absolutely great, Sir Terry Pratchett was known for not making himself write more than 400 words a day. If he wanted to, he'd do more, but 400 was his "that's a good daily amount" limit. While some authors are famed for more, I like this- it's not an overwhelming amount, just enough to get something written. And for people with busy schedules, or who do writing in their mundane work, or want to be writing other stuff as well, a little bit a day is important to get out. So, start a blog. Write for a Facebook page, or start your own. Write a journal and keep it under your be, whatever. Just get something written, and do a little bit every day. Get working! Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 28 August 2019. Imzt is a delightful Familiar that has taken a different attitude to spellcasting- it wants to cast spells itself, and has put so much effort into trying, that one of the Gods has blessed little Imzt with a smidgen of healing ability. This causes absolute delight for the miniscule lizard.
Imzt can be taken as a standard Familiar option for a Sorcerer or Wizard, but does not gain the standard ability to deliver touch-range spells for them. Instead, Imzt has the ability to cast Cure Minor Wounds three times per day, healing a single hit point each time. While it is not terrifically effective, Imzt gains great joy from stabilizing the wounded, kissing grazed knuckles better, and making little ouches like stubbed toes hurt less. Imzt is a prized companion and friend to any group lucky enough to have them. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 23 August 2019. What do you do when the local adventurers have killed some tremendous beast? Just bury it? Good luck with that! No, all that can be useful materials for crafting and industry! Fat can be rendered for tallow, or grease, ambergris can be turned into perfume, skin can be turned into leather, the flesh might even be good for eating, if you're lucky.
Depending on the size of your titan, the industry around it can be quite vast. Even butchering whales (sadly) is a big business which makes a lot of work for people. The MCU's Guardians of the Galaxy had Knowhere, the severed head of a truly gigantic being, now the size of a large moon, which was being mined for sinovial fluids and brain matter. It served as the setting for the midpoint of the movie, and made for a really fascinating location to visit. How you can use a Titan Butchery in your game: - I've seen a campaign idea that based a city in the rotting corpse of the (super-sized) Tarrasque, regenerating so quickly that it was a constant battle to use and dispose of the flesh quickly enough to stop the roads and buildings being overgrown, like a fast-growing lawn. Something like this can serve as a constant ticking clock, campaign threat, and really memorable setting all in one. - Having some sort of leviathan-rendering location in or near a city can make for a great chase or fight scene location; battling through the corpse of a vast critter or sliding down its carapace to reach a target are great, fun things which can make for stories people tell about for ages. - A Necromancer who's come to town might head to a titan butchery for... parts. Parts that would worry just about everyone who heard about this situation. This might lead to some fast and no-nonsense employment for PCs. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 22 August 2019. Investigation adventures can be a little of a change of pace for games, letting characters who have invested in social skills get some mileage.
But how can you write a good investigation, without railroading people through a sequence of scenes? And why would this be discovered? It can take some practice to get this right. So, let's come up with a basic idea to give you a starter for where to leave clues. Let's say you want a murder that leads to finding a cult. So, start with the cult- why have they murdered the victim? Who were they, and why was that particular person murdered? Was the victim left for someone to find as a message, or did someone not have time to hide the body? How was the target killed- a knife, club, or with magic? These are points where you can leave a clue. Next, where do those clues lead? A knife, discarded, might lead to a weapons merchant who could advise who they sold that knife to. A Detect Magic spell might reveal the tye of magic used to slay a target. Regular clues, like clothing scraps caught on a nail, notes left by a dying victim, and so on, might lead to a nearby gang who could give directions, or mislead them into a different direction- perhaps a trap. It's fairly important to 'fail forward' with investigations, to avoid people just feeling frustrated and giving up. If they miss a clue, let them find something else which gives them a direction to go with. So if they get the wrong end of the stick, and are sure that the gang's lying to them, go with it- let them fight the gang (maybe it'll break things up) and have them discover a note in the gang leader's pouch directing the gang to throw the PCs off the trail. That way, the cult can have an ambush prepare, but your players can feel clever and maybe think of a way to infiltrate the gathering without springing the ambush, which can be a lot of fun too. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 21 August 2019. The cold lands to the north of the continent are known as the Winterlands, an independent kingdom that was once a province of the great and mighty Toranathan Kingdom. When the great white dragon Xhildrynon emerged from the far icy pole, his depredations slaughtered the ill-prepared army, and the King commanded a retreat to abandon the freeholders and farmers who had ventured hundreds of miles and would be left without protection. Only one of the kingdom's knights, Darian the Bold, refused the order. He took up his great sword, built by dwarves, and did battle with the dragon. Although he was grievously wounded, he scarred the dragon mightily, and won independence for the region.
The folk of the Winterlands swore they would only give fealty to a Lord who gave them respect in turn, and eagerly agreed to serve Darian, making him their first King in the North. His line has ruled there for over four hundred years, and the strong and fierce spirit of the folk of the Winterlands has bred true. They are hardy and anti-authoritarian, preferring to live some distance from those who would control them. Even their chosen warriors, the North Rangers, are nomadic folk who roam from place to place removing problems, rather than any standing army. How you can use the Winterlands in your game: - Player Characters from the Winterlands will fit barbarian/ranger/fighter archetypes well, but also have reasons to travel to far-off places, testing their mettle or just trying to get out. - PCs visiting the Winterlands might run across the North Rangers, who travel in small bands. If they're used to incompetent town guards by the dozen, they'll be unprepared for these warriors, all generally 4th level or above, and very canny, very skilled, people. They're accepting of interesting and diverse folk, but unforgiving of those who harm the people of the Winterlands. - Popular pets in the Winterlands include the Snowbull, a diminutive creature that can let out an ear-shattering croak, known to cause avalanches. They have occasionally been used as Familiars for mages. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 17 August 2019. High in the mountains of the Winterland, a gigantic stone portal protrudes from a mountaintop. A small village lies some thirty miles away, and occasionally sees bands of explorers venture to and from it, in hopes of finding some secrets of the portal. Its vast opening is criss-crossed by enormous glassy strands of some weblike substance.
The stones of the portal are worn and icy, and many an explorer has slipped and fallen to their death while trying to climb them. None yet have succeeded in opening the portal, but many speculations abound as to where it could possibly lead. How you can use the Icy Portal in your game: - Perhaps the portal wasn't built to open, but to hold closed some kind of magical gateway. If the constructed portal is damaged, it will need to be repaired before the portal can be closed again. - The portal lays in the domain of the terrible white dragon, Xhildrynon the Arctic. Even with the dragon's colossal size and mighty prowess, what awful thing is so dangerous that the dragon will kill to keep the portal closed? - The portal may be only a part of a vast ruin, but the glassy Ice Spiders dwelling beneath it emerge when the moon is full and the winds are high, transmuting their victims to icy statues with their venom. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 16 August 2019. Tedzhulk is a Goblin scrap-collector, or "scrapper". He cobbles his wares together into elaborate contraptions, some of them functional but most of them just piles of stuff.
Tedzhulk is a morose and melancholy little figure, who doesn't like attention. The more popular Goblins bully and threaten him, and he feels bothered by being outnumbered. However, if approached by just one person at a time, he's often happy to converse and trade with them, being particularly interested in anything broken and shiny. Statistics: Tedzhulk is a 3rd-level Goblin Commoner, with decent Appraise and Repair skills. How you can use Tedzhulk in your game: - Tedzhulk travels a lot, and could be a trader your Player Characters meet in their travels, with various goods to swap. - Your PCs might meet Tedzhulk, beaten and bullied by other Goblins, in a dungeon. If they're kind enough to look after him, he might be able to give them some advice about what traps to avoid and how to deal with particular monsters. - A Goblin PC might be related to Tedzhulk, looking up to their older brother and trying to help him out of trouble time and time again. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 14 August 2019. This spell, a relic of Old Toranath, calls forth a ghostly defender to guard the spellcaster.
Chevalier's Spirit Conjuration (Summoning) Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 3 Components: V, S, AF Casting Time: 1 minute Range: Close (25ft. + 5ft./2 levels) Effect: One knightly spirit Duration: 1 hour per level (D) Saving Throw: None Spell Resistance: No You call forth the spirit of knightliness itself, a silent defender who acts with impeccable honour and guards you against attack. You summon a translucent glowing spirit, appearing as an armoured knight, which stands nearby and guards you. The knight serves willingly and silently, and is honourable to a fault, opening doors and assisting with climbing a horse. It serves as an Unseen Servant, but has statistics equivalent to a Medium Earth Elemental, with a Lawful Good alignment. The ghostly knight will not attack any creature, even if commanded to, but will make attacks of opportunity to block, trip, or disarm any opponent attacking the spellcaster. Arcane Focus: The spellcaster must hold the helmet of a knight during the casting, freely given to them. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 15 August 2019. This spell, originating from those with some celestial blood or blessing, allows the caster to gather holy energy for a delayed blast, harming evil creatures.
Brightblast Evocation [Good, Light] Level: Cleric 2, Paladin 1 Components: S Casting Time: 1 standard action Range: Close (25ft. + 5ft./ 2 levels) Target: One creature in range Duration: 3 rounds or less; see text Saving Throw: None Spell Resistance: Yes The caster summons a glowing orb of light from the Celestial Realms into their hand which grows and pulses as seconds pass. With a gesture, it can be hurled towards an enemy, discharging with a bright flare. A light as bright as a torch appears in your hand, although it does not harm you or your equipment. The light can either be thrown as a ranged touch attack up to close range, or used to touch an enemy with a melee touch attack. The attack inflicts 1d4 positive energy damage, +1d4 per round (up to 3 full rounds) that you hold the charge. This attack deals double damage against evil outsiders. How you can use Brightblast in your game: - Aasimar or Half-Celestials might be able to gain this as a 1/day spell-like ability, instead of the ability to use Light at will. - Spellcasters might find this a useful spell in the case of a demonic invasion, allowing them to fight back with celestial magic. - An evil version of this spell, Darkblast, is rumoured to exist. It is used by secretive Cambion agents of the church of Shar, goddess of darkness. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 10 August 2019. These destructive beasts hail from the Abyss, where the destruction they wreak is unpredictable, constant, and ever-present. When summoned to the Material Plane through a Demongate, they cause tremendous damage, sometimes destroying cities. All sensible forces agree that these monsters are a blight that must be stopped.
The smallest of these beasts measure about fifty feet long, while the stories of raving maniacs tall of some nearly a mile long in the Deep Abyss, uncountably vast and forging landscape in their wake. They gout flame from within when struck. Statistics: Ravenous Hellions are colossal wormlike Outsiders, with about 20 Hit Dice, plus another 5 per 10 feet of length past 50 feet. They bite and swallow any creatures up to Gargantuan size, grinding them in the thousands of layers of teeth that line their gullet. Any creature swallowed takes 6d6 each of fire and bite damage per round. They have no motivation or intelligence, merely destroying as they go, wherever they choose. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 9 August 2019. Chiauxochitl (Pronounced Chi-ow-zosh-eetl) was once a mortal woman, a flower-gatherer by trade. This changed when the Empire in which she lived came under attack by strangers from across the seas. Hundreds died in their first attacks, the fires reaching to the heavens. Her people appealed to all the gods for aid, and were promised deliverance if one of their number was offered up. The people of the empire were vexed mightily, and those who wished to aid put their names forth. Many mighty warriors were entered into the lottery, as well as one humble flower-gatherer who just wished to help.
She was selected to be the vessel of the immortal Red Empress, and her skin split and sloughed off, transforming her into the horrifying spirit which still protects the Empire of Tochtonal to this day. The next time the invaders came raiding, the Red Empress allowed them to push forward into a grand square before her palace-pyramid, and there she descended upon them. Plaques speak of the barbarity and violence of this day, centuries gone. They say that four rivers ran red with the blood she spilled, and the invaders howled and begged for mercy, but received none. Not a one of their thousand still breathed when the sun set, and she retired to her throne. Now, none dare rouse her from her slumber, but she dresses to wander the markets and look upon her people on one day each year. They celebrate this day with flowers and skulls, to placate her rage and to reassure her that the enemies of Tochtonal are no more. Statistics: The Red Empress is a deity's vengeful avatar given form, with the statistics of a Neutral Evil-aligned Planetar. She retains all of the aligned abilities and powers, but dwells in the form of a human body at all times. She is horrifying to gaze upon, a repulsive but noble cast to her features and dress, but her body constantly oozes sticky blood from its surface. Her form has grown skeletal, but she dresses still in the finery as befitting her station. How you can use the Red Empress as part of your game: - On entering the Empire of Tochtonal, outsiders may notice the skulls of enemies used as decoration on city streets and buildings. While ghastly, locals may explain that this practice staves off the wrath of their Empress, and stops her slaughtering all who enter their lands. This is why they can now trade with others peacefully. - PCs might be asked to bring forth an outsider who has harmed citizens of the Empire unjustly, perhaps stealing royal treasures of the court. This lawbreaker is to be imprisoned until the Red Day of the Empress, when she will grace the people with her presence and punish the criminal. - If your PCs happen to be competing with other outsiders for some treasure of the Empire, they may accidentally call down the Red Empress' wrath upon all of them, until they can explain their opposition to the others. Nevertheless, her vengeance is mighty to behold, and indiscriminate in its violence. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 8 August 2019. This incredibly-forged gauntlet has small overlapping lames of dark steel that rustle softly as they flex. It surfaces are artistically inlaid in gold, and covered in fine engravings. The glove within fits any Medium humanoid perfectly, as if it were made for them, and the gauntlet shifts slightly to fit. It is said that this gauntlet was made by Uraeus the Heresiarch, and was the pinnacle of his work.
The master armourer Uraeus, so the story goes, was commissioned to forge an entire suit of armour for a mysterious figure who could only have been one of the Gods themselves. He was gifted incredible wealth to obtain the materials required, and purchased only the finest materials from the Dwarves of the deep earth. He had been working for weeks, testing the design on a single gauntlet before he went on to the rest of the plate. His young brother, who missed him dreadfully, disturbed him at the forge when the stranger was visiting for a fitting, and was struck dead by the stranger for his trespass. Uraeus snatched up the gauntlet and struck the figure once, drawing a drop of blood which spattered his face and mingled with his rageful tears. The stranger summoned up a bolt of lightning and burned down Uraeus' forge and home, leaving him in the ashes, untouched by the spell. He raised his hand to strike again- and the stranger vanished in a flash of light from the heavens. Uraeus pledged the rest of his life to dismantling the temples of any Gods he saw, whether the be good or ill-natured. Wearing this gauntlet, Uraeus strode unaffected through any spells cast his way by desperate clerics in his quest for vengeance. Eventually, he was brought low by a wound which festered, and for which he refused to see a priest for aid. The gauntlet was taken from his body, and has been sought by many others during its existence. Statistics: Lament is a +5 gauntlet, conferring this bonus to attack and damage rolls made with the gauntlet as a weapon. It also allow the wearer to pierce any damage reduction possessed by the target with such attacks. The wearer cannot be affected by any divine spell while it is worn, as if they had Spell Resistance. How you can use Lament in your game: - A Player Character who believes a similar heresy to Uraeus might seek out the gauntlet to continue his quest. It rests in the lair of a blasphemous undead monster, a Mohrg who still wears the weapon. - Alternately, the gauntlet might be possessed by a Blackguard who blasphemes against all gods, protecting her from their wrath while she plots their downfall. The quest to obstruct her might be entrusted to your PCs. - A cult of Ur-Priests who defy the Gods are attempting to forge lesser versions of this weapon. A weak link in their supply chain manages to get word out, but a quartet of divine magic-resistant assassins have been dispatched to destroy all evidence of their terrible deeds. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 7 August 2019. This idea is something I've touched on before, but is usable for fantasy and modern games as well- using the ruins of what we know and love to set a story. Maps of modern cities are quite easy to get, and a Lonely Planet guide will tell you what points of interest to look out for. With a working knowledge of a city, you can turn it into a post-apocalypse paradise for your own use.
Key points to play up here are the ruined beauty of something that used to be grand- whether you're living in the cyclopean ruins of some abandoned Dwarven city towering overhead, or the tatters of elegant Elven architecture swinging lightly in the breeze, sparkles of frustrated magic buzzing back and forth, or the glass and concrete edificies that held thousands, now multi-level gang hideouts and half-collapsed deathtraps. It's an idea you can use to quickly build districts, and people know what kind of things they might find in a mall, an office building, or a hardware store. You can let your players do some work for you, without even knowing it. "Hey, we need some construction stuff- that hardware store back on 17th will have some, won't they?" "Sure it would!" The lonely tower known as the Ravens' Roost looms over the nearby city, seemingly accessible only by a long, unguarded stretch of bridge hundreds of feet from the ground. The wind howls about it, and its eaves shelter hundreds of sable-feathered birds, cawing constantly.
The tower itself is home to the mage Gwallyn, a reclusive figure who visits the city rarely, and pays in gleaming gold coins of exotic manufacture. He is an affable sort, but given to his studies. Those who would call upon him are required to make their way across the treacherous and really quite unsafe bridge, buffeted both ways by strong winds. Many who would attempt to visit turn back dejectedly, or are forced to crawl upon their bellies to his door. Gwallyn and his apprentices know to protect themselves with a simple spell which leaves them entirely unbothered by the winds for the trek, or take flight through the air by magic. How you can use the Ravens' Tower in your game: - Gwallyn the mage is a mysterious but sometimes helpful mage- when people are brave enough to knock upon his door. If your Player Characters are really in need of assistance, he may decide to help- if they can muster their bravery. - If one of your PCs strikes up a friendship with one of Gwallyn's apprentices, they might learn of the secret entrance at the base of the tower, which could get them inside in a pinch, or to rob the place, if they're feeling daring. - If you wish to make Gwallyn a little more sinister, his apprentices and ravens might collect whatever shiny things catch their attention, bringing their ill-gotten wealth to the tower for his appraisal. A mage-robber baron could be a very interesting character to deal with. This spell casts out a once-faithful member of a church, formally repudiating and denouncing their actions, whatever those have been.
Excommunicate Abjuration [language-dependent, lawful] Level: Cleric 5 Components: V, S, DF Casting time: 10 minutes Range: Touch Target: Creature touched, which must worship the same deity as the caster Duration: Instantaneous Saving Throw: None Spell Resistance: Yes You formally cast out the transgressor among you, condemning their actions, denouncing their faithfulness, and letting all who see them know that they are proscribed and must not be aided. The target of this spell, who must worship the same deity as the caster, is marked with an image of the deity's symbol, appearing red and inflamed, although it causes no lasting pain. Any worshipper of that deity who sees it knows instantly that the target has been cast out from the faith, and the target takes a -4 penalty on any Charisma-based checks against such worshippers. In addition, any divine spells cast by worshippers of that deity always count the target as unwilling, and having made their saving throw. An Atonement spell permanently removes the effects of Excommunicate. How you can use Excommunicate in your game: - Player characters might meet a branded criminal, cast out for betraying their oaths, and have to choose whether they can trust the warning this stranger carries. - A PC themselves might be excommunicated from their faith, perhaps for a just reason, or potentially by a corrupted cleric of that faith. This would have serious social consequences as well as the effects of magic, and fighting to clear their name will not be easy. - On meeting a small child who carries the brand of their faith, PCs might be compelled to investigate what crime a child could have committed which is so dire as to warrant excommunication, and who even would cast such a spell on an infant. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 3 August 2019. Using the vast power reserves of an Aetherflux Reservoir, enormous amounts of experimentation and manufacturing can be done. Enterprising Mages' Guilds or manufacturing plants can draw energy from the Reservoirs and infuse them into magical creations, like weaponry, protective fields, or other arcane devices which might allow military advantages over opponents.
Such an Arcane Manufactorum is an exciting place, with pipes carrying thrumming energy from place to place. The working conditions are not likely to be great, with workers' lives valued less than the machinery within. The cruel overseers have no mercy for those who cannot fulfil their duties, with those who fail often carted off to fuel the Soul Engines below. Mass-manufacturing of magical devices gains a 20% discount on costs when forged in such a place, allowing fast and efficient crafting. How you can use an Arcane Manufactorum in your game: - The citizens of Riverbridge are serving their cruel City Council by defending and fortifying it against attackers. Their captured Soul Engines are burning hot, siphoning life force from the patriotic, aged, disabled, or criminal. The newly-built Arcane Manufactorum is cranking out magically-powered brass steeds for their heavily-equipped cavalry, as well as a pair of Eldritch Carronades guarding the gates. The enemies of Riverbridge are likely to be in for some trouble... - A mage's Manufactorum might be staffed by evil humanoids enchanted or terrified into working for them, like Orcs or Hobgoblins. Such a place might run in even less sanitary standards than a 'usual' one, with nonexistent safety standards and cavalier disregard for life. - For Player Characters looking to build such a facility themselves, the dangers inherent in possessing such a place must be weighed carefully against the benefits which would be gained. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 2 August 2019. |
AuthorI'm Luke. He/him pronouns. Archives
May 2022
Categories
All
|