I've written... a lot of content over the last five years here. At last check, about a year ago, it was about the length of one of the Song of Ice and Fire books, or most of the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings series put together. I don't say this as a brag (maybe a little bit), but mostly, it gets a little tricky coming up with new ideas sometimes.
So I'm turning to you, my audience. Let me write something for you- a subclass specific to a concept for your world, a creature for your game, a table of items that a merchant might sell, or something else useful. Give me enough information for inspiration, and something to inspire me, and I'll see if I can write something useful for you! I'll post them here and over on Game Masters Stash so I can then let people know when they're 'out', and hopefully it gives me some new ideas and you some homebrew content you can use for your world. So have a think about what you want to see, be prepared to break it down into what makes that exciting and interesting, and give me some ideas to work with! The concept of 'star signs' is one that seems to strike a chord with many people, and especially in a fantasy milieu like D&D, people want those to have mystical and potentially magical effects on characters' personality.
Influenced by the powers gained by star signs of the Elder Scrolls universe, here are some fantasy constellations and powers they might grant, probably only for heroic characters rather than for every single NPC. In most cases, these are minor passive benefits, but I have also included some powers for when the star sign is at its most powerful- whether this is due to some kind of celestial alignment or magical empowerment. 1 - The Hedgehog - Folk of this star sign tend to be reserved and protective of themselves, but warm to those within their friend group. Folk of this star sign gain a +1 bonus on saving throws against being poisoned. Empowered: Folk of this star sign gain a +2 bonus to Armour Class when empowered. 2 - The Swan - Folk of this star sign are dignified and renowned for their generosity. Folk of this star sign gain a +1 bonus on saving throws against being charmed. Empowered: When empowered, folk of this star sign can take an action to lower their maximum hit points by 10 for 24 hours, in order to heal allies within 5 feet by 5 hit points. 3 - The Hare - Ever alert for danger, folk of the sign of the hare tend to be independent and flighty. Folk of this star sign gain a +1 bonus on Initiative rolls. Empowered: Folk of this star sign gain a +10ft. bonus to their speed and +1 to Armour Class when empowered. 4 - The Spear - Those born under this sign tend to be decisive and impulsive. Folk of this sign gain a +1 bonus on saving throws against being frightened. Empowered: When empowered, folk of this sign gain a +1 bonus on melee attack rolls. 5 - The Archer - Folk of this sign tend to be observant and efficient. They gain a +1 bonus on Perception checks. Empowered: When empowered, folk of this sign have advantage on Perception checks and saving throws or Investigation checks against illusions. 6 - The Heart - Folk born under this sign are warm and friendly, and enjoy simple pleasures of life. Folk born of this sign gain a +1 bonus on saving throws against exhaustion or stunning effects. Empowered: When empowered, folk born under this sign gain 3 hit points at the start of their turn if they have 1 or more hit points, up to one-half their maximum hit points. 7 - The Albatross - Folk born under this sign are larger and stronger, tending toward self-reliance. They gain a +1 bonus on Survival checks. Empowered: Folk born under this sign cannot gain exhaustion levels when empowered. 8 - The Hammer - Tending towards insight and craft, folk born under this sign gain a +1 bonus to their Proficiency bonus when using a set of tools. Empowered: When empowered, folk born under this sign can cast mending as an action and can craft any objects at double the speed per day of downtime. 9 - The Throne - Tending to be mediators and diplomats, folk born under this sign are generally calm. They gain a +1 bonus on Insight checks. Empowered: When empowered, folk born under this sign have advantage on Deception and Persuasion checks. 10 - The Bear - Folk born under this sign tend to be slow to anger, but mighty. They gain a +1 bonus on Intimidation checks. Empowered: Folk born under this sign can increase any melee damage they deal when empowered by an additional 1d3. 11 - The Castle - Implacable and stoic, those of this sign gain a +1 bonus on Constitution saving throws. Empowered: When empowered, folk of this sign have advantage on checks or saving throws to escape being grappled, paralyzed, prone, restrained, or stunned. 12 - The Cauldron - Given to sharing and taking their time about things, folk born under this sign allow any allies who spend hit dice to recover hit points during a short rest, to recover 1 additional hit point. Empowered: When empowered, folk born under this sign grant any allies within 5 feet advantage on death saving throws. Prophecy can be a useful element to introduce in your games, but just having "when the moon is high, the demon lord is nigh" kinda stuff isn't terribly interactive. What can really play an exciting part is elements that need to be interpreted, or could be interpreted in multiple ways. This could be playing on words and spelling ("while cranes circle overhead" might mean birds, or construction equipment), or different meanings ("two queens fall" might mean queens dying, falling over, or dropping a deck of cards, let alone the interpretation of 'queens').
Here are some random elements you could use to generate your own prophecy, whether it's from a random street-corner madman or a holy oracle. You should be able to combine these for your own use with some mangling to combine them, or just leave them as broken phrases, whatever seems easiest.
Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 17 July 2021. It is a fantasy staple to have a cauldron bubbling away at the back of a witch's lair, wafting fragrant and exciting-coloured smoke. But what's in such a cauldron, and why does every witch seem to have one?
Here are a few options you could use: 1. Alchemical cauldron: The cauldron functions as an Alchemy Jug, but weighs about 30 pounds and is more difficult to transport. 2. Potion-brewing cauldron: A magical potion is being brewed up in the cauldron. There's a 75% chance it's a Potion of Greater Healing, and a 25% chance it's a Potion of Poison. Only an Identify spell will tell the difference. 3. Slow-cooking cauldron: The witches were putting on a lovely slow-cooked casserole (hopefully, a lamb from a nearby paddock). Eating this while spending hit dice during a short rest will restore an additional +1 hit point per hit die, and the witches will be quite upset to have missed out on their dinner. 4. Fruity punch cauldron: With a small slice of fruit wedged decoratively on the edge, a toxic flower floating on its surface, and some sugar crusted around the rim, the cauldron contains alcohol strong enough to blind a coven of Night Hags. Those who partake cautiously will have a memorable evening and a painful headache. Those who drink to excess (more than about a cup) will automatically gain the unconscious condition for 24 hours, and then the poisoned condition until they have taken 1d4 short rests. 5. Mash and hops cauldron: The cauldron has been used for making beer, and the resulting brew is strong, bitter, and foamy. Best enjoyed cold, with the corned-beef sandwich over on the table, the witches will be quite grumpy to find the brew gone. 6. Virulent toxin cauldron: The witches have been brewing some kind of vile poison which might be poured in a nearby river to poison an entire city, or its vapours could pollute the air for miles. Drinking it causes 10 (3d6) poison damage each round for 1 hour, with a Constitution saving throw (DC 15) for half damage. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 16 July 2021. Mushrooms are known to absorb chemicals from the soil they grow in through a process called Mycoremediation. If we accept that magic has energies as well, you can use this idea to have some fun and interesting mushrooms that have absorbed magical powers and become something very weird.
Here are some special powers that mushrooms could manifest: 1 - Agigantaricomycetes: These mushrooms have grown to colossal size, and perhaps some have even been hollowed out to make homes or lairs. Someone who eats them might gain the effects of an Enlarge spell, or a sustained diet may lead to uncontrolled gigantism. 2 - Biolumycetes: These mushrooms glow brightly in the dark while attached to their roots. Small pieces broken off might be able to be used to light an area briefly. 3 - Necromycetes: These mushrooms have absorbed deathly energies, and manifest awful, skull-like growths and a greenish pallor. Eating them may be poisonous, and could be used to weaken some large monster ahead. 4 - Profugus Fungus: The mushrooms are animated by restless magic, and have small, creeping tendrils enabling them to walk around. They might follow bright lights or loud sounds, enabling them to be led in a direction by farmers. 5 - Flux Fungus: These mushrooms react violently to being disturbed. If they are subject to a hard blow (5 hit points or more), they explode, dealing 3d6 damage to creatures or objects within 20 feet (Dexterity savd DC 11 for half damage). These can trigger off other mushrooms, if they are close enough, allowing PCs or enemies to use them in combat. 6 - Veracitagaricus: These mushrooms have absorbed divination magic, and force anyone consuming them to speak only truth for the next hour, as a Zone of Truth spell (Charisma save DC 11). Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 15 May 2021. When storytelling, it's sometimes tempting to try to reinvent the wheel, to come up with something utterly new andnever-before-thought-of. If you're writing a book, sure- but if all you're doing is entertaining your friends of a Friday night, you're allowed to steal from popular culture and rewrite stories which you can find elsewhere.
Consider, for example, the story of star-crossed lovers from families on opposite sides of a war, trying to unearth magical secrets within themselves, and of their own inheritances. And somehow, an ancient enemy has returned! The concept itself is compelling, even if you found the execution of the story itself imperfect. The base story like this can be used (and you can find all sorts of critique on errors made within the story, and potential fixes for them, from fans online). Or, as was done with the original story, consider stealing the story of a small band of heroes trying to infiltrate a hidden fortress ruled by a dangerous warlord; or to evade an army arrayed against them, bringing down their defenses and even turning once-trusted allies against them while they seek to find a little peace in a war-torn land; or to engineer a strike against a seemingly-invulnerable warlord, only to find that he has predicted their attacks and lad a lethal trap for them. And let's not forget the immortal parable of political appointees settling a trade dispute. But then, setting that against a tapestry of betrayal, ancient and secret foes, and protecting a queen whose land has been stolen, and you've got yourself something that can really capture someone's attention! So think about the sources near and dear to you when you write a story, on this day of all days. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 4 May 2021. The urban legend / cryptid / arcane entity known only as 'the Tunnel Granny' is mysterious and kindly, given to caring for those who have become lost in the darkness. Its pale, rounded face, dishlike eye hollows, and crooked smile can be seen emerging from the shadows, and its chirping tones and outstretched arms are somehow disarming. The Tunnel Granny can defuse hardened Drow priestesses, Dwarven tunel-fighter veterans, and even Mind Flayers alike.
Those who receive her aid are healed of their wounds by her oddly chilled chicken soup or Amethyst cake that she provides, and led through dark unseen ways to safe havens. There, it retreats after taking something symbolic- a small triangle of skin, harmlessly plucked from its ward. This mark causes no bleeding or pain, but it never truly heals, leaving a pale triangular scar. Some have attempted to leave offerings or pledge service to the Tunnel Granny, but it cannot be located except by those who have truly become lost in the underdark. It is most akin to an Aspect, but seems to have powers that defy even clerical divinations. With many thanks to Blob Doss for permission to use the art and concept design. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 13 January 2021. This post is harvesting copiously from a Reddit post I saw about five years ago, about the importance of making a Lawful Evil religion actually attractive to the people who follow it, instead of just being an excuse to be a jerk. The adage "no-one is a villain, in their own head" applies here.
In the original post, user u/almightyolive described Infernalism as below: [QUOTE] Infernalism first made it's appearance on the continent at the same time as the Fellborn pact (where humans allowed themselves to be transformed by the Devils in return for their and their future offspring's souls), but it is believed to be the dominant belief system among Devils. It emphasizes the importance of individual wealth and power, and while Infernalism advocates following the law it stresses that rules are meant to be bent. Infernalism is all about the individual and the present; it does not matter how the world was created because you are here now and you matter. Infernalism implores it's adherents to live in the moment, increase your personal power and not worry about silly things like the afterlife or reputation. It matches current scholarly thought on the nature of Devils, who are thought to be Fallen Angels who could no longer bear the responsibility of their duty and broke free of their bonds. The core of the religion is the Codex, or the set of codified rules that an adherent follows. There is evidence of a variety of conflicting rule sets in circulation (even among Devils) despite it's central importance, leading some scholars to speculate that some adherents view that even the Codex itself is inferior to one's power and can be changed at will. There are two existing forms of Infernalism worship; the Cult and the Induction.
Author's note: The following list is a selection of common rules that appear on most versions of the Codex. It is not an exhaustive list.
I've had this post saved for years, waiting for an opportunity to introduce it to my campaign, but it's never quite fit. That said, it might fit for some of you, wonderful readers. Here are some ideas and comments on how you could use such a concept: How you can use Infernalism in your game: - For Pathfinder players, this concept fits perfectly for a native of Cheliax and their practice of Diabolism. For players in other campaign settings, the Shadovar of Forgotten Realms, the Scarlet Brotherhood or the Empire of Iuz in Greyhawk, these kinds of beliefs might drive a Lawful Evil player character, without leading to them just disrupting the party and ruining everything. - For those who have played the updated versions of Doom, there's a religion similar to Infernalism going on, which the NPC Olivia Pierce follows and has led a cult in. This cult becomes an uprising that triggers off the main events of the game. This could be used as the basis for a new-age spiritualist belief system in a modern or sci-fi game with very little change. - Even if you (wisely) limit your player characters to not being evil, this kind of philosophy could be one that some of your Neutral or even Good characters might practice, eschewing the more manipulative or usurious commandments. Given that many of these commandments are to do with self-actualization and looking out for what's dear to you, it's not something that would necessarily "trigger off" someone's evil-detection senses. - The Ten Thousand Kings of Hell have become aware of the audacity practiced in seeding this religion among the mortal races, and even they are impressed with its success. They have elected one of their members, the Heresiarch, to orchestrate its growth. He is clad in darkened steel and cannot speak, only breathe words of fire that float upon the air, and yet his words are praised and listened to. The practices of concealment and deception are being discarded for honest semblance- and yet mortals still listen. Although this technically does not breach the Truce Celestial, the forces of the Heavens are mightily concerned by its growth, and would send word to their own agents to work against it. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 17 April 2020. This week, as part of staying close to my gaming group, we're doing a remote movie night- all watching a movie at the same time, and then getting together on our shared Google Hangout to be able to chat with each other. You can use some tools like this to stay in touch with your game group, or just your family!
Another thing you can use this for is research, and a movie like Howl's Moving Castle, which today's pic is fanart from, is RIPE for inspiration. It looks like a cute cartoon and not something that would fit D&D at all, right? WRONG! The story is about a woman who's cursed by a witch, who goes to work for a shapeshifting wizard during a war with another nation, in a house that not only moves around, but has a magic portal-door that leads to a variety of different locations. And that's not even giving away the major plot spoilers! If you can't make anything out of that, then sure. But... come on! So, give it a go. Try out something you wouldn't normally watch, read, or play. Watch the freakin' Care Bears movie from 1985, or the new Sabrina series, or some new anime thing (that Fast And Furious "street racers" cartoon looks a little dodgy, though!). You'd be surprised how many fantasy elements you can steal from that. And if you're stuck at home watching Netflix, try out something new instead of just Season 16 of Unfulfilling Law Enforcement Power Fantasies: Specialist Division. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 9 April 2020. "There are things you can't fight - acts of God. You see a hurricane coming, you get out of the way. But when you're in a Jaeger, suddenly you can finally fight the hurricane. You can win." -Pacific Rim
Faced with dragons, demons, and the legendary Tarrasque itself, no mortal champion could battle them all. Thus, several archmages gathered and pooled their resources, building tremendous creations that could allow a pilot an exponential enhancement to their abilities. These constructs are over two hundred feet tall, resembling giantic armoured statues, but they are capable of startling violence and colossal might. Some are piloted by just one pilot, while others have several in strategic locations. Some are even built for specific purposes, carrying seige equipment or even entire barracks within their bodies. No-one knows the secret of their creation, and their number is extremely limited. They are known as Hoplomaximus (giant soldiers), and a single one can turn the tide of a war. A number united or in conflict can change the face of the planet. Statistics: It may be simplest to run the Hoplomaximus with a separate character sheet, like a spaceship or animal companion. One should be almost on par with something like the Tarrasque - possessing colossal power and ability, but with its own varied weaknesses and strengths. Some are highly mobile, while others are slow brawlers. How you can use Hoplomaximus in your game: - Control of a single Hoplomaxim is a resource which will be fought over by cities and nations at almost any cost. Possession of one is worth an Emperor's ransom. If you want to have your PCs gain control of one, finding one damaged or with slain pilots within, could give them an opportunity. You'll also need an appropriate threat approaching, perhaps a creature already woundd but one that still poses a threat. - Controlling a squad of lesser or even full-sized Hoplomaximus could be a fun palate-cleanser for your player characters as a one-shot or short (or long!) campaign. Monsters worth fighting will be needed to be appropriate foes, but such machines cannot go everywhere- having the pilots have to do some things on their own, perhaps evading the attacks of some colossal beast while trying to reach their Hoplomaxim, or being attacked by lesser creatures. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 12 March 2020. It's not very common for children to go adventuring in the way you'd expect of adults, but anyone who has been a child generally remembers going on adventures with their friends- exploring the old forest behind the park, walking along beside the train lines, or going all the way to the corner shop together. So what about children inside the game setting?
Obviously, children can't face the same challenges which adult adventurers would, but they might slip by foes unnoticed where adults would face a challenge. Telling the story appropriately here will be an important factor, as having children brutally murder an Orc together probably isn't the story you want to be telling- like the Hobbits play-fighting with Boromir in the Lord of the Rings, tripping him and scarpering is probably much more important to them than crushing his skull with a big rock. Gauging your players' interest in this will be an important step. How you can use Junior Adventurers in your game: - You can use this as a narrative framing device, playing through as local children to sneak into the overgrown ruins and past the Dark Growly room and under the table where the Ogre chops his food, which will let you foreshadow threats to your players while threatening (but generally not using) a real sense of danger for unarmoured and defenceless children. This can make their later attack on the dungeon all the more enjoyable, as the Dark Growly is revealed to be an aggressive Dire Wolf, and the Ogre is armed with an ogre-sized set of kitchen tools, which can make for some enjoyment. - You could also use this as a serious challenge where local children need to rescue their adult adventurer friends or parents, who have been captured or incapacitated somehow. Taking your players' agency by having their characters already defeated by something can be really un-fun, especially if they're resistant or immune to something, but can make for a memorable adventure if they're into it. - Alternately, this could be a flashback (or dream sequence, or something inflicted by a mind-affecting enemy), revealing how some of the characters knew each other. For longer-lived races like Dwarves or Elves, they might already be adults, and could participate in a very different way to human-type children, but getting to play your gruff, tough noble fighter as a snot-nosed brat with a wooden sword, or your bookish mage as an excitable nerdish child could be enjoyable as an almost-one shot game. Learning how your fighter broke their nose, or gained that scar, could really be fun. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 7 March 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. Having a set-in-stone alignment system is sometimes useful- it lets you know which targets are hurt by particular spells, decide who gets to be smited, and so on. But sometimes it's nice for all dogs to be Goodbois and Goodgirls, whether their alignment says they can be or not.
So, who defines alignment? In a functional sense, you as the GM define alignment. But (hod on to your brains, people, I'm about do discuss philosophy) do you define it in a Kantian sense, that certain actions (like lying, killing, and kicking puppies) are always evil no matter the context and no matter how much joy they bring to the wider world, or a Utilitarian sense, that actions are only good or bad depending on their wider outcomes ("we have to lie to the princess because her knowing the truth would be bad for the peasants"). Can a wicked creature do good, and thus attain goodness, even temporarily? And, most importantly, who keeps track of this in your game world? Do the Gods keep objective counters tracking who is evil and worthy of punishment (and does an evil god then reward those people? How does that work?), or is alignment only what morality makes of it (and there's no lasting objective scores, people are just people)? Are creatures who don't know any better (and some which explicitly have no alignment as they're not considered intelligent enough to have morality) still "good"if they're devoted to doing what they do well enough to make people happy? What this all comes down to is Christmas presents, naturally, and who gets them. How you can use moral philosophy in your game: - D&D's inbuilt alignment system is a little more Kantian, but it's also a bit super racist (all Orcs and Drow are evil, for example). Eberron's alignment system decoupled race from alignment, saying that creatures of those races tended to behave that way because of their societal upbringing. Perhaps there is a true moral philosophy of 'Goodness', and striving towards it is what confers the status of being Nice. - Maybe your world's version of Santa only delivers to people who have made progress in taking more good actions than the last year, and taking those actions, regardless of whether they were mind-controlled, persuaded, or dodged around, confers the status of Niceness. - Alternately, your world could always have some kind of corruptor-devil, a creature that travels the world distributing gifts to the Naughty. They reward people who've made little actions of Evil (lying, stealing food, cheating on taxes) to further sway them to more committed Evil deeds. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 21 December 2019. +++ REPORT REDACTED UNDER VERMILION SECURITY +++
+++ NOT FOR PUBLIC RELEASE +++ "The Santabomination" incident occurred in northern Siberia approximately twelve months ago. We were able to neutralize the creature at substantial cost in manpower and materiel, as well as fourteen square miles of forest which is completely uninhabitable now. Security closed in pretty quickly, and we thought we had everything locked down... but somehow, some footage got out to CNN, and now we're blown. We've investigated all the troops who survived, but no-one has any security breaches recorded. Our suspicion is that it may have been one of the civilians we missed. We're on edge this year though. No-one's sure if we should expect another one. We have a dedicated base built up, with heavy weapon emplacements and three regiments patrolling the lockdown zone with surveillance equipment and air support. We can't even describe that thing properly. Samples have shown that it was carbon-based, and it definitely ate, we saw that. As for where it came from, we still have no idea. +++ REPORT ENDS +++ How you can use the Santabomination in your game: - A mysterious monster that turns up only on specific dates (a sacred day from an ancient and forgotten calendar, perhaps) can threaten an area with terrible danger, but may allow wily adventurers to prepare for their next emergence. - Such a creature might also carry some kind of treasure, whether material prizes or something more valuable but less ordinary, like ambergris. This could give rise to a tradition of hunters trying to kill the beast in order to seize the riches it carries. - Perhaps the beast is created by an evil sorcerer who dwells in the mountains at the northern pole, having enslaved a race of elves. He transforms a handful at a time into his abominations and sends them forth to ravage the lands that yet defy him. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 19 December 2019. Healing and Dying are tricky concepts in a role-playing game which often centres around slaughtering large quantities of foes. On one hand, you want it to mean something, so if a character dies, it's not just "five minutes in time out until you get a Resurrection card", but on the other hand, you want to be a fan of your characters, and not derail your entire game because someone gets accidentally killed off by a lucky roll or random encounter.
I've touched on a similar theme before with scars and wounds but this is a slightly different approach. You can offer Player Characters of some specific status (some demigod blood, chosen by fate, load-bearing to the plot, whatever) a chance to 'make a deal with death' to get out of it, stay alive, and maybe take some sort of mortal wound instead, but you then have to wonder which enemies should possess that status as well, and how this would affect them if they come back. You can start to think about what constant exposure to this would do to someone's psyche- "that mercenary with the thousand-yard stare, apparently he died six times already. It's like looking into coals when you look into his eyes..." or even causing some kind of death-resistant mania, like daredevils who don't believe they'll ever truly die. I've included a 'cheated death' condition below for consideration. Another thing to think about is that people get attached to what their characters can DO. If they know that mechanically, their character can heal someone 4d8 hit points, and you don't let them heal someone who's been fatally stabbed with a dagger, people often get frustrated. So how can you communicate that someone can't be healed, without just slapping a "cut scene" label over the top and telling your players that what they do can't affect the outcome? An option is to introduce a rule for critical wounds- wounds which can't be healed as easily, and will definitely lead to death if not healed quickly. Failing that, investigate what to do when it all goes off the rails... Cheated Death (condition) You gain this condition when you've been restored to life by magical means. You may gain this condition more than once, but it stacks each time. When you return from death, you lose some of yourself forever, it being lost in the trauma of remembering your own dying agonies and the secrets which no mortal was meant to know. Effects: Your Charisma score is lowered forever by 1d3 points. You gain a +2 bonus on any saving throws against fear based effects. In addition, you have resistance to healing magic, whether you like it or not. Something about it just doesn't work on you any more. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 21 November 2019. You see strange marks everywhere- odd graffiti, spilled drinks, but sometimes you spy something that makes you really wonder. I’ve been traveling in a different city for the last week, and have spied a lot of these marks outside various shops, on street corners, and so on. They’re very definitely deliberate, and each of the ones I’ve seen is different, but I have no clue what they mean, which of course made me think “how can I use this for a post?”. Markings like these could be similar to real-world ‘hobo signs’, indicating friendliness of the occupants and pets, likelihood to pass on food, danger, where to find medical help, stashed of goods, and so on. A thieves’ guild or group of urban rangers might make use of this kind of sign to evade notice by regular folk, and leave warnings to each other (maybe it’s the written form of Thieves’ Cant?). However, it’s hard to not want to go the full-on magic route this, and make them some sort of arcane sigils. Are these wards to stop a house or business burning down (“nice place you got here... sure would be a shame if something... happened to it”), or even alignment protection wards, keeping out evil spirits or demons? On a side note, Peter V. Brett’s Demon Cycle novels have magical warding circles which keep out the demons rising up from the earth each night- well worth a read, and will definitely have some great ideas for any D&D style game! A last option is that these markings could be some kind of bizarre map. Maybe a cult to a Great Old One leaves these marks, and finding/following them leaves a person just slightly less sane, but able to discover the cult. The circles might represent specific turns that have to be made to reach the next spot, while the lines might represent the number of buildings or blocks you have to pass. (Originally posted on Game Masters Stash on 4 January 2019) It’s important to cultivate your Mimic’s natural talents, and the best way you can do this is by challenging it with particular objects for it to ‘copy’. Mimics enjoy shapes with varying textures, although as they grow, their mass stays about the same. This means you need to adjust the objects you’re giving them to copy, otherwise you’ll end up with an oversized (or undersized) version. Although it can be hilarious to see a baby Mimic take the shape of a storage chest, it is somewhat less adorable to see a fully-grown one adopt the shape of a velvet hat large enough to swallow a horse. This can also lead to poor survival instincts for your Mimic, and hurting the race’s survivability overall. However, while still young, Mimics seem to enjoy going out to socialize, and, when properly trained, can make valuable additions to any wardrobe. (Originally posted on Game Masters Stash on 1 January 2019) Categories All It’s important that your pet Mimic knows who’s boss in your relationship. Mimics approach humanlike intelligence at maturity (Int 6). This means that they can understand basic concepts, solve puzzles, make plans, and sometimes carry them out. Think of them being about as smart as a 10-year old child, with the ability to change shape and bite your hand off. So it’s vital in the early stages of Mimic raising to establish boundaries and dominance. Frequent feeding may assist in this, but timed withholding and withdrawal of food may be advisable in early years to establish your role as caregiver, as well as to encourage safe independence. It is important not to lean too heavily on intimidation- while effective, it breeds hostility, and can lead to escape and rebellion. Once a Mimic has escaped, it is often very difficult to recapture, given its ability to hide. It may be advisable at this time to resort to familiar call-and-answer responses, or favourite songs. Above all, be careful with your Mimic and ensure that it views you as a parent, not a captor. (Originally posted on Game Masters Stash on 31 December 2018) Categories All Mimic Taming is not a hobby for the faint-hearted, or those too attached to their fingers. However, this hobby is popular with Doppelgangers, giving them a ‘feels-close’ sort of pet that will eventually approach human-level intelligence. Mimics appreciate touch, and will often shift through several shapes until they find one that “feels right” against whatever surface is touching them, often settling on wood grain or some other rough texture, in order to better appreciate the scritches. They enjoy being spoken to, especially in melodic tones. It is a little-known fact that Mimics love to hear singing, and can often be discovered when they join in to a popular and well-known song they hear. It is important to remember to oil any surface you touch to a Mimic, to avoid being stuck to it. They can be trained over time not to exude the sticky substance, but to avoid losing fingerprints, skin, or useful coverings, protection is wise. When raising your Mimic, remember to keep it well-fed on food scraps. They are omnivorous, but prefer flavorful meats. If they can see that they are being fed the same foods as their handler, they appreciate the attention. (Originally posted on Game Masters Stash on 30 December 2018) Categories All Maybe 6-7 years ago, I had been playing a 3.5 Edition D&D campaign, as a Chaotic Good swashbuckler/duelist following the tenets of Cayden Cailean. I’m usually a seat-of-my-pants player, full of crazy on-the-spot schemes, so it worked well for me. We were playing through Curse of the Crimson Throne, which was a mostly city-based game. Although my freedom-fighting character was fun, and his devil-may-care attitude got the party into and out of lots of scrapes, he just wasn’t being very effective- a lot of his abilities were based around fighting humanoid-type weapon-using opponents and catching people unawares, which was really unhelpful when we started running into tons of undead, and my piddly 1d6 damage (due to Strength penalty) was just not cutting it. Even though I’d taken some levels in the prestige class for my god, allowing me to smite evildoers and heal people, I wasn’t being terribly effective. The party was a fair way into the game (10-12 levels or so), and someone had bought a Deck of Many Things prop (a printed set, nice artwork and everything). As someone’s birthday present, our GM let us find an in-game Deck, and each choose if we wanted to draw one (or more, per player) cards. One player got Wishes, then got to know how to get out of their next dilemma, then was imprisoned by an evil god, then knew how to get out and burned all of his Wishes, and settled for a sack of gold coins. One character made a terrible planar enemy, and then got a pile of cool magic items and a servant all to himself. I drew a few cards- the Throne (+6 to Diplomacy and a small keep), the Balance (change your alignment to the most opposite from you), and the Jester (+10,000xp, or two more draws). So my fun-loving, freebooting, Devil-may-care swashbuckler turned into a land-owning Lawful Evil manipulator, bent on twisting the world to his will. He was pretty much Discworld’s Lord Vetinari. (Side note: as I qualified for the Blackguard class, which allows you to “trade in” some of your previous Paladin levels if you have any, my GM allowed me to trade in some of mine and change my levels around) He didn’t want to turn against his friends, because he knew that they far outclassed him. Besides, they were useful, so until he came to power... My newly-Machiavellian manipulator changed his tune completely, if not his actions. He freed slaves, did favours for the local Barbarian tribe, and worked against the villainous Queen. And as part of everything he did, he schemed. He took notes of people’s weaknesses. He worked his way into confidences, and masterminded the revolution. He spent his money on stuff not related to the party directly (funding revolutionaries, investing in the church and local businesses, buying off local Lords for influence, or so the other players heard), as well as buying others extra healing potions and a variety of consumables which were handy for them. And he stroked his little goatee and promised that “when I come to power,” things would be different. The other player were happy to have these costs sorted without having to contribute their own cash, and my combat prowess had risen considerably, so they were pleased that they didn’t have to be looking after me so much, as well. I wrote notes for each player, put them into named envelopes, and handed them to each player, as well as one for the GM. And then, at the close of the campaign, the villainous Queen vanquished, I asked my party members to open their envelopes, starting with the GM. The GM’s card listed all the steps I’d taken at each point, the money I’d spent on bribes, the Diplomacy checks I’d made to arrange everything. She checked it, double checked everything, checked my skill bonuses and gear, and then nodded “go on”. The barbarian was elevated to leadership of his tribe because I had the previous chief assassinated, settling his blood-debt forever and putting him exactly where he had always wanted. The city’s laws were changed to stop discriminating against the barbarians, which meant they stopped raiding and started trading with us. The cleric found that the high priest of his church had been imprisoned for blasphemy and treason, leaving him to take the reins... except for finding out that he was addicted to the drugs I had taken over control of, and that he could not cure himself of. For a small sum and considerations, I’d keep him in control of himself, and the church. Our party’s rogue took no persuading: I offered him the mask of the city’s vigilante, and the keys to the cells. He would be able to travel as he liked, cause havoc as he liked, and never be imprisoned. He just needed to ignore the particular things I asked him to look away from. And our wizard, my most dangerous and perceptive ally, well, his card just read a number, 34. It was the Fortitude save DC for my Assassination attempt, as I slipped my envenomed Assassin’s dagger into his ribs. He looked quizzical, rolled... and came up with a total of about 18. (He was a good friend of mine, and was quite pleased with the plot outcome, so he didn’t mind) I reached under the table and pulled out a plastic toy crown which I’d brought, and placed it on my head with a grin. “That’s right. I told you all that when I came to power, things would be different.” The players were silent. No-one could believe I’d gone to this level of planning or preparation. The GM smiled and called the end of the campaign. And that’s the story why the Deck of Many Things isn’t allowed at that GM’s table any more. (Originally posted on Game Masters Stash on 10 May 2018) Categories All |
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