With this spell, you allow your Great Old One patron full control of your body for a short time, to wreak whatever destruction it wills.
UNSHACKLE THE GREAT OLD ONE 4th-level abjuration (Warlock spell - Great Old One patron only) Casting Time: 1 bonus action Range: Self Components: V Duration: 1 minute With a whispered utterance, you let slip the bounds that protect you from the full might of your patron's power, allowing it free rein. You transform into a hybrid aberration-creature, your shape twisted and rent by unreality. It is neither your full patron nor yourself any longer, but something truly in between. The transformation lasts for the duration, or until your new shape drops to 0 hit points or dies. The new form is that of an Aberrant Patron, as below. Your game statistics, including mental ability scores, are replaced by the statistics of the aberrant patron, although you retain some control. You assume the hit points of the aberrant patron form, and if you attempt to resume control and end the spell early, you must succeed on a Charisma saving throw against your warlock spell save DC at the end of your turn. On a failure, the aberrant patron retains control for the next round. When you revert to your normal form, either by ending the spell early, or by the spell's duration expiring, you return to the number of hit points you had before you transformed. If you revert to your normal form as a result of dropping to 0 hit points, any excess damage carries over to your normal form. As long as the excess damage doesn't reduce you to 0 hit points, you aren't knocked unconscious. You are limited in the actions you can perform by the nature of your new form, and you can't cast use any class features or spells unless the aberrant patron form also has them. Your gear and carried items meld into the new form, although your aberrant patron form generally can't activate, use, wield, or otherwise benefit from any of your equipment. ABERRANT PATRON Medium aberration (shapechanger), usually neutral evil Armour Class 16 (natural armour) Hit Points 68 (8d8 + 32) Speed 40ft. Str 16 (+3); Dex 14 (+2); Con 18 (+4); Int 14 (+2); Wis 14 (+2); Cha 19 (+4) Proficiency bonus +3 Saving Throws Con +7, Cha +7 Skills Insight +5, Perception +5 Damage Resistances psychic Condition Immunities charmed, frightened Senses darkvision 60ft., passive Perception 15 Languages any languages you speak, telepathy 60ft. Challenge 7 (2,900 XP) Aberrant Origin. The aberrant patron ignores the effects of its own spells, and is immune to damage from its own spells. Innate Spellcasting. The aberrant patron's spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 15, +7 to hit with spell attacks). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components: At will: arms of Hadar 1/day: hunger of Hadar Patron Features. The aberrant patron gains the following warlock class features, if their warlock is of a level to have them: awakened mind, entropic ward, thought shield, and create thrall. If these features have limited uses, the aberrant patron's uses are counted separately from the warlock's. ACTIONS Multiattack. The aberrant patron makes one claw attack and one tentacle attack. Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) slashing damage. Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 15ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d6 + 2) bludgeoning damage and 3 (1d6) psychic damage. Psychic Assault (Recharge 5-6). The aberrant patron selects a target it can see within 60ft. The target must make a DC 15 Charisma saving throw, and takes 28 (8d6) psychic damage on a failed saving throw, or half as much on a successful one. Celebrating someone's elevation to a new position or title, you infuse a target with magic that subtly guards and empowers them.
ELEVATION 3rd-level enchantment (ritual) (Bard, Cleric spell) Casting Time: 1 hour Range: Touch Components: V, S, M (500 gp worth of diamonds and holy oils, which the spell consumes) Duration: Instantaneous You perform a special cultural ceremony that is infused with magic, celebrating someone's new rank, title, or position. When you cast the spell, choose one of the following initiations, the target or targets of which must be within 10 feet of you throughout the casting. - Bonds of Fellowship. You touch up to five willing creatures who have accepted a role as members of a team or group. For the next 6 months, when one target makes a Help action assisting another target, both targets can choose to regain 2d6 hit points. Once a target has regained hit points from this ability, they cannot regain hit points from this ability until they have finished a long rest. A target can only benefit from this initiation only once. - Dedication. You touch one humanoid who chooses to undertake a specific mission. For the next 6 months or until they have accomplished the mission, whichever occurs first, each time the target makes a saving throw, it can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to the save. A target can only benefit from this initiation once at a time. - Induction. You touch one willing creature who has been granted a new rank or title. For the next month, the target has advantage on saving throws against any effect that would make them charmed, frightened, or stunned. In addition, each time the target finishes a long rest during these 6 months, they gain 10 temporary hit points. A target can only benefit from this initiation only once. - Rulership. You touch one humanoid who has assumed a position of rulership. For the next 6 months, each time the target makes a skill check or saving throw, it can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to the save. A target can only benefit from this initiation once for each region they rule. This fierce and violent spell combines knowledge of the body, powerful magic, and necromatic control to tear forth the target's heart from their chest. It originated from the druids of the Malumalu region, although the technique has been copied and spread to other spellcasters known for their barbarism and bloodthirsty ways.
EVELLERECOR 4th-level necromancy (Druid, Sorcerer spell) Casting Time: 1 action Range: 60 feet Components: V, S, M (a fresh animal's heart, which the spell consumes) Duration: Instantaneous You use sympathetic magic to tear forth the heart from the chest of a creature you can see within range, which materializes in your hand. The target must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed saving throw, the target takes 12d6 necrotic damage, or half as much damage on a successful one. If this damage reduces the target to 0 hit points, it is instantly killed, and any of the creature's allies within 5 feet must make a Wisdom saving throw or become frightened until the end of their next turn. Requested by Yosuke Jones. This spell imbues the target with fiery quickness and an explosive burst of energy when they close with their foe. As they move, their flesh appears to momentarily transmute to living flame.
BURNING STEP 3rd-level evocation (Paladin, Sorcerer, Wizard spell) Casting Time: 1 bonus action Range: 30 feet Components: V, S, M (an ember, which is crushed in your hand during the casting) Duration: Instantaneous You choose yourself or a willing creature you can see within range, who can use their reaction to move up to 20 feet and make a melee attack with a weapon. This movement does not provoke opportunity attacks. If the attack hits, the attack deals an additional 2d8 points of fire damage. If the attack misses, the target of the attack takes half as much fire damage. At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, you can affect one additional creature and the fire damage increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 3rd. This spell protects a small area against intruders, terrifying them away.
WARDING CIRCLE 3rd-level abjuration (Cleric, Wizard spell) Casting Time: 1 minute Range: 10 feet Components: V, S, M (strips of leather inlaid with gold sigils worth at least 100 gp, which are consumed in the spell's casting) Duration: Concentration, up to 8 hours You create a 10-foot radius dome of semi-permeable magical energy centred on a point on the ground that you can see within range. Glowing runes appear wherever the dome intersects with the floor or other surface. Crossing the dome's surface counts as difficult terrain, and means that any ranged weapon or spell attacks crossing the boundary have disadvantage. The dome causes creatures that approach within 5 feet of the dome's exterior surface to make an Intelligence saving throw. On a failed save, the creature becomes frightened. If the creature leaves the vicinity of the warded dome, it can make another saving throw at the end of its turn. Creatures inside the dome are unaffected by the wards, unless they leave the dome. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 24 December 2021. This spell causes the target to be far more vulnerable to a type of attack.
VULNERABILITY 1st-level necromancy (Cleric, Ranger, Wizard spell) Casting Time: 1 bonus action Range: 60 feet Components: V, M (a small pane of glass, which is broken during the spell's casting) Duration: 1 round You gesture to a creature you can see within range and break the glass in your hand, causing them to suffer magical susceptibility to harm. When you cast the spell, you choose bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage. Until the spell ends, the target has vulnerability to that type of damage, if they do not have resistance or immunity to that type of damage already. If the creature has immunity to that damage type, they instead have resistance to the damage type for the spell's duration. If the creature has resistance to that damage type (or if they have resistance to nonmagical attacks from that damage type), they instead lose resistance to that damage type for the spell's duration. Mortality is a powerful motivating force in real life and in fantasy gaming. D&D has methods for dealing with character death, but sometimes these seem mechanical, robbing the narrative of consequences for failure as quickly as just forking over a 5,000 gold piece diamond and 10 minutes. However, there are ways you can make this more interesting or engaging without making it just a quick fix solution.
Here are a few ideas you can use for allowing characters to return from death. Most involve varying or removing Raise dead, Resurrection, and True resurrection as spells, replacing them with actions or rituals as below. Quest to the Underworld Hearkening to Greek mythology, this option involves a metaphysical or physical journey, entering the realm of the dead to liberate their fallen companion. This journey usually needs some kind of bargain or offering and takes some great time, as well as overcoming dangerous enemies, to avoid this just being something routine. Like Orpheus' journey to recover Eurydice, this might even involve impossible tasks that test the willpower and resolve of those who choose to make the journey. Such a quest can be used to build the mythology of the world and the deities that inhabit it. Deal with Death In this option, the force of Death is personified, either as a deity or some other powerful creature. Those who die in heroic ways might be allowed to make an offering or trade, or as in the popular trope of playing dice against death for your life. If this is the case, it can allow the players something to do during their turns while dead or dying, as well as giving some use for the underutilised gaming tool proficiencies. Loss against death might render a character permanently dead or lead to some ongoing effects like level loss or penalties to Constitution. Returned, with consequences Some kind of ritual magic might be able to restore life to the deceased, but they come back changed somehow. Like with Buffy's resurrection following her death, they might have spent time in Heaven (or their version of it, at least), and returning to the mortal realms might leave them overwhelmed and bewildered for some time, or maybe until they would gain their next level. Such a development means there are still consequences for dying, and a heroic death still feels earned and appropriate. Exactly who returns them from death might be up for grabs- an enemy, an ally, or someone uninvolved, perhaps. Returned, to walk a different path The character is offered the chance to return to their allies, but at the cost of their soul or service. Becoming a cleric is always a classic here, but the paths of druidry, a paladin's oath, a warlock's pact, or some similar service works neatly. It might even be a mundane service- returning to an abusive family, agreeing to perform a service for the Thieves' guild, joining the college that has been trying to leverage someone's attendance. The essence of this path allows you as the GM to further a narrative- perhaps one for which you have laid groundwork earlier, or revealing a new threat. Returned, but changed The character is changed into something different- an undead or some kind of different creature like a lycanthrope. They might be able to be transformed back or helped to regain control somehow (another quest for your players to follow!), or perhaps this means having to lose some levels, in exchange for the additional powers of whatever creature they have become. Ritual return Matt Mercer's rules for resurrection (which can be found at Geek and Sundry) lock resurrection behind a mechanical roll that requires actual contribution, rather than just a spell slot. This option makes the resurrection track more with the rest of the game, which requires rolls for success. This still allows for magical restoration of the deceased, but can require research into the life and interests of the deceased to make it function. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 27 November 2021. This spell allows the caster to plague an opponent with an irritating melody that breaks concentration.
EARWORM 1st-level illusion (Bard, warlock spell) Casting Time: 1 action Range: 120 feet Components: V, M (a small paper cone and a drop of glue) Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute Humming a short melody, you plague the target with illusionary sounds constantly repeating. If the target is maintaining concentration on a spell, they must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or lose concentration on a spell that they're concentrating on. If the target is making a skill check or similar action, they take disadvantage on the check. At Higher Levels: When you cast the spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, if the target fails their saving throw they also gain no benefit from a short rest that they're currently taking. When you cast the spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, if the target fails their saving throw they also gain no benefit from a long rest that they're currently taking. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 21 October 2021. PROTECTIVE AEGIS
3rd-level abjuration (cleric, sorcerer, wizard spell) Casting Time: 1 reaction, which you take when you or a creature within 15 feet of you is targeted by an attack or spell Range: Self (15-foot radius) Components: V, S Duration: Concentration, up to 1 round A slightly-opaque sphere of force springs up around you, shielding you and your allies from harm. The aegis has a total of 50 temporary hit points. Until the start of your next turn, any damage dealt to any creatures inside is deducted from the aegis' pool of temporary hit points first (for example, if a dragon's breath weapon deals 60 points of damage, these would be deducted from the aegis' hit points first, and the leftover 10 points is then applied to each creature in the affected area). When the spell's duration expires, the aegis' hit points are lost. At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the aegis has an additional 10 hit points for each spell level above 3rd. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 29 September 2021. PERFECT OUTCOME
5th-level Divination (Cleric, Wizard spell) Casting Time: 10 minutes Range: Self Components: V, S, M (a faceted crystal lens worth 1,000gp) Duration: 10 minutes You use magic to scry the skeins of possibility for the timeline which will yield the optimal solution to your current problem. Although your knowledge of these possibilities is fleeting and does not last, you can call upon your knowledge to affect the immediate future. When you cast this spell, set aside four d20s, and set two to 20 and two to 1. You can replace any attack roll, saving throw, or ability check made by you or a creature that you can see with one of these rolls. You must choose to do so before the roll, and you can replace a roll in this way only once per turn. Each die can be used only once, and must be used within the spell's duration. Any dice not used by the end of the duration are lost. Once you have used all of the dice, or when the spell's duration ends, you gain one level of exhaustion. At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 6th level or above, you gain one additional 20 and one addition 1 die for each slot level above 5th. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 8 September 2021. This innovative spell conjures a momentary rift to the infernal planes inside the target's body, causing catastrophic damage to the, even if they are not instantly destroyed. Its use is horrific, cruel, and immediately outlawed by any right-thinking society.
REAVE 6th-level Conjuration (Sorcerer, Warlock spell) Casting Time: 1 action Range: 60 feet Components: V, S, M (a diamond worth 500 gp) Duration: Instantaneous You tear a momentary planar rift within the body of a target you can see within range. A creature targeted by this spell must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the target takes 10d8 + 20 force damage. On a successful save, the target takes half damage. If this damage reduces the target to 0 hit points, the target is immediately slain. At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 7th level or higher, the damage increases by 2d8 for each slot level above 6th. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 6 July 2021. "The candle that burns twice as bright, burns half as long". This spell imbues the target with tremendous fortune, at the cost of their own bodily energy.
Brightest Candle 3rd-level transmutation (Bard, Cleric spell) Casting Time: 1 action Range: Touch Components: V, S, M (a sanctified candle worth 25 gp) Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute A willing creature you touch glows like a torch, and becomes immune to the Frightened condition. They have advantage on all melee weapon attack rolls and on all saving throws, and gain a +2 bonus to weapon damage rolls. The target loses 10 hit points at the start of each of their turns, and cannot benefit from any effects which restore hit points during this spell's effect. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 2 June 2021. A Symbol spell is an incredibly powerful spell which can be inscribed on a surface to inflict a variety of effects, from outright death to fear, insanity, or sleep for everyone close enough to see it. An option as a unique magical effect could be to feature a spellcaster who has found a way to 'super-size' the effects of this spell, making it visible from a great distance in the sky, and affecting all those who gaze upon it (the 'drone QR code in the sky' from not too long ago comes to mind).
Imagine a blazing symbol so bright and so gigantic that everyone who can comprehend it is instantly stunned by its power, or cursed into sleep. This could act as an impressively powerful defense against invaders, or a tool for subjugating the masses. Just surviving the sight of the grand symbol will be difficult, but then evading its baleful light and making your way to the enormous crystal maintaining its power (as an example) could be a dangerous feat. Perhaps the caster has even recruited blinded or unseeing monsters (like Grimlocks or Grimbrutes) as protection, which are able to navigate regardless of the grand symbol's effects. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 21 May 2021. The Rite of the Sightless Eye inscribes an incredibly intricate series of magical runes on a creature's iris. The ritual is quite dangerous, and the slightest mistake can ruin the magic, as well as the medium on which it is inscribed. However, many judge the reward as being worth the potential risk. Some powerful magic-users have been known to perform this ritual on some of their most useful and valuable servants, allowing them increible power to discern foes hidden by magical auras.
The runes glow when revealed, blinding the user when that eye is opened. For this reason, many wear a leather patch or crystal monocle to hide the eye, which takes a lot of adjustment. However, when the eye is in use, it allows the user to view and focus in on magical auras, granting incredible acuity. Rite of the Sightless Eye Rare magical ritual, permanent (requires attunement) The user is blinded in one eye, permanently taking disadvantage on any sight-based Wisdom (Perception) checks, and reducing the range of any ranged attacks to two-thirds, rounding down to the nearest 5 feet. When activated, this grants the user Truesight to a range of 30 feet, and activates Detect magic. Both of these effects require concentration to use. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 24 April 2021. This spell allow a caster to temporarily call upon the support of the spirits of your ancestors, taking some of the strain you suffer while concentrating on deeds of magic. While some use it as a study aid, it is in reality far more useful than this.
ANCESTRAL SUPPORT 4th-level conjuration (ritual) (Cleric, Sorcerer) Casting Time: 1 action Range: Self Components: V, S, M (a possession belonging to at least two of your ancestors, worth 100gp or more) Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour You conjure the spirits of your ancestors to support and empower you during trying times. They take on some of the strain, allowing you to concentrate your mind to an amazing degree. While this spell is active, you call one ancestral supporter, which appears only in your mind and has no statistics. You can cast one additional spell which requires concentration, and have this spell held by your ancestral supporter. The ancestral supporter cannot lose concentration on the spell, even if you are distracted or damaged (although you might lose concentration on this spell). When the spell which the ancestral supporter is holding for you expires, it bids you farewell silently, and cannot hold an additional spell for you. In addition, you have advantage on Arcana, Nature, and Religion checks while you maintain concentration on this spell. At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, you call one additional ancestral supporter for each slot level above 4th. Each may hold one spell. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 14 April 2021. This spell imbues you with tremendous force, perhaps enough to topple buildings or foes.
PUISSANT PUNCH 5th-level evocation (Artificer, Wizard spell) Casting Time: 1 action Range: Self Components: V, S, M (a cylinder made of tin, a leaf of spinach, and an ounce of whey) Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute You instill one of your arms with mighty power. While this spell is active, when you make an Attack action, you can use a puissant punch as a melee attack using your spell attack modifier, which deals 5d6 bludgeoning and 5d6 force damage on a hit. The target must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, it is knocked prone. This attack deals double damage to an object. While this spell is active, you have disadvantage on attack rolls made with any other weapon or spell attack. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 24 March 2021. This spell counters a spell so thoroughly that it is burned from the caster's mind, rendering them unable to cast it again soon.
SIEZE DWEOMER 4th-level abjuration (Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard spell) Casting Time: 1 reaction, which you take when you see a creature within 60 feet of you casting a spell or using an innate spell ability Range: 60 feet Components: S Duration: Instantaneous You attempt to interrupt a creature in the process of casting a spell. If the creature is casting a spell of 3rd level or lower, its spell fails and has no effect. If it is casting a spell of 4th level or higher, make an ability check using your spellcasting ability. The DC equals 10 + the spell's level. On a success, the creature's spell fails and has no effect. If you are successful at countering the spell, the creature removes that spell from their list of prepared or available spells, or is not able to use the ability for 1 hour, if it is an innate ability. Once during the next 1 hour, you can cast that spell using at its minimum spell slot, without expending a spell slot of your own. At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, the interrupted spell has no effect if its level is less than of the spell slot you used. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 24 March 2021. For a variety of reasons, some choose new names for themselves, and it with this spell that they are scribed upon all of reality, changing how others even think of them. Some elect to take a name upon taking a title, or simply one that they would prefer, while others choose to replace their name with something more appropriate, like 'He Who Shall Not Be Named' or 'The Wizard Formerly Known As Primus'. One unfortunate soul who cast this early in their career has been known as Lord Buttface for their entire career, unable or unwilling to shift the prank.
COGNOMINATION 3rd-level transmutation (Bard, Sorcerer, Wizard spell) (ritual) Casting Time 1 hour Range Self Components V, S, M (adamantium powder mixed into a paste worth 100gp, a golden quill worth 50gp) Duration Instantaneous You select a new name or title for yourself, and write it, confirming your new name. All written instances of your previous name which referred to you change permanently and untraceably to reflect your new name, and anyone speaking to or about you may only use your new name. Anyone who attempts to speak your old name when referring to you finds themselves magically unable to pronounce it, and takes 1 point of psychic damage. If you cast this as a ritual spell, the target may be one willing creature in touch range instead of 'self'. They select their own name or title. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 18 March 2021. This spell spatters the target with a thick, stinky spatter of sticky tar, restricting their movement.
BEFOULING JET 2nd-level conjuration (Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard spell) Casting Time: 1 action Range: 120 feet Components: V, S, M (a ball of tar) Duration: Up to one minute You point at a target, sending a gout of warm, sticky tar jetting towards them. Make a ranged spell attack roll against the target. On a hit, the target becomes Paralyzed for 1 minute. At the end of the target's turn, they can make a Strength saving throw against your spell save DC. On the first success, they become Restrained instead of Paralyzed, and on the second success, they end the spell's effect on themselves. Any clothing worn by a target hit by this spell becomes grimy and disgusting. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 12 March 2021. This druidic spell unites the caster and a beast to whom they share a link, making them act and strike in deadly unison.
BATTLE BOND 2nd-level divination (Druid, Ranger spell) Casting Time: 1 action Range: Touch Components: V, S, M (a queen bee or ant) Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute You bond with a willing Beast that you touch, creating a mystic connection between you and the target until the spell ends. While the target is within 60 feet of you, you each gain +1 to saving throws, and you can both communicate telepathically with one another without any action required. While this spell is active, if either you or the target takes psychic damage, the other party takes half the amount of damage taken in addition (for example, if the target takes 18 points of psychic damage, you take an additional 9 points of damage). When you take an Attack action, the target can also make an Attack action at the same time, and if you both attack the same target, all your attacks against the same creature have advantage. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 27 February 2021. |
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