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Fixing The Eldritch Knight

3/18/2023

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Let's take a moment and talk about the Fighter.

  A standardized class across multiple fantasy tables, the Fighter solidified its home in Dungeons & Dragons as the quintessential bruiser and battle king.  You had the best armor, the best weapons, and you could take it as well as you could dish it.  Though that identity would fracture with the induction of the Barbarian and Paladin classes of 5th Edition (why hello there, NOVA damage), the core concept would remain the same.  
  My favorite Fighter version is easily found in Pathfinder 1E, where I'm rocking Feats at every level, building a shield wall monster that blocks everything and hits harder than a blunderbuss with a buckler.  That's my jam.  Customizable visionary characters who personify the idea of TANK - shrugging off blows while the wizard wrecks fools in the back row.  

Fast-forward to 5th Edition, and I think we can all agree that Fighter took a nerf arrow to the knee.  Subclass options, at least at the onset, left a bit to be desired in execution.  Overall concepts were promising, but once we started playing, adjustments in the name of game balance turned us off to future prospects.  

A little overview of our initial options:

The Champion

The basic fighter with a little more basics.  Big fan of increasing your threat range by +5% early on, rocking critical hits on a 19-20 at Level 3.  Blend that feature alone with a Barbarian mix with Action Surge and Reckless Attack and you've got a "crit-fisher" in 5 levels (plus, add on some Rogue levels and you won't be sorry when that Sneak Attack feature doubles).
  You'll get some nifty athletic and Dexterity buffs, and finally grab that sweet, sweet 18-20 critical at level 15.  In my honest opinion, that happens a bit too late, considering the wizard is about to be dropping Meteor Swarm on your dumb ass.

The Battle Master

AKA the "good one", Battle Master has been played quite well at a number of my tables.  You have sweet, versatile combat and utility options to trip, pull, push, and goad opponents, all while stacking on damage and forcing saving throws.  And the suite of Battle Maneuvers to make that happen is a big enough pool that you won't have the same Battle Master often.  Clearly the tactician of load out, a good Battle Master involves themselves intrinsically in the landscape of battle, scoring key moves and hits, and setting up their allies for greater success.  It keeps you in the action, and it was clearly made with this in mind.

The Eldritch Knight

The Fighter with a "blasting hand", the Eldritch Knight in concept is freaking awesome.  A sword-swinging badass with just enough magic for a sick one-two punch of arcane might and hard steel.  You get access to 4th level spells at max level, but I ain't complaining, and you can shoot off cantrips while still hacking into fools with your multiple attacks...per...round.  
Hey, wait a minute.
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So.  In case you weren't paying attention.
  The defining feature of a 5th Edition Fighter is that they can attack more often than any other class.  While everybody else caps at 2 attacks per Attack Action (shut up, Monks, those extras are your Bonus Action), Fighters cap at FOUR times per Action, and they get Action Surge to rock me Amadeus four MORE times if they so choose in a round.
  So you saunter into this class archetype, wind blowing in your Maybelline hair, and you summon a Firebolt as you brandish your sword, ready to kick ass and take names - and you get to swing once.  ONCE.  You burn your Action on the Cantrip, and you swing ONE FREAKING TIME.  And that's at SEVENTH LEVEL - where every other martial class is hitting at least twice, and your Wizard has access to 4th Level spells.  Feels a bit late, doesn't it?
"OH.  BUT IT GETS BETTER," he said mockingly.
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ARE.  YOU.  SERIOUS!?
  Not to sound ungrateful, but let's break this down.
Eldritch Strike sounds nice on paper.  Hit a dude, they have Disadvantage on a Saving Throw from a spell YOU cast before the end of your next turn.  That's nice, I guess.  Snag Hold Person and you've got a clutch setup for you and your allies; in fact, because you can switch up the order (in most cases) of your Bonus Action and Action economy, you can achieve this debut in the same round.  ...Still only hitting once, though, as that Bonus Action.
Arcane Charge is pretty nifty.  Wreck somebody sideways, then teleport to another across the battlefield and do it again.  That's cool - I admit it.  Still feels like something's missing, though.
Improved War Magic - at 18th level, you can now cast a Spell (which you've been doing anyway, maybe), and attack ONCE as a Bonus Action.  FACE.  PALM.
*Not featured in the screen cap is a neat little flavor perk where you can call your weapon to you as a Bonus Action.  ...More on that later.

Talk about a lackluster reception, and it isn't for lack of players trying.
  The flavor text of the Eldritch Knight sounds like the BEST TIME playing as a Fighter.  The versatility of low-level Wizard magic and blasting power, and all the standard Fighter perks, plus more Feats than anyone else (so customization options).  I've had a few players go for this build, only to be sorely disappointed by the extra features, to the point that they RARELY used their arcane abilities, defaulting to vanilla fighter most of the time (you know, the one that can attack eight times in a round?).
So without sounding too verbose or long-winded, I propose the following adjustments:  

Let Go Of The Action Economy Lawyering AKA "Let Fighters Fight"

Let's address the first Treant in the room - War Magic is downright mean to the Fighter's primary ability set.  Just swap it around.  Change the language like this: "Beginning at 7th level, when you use your Action to make a weapon attack, you may cast a Cantrip as a Bonus Action."
  "But what about spells that have a casting time of 1 Action!?" I hear you scream.  
Don't care.  Sorcerers get Quickened Spell, Eldritch Blast fires multiple separate rays, and Fireball has been around for three levels.  Get over it and let the Knight swing their weapon into a skeleton twice and rock a Firebolt on the sabertooth tiger gnawing on your Cleric.  It's their job - let them do it.
  And later, just upgrade the Bonus Action to a spell of 1st or 2nd level.  Yes, you're effectively "quickening" those spells, but the Fighter still burns their VERY LIMITED resources in the form of spell slots.  By 18th level, they hold no ability to be a more effective Wizard than the Wizard, but they CAN hit 3-6 times a round and unload a Hold Person beforehand.  Don't lie to yourself, you WANT that on your side.
Side Note: if you REALLY feel like they should sacrifice more to get that spell off, have them lose ONE of their attacks.  But not more than that.

Let Arcane Charge...Charge

Action Surge is most often used to put a little extra punishment on a single target - whether they're looking rough and ready to fall, or as a means to pull more threat your direction and lay in some extra damage - so Arcane Charge mixes that up beautifully.  By RAW, teleporting doesn't provoke Attacks Of Opportunity, so bamfing elsewhere doesn't get undermined by things like Sentinel.  
  To sweeten the pot a little more, I propose that IF you teleport, your first attack against the new target has Advantage.  Teleporting is not the same as running up on somebody - it's surprising, so let's give them something for it.  Nothing crazy here, but SOMETHING that sets it apart from, say, Misty Step.

Let Flavor Be...Flavorful?

Early DnD gets a little obsessive about picking things up and putting them down.  
  In previous editions and iterations, things like Swift Actions were burned to draw and drop, and, depending on WHAT you were interacting with, it would cost more.  According to 5E RAW, you can draw a weapon as part of making an attack, and picking up a dropped weapon can be done as part of your movement.  In fact, according to combat rules, the whole concept of drawing, dropping, and retrieving is very much UP TO THE DM in any circumstance.  The Player's Handbook provides examples of what you COULD do, but no grounded rule.
  ...So WHY is Eldritch Knight so specific?  
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Weapon Bond is actually super cool.  You're up against a gaggle of Rogues trying to get the jump on you at a gala (no weapons allowed, see?).  It gets to your turn as they scoff at you...and you just re-summon your weapon back to your hand.  That's awesome!  What a great "gotcha."  Do that with two weapons, and it's a massive hero moment!
  Except it burns your Bonus Action.  Now, here I'm sort of torn.  On the one hand, it's still special; it's magical, only you can do it, and sometimes cool stuff should cost something.  On the other hand, the Eldritch nature of the archetype is its whole flavor - a subtle summoned weapon for free feels cool enough to wave.  HOWEVER, those poor Warlocks have to burn a whole Action to summon their Pact Weapon and they gave up their whole-ass soul to an Eldritch muscle mommy.
Hmm.  Tell you what - keep the Bonus Action cost.  Cool stuff can cost something (it's just for a round, anyway).  BUT I propose adding one other benefit to your Bonded Weapons, a thing that is sorely lacking for Fighters, especially in a low Magic Item campaign.
  "Starting at 9th level, your Bonded Weapon strikes count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage."  No +1 longsword, but considering that Monks get that for their FISTS at 6th level, I'm not breaking anything that wasn't already cracked.

Also.  What's Up With That Spell Progression Freeze?

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You read that right.
  Take a look at levels 17-18.  No new spells known, no new spell slots, NO CHANGE WHATSOEVER.  
True, 16 gets a feat, and 18 is your archetype capstone, 17 nets you another Indomitable...  But NOTHING?  Even the Champion is owning fools on the battlefield with 15% crit-range, but you?  You just sit tight.  
Far be it for me to upset the laws of magic, but how about we allow the Eldritch Knight to replace a spell in those levels?  They've been playing for some time by then; they should know what works and what doesn't - so let them "re-spec" their power set a little.  "When you reach level 16, and again at 17th and 18th level, you can replace one spell you have learned with another spell equal to its level.  This spell cannot be changed once it is learned." 

  These tiny adjustments I ensure will make your Eldritch Knight more effective, exciting, and FUN to play, while still honoring the spirit of its origin.
For every failed dynamic, I used to throw myself into a complete overhaul of a class or archetype, or worse, made my own; flawed and devastating in ways I could never have imagined - all in an attempt to fix what was only minutely broken.  Grace (and age) have taught me that subtle adjustments carry the most elegance, and truly make all the difference.  
There ya go.  Eldritch Knight to Eldritch King.
You're welcome.
​-Adamus

These proposed adjustments, though allowed at my tables, are indeed HOMEBREW.  Be sure to ask your DM for approval before utilizing them.
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Monster Lore: Peryton

8/13/2022

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A Shadow Betrayed

A cursed mix of wings, talons, and a vampiric stag's head, the Peryton is a monstrous entity.  It is depraved relentless in its vicious pursuit to maim and devour the hearts of other creatures, holding a specific hatred for humans and elves.  Even injured, these creatures will hunt down detected foes, until at least one of them is dead.

Their feathering from a distance could be considered beautiful, and with wings tucked, settled upon the ground, the Peryton might pass for a lesser woodland being.  The moment one gets closer, though, you'll notice a good many things are off.

First, actually, would be the smell.  In this case, a lack of one.  Less sensitive noses would identify the creature as human, but those with a modicum of training or enhanced primal senses would pick no smell at all, coupled with an overwhelming sense of dread.  
  Standing over 7 feet tall, the Peryton's demonic stag face smiles with rows of razor-sharp teeth.  The plumage of their chest might tell you their gender (males tend to be blue, while females are a pale white), but soon you won't care.  Their antlers, jet black and harder than steel, are used to rend and impale, and their depraved form is resilient to all but magical weapons. 
As their eyes of orange flame pierce through the fog, any light that passes over them lies about their true form.
  For you see, the most peculiar element of a Peryton is their shadow.  This winged, evil beast will hiss before you, but its shadow will present as human.  Always.  Human.  


This oddity presents a plethora of curious theories, but few had evidence to match.
  Some Loremasters believe the false shadow to be an echo of the last creature the Peryton killed.  Given its penchant for violence against humans and elves, this was the prevailing theory for hundreds of years.  It wasn't until the haphazard findings of one Grenaldi Mayweather, a gnomish priest under the cover of twilight, who one night happened upon a nest of the creatures in the Ghastshadow Mountains.  She observed the flock tear into a pack of roaming Aarakocran, ambushed or set upon as they slept.  Just as history told us, the Peryton ripped open the chests of their victims, consuming the still-warm hearts with grim satisfaction.  Mayweather watched in dread curiosity, eager to solve the riddle of the shadow...  But the humanoid echo remained.  No winged shadows manifested.
  Mayweather was lucky to escape with her life, but returned soon after for more observation, this time with an elite guard to watch her back; the knowledge was too important not to be careful...

Hearts and Minds

It would also be Mayweather that would witness the first instance of a Peryton being born.  Though there are documented family units of a male and a female Peryton (though they'd be hard-pressed to care for their young, if not kill them), this instance within the nest involved two females.  
  Both left to hunt, smelling blood on the wind.  They were gone for hours.  When they returned, blood dripping from their claws, they delivered several chunks of flesh to the next to feast upon, and a still writhing human man!  Mayweather watched as her lookout - a young brown-eyed ranger - was clutched by one of the pair and pulled toward the other, like it was presenting a gift.  Firey smoke and twisting gray tendrils spilled from the one in waiting, before its teeth sank into the man's chest, ripping his beating heart from the cavity.  His body went limp, and Peryton female scarfed down the heart, her eyes shifting translucence in the penumbra.  
  Then Mayweather heard a sound that sent chills down her spine.  
Like an echo of a child's laugh.  A giggle in the gloom, small and innocent.  Then it grew, warping and dancing along the walls, raising in pitch and warble, until it is a chorus of cackling.  The other eyes in the nest rise and join in, their necks convulsing and twisting backward with the sound, a malevolent inversion of mirth and satisfaction.  The sound becomes a beast in and of itself, a roiling mass of whoops and hollers, striking chords and stark dissonance.  Vibrations spill out the mouth of the cave, whispers at the ears of the hidden spies, and shouts upon the walls that surround them.
  The guards around the gnome begin to clutch and claw at their ears, the cacophony bringing a few to tears.  Mayweather instinctually covers the sob of her closest ranger, insisting that he get himself together.
Then.
Silence.
  The smell of dread hits Mayweather's nostrils as she dares to peer into the nest.  All the Peryton stare straight ahead, their mouths gaping open - a frozen, terrifying smile.  Until they all snap their eyes...to her.

They made it out with one casualty.  Her second blue-eyed scout, snatched by a rogue talon before he could slip into the wooden door of a magnificent mansion.  
  Safe within the dimensional space, Mayweather vigorously wrote down her conclusions:
1. New Peryton are born by a female consuming the heart of a freshly killed humanoid.
2. Their shadows flicker into monstrous forms during the process of incubation.
3. When incubation begins, nearby Peryton gain heightened senses to protect the pregnant female, becoming even more violent.  The more there are, the stronger the pack's senses.
  Her fourth note she added weeks later, when her guards - while out hunting - were set upon by a pair of Peryton, seemingly tracking them for miles.  When they finally confronted the creatures, they were surprised to see two young Peryton, newborns - one with brown eyes and the other with blue, both with shadows of human form.  ...Felling the creatures was tough, but much worse for their psychology.  Poor guys.
4. Newborn Peryton share the eyes of the creature whose heart they were born from.  As they get older, and kill more for their own survival and pleasure, the blood tarnishes the eye color, shifting it to match the orange-red of the others.

Origin Theories

Mayweather and others theorized that the first Peryton was a cursed human or elf, twisted by a god of chaos.  The bards of old expanded upon this, marking its origin to infidelity, curses, and carrions feasting on cursed corpses.
  Given Mayweather's most recent expeditions, however, the clearest line exists through pure vehemence.  These aren't cursed humans - they were MADE by something.  Sometime in the first age, when great magics could be wielded by mere mortals, a wizard general - whose name is lost to time - sought a tactical edge against the elven and human alliances.  So he juxtaposed what he had on hand with fiendish blood.  An intellect unmatched, the alchemist rivaled the gods for a moment - before his heart was ripped from his chest...

Mind the shadows.  Watch the skies.
See you next time.
-Adamus
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Re-Balancing Acts: 3 Character/NPC Studies

2/5/2022

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I've been running campaigns long enough that I've stacked up NPCs like Pokemon cards, ready to unleash them onto unsuspecting players.  Sometimes they work wonders, other times they suck wind through a straw.  Let's take a look at a few and see what I could have done better.  
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Jedrek Remo - Blackweave Monk
Gray Owls, Book 1 - 6th Age

Core Concept: Jedrek is a one-man army.  Built by a broken monastery as a final solution, a Blackweave monk wields the power of the broken weave.  Using his skin as parchment, a Blackweave covers himself in arcane runes and tattoos, each connected to an ancient power.  By engaging a tattoo, he can cast the spell that was inscribed upon him, wielding the cosmic powers of the lost tribes of wizards.  But once the tattoo was spent, the ink burns off of him, lost forever.
  A Blackweave can add permanent augmentations to his body by inscribing runes upon the skin, and burning them over 100 days.  These marks become infused scar tissue, sewn with residual power.  One can use this technique to add extra ways to manipulate their Ki, make their bodies more formidable, or make their minds sharper.
Version 1.0: A Way Of The Long Death Monk at Level 17, with a Level 14 Gunslinger as backup VS a party of five level 10 adventurers.  Low Con saves and lucky rolls on my end put the melee friends on the stun train pretty fast, but things got pretty close.  A Tattoo of Contingency - Revivify was placed on him as a last resort by his Compendium (the order branch), which saved his skin.  Using Step Of The Wind, he escaped, healed, and returned for his quarry, killing a PC and taking the body. 
  Notes: It was a tough encounter and a decent field test for the build, but he didn't use a lot of his tattoos.  As it stood, his action economy required use of his Bonus Action to engage a tattoo.
Version 1.5: The players, now at full force: 10 characters at Level 13 VS 1 Level 18 Long Death Monk.  Taking no chances, the resident pyro cast instead Telekinesis, holding Jedrek aloft and restraining him.  As Telekinesis is a contest of checks, not saves, Jedrek's Diamond Soul (proficiency in all Saving Throws) doesn't engage.  Good job party!  However, because of one small wording technicality in Jedrek's build language...he wasn't entirely shut down.  He still had access to ALL of his Weave, so every round he'd struggle against the Telekinesis (fail), then spend a Bonus Action to engage a spell that was laced onto him.  It was a "chip damage" fight; still interesting and dangerous, but felt off somehow.  It also took a long time.  They killed him and burned the body (evidence), and felt good about avenging their ally.

Future Adjustments: We finally figured out what was bugging me.  Engaging the tattoos can still be a Bonus Action, but I propose a few limiting factors.  Certain on 1 and 2, entertaining 3 and 4.
1) He has to touch the tattoo, which requires movement.  If he's restrained, he can't do that.  Telekinesis should have shut him down completely.  It's the anti-monk spell!
2) There should be a Ki cost to engage the spell.  Either Spell Level = Ki Points spent or 1/2 Spell Level (rounded up) = Ki Points spent.  Cantrips are always 1 Ki Point.
3) I'm considering a spell level limitation.  Like no spells above 7th...  Then again, even with a 20th level monk, using 9 Ki to cast that crazy Meteor Swarm that others at my level can also crank out ...as a Bonus Action...  Yeah, no.  We're limiting this crap.  No 8th or 9th level spells.  7th I MIGHT be okay with.  We'll play with it.
4) The Runes he's burned take up attunement slots, or 1/2 an attunement slot.  They take a lot to get, including cost and training (100 days, remember), but they *are* permanent; so someone with a lot of time and resources can add on Runes easily.  They already have a maximum of 3 Runic Augments before their body can't take the strain anymore, but after that we've got Bracers of Defense, a Ring of Protection, and a Cloak of Protection (a total +4 AC, and a total +2 to all saves).  With Runes that make your Martial Arts 1d12 (instead of 1d10), allow you to Hunter's Mark, and others that grant you Sneak Attack for Ki...  Don't want anyone to get too beefy too fast.

Why?: Action economy is too far broken.  He can be a better wizard than a wizard, and still PUNCH REALLY HARD.
Is the Blackweave dead?  Nah.  But it requires more tweaking as a subclass.  Monks have A LOT of options already, so it may serve better in another class (Ranger could be interesting), open-ended to all classes (needs some secrecy), or needs a few more limitations/refinement.
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Slyana Jedaya / "Sly" / Knight Of Sloth
D&D Campaign 2 - 3rd Age

Core Concept: The Daughters of Syn had been a consistent villain group all throughout campaign 2 on Tuesdays, and I'm a big fan of using common mythos and turning it on its head.  In this case, we're using the Seven Deadly Sins as our model.
  "Sly" is Sloth.  Laid back and lazy, this knight doesn't want to do much, instead opting for her familiar, Freya, to do most tasks for her.  But for all her laziness, if ever you were to hurt Freya, or try to hurt her more severely, she would finally show you her true power - frightening and efficient, she'd like to end the fight as soon as possible, so she can return to her nap.

Encounters and Impressions:  Sly was my absolute favorite side villain.  Every moment the party encountered her, they fell in love with her dry wit and lack of commitment.  She would often show up on the outskirts of a battle (showing that she was always watching for her mistress, Syndrosa), smoking a pipe and giving raucous commentary of the fight, quick to crack jokes or just shrug at veiled threats.  In fact, the first time she met the group, she helped most of them escape the Underdark (I wonder if that endeared her to them a bit).  She was really just gathering information on them at that point, but she really didn't care either way, so killing them would be boring.

Fight 1: The first real encounter with Sly involved the group trying to rescue a little girl trapped in the Underdark.  Sly had an amulet on her person with a soul trapped inside (but the party didn't know that, only that she had a nice amulet, it looked valuable).  The party turned into bugs and snuck into her room, while others tried to deal with Sly's partner, an Oathbreaker Paladin named Naz (Pride).  For most of the fight, the party simply kept Sly occupied as she played with them, always at the edge of caring.  It wasn't until Naz was killed that Sly began to show her true ferocity.  Sly's first boon involves Freya; the fire fox fuses with her form, granting her lycanthropic strength and speed, as well as some Greater Invisibility.  Couple this with the fact that she's already a Level 16 Druid by now...and we've got something serious on our hands.  The party has A LOT of close calls, but manages to kill her, her form crumbling away in strips of...ice?

Fight 2: MUCH TIME PASSES and the group assault the now Queen Syndrosa in her OWN LAIR, and are promptly defeated.  Despite this Full Party Capture moment, the players were SO HAPPY to find out that Sly was indeed alive, and the version they killed was some sort of Clone or Simulacrum.  Heck, she even helps them escape the follow-up encounter (again: she doesn't really care).  But upon returning to the Fortress of Syn, now better prepared and after taking out Lust and taking some weapons from Wrath, they come across the real Sly.  She toys with them a little...and then the Paladin kills the fire fox.
  A Storm of Vengeance, and A LOT of near-death experiences (2 deaths total, but yay Revivify), a well-timed Power Word Kill drops Sly for good (strange, she could have totally Counterspelled, but she didn't...).  The party was the SADDEST I have seen them after this fight - they didn't want it to end!


Build and Boons
Class: Druid 20, Circle of the Moon (not that she cares)
Standard Boons: Boon of Fortitude (HP +50, Temp HP Ward +20), Boon Fey Step (Movement +30 as a Misty Step)
Boon of the Fire Fox - grants the Knight a familiar in the form of a fire elemental.  This familiar can heal you from a distance and merge with you to grant extra physical bonuses and a burst of fire damage at the end of every one of your turns.
Boon of the Sloth - Aura of Relaxation (little things don't stress you out, Calm Emotions at all times, advantage on saving throws against being charmed).  Social power of Disarm (disadvantage for foes to resist your relaxed charm).  You have entertaining and informative visions involving the people you observe; you no longer sleep, but napping opens these visions to your perfect memory.  Whether you act on them...is totally up to you.
Is Sly gone for good? - Mmm.  Tricky thought; death can get weird in D&D, and resurrection moreso.  Depends on where her soul ended up, and who cares enough to get her back.  I have a feeling her return would not be an unwelcome one, at least by a few PCs. ;)
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ANOX / The Immortal General
D&D Pirates Campaign - 4th Age

Core Concept: A Circle Of Spores Druid hell-bent on conquering the world of beasts, controlled by the Mantle of the General; an ancient artifact forged by the Erlking of the Feywild.  Woof.  That's heavy.
  Anox was a product of the Erlking's choices; after the Archfey took the Helm of the Hunt, his purging Valkyries decimated the forces of Anox's predecessor, Gurlanik, the Fade.  To rectify this, Anox used his only son as a lure to other beings touched by Fey energy, and used his Circle to "seed" them with necrotic powers - and his control.  The resulting Treant-Hybrid army, coupled with the stolen Mantle's innate power to call nearby beasts under his command, Anox began preaching dominion over the Wilds beyond and amassing an army of druids who shared his ideals.
  His son, Darius, finally fed up with the loss of innocent life, formed his own pack of druids - attempting first a coup, then, when that failed, an all-out-assault upon his father, while freeing those that would be hunted for his dark purpose.  This betrayal marked the beginnings of Anox's madness, and the Mantle began to wrestle control away where it could.  Soon, the two entities became indistinguishable from one another, and the more Anox used the Mantle to augment his magic, the more it took from his mortal body...but he could not die as long as it was bound to him.


Boss Fight: This fight was...problematic.  There was a spore lair with infectious actions, a whole one on one duel where the PCs made strange tactical decisions and then got mad when they didn't work out.  And this was already a difficult campaign to run; huge mix of experience levels and play styles clashing all over the place.  If I were to run this in the now, 4 years wiser, I'm confident it would have been earned.  Honestly, I was still cutting my teeth on this one.
    There were personal stakes with a PC, which, in any other case, would have made this much more charged - the end result here...was confusing.  Misinterpretations of rules and descriptions, intentions, and flow; it got pretty awkward at times.
  What I WANTED to happen was a dynamic battle of shifting landscapes and status effects, a ticking time bomb of spore growth, and a possible moral quandary of tearing the mantle free to destroy it or don it yourself.  Instead, it was a jumbled mess with a few great moments (I'll give that to my seasoned players), tarnished by that constant confusion or rules-lawyering.  Different group, different time I guess.


The Build: Druid 18 [Circle of Spores], Warlock 2 [Great Old One*]
  The Warlock element of this build required a lot of homebrew.  This Great Old One ends up being the Mantle itself, a semi-sentient immortal object (one of my "Legacy Artifacts") that has held many hosts before, and draws power equally from the Shadowfell and the Feywild.  It had regenerative properties, negated by radiant damage, and the Mantle has its own suite of innate daily spells - it could even cast additional spell effects by placing levels of Exhaustion on its user.  
  At the time, I wasn't confident with custom Legendary Actions, but a second go would simplify Anox's action economy to that of a standard druid, and the Mantle would act with Legendary Actions of its own, illustrating the dichotomy of the two entities joined.  I could then drop better hints as to the artifact's nature, and I would allow the PCs to attack the Mantle directly, adding a puzzle to this duel of fates.
  As it stands, Anox - and myself - learned a lot from this boss fight, and we haven't seen the last of his character.  Perhaps a new version will retcon the old for us all. 


Anywho.
It's important to look back now and again.  To consider where our lessons lie, and what new adventures we can craft with them in mind.  Maybe I'll do this again - I've got plenty stashed in the mental basement.

If you enjoyed this, maybe say so, or check out the Patreon (it could always use some love).  
Stay warm out there.
-Adamus


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Putting Your PCs Through The Ringer

8/18/2021

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It happens every once in a while.  You're moving and grooving in a campaign, joking, laughing, having a blast - then the big bad shows up and things go sideways.  They're tough, but you do your best, and the dice are all over the place.  Characters are dropping left and right as they pull out all the stops to win, and the rival group's preparation throws the party off-guard.  Then the tides begin to turn, and realization sets in - your players are going to lose.  
  HOW that happens, though, and what it means, is up to everyone at the table.
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Sometimes D&D can be hard on you.
  There's a beautiful immersive quality to tabletop gaming that invites fun and engaging storytelling, deep role-play (even if it's silly - my favorite), and impactful combat.  But for all the moments of victory, laughter, and levity...sometimes things don't go the way you thought they would.  Dice rolls don't play nice, your enemies came prepared, or stuff's going on in real life that colors what's happening.  Does that mean it was a bad story?  Not at all.  A challenging encounter once in a while (and in this case, once in a LONG while, as most of the campaign is meant to be fun and light) makes the points of levity even stronger, and how characters rise from the ashes of a "defeat" can uncover new layers of immersion and growth.

The Fears Of A DM

In my Feywild campaign, there has been a consistent air of hilarious strangeness and dark undertones, with a side salad of irreverent quips and bonkers magic.  At the table, we find our sweet spot in Social Interaction and Exploring this intriguing setting, while building up a network of knowledge on the many forces vying for control of this magical realm.  Our best sessions are derived with zero combat and an army of NPCs to talk to and mess with.
  It's in Combat and conflict that the veils struggle, and the dark side of the setting pulls into focus.  
This is a High Magic setting full of Fey and wizards and chronomancy and Queen Mab.  Campfires sing to you, trapping those entranced in an endless dance of death.  The grass needs compliments or it will kill you.  The dreaded Theater looms in the dark forests, luring unsuspecting travelers into its immortal troupe.  And the evergreen kings and queens of this realm care little for the fleeting lives of a few amusing PCs.
  This means that when clashes happen, there are often elements of chaos that are hard to predict.  That said, that was one of the selling points of the campaign.  A "wild" version of magic and mischief that can swing some things in and out of your favor, but never too far as to push your success to pure luck.  A voyeuristic Archfey that finds the actions of a PC intriguing, and grants them a mote of possibility.  A character's plant affinity granting them transport across the map.  Pockets of void magic that provide inverse effects of certain spells.  
​  But in Combat, the dice can add a variability that can sometimes be less hilarious, and more tragic.
  When my party is frustrated, I am frustrated.  When they are sad, I am sad.  When they struggle, I struggle.  I am not a DM that supports adversarial gaming; it is not a "DM vs Players" mindset over here.  Do I challenge them?  Of course!  But when they're feeling it, I'm right there with them.  I WANT them to beat my big bads; I want them to win the day, so when they don't, I feel like I lost too.  And I don't want them to hurt, I want them to feel energized to return.  They didn't sign up for a trauma center EVERY week.
  Hmm.  Let me get into this a bit more so you can understand where we're coming from.

The Lead Up

  The Feywild Warriors have been trekking around the Ionian Feywild for 12 levels now.  We do milestones, and they tend toward less combat and more interaction.  They're lovable children, when you think about it, as most of the PCs are around 17-19, one doesn't even know his age, and then we've got an old fighter into his 50s that acts like their dad (found family, you get it).  We've got a Dragonborn Fighter (Terhune), a Werewolf Druid (Buddy), a Tiefling Wild Magic Sorlock (Bry) and her elemental familiar (Soot), a Tiefling Bard/Fighter (Akita), and a Human Battle Master Fighter (Taman).  Because they're so dang adorable and well-intentioned, they've accumulated quite the entourage of NPCs.  Alannah - a Paladin/Tempest Cleric (wife of Taman); Essian - a half-elven War Mage, Alannah's ward; Vali - a human Rogue and now girlfriend to Akita (she went to the Feywild to find Akita, so that's love); Broty - a young Tanarukk (who has imprinted on the two tieflings and views them as little sisters)...poor guy has an intelligence of 5.  
  ALSO, along the way, they have happened upon another adventuring party led by a character they presumed killed in their first adventure.  A bridge guard who survived The Massacre Of Sentry at the hands of a Black Knight and joined up with another party to help him seek righteous vengeance.  His name is Jenkins Carpenter, or Jink for short, and he is avenging the death of his brother, Leroy Carpenter (yes, I am that guy).  Jenkins is joined by Nessa, a High Elf Ranger/Rogue, Remy the Lizardfolk Barbarian, and Sloan the Dwarven something (seriously, I don't think he knows what class he is).
  This literal army of deadly kittens have built powerful bonds between each other as they navigate the dangerous wilds of the Fey realm, each strengthening and redefining the odd family dynamic of those that face threat together.  All the while, dark forces move into position.  The Winter Court has occupied the City Of Astrazalian - a neutral ground between the Fey Courts - and is using it as a military position (that's not okay); an orcish army led by a tiefling warlord marches on the West; a gnoll army marches Northwest (and threatens to clash); the stars (spirits of guidance in the Fey Realm) are falling from the sky and being collected by the Whispering Rock guild and their seemingly corrupted leader, Montblanc (doesn't help that Terhune, Taman, Alannah, and Essian were all once members of this guild, whoopsie)...  And all of this seems orchestrated by a small group of individuals that call themselves The Four Gears.
  The party has had fleeting encounters with each of them.  
Hush, the Black Knight/Silencekeeper - the first real threat the party saw in their inciting incident on a bridge.  Simple stuff; they all met, hung out, antics ensued, they went to bed.  Woke up and the bridge town was burning down, and this jerk was coming through killing folks.  They tried to distract them, but the bridge collapsed, and now the Black Knight haunts their nightmares as they catch drifting news of their exploits.
Albrecht, the Kingslayer - a cleric of multiple gods (it seems), the party has mostly witnessed the aftermath of Albrecht's handiwork.  The guy has a huge distaste for small fey, burning spryte villages and darkling conclaves to the ground.  In a way, he's been knocking out lesser leaders to pin focus on larger forces.  He is surgical and pragmatic, but his true intentions are unclear.
Eon, the Kingmaker - a silver-tongued lavender tiefling wizard of deep knowledge and cunning, Eon has aided the party in navigating the gnoll army early in the campaign, but he has only become more creepy as time goes on.  He took a liking to his fellow tieflings, but holds no love for other races.  Seeing the growing power in Bry and a possible kinship, he has been invasive in contacting her, much to the worry of his fellows, even going so far as to bind himself to a promise not to kill her companions.  A promise that may spell his undoing, but it is entirely possible that he is playing a different kind of game.
Arameis Salfurion, the Whisper - an aasimar of unknown origin, this entity is known only through word of mouth and fleeting visions before death.  Most recent word has it that he serves as a consultant to Montblanc and his guild, and may be behind the collection of Fallen Stars.  He has been seen as an after-image of a Contingency spell woven into the symbol of the Whispering Rock Guild - set to turn people to dust if they broach certain topics of discussion.  Luckily, Alannah and Essian's abjurative abilities tipped them off before it was too late, and Taman and Terhune had already forcibly resigned.
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In the Ionian Feywild, there are forces that serve as great equalizers.  None are more powerful or resolute than the Erlking and his Wild Hunt.  He is appointed by the Stars, so his legend is known among the denizens of the Fey far and wide.  He holds no Court of his own, though many claim to be of it.  In truth, he calls the honored dead to his banners - ancient Eladrin warriors culled by his Hunt in days long past and sworn into servitude to wash the realm of dangerous chaos.  He and his Hunt are the last bastion of defense and the grand hammer that allows the Fey Courts to sit on their thrones and raise their goblets in indifference.  In other words, if crap gets real, the Erlking will take care of it.

  Thing is, the stars are falling and war is brewing, and no horns of the Hunt are blaring.  The Fey Lords and Ladies are only mildly concerned, as is their way, but the lesser fey - like the extricated Autumn Court, or the Darkling clans - know that something is wrong, and that they'll be hit by the brunt of it long before Summer feels a tickle.
  Though they be young, the party has heroes in it, and those that lack heroics still garner a sense of justice.  There is wrong happening around them, and though they often move on to their next adventure, the wave is catching up to them - threatening to drown.  They conclude that they have two real choices: 1) Get someone to plane shift them to the Material Plane (where most of them are from), cozy up at Taman's house with his wife, get adopted, and wait till this all blows over; or 2) locate the Erlking and his crown, so evil can be stopped.  
  Prepared for both outcomes, I did not nudge a thing, but the group voted - option 2 was the way.
So they ventured to the savage dark forests of The Fading City, seeking an audience with its undead Fey Ranger King...Lord Calenon Thrayn.  Turns out, two armies also threaten to converge upon the city, so the party must sneak past in order to get inside first.  Which, they just barely do so, as orcs begin to pour into the city hot on their heels.  Luckily, the city has a defense mechanism: the Fog Of Purity.  Creatures that pass into this Fog undergo strange, random trials that measure a piece of their soul - some are straight forward, some are outright weird, and in clear Feywild fashion, it's pretty random.  Long story short, a few of the smarter captains emerge from the Fog deep into the dark forest that permeates the city...knee deep in dinosaurs and gigantic beasts.  Our heroes, however, emerge before a guide - a little Fey kitty - that leads them to Thrayn.  

  Much discussion later, we discover that the Erlking's Crown is hidden in the Material Plane.  As part of Shinealestra's lore, the city will phase to the Material Plane every night at midnight, its forest of nightmare creatures becoming a prized hunting ground for only the bravest of hunters.  It returns to the Fey Realm at first light, at dawn.  The castle flips, our resident human Taman and his wife rejoice at seeing a normal sky and normal grass, and the army of squirrels is led by a pack of sentient mushrooms with messenger bags to their next destination.
  After a clutch phantasmal force on a nasty T-Rex, the original party plus a Jenkins makes it through just before the cave mouth closes, leaving their allies to fight the dino.  Trusting each other, they have a chat with an Elder Being, get a very needed Long Rest in a time bubble, and push their way into a teleportation chamber.  The werewolf, rocking his child-like intelligence, bounds through the portal before the others can stop him.  He is seemingly atomized (think Dr. Manhattan, you weirdos), and while the players at the table contemplate if I just killed a character, Bry notes that the transportation runes have been tampered with.  Conclusion - they still work, they just don't go to the right place.  Four fragmented sendings and a lot of swearing later, Buddy returns, Bry fixes the portal, and our Taman has the brilliant idea to scan the area with a See Invisibility item.  Good thing, too, as Eon's voice creeps into our Sorcerer's head, and they watch him drop into the fixed portal, before they all jump in after him.
  They feather fall down into ruins; gravestones and sarcophagi overgrown with moss and fallen trees.  Bry's nature affinity clears the path to a throne, a skeletal guardian, and a crown...before urging everyone to look up.  Eon, silhouetted by a dark sky, floats above them.  "Thank you for showing us the way..."  He summons Minute Meteors...and detonates the Delayed Blast Fireball under their feet.

Why This Was Tricky

I crafted this particular encounter without a clear idea of how it was going to end.  Not that I've ever shunted PCs into certain positions to reach a specific outcome, but sometimes you can foresee the three basic endings in a battle.  Get to know a party well enough, and you get a pretty good idea how most things are going to play out.  But this time, there were certain variables that made things tricky.

1) THE DICE WERE BEING JERKS - I award inspiration, give advantage where I can, and overall support my players given the wacky setting we all agreed to...it just wasn't helping!  Saving throws getting botched, attack rolls whiffing, amazing ideas with simple checks falling flat.  On both sides!  And, you know, maybe that's a good story, too.  This is a group that buys into that variability; I like to think we're charging up for those legendary three Nat 20's in a row moment.  (it's happened, let's let it happen again).

2) THESE ENEMIES HAD TIME - They have been plotting, preparing, and hiding.  I can't spoil a lot here, but their abilities are based on rules, magic items, and preparation.  They are a counter-party, and this is their moment.  They had a plan.  Eon shows first and distracts while Hush goes for the crown, and the third waits in the wings for the most opportune moment.  They are smart - flawed, but we'll get to that - and deadly.

3) THEY'RE PUTTING IT ALL ON THE TABLE - This being such a clutch moment for The Four Gears party, they're going to burn a bunch of resources to achieve their goal, making them LOOK very powerful for a limited time.  IF our heroes can hold out against that onslaught, that's another chance in the PCs' favor.

4) MANY WAYS TO "WIN" - with an Ancient Artifact in play, there are a plethora of ways this could go down.  We just finished a segment where at least two of our PCs saw visions of themselves wearing the crown, so we know it's possible.  Holding the crown has one effect (it can't be stowed in a container, btw), while WEARING it has another.  On top of this, despite Eon's destructive forces, his connection with the party can be exploited; whether that flips him to the other side or pisses off his companions enough to cut him loose, that's another win in the PCs's direction - he DID make a blood pact not to kill them.  Throw in our Amplified Wild Magic (Feywild custom), a reluctant warlock pact, burgeoning tiefling rage powers, our Taman's random ability to nullify certain magical effects (I have to roll for it - dice were jerks, see above), and a custom druidic circle all about ripping and tearing, and there's a surfeit of possibility here.

How It Played Out

Woof, friends.
  This was tough challenge against prepared, patient enemies.  And for a PC party that has done pretty well flying by the seat of their pants into most encounters, I foresaw that this could be a tougher go this time around.
After eating the explosion, the party scatters while Eon attempts to place Bry into stasis - keen to remove her safely from the fight.  Taman, in a cool reaction that I will allow, pushes Bry out of the way, and becomes inert for a round instead!  Meanwhile, the perception-level-stupid-high Buddy notices that someone invisible might be making their way to the crown.
  Akita decides on her own to polymorph into a super fast, super squishy bird and bum rush the crown.  An invisible Hush cuts her out of the form as she flies by, but Akita maintains her momentum to land on the throne, hands already on the crown.  With Jenkins and Buddy sprinting to help (the natural 2 on Jenkins's acrobatics did not help), Akita weighs her life choices as the skeleton wriggles to life and begins to wrestle with the tiefling to keep the crown.
  Hush, now visible, puts on full display the completely legal and totally unfair mechanics of the Echo Knight and proceeds to tank a clutch polymorph (on an Echo), phase from one Echo to another, and one-shot our resident NPC Jenkins (who's just trying to avenge his brother, my guy, come on now!) with a Nat 20 great sword + sneak attack.  With Jenkins making death saves in front of Buddy, Hush cleans her blade and silently squares off against our druid.
  On the other side of the battlefield, Bry begins to show just how much she's grown as a mage as she not only deflects blows from Eon, but shatters his wards.  The surges of Amplified Wild Magic elevate stones around her, and continue to build up inside her, threatening a cataclysmic burst.  Terhune hides, and does his best to stay hidden while taking sniper shots at Eon.  Both, due to obstructions, are unaware of Buddy and Jenkins's battle, nor are they fully aware of Akita's predicament.
​  Akita wrestles the crown, and the skeleton guarding it, off the throne.  She does so with such primal force that the throne, its pedestal, and the plinth of stone it rests on, slide free in a shower of stone and dust.  In the debris, a focused Akita pulls the crown free, its desiccated husk filling with new florid life and personality akin to her own.  And crawling from the opened tomb under the throne, are the honored skeleton guard of the Erlking, watching their potential queen eagerly. 
  Whether by fear or force, Bry pushes Eon further into the ruin, and he doubles over in pain in the air; the arcane agreement he made threatens to be broken, so he sends healing words to Jenkins as Buddy rushes to help Akita (and more skeletons rise around her).  Hush shifts her Echo closer to a hidden Terhune, and finally Taman has someone to fight.
  Without structuring the rest of this in a play-by-play, a few things happen in quick succession that turn this whole thing sideways:
1) Bry's Wild Magic begins to manifest in telekinetic ways, flinging terrain across the map (one of which knocking Hush prone, to Taman's delight).
2) Hush shows her hand by raging, and a real threat comes into play, one that hits exponentially harder and is way more difficult to wound.  ...But at least she's finally HAPPY to have an opponent worth fighting.
3) Eon's arcane agreement begins to debilitate and damage him the more hurt the PCs become; his allies do not share his values.  The lavender tiefling becomes so overwhelmed by Bry and maintaining his arcane deal that he fails his saving throw to not become Entangled in a terrain hazard, and a few more failed saves later, becomes a sitting duck for the enraged Sorceress.  ...So Bry intentionally devotes her resources and ire to immolate Eon, but not before he relinquishes his Staff Of Balance (Chronomancy) to her, somehow happy that she is the one to kill him.
4) At the precipice, the Skeleton Guard ache for a choice, and Akita hesitates.  Instead, Buddy makes the decision FOR HER, forcing the crown onto her head.  Her wounds disappear, the Skeletons bow, and her sight opens to the hundreds of spirit warriors now at her command.  This transformation takes time (3 rounds), and she can interact with her growing powers each turn, but again, it takes time.

Quick Aside - My Little Rant On Fighters

Fighters should absolutely NOT be equipment-dependent.  It is freaking ludicrous.  
  Also, WHY can't a Battle Master use Commander's Strike on a spell caster and that spell caster burn their Reaction to cast a cantrip?  "Because a spell isn't a weapon."  Yeah, yeah.  Well, in the Feywild (purely as a product of the PCs being exposed to such a high magic surge area, and not because that was one of the most sad I've seen my Fighters), you can!  So there.  
  It's not like Hush's abilities are broken, but she's rocking three classes (Fighter - Echo Knight, Rogue - Swashbuckler, Barbarian - Zealot) to gain the features to make her feel effective in combat.  She isn't loaded up with crazy gear (good gear, nasty gear, but not ludicrous), and remember, they were prepared; so its feasible to get there, HOWEVER, you should not be required to multi-class in order to make your primary class effective.
  Our PC party (at the moment) has TWO fighters; a Battle Master and a legit archer build, but with all this magic getting flung around, it can be easy to feel behind the pack, and vanilla fighter deserves better.  Yet, in every campaign I have run, the fighter gains (through organic storytelling, questing, growth, and other such good stuff, mind you) a home-brew boon of some effect, to help off-set the distinct power creep from the other classes.
​  ...sigh...

How It Ended

As Akita rises up and the crown begins to take hold...Albrecht, the leader of the Gears, appears from behind a veil of invisibility.  Flying next to Akita, he grapples her (one hand on her throat, the other to her sternum) and channels divinity, attempting to interrupt her life force and fell her in one strike.  She saves, allowing Buddy time to leap onto both of them, biting onto Albrecht's arm.  Akita, in her second round, summons the skeletons and shades to help, and they begin to drift toward them.  
  Hush, seeing an opportunity, fells Terhune a second time.  Then, with a sickening stab and a twist, ends his life then and there in front of Taman.  As Bry puts the finishing touches on her murder-immolation across the map, Albrecht quickens a Banishment - "No hard feelings, pup" - and boops poor Buddy on the nose, hurling him into the Astral Sea.  With Akita still in his grasp and at death's door, Albrecht uses a Deathly Grasp on her throat, wrenching her into unconsciousness.  As her body goes limp on the ruined pedestal, he snatches the crown, calling out to Hush that it's time to leave.
  Hush is hesitant, now that she has a worthy opponent all to herself, but she abides.  Taman and a renewed Jenkins get some good hits in (Sentinel, bitch!), but she's able to scrape close enough over the next turn.  Albrecht regards the dying Akita, and reaches out, stabilizing the girl (Spare The Dying - Grave Cleric).  He then cracks the tiny Gem Of Recall, and pulls himself and Hush far and away from this plane.  The Skeletons and Shades of the Hunt...are pulled with them.
  And the party is left alone in silent, mossy ruins.  Jenkins slumps to his knees as Taman sprints to Akita and pulls her back to consciousness.  She sits up in silence, and Taman rushes back to Terhune's still body, Jenkins with him.  Taman pulls a strange fruit from his pack; something he nicked many sessions ago - a Fruit Of Restoration (what kind?  No one knows!) - he opens up Terhune's mouth and forces it down his throat.  They watch as vines and earth begin to cover, then swallow the silver dragonborn's body, a Reincarnation-like spell taking effect. 
  A minute passes, and Buddy does not return to them.  But somewhere in the Astral Sea, he is meeting a Githyanki pirate and Werewolf Vampire Hunter, picked up by an Astral Spelljammer vessel hell-bent on outrunning a Dreadnought.  I'm sure he'll be fine.

Proof Of Concept and The Lowest Point

The Feywild is a land that, on the surface, might appear more silly than serious.  However, the consistent theming of this campaign yields specific truths of the setting.
1) Fey and their realm are mischievous, dark, and often twisted entities who care very little for the mortal coil.  Just because it looks nice, doesn't mean it's safe.  Even the "jokes" of the Fey can be deadly. 
2) Magic, though not at its most raw, perpetuates all living things here.  So, weird stuff abounds, and it's pretty common.
3) There are rules, and they are numerous, for navigating the Fey realms safely; but many do not know them, and they often change dependent on a plethora of factors.
4) Fey and their ilk are often unreliable narrators, choosing interpretation over hard facts; this laces their words and veils their intentions - a true Theater Of Life.
5) Study of this realm yields immense power, but it requires extensive time, focus, and energy.  Even a little bit of digging reveals the dark tone beneath the whimsy (consistent from the beginning of the campaign).  ...we just really saw this one, this time.  :(

  It was stated before that this group has done quite well just stumbling through.  Sometimes the PCs plan a little here and there, but mostly they do exceptional when they fly by the skin of their teeth.  These PLAYERS are top-notch; they bring vibrant expression, creativity, knowledge, and joy to the table, which only deepens our collective world, and they PAY ATTENTION, no worries.  And all have expressed that they brought creatures to the table who are "inexperienced" in at least one important skill each.  Good!  This found family has done amazing things in the face of overwhelming odds - by luck, creativity, allies, and pure unadulterated pun power!
  And now.
This is the first time that they were unsuccessful, in the traditional sense.  The bad guys "got away."  One of the party is missing, another is dead (but not for long!), and the others are grappling with their decisions - some made BY them, others made FOR them.  From the DM's side, I offer opportunities for choices, but the distinct choices are specified and executed by these veteran players.  They are organic, in the moment, sometimes snap character decisions.  Which means, another reason why I love this party, we now have a huge opportunity...
We get to DEAL WITH THOSE DECISIONS.

Cultivating Aftermath and The Arc Of A Character

Every character in this party was struck down in this session.  Whether it be the very real severing of physical mortality, or the denser psychological dread of vengeance, or the helplessness of being a human in a world of fairies.  For many, this could be described as their lowest point.
  It can be a rough place to be in as a character, let alone a PLAYER.  Several members have talked openly about the "mistakes" they made during the fight; things they could have done differently if the dice had cooperated; musings on certain game mechanics and gear load out...  And yet, each came out with a plan to process this experience.  Maybe we take some extra time before our next session, but we WILL have another session, and many more after that.  This story WILL continue.  Where it goes, is up to us.
In all great stories, especially ones that we share, this moment occurs.  Some hit it harder than others, but they share the same term.  We have entered The Abyss in our heroic journey.  It is the space diametrically opposed by our Call To Adventure (our first few sessions).  Often this is a Death and Rebirth - for some, perhaps more literally than others - and what comes next is a Transformation; rising action, rebuilding momentum, standing back up with lessons learned.  
  Initially I was concerned with the low energy post-session.  With so many mirthful games under our belts, it felt WRONG to end the session like that.  I became obsessed with the idea that I had led them astray; wounded them somehow.  And what we all needed was a little extra time to process the events, and hatch a plan moving forward.  What we've done, at last, is setup an arc for just about everyone.  Our innocent, fun-loving Sorceress just straight-up murdered a dude (he was probably bad news, but still); our werewolf is Lost In Space, dealing with the guilt of putting the crown on Akita; Akita is grappling with being robbed of her choice, and yet craving the crown for the good it could do; Terhune, literally dead, drifts through his Ethereal past as his body and soul are reconstructed anew; Jenkins sits in silence, feeling weak and a waste of space, completely unable to enact his vengeance; and Taman, the old fighter and tactician, the hero of this story and the glue of this group, couldn't protect his adopted family even if he tried.  
  That is an Abyss.
And, as anyone who has struggled their own depression knows, the first step out of the dark is the hardest.  But with every step, you will be stronger for it.  You will stumble, you will learn, you will heal, and you will keep moving forward.  

This time: Death (close Phase I)
Next time: the steps toward Rebirth. (open Phase II)

See you at the table.
-Adamus
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Monster Of The Week: The Neogi

7/24/2021

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Legacy In The Fleets Of Spelljammer

Aberrant, magical beasts of arachnid legs and eel bodies, the Neogi are another remnant of a more alien dungeons & dragons experience.  Often described as the blend of a wolf spider and a giant eel, Neogi are monstrous to behold.  These telepathic, mind-controlling masters of intellect and technology once roamed the extraplanar space and time of the Spelljammer ethos.
  A society built upon cunning, opportunity, and devious plots, these aberrants sought power and prestige among the stars.  Their ships, often called Mindspiders, drifted through the Astral Sea, or its legacy name - The Sea Of Night, within the Realmspace (a whole other fascinating can of illithid).  Some of their ships could even shift into other planes, and prey upon the Githyanki and Djinn vessels across known space.
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-- A Neogi Mindspider, primed for assault --

Might and Magic

As with all intelligent societies, the Neogi have a curious relationship with their gods and their roles.
  Gender is not a thing in Neogi society, a fact that extends to its deities.  These entities are more complex; built from the concert of certain barbaric ideas.  For example, one deity personifies torture, pain, and suffering; while another stems from the chaos of creation; still another is fueled by envy or jealousy (the Neogi's understanding of "love").
  But the Neogi's relationship and interpretation of these entities is particularly interesting.  Unlike many other societies, Neogi culture dictates that the gods of their pantheon do not take tribute from their followers; it is very much the opposite.  These mythic creatures are instead demanded favors and boons regularly; these gods, the Neogi believe, are merely servants of the Neogi race, and therefore MUST provide.  For a deity to fail in this endeavor would mean their destruction, and devouring, as another more powerful "servant" would take their place.
  However, the Neogi, always primed for chances at greater power, would not settle for their servant gods.  In their journeys across realms, Neogi shamans (warlocks) would strike pacts with the powerful entities they came across - most notably some of the literal Elder Evils of D&D's legacy: Acamar, Caiphon, Gibbeth, and HADAR (you heard me).  They took these greater beings on as mentors and helped further their influence in the known and unknown cosmos.
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Science and Industry

Though their bodies and visage would lead one to believe only in a monstrous, primitive society, the Neogi are highly advanced in many studies and disciplines.  The stratification of roles and duty can even be observed in how they paint or tattoo their furry abdomens, certain colors denoting specific trades and responsibilities.
  With little empathy for other creatures, the Neogi are accomplished "flesh weavers" and necromancers, using the parts and pieces of numerous other species, slaves, and failed experiments to produce terrible and fascinating new monstrocities.  It is rumored among Loremasters that these arachnid "mad scientists" are responsible for the creation of the Gray Render...  Though no others can prove such a claim.  The poor Umber Hulk and its cousins have been summarily studied, dissected, mutated, and raised from certain death by these practices, the dreaded Undead Hulk - an Umber Hulk flesh golem of regenerating pincers and necrotic spray - finding a home as both a Neogi guard dog and their prime enforcer.
  Aforementioned warlocks and the few wizards of their clans were both motivated and industrial, forging new and modified versions of spells to adapt and support their war parties, and extend their dark rituals.
Speaking of rituals - this is how more Neogi are created.  You see, as a Neogi reaches the end of its life and its memory begins to fade, a Neogi Priest will inject a powerful venom into the aging Neogi and perform an ancient ritual.  Usually small or medium creatures, this elder Neogi will swell to a 20-foot behemoth called a Great Old Master.  This mutated creature will remember nothing of its old life and will be driven only to eat, growing as large as possible.  Those with Feeder striations in their fur must now gather as much food for the Great Old Master, as it eats and creates eggs inside its massive body.  After two months of growth, the eggs hatch, killing the Old Master.  The 20 to 40 new Neogi spawn then feed on the Old Master's corpse...and each other, until the strongest of the cluster survive.
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By The Numbers (5th Edition)

In 5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons, you'll likely run across the Neogi in three forms - the Hatchling, the standard Neogi and the Master.  Let's break them down.

HATCHLING (tiny) - young and fledgling (AC 10-11; HP Level 1 Wizard), these are dangerous in large numbers and simple on their own.  Just don't wake up their older siblings.
NEOGI (small) - better natural armor (AC 15-16) and multi-attack makes this bugger a tougher beast to tango with, but this standard beastie comes with the main thing that makes these critters tick.  The Neogi has an Enslave ability (Short or Long Rest dependent) that pushes a Wisdom save.  Fail that, and you're charmed by the creature for one DAY (and it knocks out your Reactions - bummer).  Oh and did I mention that the Neogi talks to you telepathically during this whole thing out to a distance of one mile?  *shudder*
MASTER (medium) - not to be confused with the "Great Old" variety, these nasty variations on a theme get everything their small counterparts do (plus more than double their HP pool), and are freaking spellcasters!  Looks like these masters went all in for the Hadar fan club with a slice of Confused Bard, so be ready for some telepathic Vicious Mockery while being whalloped with Eldritch Blast for good measure.  Be careful too, they can function as a 7th-9th level caster, so that spell save may be meaner than you think at low level.  And I know I mentioned the "Hadar vibe", but any DM that does their research can mix up that power set to match another Elder Evil (wink-wink).

Now, each of these creatures has the Mental Fortitude of an Elf and Spider Climb, so watch your six.  What they lack in empathy, they make up for in numbers, and if they're following that Spartan Chuck-E-Cheese childhood, you can bet that what's coming for you ain't no pushover.

Closing Thoughts and Interpretations

The Neogi are a Legacy Monster.
  Given their expansive and extensive lore dating back to second edition (2e), not to mention their pronounced influence within the Spelljammer history, their current iteration and inclusion feels lackluster.  There are dozens of fascinating creatures with deep history and ethos in Faerun and worlds beyond that are offered only a tiny passage in Volo's Guide, or Mordenkainen's Tome, or the Monster Manual talking about them, and, unfortunately, many of these passages end with a "nobody really knows" and a shrug (flips page).  
  To say that these are missed opportunities isn't exactly fair, either.  At its core, 5th Edition is intended to be accessible.  You don't want to bury the DM in mountains of back-logged history (some of it quite problematic today) just to get an interesting critter on the board.  So instead, I offer up my own approach:
This awesome monster can be a one-off.  A "well, that was weird, moving on" type moment.  OR, much like what happens when I do my research for each of these, this monster is a launching point of inspiration.  Truthfully, I hadn't yet considered the Neogi's place in my homebrew setting, but you can BET I've got one mixing now.  The rabbit hole I jumped into has some really cool avenues to play with, and I can twist and turn and mutate them however I see fit.
These things have a huge spider motif going for them - could they be distantly connected to Lolth?  Maybe the Drow that serve her hate Neogi, because they believe their banners as an affront to their queen!  You don't know (shrugs and cackles in DM).  
  My point is that for every moment of disappointment found in a feature, creature, or spell, there can instead be a tiny mote of inspiration, leading you to a setting with greater depth, immersion, and personal craft.


Happy worldbuilding.
​-Adamus
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Monster Of The Week: Will-O-Wisp

7/10/2021

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A twig snaps,
A child cries.
I draw a knife, 
The lantern lies.
"Hope," it whispers,
A fire warm.
But follow it, my dears, 
And summon the swarm...

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At A Glance

Will-O-Wisps are evil wisps of light that lift from malevolent corpses and haunt both battlefields and the lonely reaches of dark forests.  Bound by dark magic, they lure unwary creatures into quicksand, lava flows, and monster lairs, reveling in the agony of their victims.  Evil creatures that fall prey to the false hope of a Will-O-Wisp often become one themselves, and tend to gather in places of oppressive sorrow and death; graveyards, ghost towns, and dark forests of murder.  Spiraling in these desolate places of lost hope and fragmented memory, they pull creatures toward dismal fates and feed on their misery.

Many Interpretations

Dungeons and Dragons, and its many branches, are not the only interpreters of this creature. 
  The story of the Will-O-Wisp harkens back hundreds of years in European and Asian folklore.  These "ghost-lights" were sometimes evil spirits, other times witches or supernatural beings transformed.  Whatever the influence, the creatures never spelled good fortune for those who saw them.
  My own experience in the folklore of these lights ties back into Scottish folklore specifically, where the creatures were simply the spirits and fairies of the forest.  I think that this simplified interpretation led my own writing down the fey path for these entities.  The luring, however, was always a gimmick.  I remember distinct dreams of following these wisps of dancing light and smoke as they percolated through a dense wooded trail.  At the end, however, was not my demise; instead, a mysterious hooked staff covered in ancient vines.  It would whisper to me like wordless whispers of the spirits that brought me there...

By The Numbers

These tiny undead orbs are quick (high AC), fast (50-60 feet hover speed), and resistant to a bunch of damage types, if not outright IMMUNE (lightning and poison).  But if you can land one or two good hits on them, even at low level, you should be okay.  Trouble is, they rarely move alone; where one appears, many more follow.  
  WoW's are Invisible until they attack (a little shock) or use their very scary "Consume Life" ability, so you literally won't see them coming.  That latter ability is what makes these critters one of the nastiest in the Monster Manual, even at higher levels.  Any creature with a low Constitution saving throw, even an epic hero, can straight up die from its effect.  Die, not go unconscious, not become incapacitated.  They die.  DC 10 is standard, but that 5% chance Natural 1 could kill your character outright without a clutch Revivify in your back pocket.
  Don't try to grapple these suckers either; they'll pass right through you, and their Dexterity save is stupid high.  You see a swarm, you run, or let loose a big freaking fire ball...then run faster.

Will-O-Wisps In Io

Though the origins of the creature rarely differ, their intentions in Io are often less miserable.  They are also HEAVILY influenced by the plane that they exist in.  
  WoWs of the Feywild will be more innocent and mischievous - still deadly, mind you - but their souls of dead sprites and nymphs don't understand the weight of their actions.  It's tragic, really.  These playful spirits are drawing creatures into their sight to feel not so alone...which kills their new friends anyway.
  WoWs of the Shadowfell carry a sorrowful weight and an unending desire to consume the living.  These spirits are tormented by the wales of their own death that they seek rebirth by draining the life force from other beings.  This usually manifests in alternative versions of their Consume Life ability, wherein they don't kill the target.  Instead, they inhabit their body, siphoning the creature of each of its attributes until only a husk remains...and a Wight is born instead.
  The more I write on these creatures, the greater the permutations and variations that manifest across the planes.  I consider what is in the Monster Manual as fact for the Material Plane, but as any Horizon Walker knows...Planeshift is one helluva drug.


Be safe out there, and beware the lights that drift in the forest.
-Adamus

Will-O-Wisps can be found all over Dungeons & Dragons, but for 5th Edition, look no further than the classic Monster Manual.  

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Monster Of The Week: Displacer Beast

6/26/2021

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Unseelie Origins

Displacer Beasts roamed the endless twilight of the Feywild for ages, until they were captured, bred, and trained by the Unseelie Court.  The Soldiers Of Winter bred the beasts to reinforce their own ferocious nature, utilizing them to hunt unicorns, pegasi, and other mythical, wondrous creatures.  However, it was only a matter of time before these malevolent prides broke away from their cruel masters.
  Running and breeding freely in the Feywild, the Displacer Beasts soon came to the attention of the Seelie Court.  With Blink Dog companions of their own, the rivalry was palpable, and the Summer Court drove the Displacer Beasts to the edges of the wild.  To this day, Displacer Beasts and Blink Dogs attack each other on sight, an ancient violence.

By The Numbers

  The Displacer Beast is a strong and agile adversary.  What it lacks in AC (12-14), it makes up for with multiple attacks, decent speed (40-50), and good pool of hit points (80-130).  Some versions of the monstrosity don't even include its menacing claws, the stat block only exploring its strange spined tentacles.  ...This is a dumb choice; it's a freaking badass panther with six legs - use them.  Some variants include a pouncing mechanic where the Displacer Beast can knock a creature down, and take a rending attack on their prone form for free, opting to slash with their claws or bite into their food.
  What makes the Displacer Beast particularly dangerous are its other key mechanics: 
1. Avoidance - basically Evasion for monsters.  Made the save - no damage.  Failed the save - half damage.  Means that they're hardier than you would expect.
2. Displacement - attacks against the creature have disadvantage until it actually gets hit, and this passive power recharges at end of its turns.  Abilities like Sentinel, where a creature's speed can be made 0, will also interrupt this ability, but you still have to HIT IT first.
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Displacer Beasts In Io

Displacer Beasts were once the prized jailers and guards of the nobility that filled the upper ranks of the Unseelie Court.  After the Massacre At Harrowhome, however, their prized position grew scattered, and one too many instances of their allegiance being swayed fell dim upon the Dread Queen Mab.  In the Ruins of the Season, deep in the harrowed halls of the broken citadels of beasts and men, prides of Displacer Beasts roam and hunt.  
  But not all nobility has turned a blind eye to these creatures with a love for the kill.  Excellent trackers, a Displacer Beast may sometimes roam with hunters and assassins of a deadly order.  Creatures contracted to hunt their own, these "Skipjacks" utilize the Displacer Beast as a dangerous ally in their pursuit of their fellow Fey.

Variant: Displacer Alpha

An Alpha is the king of a Displacer Pride, and it got there by vicious rite and ritual combat.
  In the dark wilds of the Feywild, variants of the Displacer Beast have emerged.  Brandishing a living cloak of up to nine tentacles, these larger and stronger mutations are intelligent, calculating, cruel, and linguistic.  This allows cunning tactics and maneuvers for the prides they command.
  In addition to a superior size (Huge) and strength (20-22), an Alpha brandishes layered cords of muscle and bone; armored spurs beneath their shifting fur and ethereal displacement (AC of 16-17).  The multitude of tendrils that they command grant them unique properties - like grappling, poisoning, and restraining their prey.  An Alpha is also a master of its ethereal displacement, able to teleport short distances without sacrificing momentum as part of their Pounce feature.
  If an Alpha is ever usurped by another within the Pride, they are exiled - a Disgraced Alpha.  These lonely mutations wander the dark wastes to either seize another throne or serve some greater being than themselves.  Whatever the circumstance, they are not to be trifled with.

Legend Of The Shift King

GM's Note: Since the first campaign I ran in this custom setting, there have been old tapestries, panoramas, ancient texts, and obscure references that player-characters have stumbled across.  Each lore drop would be a tiny morsel of a much larger picture; an eight-legged displacer beast with boney spurs around the jaw-line, multiple tendrils lifting from its back like a living mantle, and a crown of black and silver spines protruding from its head.  This regal creature was always set upon a high rock surrounded by hundreds of other beasts, each bowing to it as if it were their king.  
  The first time this image was presented, I remember my players vigorously writing it down.  At any point following this, any players to be present during this strange initial reveal would bring it up again if ever they fell into an encounter with a Displacer Pride, but little came of it.  
​  Will we see more?  Only my players can tell you...


Tread safely under the borealis of the Feywild.
-Adamus

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Monster Of The Week: Yeth Hound

12/19/2020

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It is a dog.  No, a hound.  Tufts of layered, dense, matted purple fur rolls over wide shoulders and long, hunched neck.  A whimpering mule shudders up from the body as I approach.  SNAP.  My boot crunches the twig and a wince.  The muling stops and I watch those shoulders slope forward, the head turning my way...and a pit forms in my stomach.  A humanoid, twisted face with burning red eyes stares back at me, jaw hanging open.  A mix of flat and sharpened teeth jut out from open mouth, and the moaning returns, rising to a howl.  I try to draw my sword, but my body can only shake as I watch the hound rise and float a foot off the ground.  Even as it wales, its head tilts to the side curiously.  Then it flies toward me.
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Gifts Of The Dark Fey

If one impresses members of the Old Guard of Fey, they might be gifted with a Yeth Hound.  Such a gift is high praise, as the Yeth is a companion for life, connected telepathically to their master and charged with their protection at all costs.  
  But these hounds reflect their original creators, and are by no means good creatures.  Originally personified by a headless, bloodied hound in some cultures, the origin of a Yeth is one rooted in sorrow, always reflected in their strange, baleful howl.  To hear the howl is a warning, but to see its source often spells doom. 
  According to Volo's Guide, these creatures are large hounds with flat, humanoid faces and features, and though it looks like they may bound quickly, they often HOVER creepily overhead.  It is this unnatural mobility that makes them deadly sentries for their masters.

By The Numbers

In terms of raw defenses and hit points, the Yeth Hound isn't that intimidating, but make sure you're packing something silver.  Their physical stats (Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution) are noticeably high, but they're dumb as a post most of the time.  
Where they become truly dangerous is in their unnatural, creepy mobility and their dreaded "Baleful Baying" howl ability.  The thing's got a 300 foot range, so make sure your Wisdom is decent before engaging with one.  If you happen to be one of the unlucky low rollers against the howl, that frightened condition does a lot more for the Yeth than it does for you, stacking on extra psychic damage for its scared victims.  And I can't blame them; the image of this thing bearing down on you is NOT pleasant.
  As an aside, I was actually very intrigued to write about this thing.
​There is something wholly unnerving about these large Fey doggos with humanoid faces, who creepily hover overhead and paralyze prey with their baleful howl.  It's just such an unsettling image.  Add on to this the fact that as long as it's on the same plane as its master, it can ALWAYS contact it telepathically.  Woof, buddy.

The Yeth In Io

Sentries Of The Deep Night

As servants gifted by old Fey, a Yeth Hound always has a home in the Feywild.  Denizens and visitors alike who gain favor in the Verdant Court may find themselves with a Large, loyal, and evil companion that can't be charmed or frightened away.  
  Just, imagine for a moment, waking up with this thing sitting in your living room.  Just.  THERE.  Totally silent.  And then its red eyes slowly turn your way, like some living furred statue and a voice enters your mind like Dug from Up.  "I sat in your living room in the dark because I love you.  And now I'll love you FOREVER."  The face doesn't change the entire time.  Lol.
  But not just any Fey can gift you a Yeth.  They must be made first, and only one of the four Courts knows how.  Skilled in curses and the binding of souls, the Ladies Of Winter, under the instruction of King Oberon himself, have much practice in plucking the unfortunate mortals of deals gone wrong and pipers unpaid, and supplanting their essence into a new form - one to serve the Deep Night and the citizens of Air and Darkness.
  If a singular entity can be gifted one Yeth for an impression, imagine the army Winter commands.  Hundreds of baleful, wailing sentries silently drifting across the night skies; keeping watch and wary over the fane kingdoms.  
  Watch for the red eyes and motionless face, and keep your distance, lest the mournful cries of a soul forever trapped in servitude reaches your ears...and rends your mind asunder.
Sleep well, travelers.
​-Adamus
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John's Study Hall #10 - Customizable Equipment

11/11/2020

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One of the dimensions we can explore in Dungeons and Dragons is identity, and who we choose to be when we assume the mantle of a character in a fantasy world. We get to choose how our characters behave, talk, and fight, and determine how much of our real world persona expresses itself through the course of gameplay. Sometimes our characters are goofy parodies of some storytelling archetype, and sometimes our characters are dramatic emotional portraits of our own personal growth and development. Arguably, the most impactful way a player can contribute to the narrative at the table is through their character’s mechanics, which a player chooses and customizes as their character levels up. Even creative solutions and descriptions are usually resolved through some kind of game mechanic. For example, haggling with a merchant, no matter the description, will probably require some kind of Charisma check, or be circumvented through a clever use of a spell or feature. All three of these solutions are mechanical in nature, and handled by 5e’s system.
    A player usually has the ability to customize their character’s mechanical identity through three major choices: race, class, and background. The first choice, race, accounts for a character’s biology and cultural heritage (whether they subscribe to it or not). A character’s class determines the character’s main features and choices, summarized in the Player’s Handbook as “Class is the primary definition of what your character can do”. Background is the last choice, and it provides small mechanical benefits that are tied to who your character was before the start of the story. 
Of course, a player can also customize their character’s appearance, personality, accent, and mannerisms, but there are (for the most part) no real restrictions in these categories. However, although these character elements have little restrictions, they can also have little impact over how the story unfolds beyond aesthetic. For example, even if you describe your character as being attractive, that doesn’t affect their ability to persuade others. That game interaction is handled by their Persuasion bonus, a game mechanic. So while we as players are free to describe our characters aesthetic, the meaningfulness to how they contribute to a narrative is left to the game mechanics, and it’s that contribution that also contributes to a character’s identity. 
    However, despite having control over their character’s personality, race, class, and background, there is one category of identity-defining mechanics that players tend not to have control over: their equipment progression. Beyond starting equipment, players are often subject to the whim of their DM of when they’re given magic items, what items they’re given, and how many they’re allowed to acquire. While the Dungeon Master’s Guide presents guidelines on this, oftentimes a DM defaults to a treasure table, which may or may not yield treasure that can be used by the party. Even moreso, magic items of equivalent rarity don’t seem as balanced as other objects in the game state, such as same-level class features and same-level spells, so the likelihood of a DM giving an item of inappropriate power (either too much or too little) is greater.
    Now, there are a great deal many players that prefer this approach. There’s an excitement to the mystery of receiving random items that can yield spontaneous stories, and I’m not suggesting to discount that option if that’s what your table prefers. In fact, oftentimes finding an unconventional magic item can become as much a part of a character’s identity as their race, class, and background. So, if a random magic item might yield that result, could giving my players the option of choosing their equipment allow them to become more intentioned in defining their character’s identity? What becomes possible if their equipment levelled up with them, just like their class features, and what if they could choose how their character’s identity is expressed by their equipment? What would their choices reveal about their characters’ values as well as the players’ values? And, if I’m the one responsible for giving these choices, how can I create a more satisfying approach like class levels where every character is on an even playing field, and martial characters are just as interesting and powerful as casting characters?
    Before we get too far down this rabbit hole, I want to give credit where it's due. This design philosophy of having equipment that can level up is not new. One of the most brilliant examples of a balanced, customizable equipment system is the one seen in Final Fantasy VII Remake. Whereas the original FFVII had different equipment options that grew stronger as the game progressed, Remake did something truly brilliant. When a new weapon became available, it was generally as powerful as your starting gear, but offered new options that may be more appropriate to different situations. In addition, every piece of equipment could be upgraded, from the amount of damage and protection it offered to granting your character new options in combat. This was the kind of hands-on upgrading I wanted to bring to D&D, and so far, it’s worked really well. But why?

Game Structure Matters

In the two sections following this one, I’ll detail the two systems I use to allow players to customize their equipment. While I do believe they’ve so far been pretty successful, I attribute a great deal of that success to the structure of the games I run them in. For example, each adventure is conducted like a one-shot, in that there’s a clear beginning, middle, and end to each story, even if there are open loops that can serve as future plot hooks. All players are at a set level, and each one has a set number of upgrades and spell gems they’re allowed to build into their character. Between sessions, players are welcome to rebuild their characters (as long as they keep in contact with me), which gives a certain freedom to fine-tuning the character they want to play. Most of the time, any adjustments are minor, like swapping out a spell or two or swapping out a feat for an ASI. As would be expected, part of this rebuilding rule is that players are also allowed to rebuild or swap out their equipment. Whether my players are motivated by storytelling or mechanical performance, this freedom let’s them experiment with different options without ever feeling stuck with a certain character, and play is always a “get to” rather than a “have to”. Ultimately, my point here is that if you use these systems and don’t allow your players to freely rebuild, it may impact their enjoyment of the system. If you let some of your players rebuild or use these systems and not others, the same warning applies.
    Right now, each of my players knows that for their next session, their characters are at 6th level, and they can upgrade their equipment with 3 upgrades (which can all be to the same weapon, spread to three pieces of different equipment, or any combination), and they have two spell gems they can use to make their equipment magical. There are some options that are designed to work better for martial characters, and some that are designed to work better with casters, although characters aren’t limited by anything other than their proficiencies. Everyone has the same number of choices, and so the onus is on each individual player to make the most of the options available to them. 

Okay, so now that’s out of the way. Truly, without further ado...Upgrades and Spell Gems!

Upgrading Equipment

Upgrading Equipment is a system that allows players to customize the function of their equipment without making it magical. It covers everything from statistical benefits, material composition, and properties. I have a prepared list of available upgrades for my players to choose from based on their power level, although if my players have a creative idea for an upgrade, they’re always free to ask me if I can write rules for what they have in mind. 
    The first kind of upgrade is statistical improvement, which ends up being the most sparse. Players can choose to upgrade a weapon’s attack bonus or damage bonus per upgrade, and depending on their tier of play, they have limits to the total bonus they can unlock per piece of equipment. For example, a fighter with a pike can use two upgrades to give that pike a +1 bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls, or they can choose to spread those upgrades out over a few different weapons. Each player only has a limited number of upgrades, so they have to carefully consider how they spread them out and sometimes raw statistical power isn’t as interesting or as desirable as some of the other options.
    Another option is that players can use one of their upgrades for a piece of equipment made of an exotic material. In my latest game, because I have so many creatures with a vulnerability to silvered weapons, a few of my players have opted to forgo a steady statistical bump (like to attack or damage rolls) for a silvered weapon, which deals double damage to many of the monsters in the world. However, silvered weapons also break more easily, meaning that they have to be careful when and how they’re used. There’s potentially a greater reward for using the weapon, but also a greater risk.
    To me, the most interesting upgrades are properties, some of which are listed in the standard equipment tables for Fifth Edition. An example is the finesse property, given to some melee weapons to indicate that a character wielding the weapon can use Dexterity instead of Strength for attack and damage rolls. Using an upgrade for a property allows a player to customize the function of their weapons in relation to their class features, so a Monk/Rogue multiclass can customize their longsword to count as both a monk and finesse weapon. In addition to some of the standard properties, I’ve also included other custom properties, like being able to attack a grappling hook to your character’s armor, or creating a hidden compartment to hide items and spell gems.  
    In addition, because they can rebuild session to session, as the DM I’m free to change the environment’s impact on these decisions as well. For example, in one of my latest games, I had my players traverse a desert. One of the ways they could avoid having to make a saving throw against exhaustion was to take the breathable upgrade to their armor, which also meant they had one less combat option on hand in case they needed to fight. Or, they could’ve taken a spell gem that would’ve prevented them from having a magical option. By adding elements of risk and reward to the character creation process, the game became an engaging exercise before it even began.
And to anyone that may criticize this kind of system because it begs to be optimized, I have this to say. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the diverse options my players have selected in building their characters, and it's led to a delightfully unpredictable experience. For example, one of my players is playing an orc fighter that focuses on two-handed weapons, while another is a half-orc barbarian that uses a greataxe. While the two may sound similar on paper, the role equipment plays drastically changes how they each approach combat.
Fennik, the fighter, switches around weapons based on terrain and enemy, using a silvered greatsword when fighting against a monster weak to silver while opting for a glaive with a boosted critical chance when fighting standard opponents. His weapon selection is as much a part of his identity in combat as his fighter features, and because he got to select his equipment’s power level, it showcased the value of a fighter when compared to other martial classes.
Aza, the barbarian, plays much more like you’d expect a barbarian to. She picks the weapon with the biggest damage die, rages, and swings. Sometimes she uses reckless attacks, but mostly she just commits her weapon to hitting as hard as it can. This is also reflected in her spell gem selection. While Fennik has tried a few different magical effects that trade lower damage for inflicting conditions, Aza uses a spell gem that deals the most possible damage. 
In another game without this dimension, I could see the characters operating mostly the same. Both are tanky damage dealers, with one maybe having a greater reach than the other and the other being a bit more survivable. It would be a difference in statistics, not choices. With this dimension added, the characters are noticeably distinct, and each uniquely contributes to the party’s dynamic in and out of combat. 

Spell Gems

The other dimension of equipment progression is the role magic plays in 5e’s system. One of my qualms with 5e’s magic item design has nothing to do with the magic items themselves, but more with how other objects in the game’s system treats them. For example, certain hazards can make a metal item rust, unless it’s magical. If it’s magical, it’s beyond harm. Some creatures are resistant to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage...as long as it’s not magical. As soon as it’s magical, the damage goes through unimpeded. What this does is force martial characters to prioritize their magic weapons, because all of their other choices are less useful and risk being damaged. In addition, the use of each magic weapon tends to lack choice. A +1 longsword always has its +1 bonus, and there’s no resource that’s used by utilizing its magic ability. Eventually, this leads to a static improvement to a character’s statistical performance rather than dynamic choices that engage the player behind the character.
    By contrast, spell gems allow a player character to choose to expend a charge when they hit, meaning that every time a player character attuned to a spell gem hits their mark, they can choose if it’s worth accessing the magical damage the spell gem provides or not. By using a charge, a spell gem makes a mundane weapon attack magical for that attack only, and is designed to be saved to be used against creatures with a resistance to non-magical attacks. Of course, they also work against other creatures without such resistances, but that may not be where they’re best used. 
    In terms of weapons design, my current array of spell gems call upon the design of cantrips to deliver their extra damage. The flame spell gem really just allows a martial character to add a firebolt effect to the weapon attack they hit with, while a shock gem allows them to add a shocking grasp. This element of selecting magical damage types and additional effects makes the spell gem selection process much more engaging before the game begins, as players try to strategically coordinate with each other and their class features to deliver the most effective performance. And, while the gems have limited charges, they aren’t useless once expended. Spell gems can be recharged by casters that have access to the same damage type, and can be recharged between combats (adding even more strategy into a character’s build, which can be adjusted between sessions). And, while again, some may say this is overpowered, spell gems can be used by the DM’s creatures as well, and can even be targeted for attacks or certain spells like dispel magic. 
    Damage isn’t the only function of spell gems either. There are lists I included of “utility” gems, which have the function of all of your favorite magic items. From the effects of boots of the winterland to helm of telepathy, players can customize the appearance and functions of their magical equipment at their whim. And, if I as the DM found any of the magic item effects imbalanced, this is my opportunity to rebalance them. 
    Lastly, this also means that equipment isn’t permanently magical. Using a damaging spell gem only makes the one attack that uses the charge magical, meaning that a player with a favorite glaive or silver knife may lose that precious weapon to a rust monster or hazard. This can be pretty detrimental for gameplay purposes, but also may lead to creative moments for the players that depend on that equipment. And, after the session is over, they’ll be able to rebuild their equipment right back to where it was, so any loss isn’t permanent.

In Conclusion

As a player, I’ve sometimes found it frustrating to have to forfeit a part of my character’s identity to my DM’s whim, which risks them misrepresenting my character and hampering my ability to contribute to the table’s narrative. Presenting a transparent, deep, balanced system like this gives your players one more thing to surprise you with, which can be the greatest feeling (and fear) a DM experiences. There have been times my players have surprised me with bonus damage or combos I hadn’t considered, and I wouldn’t trade the fun I’ve had with them for anything. 
    So now I want to know your thoughts. How much control do you want to give your players, and how might that impact your relationship at the table?
Study Hard, Play Hard
-John


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John's Study Hall #9 - What Ability Scores Mean

10/28/2020

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    As anyone who has had any kind of Dungeons and Dragons conversation with me knows, I’m highly opinionated about the various dimensions of D&D, including mechanics, class design, and how a DM’s adjudication impacts everyone’s enjoyment at the table. In Fifth Edition’s context, the game values that have the greatest impact on the system are the six Ability Scores that quantify the general traits of every creature in the system (and honestly, more objects than you’d think). It’s also one of the most frustrating aspects of the game to teach, because often new players mistake their personal understanding of each score’s label with their mechanical function in Fifth Edition’s game system, and as a result the roleplaying/narrative implications that come about as a result. For today’s Study Hall, we’re going to look at the mechanics of each Ability Score and how your choice in how they’re distributed can broaden your narrative possibilities rather than limit them. So to begin, the first thing we have to acknowledge is that...

Not all Ability Scores are Created Equal

Unless your DM implements a host of homebrew to rebalance Fifth Edition’s system, not all Ability Scores carry an equal amount of mechanical weight. In fact, there’s a clear distinction between which scores are more powerful and which ones are less. In general (unless you’re utilizing a class that prioritizes them), Strength and Intelligence will generally be used less often than Dexterity, Constitution, and Wisdom. It’s always good to have one party member with high Charisma, but even then the prior “Big Three” (as I call them) will be called on more often in all three pillars of play, whereas Charisma really only affects social interaction and combat (if you’re playing a Charisma caster). 
    As an example, let’s compare the number of instances where Strength and Dexterity will be called for:
    Strength can factor into your character’s melee attack rolls, damage rolls, some thrown weapon attacks, Athletics checks (usually called for in Exploration) and the static value, Carrying Capacity.
    Dexterity can factor into your character’s Armor Class, Initiative, Dexterity saves (the most common saving throw), Stealth (one of the most common ability checks), Acrobatics, Sleight of Hand, and Attack and Damage rolls with some melee and most ranged weapons.
    One last element to consider is that most Strength weapons characters have limited ranged options, while Dexterity weapons characters are equally effective in melee and at range. In fact, these differences are so drastic that one of the first characters I DM’d for, a Sorcerer with a -1 Dex, was almost unplayable because a single missed Dexterity save or an attack roll aimed at him would virtually exclude him from further participating in combat. 
    Now I’m not saying you can’t have fun with a character that has a -1 to one of these “Big Three” Ability Scores, but I am saying that understanding the statistical weight they carry will positively impact your relationship with 5e. You’ll know what you’re signing up for.

Some Thoughts on the Tomato Analogy

So how do we go about teaching the six Ability Scores? One way many Dungeon Masters do this is through the famous Tomato Analogy. It goes as follows:

Strength is being able to crush a tomato.
Dexterity is being able to dodge a tomato.
Constitution is being able to eat a bad tomato.
Intelligence is knowing a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is knowing not to put a tomato in a fruit salad.
Charisma is being able to sell a tomato-based fruit salad.

    Seems simple enough, right? However, I tend to actively avoid using this tool when I’m teaching the system. First, I like teaching a mechanics-first approach, meaning that a new player at my table is discouraged from looking at the narrative text in a section without taking the mechanical text into consideration, because ultimately, the narrative can be changed to accommodate what you want while the mechanics generally have to stay the same for the game to function well. In addition, I find that players that only focus on the story text can often misinterpret the text’s intentions, and there tends to be more time spent explaining why the mechanical text carries more weight in the Dungeon Master’s adjudication rather than the story reasoning. The Tomato Analogy is a perfect example of this failing. 
While the analogy certainly isn’t inaccurate, it can be misleading. For example, it fails to convey the point I made in the previous section: not all Ability Scores are created equal. Unless you’re running a specific class or build, Dexterity and Constitution have far more functional pay off than Strength or Intelligence, and even with a Strength character, often having a +2 Dex and the highest Con will almost always lean in to your character being more generally effective. 
    Another issue with this analogy is that it doesn’t encompass the magnitude of how each Ability Score functions in the system. With a cursory glance, one might assume that Strength is an offensive stat, Dexterity and Constitution are defensive, and Charisma is used mostly for buying and selling items. It doesn’t give the impression that Dexterity is an overall more useful offensive and defensive stat than Strength, and that Wisdom saves are used to guard your mind more often than Intelligence saves. 
Speaking of Wisdom, while we can argue back and forth on our personal definitions of Wisdom, its game functionality in Fifth Edition is very specific. In Dungeons and Dragons, as it says in 5e’s SRD, “Wisdom reflects how attuned you are to the world around you and represents perceptiveness and intuition”. In game terms, Wisdom is usually used for Perception and Insight checks, which inform players about their environment and clues about the characters occupying it. What I would find more useful as part of this analogy would be that “Wisdom is knowing how your guests feel about the tomatoes in their salad” or “Wisdom is seeing where best to plant tomatoes in your garden”. Wisdom checks usually boil down to sensory input in one form or another. Tangentially, it's why I hate when DMs use Perception checks for general features of an environment and Investigation for finding something specific. Intelligence is a Score that resolves character knowledge and reasoning skills, not sensory input, but I digress. Hey, I told you I was opinionated, right?

So What DO They Mean?

I mean, that’s the title of this piece, right? “What Ability Scores Mean”. And, to give context to this section, we’re really asking how their mechanics can inform our roleplaying. From my perspective, Ability Scores are a way to quantify general traits in relation to an average person. Ability Scores also provide the base modifier to a package of different abilities. To not get too nitty gritty (and to give my version of the Tomato analogy), the way I sum up the six ability scores is as follows:

    Strength represents your character’s fitness and power
    Dexterity represents your character’s quickness and coordination
    Constitution represents your character’s endurance and physical tolerance
    Intelligence represents your character’s education and reasoning skills
    Wisdom represents your character’s awareness and discipline
    Charisma represents your character’s expressiveness and personal magnetism

    So even if you have different ways you think about these traits (like you may see overlap in the definitions of Constitution and Strength, for instance), Fifth Edition’s system interprets very narrow definitions of these traits. 
    For example, wouldn’t a character with a high level of fitness also have high endurance? Maybe, maybe not. For instance, there’s very different training that goes into sprinting versus marathon running, and you can see it in the two runners’ bodies. I’ve also met plenty of individuals with fantastic Strength that have intolerances to certain ingredients (which is where Constitution may be called for instead). While storywise we can argue that the two are related (and Strength characters almost always benefit from a high Constitution), they are not mutually inclusive. 
    So what does it mean to have a high value in one of these Ability Scores? Well, it means that either due to natural talent, training, or both (or some other reason), your character has a greater likelihood to succeed in challenges related to that trait. This doesn’t mean they should or will automatically succeed, and in fact sometimes a character may choose to fail a certain roll based on the situation. For example, let’s take a look at a high Charisma character, maybe a Bard or Warlock. While that character is more likely to succeed on Charisma checks, the player behind the character may want to play the character as honest-to-a-fault. By the game’s system, they have a natural bonus to Deception checks because of their Ability Score, although the player can voluntarily fail such rolls or choose not to partake in them. In this way, failure can be just as if not more character defining than success. 
    The opposite can also be true. Just because your character has a low Intelligence score doesn’t mean that they’re an idiot. If you were to distill the meaning or motivation behind all Intelligence checks, they would either be to recall information (usually the character’s education), or a test of their reasoning skills. A -1 modifier doesn’t necessarily mean that character can’t make logical decisions. It might just mean they lacked the educational resources an average person in the world has access to, and as a result won’t be familiar with that information as easily. Now of course this can be explained by a character’s lack of interest in such topics, and I’ve seen plenty of Barbarians take a penalty to Intelligence in a standard array and roleplayed as brutish thugs. I’m just saying that isn’t the only narrative explanation for such a thing. 
    Now, if you build characters with a standard array like I do, then characters you create will have built in strengths and flaws. For example, my favorite character to bring up for instances like this is my character Solomon, whose two greatest Ability Scores are Dexterity and Wisdom and whose lowest score is Charisma. Solomon was built with story in mind. He’s a genetically engineered monster hunter (I know, very derivative) with dampened emotions, keeping him from emotionally connecting with others but still aware of how they feel. In the game’s system, this is reflected by the penalty that factors into his Charisma checks, while his Expertise in Insight also allows him to read others very effectively. He’s a joy to play because his flaw is as much as what defines him as well as his uncanny awareness and swift decisive fighting style. 
    When it comes to distributing Ability Scores for your character, I’d start with thinking what Ability Score can they do without. Where are they designed to run into trouble, and where are they going to shine? While the dice may roll as they may, it doesn’t mean you can’t design your character’s story with these specific moments in mind. For me, the moments where Solomon shines are when he gives an in-depth analysis of a creature, or can call out an NPC for lying just by taking a look at them and feeling their heartbeat. His character is also defined by his struggles, such as his inability to persuade others emotionally or deceive others.
    Ability Scores are at the heart of this game’s math for a reason. They are quantitative values that beg players to ask bigger questions when the dice are rolled and when results are added up. If my character failed, was this just because of luck or were they designed this way? How does this failure manifest, and what is the reason for their success? What moments do I want my character to be remembered for? 
    While I can go on with advice on how to build characters, I’d rather you play with this first. Build characters with high and low Wisdom, and ask yourself to play them differently. When they succeed, how do you celebrate that success? When they fail, is that part of their personality and how do they take it? Do they even realize they failed? 
    And as always, I’d love your perspectives on the matter. After all, collaboration is what makes this game so special in my heart.


Study Hard, Play Hard
-John


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