Headgear Heptad

Roll 2d4:

2: LION OF BATTLE

As a standard action, the wearer can emit a thunderous roar. Creatures within 30 feet that hear the sound must succeed a Wisdom saving throw or become incapacitated with fear for 1 round. A creature can only be affected by this ability once every 24 hours. Crystalline or vitreous objects take 1d10 damage; on a result of 10, roll another 1d10 damage. After using the helmet’s ability, there is a 1-in-6 chance it will recharge at the start of the next round.

So fearsome is the aspect of the helmet that the wearer and their allies have Disadvantage on all ability and skill checks to negotiate and deal peaceably with others.

3: GOLDEN DEATH COWL

The wearer gains 2d4 temporary hit points whenever a living creature within 10 feet dies, but they cannot benefit from magical healing until those extra hit points are spent.

4: DEMON LUNG

The wearer gains Advantage on saving throws against poisonous or otherwise harmful gases, but they are unable to smell anything while the mask is on.

As a standard action, the wearer can emit a blast of eye-stinging, foul-smelling fumes that fills a 15 ft. x 15 ft. x 15 ft. cubic space. Creatures inside the area of effect must succeed Constitution saving throws or be nauseated by the malodorous gas. The fumes linger for 1 minute before dissipating. After using the helmet’s ability, there is a 1-in-6 chance it will recharge at the start of the next round.

5: NIGHTHUNTER’S HOOD

The wearer gains darkvision and Advantage on Perception and Stealth checks at night or other low-light conditions. However, they have Disadvantages on saving throws against effects involving bright light or loud noises.

Every full moon, there’s a 1-in-10 chance the wearer contracts lycanthropy from the hood.

6: DREAD LORD BATTLE-CROWN 
As a full-round action, the wearer can reanimate a “fresh” (no more than 24 hours dead) corpse. A reanimated corpse has the same stats as a zombie, but follows and obeys the commands of whoever wearers the battle-crown.

A living creature that dies while wearing the battle-crown reanimates as a wight (or similar intelligent undead creature) 1d20 hours later.

7: FRACTURED FACE

As a full-round action, the wearer alter their appearance to become the mirror image of another creature that they can see. All details of the disguise will be identical, but reversed. The first time the wearer suffers damage, the disguise “shatters,”  and the effect ends.

8: WARBEAST

Once per day, the wearer can assume a terrifying chimerical form: their size increases by one category (small to medium, medium to large), their Strength and Dexterity scores increase by  4, they can make an extra melee attack per round, and all melee attacks deal an extra 1d6 damage on a hit.

After 4 rounds, the wearer must make a Constitution check at the end of each round, with a cumulative -1 penalty to the check per round; failure indicates that they return to normal. After 10 rounds in warbeast mode, if the wearer succeeds their next check to sustain, they become trapped in that form forever.

 

 

 

 

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SHADOW DOMAIN (5E)

photograph by Simon Leipelt

Domain Spells
1 – feather fall, sleep
3 – darkness, silence
5 – gaseous form, nondetection
7 – arcane eye, greater invisibility
9 – mislead, modify memory

Level 1: Nocturnal Proficiency
A cleric of the shadow domain gains proficiency with all weapons that have the ‘finesse’ property; additionally, they can use their Wisdom modifier instead of their Dexterity or Strength modifier for attack and damage rolls with such weapons.

Level 2: Channel Divinity – Fade to Black
A shadow cleric can expend a use of channel divinity to suffuse their body with darkness.

For a number of rounds equal to their cleric level, the character takes on a dim, translucent aspect. They gain advantage on Stealth checks to hide and have resistance to non-magical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage. In low-light conditions, the cleric becomes fully intangible

Level 6: Speed of Dark
As a move action, the cleric can walk into a shadow and teleport 5 feet per character level to another shadow they can see. 

Level 8: Sight-stealing Strike
Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, instead of dealing damage you can strike the target blind for one round per character level. Alternatively, the cleric can establish a link with the target through which they can access everything the target sees and hears

Level 17: Living Shadow
The cleric can expend a use of channel divinity to transmute their body into pure shadow. As a two-dimensional being, they can slide through openings of any size and attackers have disadvantage on rolls to hit the cleric. While in this form, the cleric is immune to cold, necrotic, and psychic damage, but vulnerable to fire, lightning, and radiant damage.

This ability has no duration, but the cleric must make a death saving throw at the end of each round. If they roll three failures while in this form, the cleric dissipates into wisps of darkness, irrecoverably lost to the Plane of Shadow.

BOUNTY HUNTERS

On a long enough timeline, any adventurer will find a price on their head.

Basic Bounty Hunter
No. Appearing: Most bounty hunters work solo; a particularly difficult or profitable job might see several temporarily join forces
Hit Dice: 3 – 9, saves as a thief
Movement: Normal human
Armor: Medium (Chain mail hauberk)
Attack: Medium melee weapon
Morale: Average
Special:

Dead or Alive, You’re Coming With Me: A bounty hunter suffers no penalties to attack rolls for attempting to inflict non-lethal damage. When dealing non-lethal damage, a bounty hunter can score a critical hit on a natural roll of 19 or 20 and the attack stuns the target.

Not So Fast: Bounty hunters deploy a variety of tools (bolas, lassoes, nets, etc.) to detain their quarry. As a standard action, the bounty hunter can attempt to apprehend a creature within 20 feet that they can see. The target must make a Dexterity saving throw; if they fail, they are immobilized until the device is removed. If the target succeeds the save, they move at half-speed instead.

Some bounty hunters known to work in the unclaimed territories (roll 1d10):

1. Ferda, the Falcon’s Daughter

Picks up the occasional contract to make ends meet between prize fights; an expert at unarmed combat and grappling.

2. The Iron Bastards

A trio of uncouth hard asses; their flamboyantly tusked helmets allow them to communicate telepathically.

3. The Chain Mage

Creepy as fuck; enchants lengths of chains to act like boa constrictors.

4. Rahmos Selodis

A fairly decent dude for a bounty hunter; his axe returns to his hand when thrown.

5. Citrinita Luchard

Ditched her scabby fiancé on her wedding day; there’s an outstanding contract to bring her back to her family.

6. The Rat Knight

Has a preternatural affinity for rodents – they understand him when he speaks and vice versa. There will always be 2d4 rats with him at all times.

7. Phydus Clave

An embittered former changeling (a fey raised by human parents); has a monocle that can visualize magical auras.

8. Astramis Barrowborn

A damned of the darkness aspect.

9. Mogoloss

Covered in apotropaic tattoos to ward him against bad luck and evil spells.

10. The Ghost-Faced Killer

Technically undead, so he can be turned by clerics. Returns to life at the stroke of the next midnight after being killed.

 

SHOGGURIM, THE WARBREED

illustration from by Kentarō Miura

Once there was a civilization, now long gone, whose knowledge and craft surpassed all others. Its people wanted for nothing; their mechanical and medical prowess allowed them to live long and leisurely lives.

To better pursue their artistic and intellectual endeavors, they created living servitors to perform the menial and manual tasks – separate lines to work farms and factories, to maintain households and administer offices, to protect the borders, and to project force when necessary.

Despite its power, this empire fell, as all empires must. It’s unknown what precipitated the collapse – foreign invasion, natural catastrophe, or internal insurrection – very little of their historical accounts remain. Most of the servitors, bereft of the work they were literally born to do, went extinct. But some, shock trooper stock bred for maximum aggression and endurance, survived.

Now, they call themselves the shoggurim and they know no masters but themselves.

No. Appearing: Highly variable. A typical raiding party consists of 6 to 10 individuals.
Hit Dice: 1d10 to 10d10; shoggurim with 5 to 9 hit dice are Large sized, a shoggurim with 10 hit dice is Huge. Since they never stop growing throughout their lifetimes, even larger shoggurim are possible.
Movement: Normal human
Armor: Medium (tough skin supplemented by additional pieces of armor)
Attack: By weapon or unarmed attack (1d4 damage for Medium-sized shoggurim, 1d6 for Large shoggurim, and 1d8 for Huge shoggurim)
Morale: Medium sized shoggurim have average morale, Large shoggurim have high morale, and Huge shoggurim have very high morale
Special:

• Immutable Form: Due to their chimeric biology, shoggurim are immune to spells and effects that alter the body.
• Godless: Having witnessed the decline and fall of the beings who had supposedly been their gods, shoggurim are unshakably atheistic. They gain Advantage on all saving throws versus spells and effects of a divine origin.

Shoggurim with 4 or more hit dice also gain one of the following abilities (choose or roll 1d12):

1 – Facestealer: By means of a grisly ritual, the shoggurim can adopt the appearance of another creature. The process decreases the target’s Charisma score by 2d6 points; a successful Constitution saving throw halves the points lost. Every time the disguised shoggurim takes damage, they must roll 1d20; on a result of 10 or less, they revert to their true appearance.
2 – Walking Hive: A symbiotic swarm of insects crawls upon the shoggurim’s body. Once per day as a standard action, they can rouse the swarm to attack.
3 – Four-armed: The shoggurim has a second pair of arms of equal muscle-mass and coordination to the first. As well as being able to wield double the amount of weapons and equipment, the shoggurim has Advantage on grappling checks.
4 – Burning Blood: Whenever the shoggurim is wounded, it releases a spray of corrosive blood; creatures adjacent them must succeed a Dexterity saving throw or take 1d6 damage.
5 – Threatening Display: As a standard action, the shoggurim can momentarily become terrifying; all creatures that can see them must succeed a Wisdom saving throw or become immobilized with fear until the end of the shoggurim’s next turn. A creature can only be affected by this ability once every 24 hours.
6 – Four-legged: The shoggurim has a second pair of legs of equal muscle-mass and coordination to the first. They have double the normal movement speed and have Advantage on Strength checks to resist knockdowns and forced movement.
7 – Pachydermic: Due to their naturally thick hide, the shoggurim takes half damage from non-magical weapons.
8 – Sweeping Tail: As an additional attack, the shoggurim can use their thick, muscular tail to attempt to trip an opponent within melee reach. Unless the target succeeds a Strength or Dexterity saving throw, they are knocked prone.
9 – Transfer Harm: As a reaction to suffering damage, the shoggurim can attempt to transmit the wound to another living creature it can see. If the target fails a Constitution saving throw, it suffers damage as if it had been struck instead of the shoggurim.
10 – Entangling Pelt: A creature that strikes the shoggurim in melee must succeed a Strength saving throw or become grappled.
11 – Parasitic Spy: The shoggurim can infect a living creature with a parasitic fluke that psychically links the shoggurim and the host. As long as the infected creature is within a number of miles equal to the shoggurim’s hit dice, the shoggurim can see and hear what it does.
12 – Mephitic Exhalation: As a standard action, the shoggurim can belch forth a cloud of noxious vapors. All living creatures within a conical area 15 feet long and 15 feet wide at it’s widest end must make a Constitution saving throw. Creatures that fail the save are incapacitated for a number of rounds equal to the shoggurim’s hit dice; those that succeed suffer Disadvantage on attack rolls, saving throws, and ability and skill checks instead. The shoggurim can use this ability once for every three hit dice it possesses.

Shoggurim appearance varies wildly from individual to individual, a mix of multiple humanoid and animal characteristics. They are hermaphroditic, mature quickly and never stop growing as they age. They can eat just about anything – plant or animal, living or carrion.

Esoteric Arsenal

Exotic, but not necessarily enchanted, weapons:

Black Talon

A short sword with a blade of alloy so dark it appears to absorb light. So long as it is held unsheathed, the wielder can see through smoke, fog, and other forms of cover or concealment.

Rib Scraper

A dagger with a handled of polished, blackened bone. Depending on the damage roll, this dagger inflicts additional effect against living creatures with discernible anatomies:

1. Mortal Wound – the target will die in 1d4-1 rounds.
2. Deep Gash – the target loses 1 hit point per round from heavy bleeding until the wound is healed.
3. Severed Tendon – the target suffers Disadvantage on Strength or Dexterity based rolls (wielder’s choice) until wound is healed.
4. Hit the Bone – the target is incapacitated with pain for one round.

Fist of Fury

A punch from the hand wearing this gauntlet hits with the force of a morningstar, and deals double damage to objects. The wearer suffers Disadvantage on skill and ability checks requiring manual dexterity.

Shrieker

The wielder of this battle axe can use their turn to flourish the weapon in such a way that wind whistles through blade, emitting an unnerving wail. All creatures that hear the sound must make a Morale check.

Celestial Hawk Wings

A matched set of longswords forged from meteoric iron that glows in dim light. With one of the blades in each hand, a wielder can leap, from standing, 30 feet straight up or 60 feet across. The wielder has Disadvantage on Stealth checks to hide in shadows or at night.

Ogre’s Tusk

A heavy, fuck-off-big two-handed sword with a grip made of woven human hair. Blows from the weapon can’t be parried and the blade can’t be sundered, but it takes a full action to unsheathe.

Wyrmfang Chain

A bracelet of intricately carved and cunningly articulated dragon-ivory links. It can be uncoiled and wielded as a whip. A wielder with a Dexterity less than 13 has Disadvantage on attack rolls with it.

 

 

 

NEW SPELL: Thus Spake the Nightspirit

Sorcerer/Witch/Wizard (Divination) 1

Make contact with an extra-dimensional intelligence to ask one question per caster level. The spell renders the entity’s responses in a language in which the caster is fluent, but it is up to the character to parse the meaning of the messages.

Prolonged exposure to so alien a mind becomes increasingly dangerous. Starting with the second question asked, the caster must make an Intelligence saving throw with a difficulty that increases by one for each question. On a failed save, the spell miscasts.

Optional Spell Miscast Table for LotFP (roll 1d12):

1 – The caster is physiologically and psychologically incapable of withstanding the alien intelligence – they die screaming as their brain melts out of their ears and nose.

2 – The information bestowed is beyond all comprehension – the caster loses 1 point of Wisdom (plus one point per question asked after the first) and is incapacitated for one round (plus one round per question asked after the first).

3 – The answer completely upends the caster’s worldview – their alignment shifts to the diametrically opposite viewpoint. (If neutral, randomly choose the new alignment).

4 – The entity is curious about existence in this primitive dimension – for one hour (plus one hour per additional question asked) the caster’s body is hijacked by the alien intelligence.

5 – The caster’s mind is temporarily amplified – their Intelligence score is raised to 19 for one round per caster level.

6 – The caster should feel sincerely honored – the entity they contacted has chosen them to be its emissary in this dimension. The caster is indelibly marked in some way (consult your favorite table of random cosmetic mutations). From time to time, the entity will contact the caster to transmit its latest instructions. During this communion, which lasts 1d10 rounds, the caster is incapacitated.

7+ – Consult the generic mishap table.  

NEW SPELL: Black Tears

from “When the Party’s Over,” by Billie Eilish

Sorcerer/Warlock/Witch/Wizard (Enchantment) 1

This spell can only affect creatures with an Intelligence score of at least 3 and are capable of feeling emotions. If the target of the spell fails a Charisma saving throw, they begin weeping black fluid as they are overwhelmed with feelings of intense sadness and self-loathing.

For a number of rounds equal to the spellcaster’s level, an affected target must make a Wisdom saving throw at the start of their turn to attempt to muster the motivation to act. If the succeed, they act as normal, but all rolls are made with Disadvantage. If the target fails the Wisdom save, they are essentially incapacitated.

The spellcaster can affect more than one creature by reducing the duration one round for every target added.

Optional Spell Miscast Table for LotFP (roll 1d12):

1 – Starting with the veins around their eyes, all the blood vessels in the caster’s body become visible and blackened. For a number of hours equal to their level, the caster gains Advantage on rolls to resist spells and effects that manipulate their emotions, but their Charisma score is reduced by 2. At the end of the duration, the caster must succeed a Wisdom saving throw or the effect becomes permanent.

2 – The caster becomes acutely sensitive to failure. For a number of hours equal to their level, the caster will burst into tears and become inconsolable for 1d4 rounds whenever they fail an attempted action.

3 – The target’s eyes turn pure black and they lose all affect. For a number of rounds equal to the caster’s level, the creature is immune to all spells and effects that manipulate or elicit emotions. When the spell’s duration ends, the target must succeed a Charisma saving throw or the effect is permanent.

4 – The caster begins weeping a viscous, caustic black fluid for a number of rounds equal to their level. Each round, they secrete enough to fill a standard vial.

5 – The spell begins converting the target into tarry sludge, every round it must make a Constitution saving throw – if successful they suffer 1d4 points of damage and may act normally; if they fail they suffer 1d6 points of damage per level of the spellcaster. If they make three successful saving throws, the spell is broken. If the target drops to 0 HP, they are transformed into an aggressive black slime with an equivalent number of hit dice.

6 – The caster’s eyes turn black and appear to sink into themselves, leaving sockets of infinite depth. For a number of hours equal to the caster’s level, anyone who meets the caster’s gaze must succeed a Wisdom saving throw or be filled with feelings of powerful revulsion and dread such that they will do nothing but move as far from the caster as possible. At the end of the spell’s duration, the caster must succeed a Charisma saving throw or the effect becomes permanent.

7+ – Consult generic spell miscast table.

(5E) MONASTIC TRADITION: The Way of Five Venoms

Level 3: Reptilian Grace
Whenever you use step of the wind, you can move across vertical surfaces as the spell spider climb. You can also use step of the wind while prone.

Level 6: Iron Body
As a reaction to taking damage, you can expend 1 ki point to halve the damage taken.

Level 11: Fanged Fist
When you use stunning fist, the target is paralyzed instead of stunned. Whenever an enemy creature misses with a melee attack while you are using patient defense, they take damage equal to your unarmed strike

Level 17: Deadly Flurry
So long as you have at least 1 ki point, you lower the threshold for a critical hit with unarmed strikes against a single target by a value equal to the number of successful unarmed strikes you’ve already made against the target. This ability resets after you make a critical hit or strike a different target.

NEW SPELL: Teeth of Frost

Sorcerer/Witch/Wizard (Evocation) 1

The spellcaster accumulates the moisture present in the air around them and freezes it, creating jagged ice crystals to be hurled like daggers.

The spell creates a number of projectiles equal to the caster’s level; they have a maximum range of 30 feet plus 10 feet per caster level. Each projectile deals 1d4 points of damage and the caster can direct them at the same or different targets within range. A target can avoid projectiles with a successful Dexterity check, but suffers a penalty to the check for every projectile targeting it.

Optional Miscast Table for LotFP (roll 1d12):

1 – The caster’s teeth turn to ice and shatter in their mouth. They suffer 1d4 damage and lose 1 point of Charisma.

2 – Moisture freezes to the caster’s body, creating a thin shell of ice. The caster moves at half-speed, but the ice will absorb 1 point of damage per caster level before shattering.

3 – The moisture condenses into a single, gigantic shard of ice that flies toward a random target within range. If the target fails their Dexterity check, the ice shard freezes them solid.

4 – After 1d4-1 rounds, the caster experiences excruciating pain in their mouth and jaw. Then, their teeth begin falling out, one per round for a number of rounds equal to their level. These teeth will feel abnormally cold; when thrown, they shatter on impact, coating everything in a 10 foot by 10 foot square with slippery hoarfrost.

5 – Teeth spontaneously sprout from the caster’s skin, covering their entire body. The caster gains a natural Armor Class equivalent to wearing chain mail, but their Charisma drops to 3. After a number of rounds equal to their level, the caster must make a saving throw versus magic; if they fail, the effect is permanent. Otherwise the teeth fall out and their Charisma returns to normal.

6 – The casters teeth become translucent and blue, like glacial ice. They gain a bite attack that does 1d4 damage, plus another 1d4 damage each round as ice spreads out from the bite wound. On their turn, the bitten creature can make a Constitution check; with a success, they only lose 1 hit point and the ice doesn’t spread. After three successful checks, the spreading ice effect ends.

7+ – Consult generic miscast table.

 

CROWN OF THE MIND-TYRANT

“Skull Wharf,” sculpture by H.R. Giger

The crown of the mind-tyrant is actually a helmet that fully encloses the wearer’s head.

When a character dons the crown, they lose 1 hit point as internal spikes puncture their skull; this hit point cannot be regained as long as the crown is worn.

While wearing the helmet, a character loses their senses of sight, hearing, and smell, and are unable to speak. However, they become aware of every creature within a 30-foot radius that has an Intelligence score. This awareness extends through up to 5 feet of solid material, although any thickness of lead will block this effect.

The wearer can communicate telepathically with any number of creatures with the helmet’s area of effect. Alternatively, the wearer can focus the helmet’s power to probe the mind of a single target within range. If the target fails a Wisdom check, the wearer of the helmet gains access to its thoughts and memories. Continuous use of the probe is dangerous – on the second round of probing, the target takes 1d4 damage, plus an additional 1d4 points for every subsequent round. While probing a creature, the character wearing the crown loses all awareness of everything but their target.

Wearing the crown is also hazardous. For every hour the helmet is continuously worn, a character’s Wisdom score decreases by 1. At a Wisdom score of 8, the character will refuse to take off the crown and will fight to prevent anyone else from removing it. At 0 Wisdom, the character is effectively dead, their body controlled by the crown itself.