Regalia of the War-Father

Powerful relics created to honor the War-Father, also known as the Carrion King and He That Makes Beasts of Men.

illustration by Katsuya Terada (I think?)

1. The Sword: Its wielder gains advantage on attack rolls specifically targeting armor, shields, or weapons and other handheld items. On a hit, the sword deals an additional die of damage for each piece of regalia possessed on such attacks.
2. The Shield: Grants protection equal to a standard shield. Once per day per piece of regalia possessed, its wielder can repel any one attack against their self or an adjacent target.
3. The Armor: Grants protection equal to a full set of plate/heavy armor, while encumbering as medium/chain armor. When the wearer’s current hit points are below one third of their maximum, they gain a bonus to attack and damage rolls equal to the number of pieces of the regalia possessed.
4. The Medallion: Once per day, the user can ignore the effects of a debilitating condition or spell effect for a number of rounds equal to pieces of regalia possessed.

All pieces of the regalia are aware of each other; the possessor of one will know the location of the other three. When all four pieces are equipped at the same time, an avatar of the War-Father will appear to challenge the possessor in single combat. The avatar has the abilities of a fighter/warrior 20 levels greater than the possessor. If they acquit themselves admirably against the avatar, the character will be allowed to keep the regalia for a year and a day, after which the avatar will return to reclaim them. If the avatar deems the possessor unworthy, it seize the regalia and the character will never again find any of its pieces.

New Monster: Dream-Feaster

for the Harry Clarke Bestiary Project

illustration by Harry Clarke

Armor Class: As leather/light
Hit Dice: 1 to 6
Move: as human
Attacks: feeble claws (1d3 damage)
No. Appearing: Solitary
Morale: 5
Treasure: none, but magic-users might pay good money for an intact specimen
Alignment: Chaotic

The dream-feaster is a peculiar form of psychic vampire that derives sustenance from the imaginings of sleeping intelligent beings. In some places, it is blamed by those who wake up from a full night’s sleep still feeling tired. Actual sightings are rare as it is a furtive and cowardly creature, and only appears at night. Though varying on some details, accounts describe a pale, hunched and fleshy biped with an owlish face.

Typically, the dream-feaster waits until its quarry is already asleep, then creeps up and attaches its beak-like mouth to the sleeper’s head. The dream-feaster’s saliva has a soporific quality that prevents the prey from waking up (the target has disadvantage on any saving throw or ability check to attempt to rouse themselves). To adequately feed itself, the dream-feaster needs at least six hours of uninterrupted contact with its prey.

While feeding, the dream-feaster is immobilized but aware of its surroundings. If interrupted, the dream-feaster will attempt to flee; it can assume a semi-ethereal state for up to 1 minute, becoming intangible (taking half damage from non-magical physical attacks) and translucent (characters have disadvantage on attack rolls against it). While semi-ethereal, the dream-feaster can levitate and move through up to five feet of solid matter – except for pure silver.

A poor fighter, the dream-feaster will avoid combat as much as possible. It can cast illusion spells as a magic-user of a level equivalent to its hit dice.

The briefest exposure to sunlight causes it to fade into nothingness.

This work is Creative Commons under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

The Damned

photo by Rina Dragunova

Also known as the cursed, the devil-blooded, and maledictors.

The damned are individuals who, through an accident of birth or through deliberate congress, have acquired a portion of the powers of a fiendish being.

Hit Die: d6
Saves: as a Magic-User

Regardless of their professed alignment, a damned counts as an evil (and/or chaotic, depending on the world’s alignment scheme) creature for the purposes of spells and effects that relate to good and evil (and/or law and chaos).

The damned gains supernatural abilities, called diableries, based on their demonic aspect. Each diablerie has a physical deformity, a mark of the beast, associated with it that becomes more pronounced as the character gains levels.

Demonic Aspects:

• Brimstone
  • Mark of the Beast: Horns
  • Burning Inside: At 1st level, the damned can ignite flammable materials (dry kindling, lamp oil, paper, etc.) by touch. Also, hit point loss from fire and heat is reduced by 1 point per character level.
  • Witch-fire: At 4th level, the damned can generate bolts of hellish flame. These projectiles have a range of 10 feet per level and deal 1d4 points of damage with a successful ranged attack roll. Targets that suffer damage are also set on fire and suffer another 1d4 points of damage per round until they extinguish the flames. A damned can use this ability once per turn.
  • Boiling Blood: At 7th level, the damned can kindle a violent rage in themselves or another creature they can see. For 1 minute, the enraged creature has advantage on melee attacks and gains a bonus to melee damage rolls equal to the damned’s level. The damned can use this ability once for every two levels they possess.
  • Inferno: At 10th level, the damned can raise a curtain of fire 10 feet tall and up to 5 feet long for every level they possess. The flames last for a total number of rounds per day equal to the damned’s level. Only one instance of this ability can be active and the damned can use their turn to reposition it.
• Darkness
  • Mark of the Beast: Eyes
  • Sight Beyond Sight: At 1st level, the damned can see perfectly in even total or magical darkness. By concentrating (not taking any other actions), the damned can see invisible objects and beings or see through illusions.
  • Shadowplay: At 4th level, the damned can manipulate and animate a number of shadows equal to their level. At night and in areas of low light, these shadows are semi-tangible (treat as illusions).
  • Cloak of Night: At 7th level, the damned can turn invisible for a number of minutes per 24-hour period equal to their level.
  • The Evil Eye:  At 10th level, the damned can attempt to dominate (as the spell) a creature that meets their gaze (a successful save versus paralysis negates). If the damned possesses a piece of the creature (like a lock of hair or vial of blood), they can make the attempt by merely observing the target from a distance (10 feet per level). The domination effect lasts for 1 round per level
• Pestilence
  • Mark of the Beast: Claws
  • Guttertalk: At 1st level, the damned has the ability to understand and communicate with rats and other vermin (nothing bigger than say, a dog).
  • Call of the Vile: A 4th-level damned can summon a number of vermin-type creatures with total hit dice equal to their level.
  • Miasma: A 7th-level damned can exhale a cloud of noxious vapors that fills a volume of 5 cubic-feet per level. The cloud blocks line of sight and any living creature that enters it suffers 1d6 points of damage every round it remains within it. The damned is immune to this effect.
  • Creeping Doom: At 10th level, the damned can transform into a swarm of flying or crawling vermin for a number of rounds per day equal to their level.
• Rebellion
  • Mark of the Beast: Hooves
  • Defiance: At 1st level, the damned can continue to act normally at 0 HP for 1 round per level.
  • Rebel Yell: A 4th level damned can emit a thunderous shout that affects a conical area 15 feet wide and has a range of 5 feet per level. Every creature in the area of effect is deafened for 1d10 rounds and must succeed a saving throw vs. paralysis or be knocked prone. Glass and crystalline materials in the area of effect are destroyed by the shout. This ability can be used once per day per character level.
  • Blades Turned Blunt: Starting at 7th level, the damned can make their body impervious to non-magical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage for a number of rounds per day equal to their level. This ability does not require any action to use and the rounds do not have to be consecutive. However, the damned must be conscious to activate it.
  • Shake the Pillars of Heaven: At 10th level, the damned can unleash a tremendous roar that starts the ground quaking. For a number of total rounds per day equal to their level, the damned can create localized tremors in an area around them with a radius equal to 10 feet per level. The damned must be standing on earth to use this ability.
• Temptation
  • Mark of the Beast: Tail
  • Forked Tongue: Starting at first level, other beings have disadvantage on ability checks to determine if the damned is telling the truth or not. The damned has advantage on ability checks to detect falsehoods.
  • Poisonous Words: Starting at 4th level, the damned can issue commands (as the spell) of up to four words in length. For each additional level, the damned can add another word. The total number of words of command that can be spoken in a 24-hour period cannot exceed the damned’s character level. (For example, a 4th-level damned could issue 4 one-word commands, 2 two-word commands, 1 three-word and 1 one-word, or 1 4-word command.)
  • Unearthly Delight: A 7th-level damned can alter their appearance (as the spell change self) for 1 minute per level.
  • Kiss of Death: Starting at 10th level, the damned can steal the life force from another creature. For every round of intimate physical contact, the damned drains 1 HD from the target; once it reaches 0 HD, the target is dead, reduced to an emaciated husk. For every hit die drained from the target, the damned can restore 1d6 lost hit points (if any). Alternatively, the damned can replace one meal with one complete draining.

New Monster: Scorpion Woman (Harry Clarke Project)

Cavegirl has devised a communal project revolving around the artwork of Harry Clarke. Details can be found on her blog.

Armor Class: As chain mail
Hit Dice: 4
Move: double human speed, can walk on vertical surfaces and ceilings
Attacks: Sting (1d4+poison), spell, or by weapon
No. Appearing: Solitary
Morale: 7
Treasure: 1d4x100 gp worth of jewelry on her body, plus 1d6x100 gp worth of goods in her lair.
Alignment: Lawful

The female counterpart to the manscorpion, a scorpion woman looks like the upper body of a human woman fused at the waist to the abdomen, legs, and tail of a giant scorpion.

The sting of a scorpion woman can be deadly. When struck by her tail, a creature must make a saving throw versus poison or die in 1d4+1 rounds. Scorpion women are themselves immune to all poisons; they can also detect poison by taste. From their breasts, scorpion women produce a powerful anti-toxin that can neutralize any poison, including their own venom.

Scorpion women typically make their lairs in warm, arid regions. They are intelligent beings, often engaged in the research or contemplation of occult lore, and can cast spells as a 4th-level magic-user.

This work is Creative Commons under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Something Old, Something New

Revised Spell: Thoughts Like Hammers

Sorcerer/Wizard/Witch (Enchantment) 1

This spell concentrates the caster’s aggression and intent to do harm and projects it like a hurled bludgeon to overwhelm their target.

A living creature that fails its saving throw against this spell instantly falls unconscious for a number of rounds equal to the caster’s level.

The caster can add another target for every round of duration subtracted (for example: a 4th-level magic user could affect two targets for two rounds or three targets for 1 round).

Optional Miscast Table for Lamentations of the Flame Princess (roll 1d12):

1 – The caster pours too much power into the spell; on a failed save, the target’s head explodes Scanners-style.

2 – A blood vessel bursts in the caster’s brain. They experience excruciating pain for a number of rounds equal to their level, gaining disadvantage on all rolls and are unable to cast spells until they recover.

3 –  Brainstorm – the caster convulses, immobilized, as psychic energy lashes out randomly for one round per caster level. All creatures within 20 feet of the caster must succeed a Dexterity saving throw or take 1d6 points of damage per caster level.

4 – The spell turns on the caster, forcing them to re-live a barrage of memories in haphazard order. At the start of their next turn, the caster must succeed a  Wisdom saving throw or lose 1 point of Wisdom and be unable to act. At 0 Wisdom, the character is reduced to a persistent vegetative state.

5 – The caster falls unconscious and recovers 1d4-1 rounds later. From now on, they will be plagued with intrusive thoughts about hammers; when they sleep, they’ll have unsettling dreams about hitting things (people?) with hammers; villages will experience an uptick in unexplained hammer-related incidents whenever the caster visits…

6 – The caster projects their entire persona at the target. On a failed save, the caster assumes control of the target’s body while their own falls into catatonia, still alive but with no mind, essentially an empty vessel.

7+ Consult the generic mishap table.

---

New Spell: Torture Geometry

Sorcerer/Warlock/Wizard/Witch 1 (Enchantment)

The caster can target one living creature that they can see. If the target fails a saving throw versus magic, they become bound in a skein of invisible threads (though beings that can detect magic or see magical auras or have a similar ability can see lines of red light emanating from the caster’s finger tips connected to the target).

For one minute per level, the caster can command the target to act in a manner of their choosing, manipulating them like a puppet. The target can resist these demands and act as they wish, but take 1d10 damage as they strain against their bounds.

Optional Miscast Table for Lamentations of the Flame Princess (roll 1d12):

1 – The invisible threads cut through the target’s flesh like razor sharp wire, dealing 1d10 damage per caster level. For every 10 rolled, a random body part is cut off.

2 – The caster’s senses become sympathetically linked to the target. For the duration of the spell, the caster sees, hears, smells, tastes, and feels everything the target does, suffering disadvantage on all d20 rolls due to extra sensory information. If the target dies, the caster must succeed a Constitution saving throw or be knocked unconscious for one hour for every minute linked to the target

3 – A malicious extra-dimensional entity hijacks the spell and uses it to torment and humiliate the caster, like a child pulling the wings off a fly.

4 – Caster and target become entangled in a web of ethereal threads; neither can move more than 5 feet per caster level away from the other for the duration of the spell.

5 – The spell backfires and the caster’s body is wrapped in coils of invisible thread. For the duration of the spell, the caster cannot move their arms or legs; they can attempt to move at half speed by hopping, but must make a Dexterity check to maintain their balance.

6 – Glowing red tendrils lash out from the caster in a circle to a distance of 5 feet per caster level. Any creature with hit dice less than the caster’s level is automatically struck, while creatures with hit dice equal to, or greater than the caster’s level can make a Dexterity saving throw to avoid being struck. The tendrils deal 1d10 damage, and sever a random body part on a result of 10.

7+ Consult the generic mishap table.

Magic Items in Brief

My birthday is this week, but I’m the one giving out presents:

Hex Fife – a magic whistle that can summon a familiar in the shape of a large (but not unusually so) rat that will serve the user for 24 hours.

Argus Coat – protects as leather armor, wearer is immune to flanking, backstabbing, and sneak attacks, but has disadvantage on saving throws against gaze attacks.

Grim Visage – Death’s head burgonet that confers immunity to fear effects, but the wearer has disadvantage on all social interaction checks except intimidation. (There’s a 1-in-10 chance the helmet is cursed so that it can’t be removed.)

Killing Moon – Silvered scimitar grants a bonus to attack rolls that changes with the phase of the moon (new = 0, waxing crescent +1, first quarter = +2, waxing gibbous = +3, full = +4, waning gibbous +3, last quarter +2, waning crescent +1).

Pocket Huscarl – Once per 24 hours, this ivory figurine can be transformed into a human-sized level 1 fighter (AC chainmail + shield, 1 hit die, Attack +3 (1d8+2 damage)). When the fighter reaches 0 hp, it reverts back to being a figurine.

Scent of Battle – Aggression-heightening perfume with notes of burning wood, oiled swords, and spilled blood. The wearer gains advantage on initiative rolls, but disadvantage on reaction rolls. Lasts for 8 hours or until washed off.