Hey DMs! If you’re like me, you might struggle challenge your players outside of combat in ways that are both meaningful and fun (and if they burned a resource or two I wouldn’t complain :). Fantasy adventure media is filled with these kinds of challenges, but many rpgs, including DnD, don’t give us robust methods or systems to bring these challenges into our games. I’ve been working away at a solution to all of this for some time now, and I’m finally ready to start sharing my work with the DM community in case this might help someone else.

Introducing, Cinematic Challenges! a series of skill challenge-based encounters covering a variety of situations for your games. Today’s challenge is called the Manor House Break-in. My goal with this challenge was to make a fun stealth challenge that didn’t just boil down to ‘make 6 stealth rolls in a row.’ To pass and gain an Advances, players will need to figure out a way to achieve the goal of each Obstacle. If the outcome of what they attempt is ever in doubt, they’ll need to roll a check to meet the Danger in order to succeed.

Here’s a link to a formatted version, but the full challenge is detailed below:
Manor House Break-In PDF
Manor House Break-In Image

I have seen [https://www.reddit.com/r/DnDBehindTheScreen/s/KhtG5sDF54](this post) and decided to try and make something similar. And of course I chose the token Christian Heaven of DnD — Mount Celestia itself. Where u/leguan1001 used sins as themes for layers, I chose virtues.

There were certain problems. First, I don't think Christian Seven Capital Virtues work well here. Especially Chastity that A) isn't really a virtue, unless you make it redundant with Temperance and B) even if it was, it is kinda hard to make a character based aroud chastity. Contrary to what Tolkien fans may say, in this instance Good is understood as the absense of Evil, which doesn't give a lot of wiggle room for interesting stuff. So, I selected some virtues from Roman philosophy, which I feel correspond more to the current ideal of Lawful Good.

And then there are tome archons. While archdevils are supposed to represent their respective sins, I chose to make archons be slightly lacking in virtues associated with their designated layers. This may be out of character for them, but then again, it's not like they have had much character to begin with.

#Lunia, the Silver Heaven

Virtue: PIETY. All of Celestia is a school of goodness, but Lunia is an entry exam. Mundane and magical defenses are plentiful and paths are different for everyone, and only those who prove their good intentions can proceed. For most visitors, this layer is the only one available — few can elevate their goodness enough to reach higher. Be devout, help others along the way and improve yourself — only then will you be allowed to proceed.

Sky: clear night skies, dotted with "stars" — lantern archons, keeping constant watch.

Climate: climate of the Silver Heaven is warm, and pleasant breezes are frequent. There are few clouds, and the only common form of precipitation is thick fog that sometimes comes from the sea.

Geology: bigger islands of Lunia are comprised of chalk and limestone, while smaller can be made of coral and covered in silky white sand. Continental-sized mountain of white marble dominates the landscape — this is the titular Mount Celestia and the most important pathway towards the higher layers. Other, smaller mountain ranges rise from the sea as well, most of them holding deific realms.

Waters: the great Silver Sea covers almost all of Lunia. Its water is not only fresh, but has holy properties and burns fiends and undead. The Silver Sea is sustained by a myriads of streams cascading from the mountains.

Vegetation: despite apparent humidity, Lunia is covered by forests of sclerophyll trees (such as oak, pine, eucalyptus and nothofagus) and shrublands. This is because the nature of the Outer Planes doesn't abide by the laws of Prime Material Plane — something that is evident from looking at Lower (and certain Upper) Planes. Interestingly, wildfires are pretty common in this place, and while archons do protect the settlements from them, they don't seem to try and prevent those fires. Perhaps, they know it is best for environment, or maybe they have a philosophical lesson to teach.

Animals: Lunia is pretty civilised, so large land animals aren't common here. Exotic birds and reptiles inhabit shrubbery, while whales, turtles, sharks and a variety of other colorful aquatic creatures live in the sea. Many animals here are white or silver in color.

Settlements and services: Lunia is densely populated, and humanoids are much more numerous here than celestials. Aside from churches and monasteries (that are plentiful on all layers), this layer is full of docks and harbors. All Celestian goods that are for sale can be found here, and most imported ones pass through the Silver Heaven as well. Additionally, military presence here is very large, walls and citadels stand in the way of would-be invaders. Beneath the mountains, celestial prisons hold those seeking to desecrate Mount Celestia. Certain Lunian burgs and realms are underwater, maintained by octopus-people zoveri and other aquatic humanoids.

Ruler: from their Citadel of Stars, Barachiel, Lord of Trumpet Archons watches over the Silver Sea of Lunia. He (archon culture does not recognise gender, but to other creatures Barachiel presents as "he" or "they") has a lot of duties: he is the voice of Celestial Hebdomad, defender of Lunian shores and overseer of trade and mortal relations. Unlike other tome archons, Barachiel will not delegate many of his workings to his throne archon subordinates, preferring to make most of his own time. In truth, long ago Barachiel used to be a close companion of Zariel, the current Archduke of Avernus herself. While he mourns her loss, her fall has impacted Barachiel in another way — he started to doubt his own goodness. Now he hopes to tie himself with workings of Mount Celestia and smother any seed of doubt in his heart. Archon's friends have assured him he's as unwavering in his devotion as the plane itself, but he just cannot shake off the thought.

Portals: to reach Mercuria, one must climb up the mountain, until they enter the clouds, surrounding its peak. If they have followed one of spiritual paths, they will found themselves in Mercuria after passing through the curtain of clouds. If not, then they may climb forever. Or find a portal in the caves or cities of the layer. Don't expect them to be unguarded. You can try and persuade Powers to give you a lift — for example, Khors and Dazhbog have a twin realm, connected by the Birch of Life. Climbing this tree will get you to Mercuria — or, more likely, will lead you to getting doubly smited.

Getting to neighbouring planes is much easier. You should seek rectangular blocks of stone — those are portals. Black stones with silver lining lead to Arcadia, white with gold — to Bytopia, and red and blue — to Outlands. Certain planar pathways, including river Eridanus, the Seventh Sea and the Infinite Staircase touch Lunia too.

#Mercuria, the Golden Heaven

Virtue: HONOR. Nobody and nothing should be forgotten. Tombs and mausoleums of saints and heroes are everywhere here, just like memorials of the greatest victories and most horrible failures. Honor doesn't mean anything without dishonor, after all. Mercuria holds many important sites, be it mustering grounds, festive halls or libraries, but they all have this aura of sorrow and rest around them.

Sky: Mercuria is a land of perpetual sunset. Sky here is of beautiful red and yellow colors, truly resembling a sheet of gold, that lost its glint with the passage of time. There's no sun in the sky — but horizon itself glows with soft light. In fact, there used to be multiple suns, but after solar Galgathiel, who guided them, departed from Chronias, they vanished from the sky, stuffed by powers somewhere beyond horizon. Sometimes it dims down — not fully, but enough to create a day-night cycle.

Climate: Mercuria isn't as warm as Lunia, but the temperature is still comfortable. Great clouds float in the sky. Drizzling, sad rain falls frequently, but rain showers and thunderstorms are almost unheard of.

Geology: the landscape of Mercuria is divided by mountain ranges. Slumbering peaks of granite and gneiss are shrouded in clouds — they are the gateways to Venya. Some mountains are smaller and more eroded — they hold great monuments and domains. Between them are lowlands, terraces and hills, where most of the population lives. Soil of Mercuria is black and rich with clay.

Waters: lowlands of Mercuria are dotted with little quiet ponds and canals. Rivers Lethe and Eunoe flow here as wide, but subdued streams with a lot of branches and tributaries.

Vegetation: Mercuria is a land of broadleaf forests. Oaks and ashes, willows and marples grow here in beautiful meadows. Travelling through those forests are easy, and foraging yields plenty of nuts and berries.

Animals: Mercuria is perhaps the riches among Seven Heavens, when it comes to terrestrial fauna. Graceful deer and mighty aurochs graze in untamed forests, while foxes and wolves stalk their prey in the bushes. All animals here are quiet and cautious, as even they are reverent towards the memories this layer keeps.

Settlements and services: being only the second layer, Mercuria still has its fair share of visitors, services and defenders. However, most numerous creatures here are archons (mostly hounds) and other celestials like radiant dragons. Mercuria is a cultural center of Celestia, a place that shows its visitors all glory that forces of Good have to offer. Almost every settlement is centered around some monastery, library or cemetery. In fact, most places worthy of visit here are places of final rest. Some monuments in Mercuria are so grand, they are carved into mountains themselves. These mausoleums rarely contain any treasure, most of them even lack corpses they are supposed to keep — it is rarely possible to retrieve them from the clutches of evil. Their purpose, as with everything here, is keeping memories. What would be much more enticing to an adventurer are certain underground tombs, whose purpose isn't known even to archons themselves. Celestials used to leave these places alone, but now Domiel seeks to uncover those truths (naturally, against some protests). Archons (who aren't willing to risk their lives without the ability to reform) are willing to hire archaeologically inclined cutters.

Ruler: Domiel the Mercy-bringer watches over Mercuria from his golden spire Aurilon on the intersection of four rivers. Aurilon is in fact a memorial too — and not one of greatness. Its purpose was to commemorate an age-old war between aasimon and asuras — a conflict, in which archons and eladrin have unfortunately tangled themselves into. Eventually, the conflict has been quenched, but at a great cost. However, Domiel does not dwell on the nature of this divide (in fact, he sometimes gets quite annoyed at all the eladrin visiting his castle). He plans to strengthen the defences of Mercuria, placing emphasis on the layer's nature as the second line of defence. Naturally, this raises arguments from some archons, but overall opinions remain divided.

Portals: paths to Venya are on the highest peaks of mountain ranges, that are shrouded in clouds and mist. Like on other layers, climbing onto the next layer is only possible for someone who follows one of the spiritual paths. Portals to further layers are somewhat frequent, though most of them have a garrison of archons around. Going back to Lunia is possible through certain ponds and ravines, or through one of many portals. Palace of Bahamut is one of the most famous ways to travel between first four layers of Celestia.

#Venya, the Pearly Heaven

Virtue: UNITY. Venya is the land of halflings, the breadbasket of Celestia, and community here is supremely important. While the natural conditions of Venya can be harsh, any piligrim here can receive aid from natives (at least if he can be respectful enough). Powers of love and family dwell here as well.

Sky: in full accordance to the name "Pearly Heaven", sky of Venya swirls with colours of pearls. Rainbows glow way above, even without rain. Like on most Outer Planes, sky provides light without sun. Similarly to Mercuria, Venya has a day-night cycle, even though it never gets truly dark.

Climate: Venya is cold, but never freezing. Temperature stays between 15 and 10 degrees Celsius, and it depends on location and time of year. Clouds are infrequent, but when it rains — it showers. Even thunderstorms and hailstorms can happen, though rarely.

Geology: mountains of Venya are comparatively flat and almost always are covered in vegetation. Points of high elevations are unmistakable paths to Solania. Soil of Venya is fertile chernozem, that always seems to be just perfect enough for any kind of crops.

Waters: rivers are plentiful in Venya. They are slightly more wild than in Mercuria, however this often turns out to be beneficial. There are plenty of dams and waterwheels around Venya, and some rivers are diverted to serve as irrigation canals. Many waterways end at the Lake Heartsea — a freshwater lake so large, many planars call it the second sea of Celestia (does it mean there's a third one? Who knows...).

Vegetation: there are many different kinds of plant life in Venya — it is perhaps the most biologically diverse layer of Celestia. Alpine meadows of soft grass and fragrant flowers dominate the place, but in lower valleys forests, moors and shrublands take their place. A lot of Venya is farmlands and orchards. They grow mostly cold-resistant plants such as potatoes.

Animals: most animals here are domesticated ones — sheep, goats and cows being the most common, though any kind of livestock can be found here. Fauna also includes a multitude of mountain creatures such as guanako, wallabis, rheas, many songbirds and some unique creatures.

Settlements and services: Venya is an agricultural center of Celestia, from where food flows to all inhabitants of the mountain. And not only food — but also oils, textiles, and, most importantly, ambrosia. This substance is a distilled joy, taken from petitioners and other folks of Celestia through a magical spell. It is very nutritious to archons, many of whom consume only ambrosia (while archons, like many other planar creatures, don't need to eat, they still suffer and get weakened from hunger). Mortals can eat ambrosia as well, though it doesn't have all necessary nutrients. Collecting ambrosia takes away some joy a creature feels, but many Venyans are still glad to offer help to their archon protectors. Honey (and mead) is also an important food item.

Ruler: Erathaol the Seer is a ruler of Venya, who observes his domain from the fortress Xiranthador under the lake Heartsea. He is quite distant (especially for someone who rules the layer of unity) and communicates only with certain creatures. Some throne archons of Venya have never even interacted with their ruler, as Erathaol has foretold that they will rule their domain justly and thus need no intervention. The gift of prophecy of this tome archon is powerful, perhaps even too powerful. He doesn't keep much contact even with other tomes, yet at the same time can reveal himself to mortals with seemingly minor requests. Rumours hold, Erathaol has forseen some terrible finale for the entire Multiverse and now desperately tries to find a thread of fate to avoid it.

Portals: like in Mercuria, in Venya highest peaks, shrouded in mist, are gateways to Solania, while ravines and sinkholes lead back to Mercuria. Another site that needs a mention is the Glass Tarn — a mountain lake, that is also a one-way portal to the Astral Plane, Elemental Water, Ysgard and the Well of Norns. It is also a place of prophetic visions sent by Powers. Some say there's a treasure beneath the waves, but sword archon guardians of this place probably won't take an attempt to retrieve them well.

#Solania, the Electrum Heaven

Virtue: LOYALTY. Life in Solania is hard, but convictions here are even harder. Dwarves of Moradin and other petitioners endlessly toil in mines and forges, not just out of love of work, but as a display of loyalty towards their ideals. And if you are seeking to reach even higher than Solania, then you must take the ultimate test of loyalty — and risk death.

Sky: like in arctic regions of Prime, day and night of Solania both last for half a year. During daytime, the entire silverly sky burns with sunlight. It can often be dangerous to the eyesight to look upon the sky (or the snow that reflects its light) without protection, although archons and lawful good cutters don't seem to have this problem. In nighttime, the sky is pitch-black, and without the Moon or stars nothing can be seen without light or darkvision.

Climate: Solania is the land of eternal winter. Heaps of snow lie on everything, and enormous glaciers sit on the mountaintops. Note, that all these snow and ice is made out of holy water. Despite all that, the climate of Solania is dry, and snow falls much rarely than you would expect. But when snowstorms do happen (more often at night), they are very intense and dangerous.

Geology: terrain of Solania is much more perilous than that of any other layer. There's almost no even ground, mountains are high and treacherous, and landslides and avalanches are common. One redeeming quality of this layer is its richness — plenty of gems and ores can be found here. Not all of them are precious or even useful, but those that are can make any dwarf understand why do they have a heaven there.

Waters: almost all water sources in Solania are frozen. Some rivers (notably those that flow through multiple layers, such as Lethe) are an exception. Those rivers are not only cold, but dangerous to sail on, since waterfalls and rapids are plentiful. Other important sites are hot springs, sources of much-needed heat.

Vegetation: coniferous forests dominate lower elevations. Despite their similarity to prime conifers, these are celestial plants that can grow in the eternal winter. However, high up the mountains conditions are so harsh that only some lichens and mosses can grow there.

Animals: few animals live up here, but those who do are hardy indeed. Examples include yaks, takins, goats, snow leopards and snow monkeys. These celestial animals too are much more resistant to cold than their prime progenitors.

Settlements and services: there are two kinds of settlements in Solania. First one are mines and forges, where Solanians (mostly dwarves and dwarven petitioners) mine ores and gems, forge celestial weaponry, and craft treasures and spell keys. These folks can be grumpy, but mean well, and will help you on your way. Unless you're a fiend or, Moradin forgive me, an elf. Second kind is monasteries, where monks live and train, loyal to their gods or their causes. They'll be happy to help too, though don't expect them to have good food or lodging.

Ruler: Pistis Sophia is the odd one among archons. She's the only feminine tome archon, only one with a double name, though somehow not the only one who doesn't wear clothes (don't get your hopes up, they may have genders, but they still are sexless. Unless they want to not be...). Pistis Sophia doesn't have any home, instead she constantly travels Solania, visiting different places. She delegates most of her administrative duty to her throne archon subordinates, and devouts her time to practicing ascetism. Pistis Sophia doesn't wear clothes, eats, drinks or sleeps, as she seeks purity of body and mind. She frequently says how much she envies mortals, who routinely go through much more pain than she ever did, and she's quite friendly to visitors. Pistis Sophia seems distant from other tome archons, even more so than Erathaol. Some claim that unlike any other archon she sits a bit outside of their hierarchy and instead answers directly to mysterious crown archons of Chronias. Others think that this aloofness would disappear, if Pistis Sophia were to eat some ambrosia every once in a while.

Portals: Solania is the last layer accessible to most non-celestial creatures. Very few cutters outside of archon society know the secret of the way to Mertion. It lies in the unseen realm of Jazirian. To reach this place, one must make a leap of faith from the highest peaks of Solania (or fly upwards, until their wings cannot hold them, and then fall). In the realm called Uroboros, petitioners and piligrims have to answer Jazirian's riddles and resist temptation from evil creatures allowed here to be allowed to enter Mertion. If other portals to Mertion exist, they are well-hidden. Going back to Venya is the usual deal — find deep canyons or caves. Many towns also have secured portals to Lunia and Mercuria, where they have much easier time selling their products.

#Mertion, the Platinum Heaven

Virtue: BRAVERY. Three last layers of Celestia are the secluded domains of archons, where celestial powers reign supreme. But it doesn't mean that tests stop here. On Mount Celestia trials never stop, in fact they've just became more perilous. On frozen plateaus of Mertion newly-ascended justice and sword archons prepare for celestial crusades to uphold law and good around the planes.

Sky: the sky of Mertion burns with platinum light that deals 1d6 radiant damage to all fiends and undead under it every round. It never dims, and Mertion has no night.

Climate: Mertion is really cold. It may be incomparable to Stygia or Agathys, yet it can rival arctic deserts of many Prime World and even the surface of Para-Elemental Ice. It is also very dry, snow falls once in a few years, and powerful winds sweep the plains. Due to these winds, plateaus of Mertion aren't covered by snow, which may seem counterintuitive at first.

Geology: Mertion is a layer of many plateaus and fissures. It is easier to traverse than Solania, though this is cold comfort. The most striking feature of this layer is a series of black domes of unknown origins. These domes can reach the size of mountains and often have settlements carved inside them. Mertion barely has any soil that isn't permafrost.

Waters: almost all water sources of Mertion are frozen, even the most rapid streams. However, certain hot springs are active enough to stay warm. Most of them contain chemicals and magical energies that make them glow with different colours. Rare hypersaline lakes are unfrozen too. Sometimes, however, rivers and even swamps can be found not only not frozen, but warm, with no sign of volcanic activity nearby. The dark of these places is yet to be revealed.

Vegetation: almost no plant life can survive in Mertion, aside from some mosses and lichens. However, in certain places crystalline plants with leaves of metal. Even these magical trees prefer to be hidden from freezing winds in deep gorges or around hot springs.

Animals: very few animals inhabit Mertion, and all of them are really weird: radiant remorhazes, metallic penguins and bugs carved from stone are among the least frightening ones.

Settlements and services: some of the black domes are in fact great citadels, where archon armies garther and prepare for their military escapades. The most renowned paladins can get an invitation here as well. Bloods, who have gained some goodwill among archons can petition for aid in these fortresses. If the Celestial Host deems their cause just, they can decide to offer their aid. There are other cities around here, often protected by powerful enchantments. Most of them are places of holy zeal, mustering grounds or high-ranking temples, but some guard much more important secrets (take city of Rempha for example).

Ruler: Raziel the Firestar is not the sole leader of Celestial Crusade, but is perhaps the most influential of them. He guides the major strategic moves of celestial armies from his hidden citadel. Only his most trusted advisors know of its location. Raziel is often seen on the front lines, fearlessly putting himself in danger. However, he's rarely seen on the first four layers of Celestia — sneering fiends claim that he's in fact afraid of death, but exploits the fact that archons cannot die anywhere outside of Mount Celestia. But even if this turns out to be true, Raziel is still an invaluable leader, intelligent, wise and mighty warrior.

Portals: portals to Jovar are located on top of some black domes. They look much more like regular portals than unseen paths. Those, who stand on the round portal, disappear in the beam of light, teleporting to Jovar. Portals to Solania lie in the deep fissures between plateaus. There are portals to Mertion from other planes, but they are heavily guarded on both sides.

#Jovar, the Glittering Heaven

Virtue: JUSTICE. Jovar is the place where archons reign supreme. Even Powers are not allowed to make their realms here. In the grand cathedrals and towers of Jovar archons engage in philosophical debates, write new laws and decrees and settle their disputes in court. The only way to Chronias lies here, and everyone who tries to enter is heavily scrutinised. Only those who reached the pinnacle of goodness are allowed to enter.

Sky: at this point Seven Heavens lose any pretenses of mimicing the Material World. The skies of Jovar are dark, yet adorned with countless gems that twinkle and glow. No one has managed to reach these stones yet, so their true size is unknown.

Climate: Jovar is very cold (perhaps even colder than Mertion), and air here is very thin. However, curiously, those few who visited this layer have never reported actually suffering from cold or having trouble breathing. Perhaps, this is yet another line of defence, and an evil creature would take cold damage from being on Jovar, but no such creature have ever been reported to reach this high. There are no clouds, yet there is weather — sometimes gems fall from the skies in a beautiful meteor shower.

Geology: gems and crystals of all sizes are everywhere in Jovar. Some are tiny, mixed with soil, and some are almost mountain-like. Most of them aren't precious, but some are. Just don't try to steal anything, archons will not tolerate it. When it comes to relief, Jovar is way more gentle compared to Solania and Mertion, and is more similar to Venya.

Waters: all water sources (and there's precious few of them) in Jovar are frozen. However, there still are lakes and rivers, yet they aren't filled with water, but with strange metallic liquid. It looks like mercury, yet is different in many aspects. When exposed to heat, it evaporates with no trace left.

Vegetation: no mundane plants grow in Jovar, but this layer definitely isn't barren. Beautiful crystalline trees, blades of platinum grass, jewelled flowers and absolutely insane plants made of sounds, solid light or blessing itself. Amongst these plants, the great lotus-tree of Yetsirah is the most well-known one.

Animals: animals of Jovar are just as majestic as plants. Diamond stags, many-eyed lizards of malachite and spiders, whose platinum legs constantly shift their position on their bodies — these are the least awesome creatures found in gem-ladden forests of Jovar.

Settlements: there are not a lot of settlements in Jovar, since only high-ranking archons and mysterious native humanoids named Tellurites are allowed here. Yetsirah, the Heavenly City is the most important site of Celestia (aside from Chronias, of course). It is a giant ziggurat of precious stones, an administrative center of Jovar, from where laws and judgements flow down the Mountain. Powerful artifacts and celestial weapons, along with plenty of food and all kinds of usable stuff are stored here. And of course, fortress of Sealtiel Pax Exaltea and the portal to Chronias are situated just there. And a lot of sword archons too, so think twice before barging in.

Ruler: Sealtiel the Defender is an imposing tome archon with dark skin, who uses a large greatclub and forgoes clothing. He is the deciding arbiter on the most complicated cases of law and goodness, whose wisdom is renowned among all archons. Sealtiel is the one, who decides if non-archons can be allowed to enter Chronias. He declines most of such requests. In fact, Sealtiel advocates for making Celestia less accessible for mortals — its because of his influence the Gates of Wisdom became the only way between Solania and Mertion. Not all archons agree with this course of actions (some fallen ones even dare to say that the High Judge is, in fact, unjust and prejudiced against primes), but most warden archons do — and come to Jovar, asking for wisdom. But this isn't the most curious thing about Sealtiel — some chant-brokers claim that this tome archon possesses a great secret — he can slay gods. That's — they say — how the Celestial Hebdomad manages to keep all those Powers in line. This chant has already led to Sealtiel's favourite companion, movanic deva Arkareon, being killed multiple times. Sealtiel have ressurected him every time, but now commands him to stay in Jovar.

Portals: there's only one portal that leads to Chronias — at the very top of Yetsirah. If any mortal have passed through this gate, they did not return to tell the tale. Any other portal is heavily guarded by garrisons of archons, even those leading back to Mertion.

#Chronias, the Illuminated Heaven

Virtue: FREEDOM. You have reached your ultimate goal. No one knows what lies in Chronias, but what is known is that this realm is a very pinnacle of virtue (well, according to archons). You have completed your training, became the best version of yourself, and now you have found the last reward — liberty to do what you want to do. Of course, at this point what you want to do is endlessly bask in the ocean of Lawful Goodness, but, well, still good enough.

Look: no one knows how exactly Chronias looks — if there even is anything to look it. Some say there's an eternal bliss, or Ocean Ordial, or maybe a portal to the next multiverse, but it's all just screed.

Ruler: Zaphkiel, the Watcher is the first archon to ever exist and permanent ruler of the Celestial Hebdomad. They aren't called "the Watcher" for nothing — everything rests on the shoulders of this godlike being — internal affairs of archons, celestial crusades and complicated relationships between celestials and gods. They are equal in power to Asmodeus and dwarf most demon lords, yet they are as humble as they come. Not only that, Zaphkiel watches over the spirits of unborn babies, who are said to dwell in Chronias. Who would have thought that Good incarnate would always have their hands full...

Hey everybody,

A few years ago I posted a "DM Cheat Sheet" that included prices for goods, services, weapons, equipment, etc. as well as short descriptions of as much as possible (weapon damage, armor/weapon properties, poisons and their effects, etc.).

Well, it's 2024 and we've got a revised version of D&D, so we need a revised sheet. The new version has all the same information as the old one but updated based on the new PHB/DMG (which had some random/surprising changes I wouldn't have expected), plus important new information like weapon masteries. I also managed to re-arrange some things and squeeze in a few extra bits of info that I wasn't able to on the first version, most notably siege equipment. The whole thing is still printable on one double-sided piece of paper, so it won't take up too much room behind your screen.

Here's the link, enjoy! https://www.redcappress.com/pdfs/Redcap%20Press%20-%202024%20Prices%20and%20Equipment.pdf

If you find it helpful, I've got similar resources as well as a growing list of homebrew and adventures available on my website: https://redcappress.com

Let's Stab The Ocean

This is a one-shot adventure where the players face off against Neptus, the god of the sea, who has taken the form of the entire ocean. The first step is to survive, as an entire city and surrounding area is swept up by the waves. After fleeing to a fortress in the mountains, the players will have to defend against Neptus’s legions of aquatic monstrosities as they try to figure out how, if humanly possible, they could find a way to literally kill the ocean.

This adventure should take about 5-7 hours. It’s balanced for a party of 4 level 5 players, but it should be somewhat flexible. Excited to hear what you think!

Overview

The full module is 20+ pages, so I will summarize what is included.

The linked document will provide an overview of the main story points and the locations your players will find themselves in for this adventure. In particular this modules is broken into four main sections.

1. Opening: How to begin the adventure and introduce all of your players' characters. This is a largely linear segment to set things up before the action begins.
2. Fleeing the Waves: The first encounter with Neptus, god of the ocean, in which the players will have to flee Mount Iustin to avoid being swept into the waves.
3. The Siege: The largest part of the adventure, in which the players are trapped in Mount Iustin, and must solve a mystery to discover Neptus's weakness.
4. Finale: An outline of the final battle against Neptus and the end of the adventure.

Time might stand still in the Astral, but that's no excuse for me to go slow.

Rinic J'doc, Astral Racing Championship Runner-up

The engine roars, the starry lights whizz by in streaks, and your racing machine groans under the pressure, but you careen past the finish line and hear those three words buzzing through your head: 'New Lap Record'.

I wanted to try and capture the speed and stakes of an F-Zero race in a D&D subsystem that was easy to understand and run, but still allowed for interesting encounters and flexible race courses and vehicles. If you've never played F-Zero, the general idea is that it's Mario Kart's badass older brother. No longer are you racing around flat tracks throwing silly items - in F-Zero, speed is everything. You can boost, but be careful: your boost meter is also your health bar. If you use too much of it, the only thing between you and crashing out of the race entirely is one wrong bump into a wall, or even another racer. The main goals of this system are to emulate the feelings of speed, tension, and pushing your racing machine to it's limit to get yourself just a little further as much as you can with just rolling dice on a table.

Astral Racing Machine

A warrior's blade, an archer's bow - any Astral Racer is going to need an Astral Racing Machine if they want to race. Astral Racing Machines have 3 statistics that define how they function in a race: Hit Points, Maximum Speed, and Acceleration. Here's an example Astral Racing Machine statblock:

Hit Points

The hit point maximum of a racing machine determines how much damage it can take before it is disabled. The HP of a racing machine can never exceed its maximum. HP is uses as a health value, but also as a resource to gain speed quickly.

Maximum Speed

The maximum speed of a racing machine is a cap on how fast it can be traveling around a racetrack. The speed of a racing machine can never exceed its maximum.

Acceleration

The acceleration of a racing machine is the maximum amount of which you may increase your speed during your turn of an astral race.

Other Special Properties

Astral Racing Machines are magical items, and thus, can have special properties which interact with handling rolls, damage taken, and speed depending on factors such as the track and the race.

Astral Racing Machine are also considered to be sturdy objects, meaning they are immune to poison and psychic damage and have a minimum damage threshold of 25 when taking damage.

Racetracks

While Astral Racing primarily occurs within the Astral Plane, as the nature of the plane allows for incredibly versatile track designs, as well as being the location of the prestigious Astral Racing Championship, a racetrack can theoretically be built anywhere. Want to race through tunnels carved into mountains along the Sword Coast? An underground racing ring through the sewers of Waterdeep? A shifting, ever-changing track composed of thought in the plane of Limbo? All possible.

A racetrack consists of little more than a series of track sections in a defined order, each with an associated vehicle handling DC, a description, and a failure penalty. Track sections many optionally contain a Repair Zone, which allows a racer to regenerate some HP on their racing machine during a race. Here is a very basic example track.

The given racetrack is a lap race, where after reaching the final track section, racers loop back to the first one in the list, and the starting line is also the finish line. The amount of laps is, of course, something that can be changed with the track. In addition, a longer point-to-point racetrack could also be made, where rather than being a loop, it simply starts at a starting point, and ends at a separate finish line.

Descriptions

Descriptions allow you to flavor the track section to fit any idea you want. The given example sums up to a basic dirt circle, but the possibilities are endless. Descriptions are also where you can designate certain areas of track to allow for special properties or abilities of certain racing machines to be enabled. That artificer's personal racing machine might have a built-in grapple hook that allows it to take tight turns, giving them a bonus to their handling roll on those sections, or a sleek Elven-designed racing machine might be able to accelerate twice as much on straightaways.

Repair Zone

The description of a track sections may optionally include a Repair Zone, which restore the hit points of any racing machine that enters it. Hit points are restored after applying any relevant handling penalty against speed or hit points.

Handling DC

The DC which a racer must beat in order to avoid a speed and/or hit point penalty when entering this track section.

Failure Penalty

The penalty applied to a racing machine which fails the handling check when entering this track section. Typically, this reduces the hit points and speed of the racing machine, with the hit point reduction being the result of potentially slamming against a track edge boundary, and the speed reduction being the result of poor handling or racing lines. Each track section can reduce one or both of these stats as a penalty. For example, failing a straightaway may mean simply losing control of your racing machine and losing some speed, but failing a turn would mean bumping into the wall due to taking the turn too wide and taking some damage as well. Other failure conditions can also be used, such as a pit causing an instant loss, or any other track-unique conditions you want to include.

Start Your Engines!

When you're ready to race, all participants will line up on the starting line. In the real world, you can represent the track by either a circle or a line drawn on some paper with markers to designate each section of the track, and use dice or miniatures to represent where each racer is along the track. Each racer is then able to select the modifier to add to their d20 initiative roll for the race, from +0 to +20. This simulates the 'pressing down on the gas with the right timing, to gain a starting boost' found at the start of F-Zero races. The catch is that any racer who rolls over a 20 will lose their first turn - as a result of pushing their engine too hard at the start of the race. Do you play it safe and add no modifier, guaranteeing you'll go first, or do you press your luck to gain the initiative advantage? If so, how much?

Ready, Set, GO!

Once initiative order has been determined, each racer takes their turn one at a time. A racer can choose from a set of Racing Actions to control their racing machine as they enter the next track section in order: Accelerate, Brake, Boost, Ram, or Continue. A racer may choose to take their racing action before or after making the handling check for the track section they are entering - but failing a handling check will immediately end your turn without allowing any additional actions.

Accelerate

Increase the current speed of your racing machine by an amount up to your machines acceleration stat, capped by your maximum speed.

Brake

Decrease the current speed of your racing machine to any amount below your current speed, capped at 0.

Boost

Increase the current speed of your racing machine to any value up to your machine's maximum speed, but decrease your racing machine's hit points by the amount of speed gained. Boosting cannot reduce your racing machine's hit points below 1, even if you gain enough speed to do so. This effectively grants infinite boost at 1 HP, at the cost of being a single failed roll away from a loss.

Ram

Ram your racing machine into another to damage it. Perform a Dexterity (Vehicle Handling) contest against another racer currently on the same track section as your racing machine, and on a success, reduce their racing machine's hit points by 3, and reduce your racing machine's hit points by 1. A Ram attack ignores the damage threshold of a racing machine. You may not take the Ram action if your current speed is 0.

Continue

Keep your current speed without adjusting it.

Progressing Through the Track

Each racer begins the race in the starting line section of the track, boosted to maximum speed. On their turn, they must make a Dexterity (Vehicle Handling) ability check against the DC of the next track section in the racetrack OR the current speed of their racing machine, whichever is higher. Your racing machine cannot attempt this ability check to enter the next section of the track if it has a current speed of 0.

On a success, enter the next track section with no issue. If your current speed exceeded the track section handling DC by 5 or more OR you rolled a natural 20 on your handling check, then you gain an additional Racing Action to use on your turn, and may immediately attempt to move on to the following track section.

On a failure, enter the next track section and take it's associated penalty. Your turn then immediately ends.

If your hit points ever drop to 0 or below, you crash out and are eliminated from the race. Roll an amount of d6 equal to your speed when you attempted the handling check, and take that amount of bludgeoning damage from the crash.

Photo Finish!

The first racer to pass over the finish line, or to complete the specified amount of laps around the track and return to the starting line, will be deemed the winner. If a racer crosses the finish line, but within the same round of initiative, one or more additional racers also cross the finish line, the winner of the race is determined by who has the higher current speed. Speed ties are broken by initiative order.

Design Tips

This system is designed to be very open ended, and a basic overview of the rules only scratches the surface of what it could be capable of. Unusual track designs incorporating shortcuts or split paths? Races with alternative objectives like preventing another racer from winning or protecting another racer? Combat within the racing initiative, whether it be from the driver or allowing a passenger to attack and defend? It really can go in a lot of directions.

This system has been lightly playtested, so the number values and rules used aren't entirely without merit. Here's a few of the important things I learned:

• As a rule of thumb, the listed 15/15/2 example racing machine statistics are intended to be 'average'.

• When making your own racing machine stats, keep in mind that acceleration should remain a lower number, mostly in the 1-3 range, otherwise boosting ends up being worthless.

• The maximum speed of a racing machine allows a racer to gain additional actions on track sections with a DC of 5 less than it's value, so a higher maximum speed racing machine can chain together more difficult sections - i.e. a max speed 17 machine would be able to chain together sections of up to DC 12 - so don't give a maximum speed 6 or more higher than your most challenging track section.

• In playtests, the most exciting racing machine we used was an 18/18/1 racing machine that had a very fast maximum speed in exchange for essentially needing to boost to accelerate quickly while being at low health the whole race. It captured the idea I was going for with this system perfectly.

• When designing race courses, I found it most exciting and balanced to have a chain of 2 or 3 'easier' DC sections bookended by a challenging DC sections at a time, where the handling DC was too high to allow for the speed to exceed it by 5. This prevents a racing machine from completing huge parts of the track all in a single turn, and gives a reason to take higher speed racing machines that can make speed through the more difficult areas of the track that other slower cars cannot - at a larger risk, of course.

• In tests, I tried to keep speed failure penalties in the range of -3 to -5, making it cost between 2-3 turns of average acceleration to recover without boosting, and hit point penalties were in the range of -2 to -5: about the same maximum, but chip damage to hit points has a lasting effect, while a -1 or -2 speed penalty can be undone on the next turn by most racing machines at no cost.

Thanks for reading! I hope you found this system interesting, if you end up using it in one of your games I'd love to hear about it!

The githyanki used to send pirate raiders in my direction every so often, so I challenged them to race instead of fight. Took some convincing, but now? Even when those bastards win, they let me off easy - as long as I promise same time next week.

Viona Forebrook, Astral Racing Championship League Founder

Hey everyone. First time post.

I was just reading up on the Sword of Sharpness magic item and it says you can lop off one of the target's limbs. Neat!

So I thought, well, how about a random table to decide which limb should be lopped off? Just for fun, to have on hand, ready, if it came up. To my surprise, I couldn't find any such table already made when searching around the internet. This seemed like the ideal place for one to exist in a search, so I'll just share the one I quickly made up! Hope someone finds it useful if they come looking like I just did.

ROLL 3d6. If a result has been removed already, reroll (or choose the next result up if on the left side or down if on the right side).

• 3 - Left Leg (above knee)
• 4 - Left Arm (above elbow)
• 5 - Left Leg (below knee)
• 6 - Left Forearm (below elbow)
• 7-8 - Left Foot
• 9-10 - Left Hand
• 11-12 - Right Hand
• 13-14 - Right Foot
• 15 - Right Forearm (below elbow)
• 16 - Right Leg (below knee)
• 17 - Right Arm (above elbow)
• 18 - Right Leg (above knee)

I created this cipher as something challenging and mysterious to be a through line for my homebrew campaign. It is something the players will gradually gather hints about and learn as they progress through the world, underpinning all the events they encounter.

The idea is the glyphs of the cipher are part of an ancient ritual magic through which reality can be changed or influenced by manifesting these symbols in various ways. Manifesting words, specifically words containing six letters, can make them a reality. If and when the players uncover this, they too may be able to use this to their advantage... but it may also come with unexpected consequences.

I made a proof of concept for the kind of thing I'd like to use it for in my campaign. It was made in about a half hour with the mapmaking tool Canvas of Kings. Can you spot all of the symbols? Together they all spell the word "PORTAL". I wanted to see how the symbols register at different sizes. I like the idea that some can be very obvious while others can only be noticed at a "bird's eye view".

Let me know if you have any questions or comments in the replies and I'll be happy to answer! :) Happy GMing

If you’re “Murder Most Fowl”—Kiggy, Ziggy, Striggy, and Grinklestein—read no further because I made you all up!

Across various subreddits in the past weeks, I’ve seen many DM’s asking: “How do I run spooky/scary/Halloween in 5E?” The most interesting one I’ve seen was “How to run a slasher 5E game?” Because sometimes you just want to dungeon master for your friends—but your friends don’t want to play Call of Cthulhu. They want to play D&D. I’ve offered advice on this, and here’s what I’ve realized.

For every DM who has asked if this is possible in D&D 5E this year, there have been five more rolling their eyes, parroting the same tired "If you're asking this question you're already doing it wrong" ‘advice’, and cracking their fingers over the downvote button. All those negative arrows don’t lie.

Sure. We get it: D&D is a power fantasy. Yes. Whatever. Far be it from me to suggest these dungeon masters lack imagination. They don't. What they lack is vision.

Because player characters are indeed exceptional—and that is precisely why they're not already dead. Three commoners in an isolated cabin haunted by Silent Hill fog would be eviscerated before they could say, "Wait a goddamn—is that Robbie the fucking Rabbit?". Your players, on the other hand, have a fighting chance: they have tools to escape, to fight back, and even possibly (but unlikely) to win. Commoners cannot cast "Leomund's Tiny Hut". Players can. And should. And will. Until it is telegraphed to them that, oh shit, we don't want to give this guy free time. The longer we're in here, the deadlier he gets out there!

So what if level 3 players can kick around a few zombies? Sucks for them—your guy is attacking from the Ethereal Plane. Or it’s a killer ooze wrapped around that first NPC's skeleton (for faster mobility) that seeps through windows and cracks and feeds on magical barriers. Or it's Sadako Yamamura and it simply does not have hit points. (This last one, by the way, is perfectly acceptable in 5E and do not let anyone tell you otherwise. Does Mystara have a stat block? Does Mordenkainen? No? Players can encounter them, but they are not intended to be killed by players. Because there are other win conditions besides "oops, no HP now!")

The trick is in the narrative. You don't need to be a masterful storyteller or a divination specialist to give them the oneshot of their lives. Being a good writer absolutely helps the immersion factor, but any horror fan who can DM can DM a horror game. Even in 5E, pitchfork DMs be damned. It just takes confidence and some basic pre-planning. And guess what? If you've seen three different iconic slasher films, you've already done half the pre-planning.

Here’s how you handle the rest. You'll only need a few things to pull this off, in this order.

1. Player Buy-In. You need active participants who are down for this. You want players whose eyes light up the second you say the words, “slasher horror-style oneshot.” (More on what to tell them in a minute.) Luckily, you don’t need many of these, because you’re also going to want...

2. Fewer Players. This works ideally best with 2–3 players. Why? Because you want all your players engaged as often as possible; fewer voices means more spotlight time to go around. This also means you can get the point across with fewer surprise NPC deaths upfront and really put “safety in numbers” on the back foot. You also don’t want to run the risk of a player character getting taken out early and forced to sit and watch their friends having fun trying to get away from...

3. The Slasher. You want a villain. One big, menacing villain. I tend to start with the art and work backwards, but maybe you already have something in mind. Maybe you already want to hunt your players with the unholy love child of Freddie Krueger and Sadako Yamamura (AKA “the Ringu girl”). If you don’t have your slasher yet, check Pinterest for “D&D survival horror monster”. Believe it or not, it’s miles better than DeviantART or Google Image Search for this. Which will already get you thinking about...

4. The Vibe. Folks who don’t avidly follow slashers are blind to the nuances of the genre. What’s your intended emotional reaction. Suspicion? Excited panic? Numb horror? Subverting the odds? John Carpenter’s The Thing is a classic mimic turned up to 11 and all the suspicious horror that implies—what the hell is the creature this time? Final Destination tells the characters their exact kill order and a “victory condition”, then pits them against an untouchable, omnipresent force who can strike at literally any moment. In A Nightmare on Elm Street, the characters can choose exactly when to face the villain, but the clock will always win and, ready or not, “One, Two, Freddy’s coming for you...” In Ringu or The Ring, the slasher literally contacts characters the second they trigger the “well shit” button and outright tells them when it is coming—and they must scramble to “solve” a puzzle while said slasher increasingly threatens them. What are you aiming for? Wherever you land on that, it’ll need to be supported by...

5. The Mechanics. And here's your last missing piece. You've got a few players sold on the game, you've got the atmosphere figured out, and a villain to put in that game. Now you just need to iron out how this is gonna go down. This is why it's helpful (but not required) to know your intended vibe upfront. I will actually go into more detail with this below—this is just to keep things skimmable.

Q & A

What’s keeping the players alive?

Two options here. Possibly a third I haven't thought of.

1. Captured. This means the others mount a rescue operation while you occasionally turn the "camera" back to the affected character to have some agency in getting free. Think of every giant killer spider you've ever seen, from Eight-Legged Freaks to Sting. Even the xenomorph often cocooned victims against a meat-wall and ventured off; canonically, Amanda Ripley freed herself from one such wall in Alien: Isolation.

2. Let them die… with a caveat. In Left 4 Dead, the four player characters are fleeing a set-piece surrounded by zombie hordes. And they die. Sometimes frequently. But then, like clockwork, four minutes later the surviving characters run into that player as a "different" character, trapped in a closet or dangling from a balcony to be saved.

Same thing. Tell your players to bring 2, maybe 3 character sheets. If one character dies, let the slasher retreat victorious for now and simply cycle a new character in a short while later. Maybe this character was imprisoned in a cage of bones by the slasher a few hours ago; maybe they're a traumatized sole survivor of a different party who doesn't remember what's going on or how they got here.

Just because a player character is out of the picture (for now or for good) doesn't mean the player has to be.

So what, just let the player characters fail? That’s not very heroic power-fantasy of y— Shhhh

Maybe your slasher has a thrall or two. Maybe the vicious meat-wolf is laying eggs and one prematurely cracked open—hand that prepared stat block to the player who went down and let them spook the hell out of the remaining players (until you get them back in the game on the home team). The old "guess what? for the next ten minutes you're a bad guy, sic 'em!" is a neat trick I use when a player's stunned, unconscious, et cetera in combat.

How does the slasher get around?

Your typical slasher film traps a gaggle of characters together in an enclosed environment with a preternaturally gifted murder maestro. Sometimes it's Halloween and the villain doesn't have far to go, simply breaking the rules of physics by virtually teleporting off-screen. In other cases, it's Alien and the characters know how the slasher is getting around, but physically can't do it (or anywhere near as quickly). Sometimes it's Final Destination and the slasher is literally a vengeful intelligence that is everwhere and cannot be seen, reasoned with, or stopped. (But it does have to follow rules, and can be "bargained with" or "beaten, for now".) Or it's The Terminator, and it single-mindedly pursues while shrugging off everything thrown at it—and is strategic enough to intercept and commandeer resources on its way, always doggedly keeping pace.

What level should the party be?

First up, your players won't be level 8 for this.

Level 4 or 5, max. Though I'd recommend either level 2 (Can take one hit.) or level 4 (High enough for a single non-Origin feat to come online. What, no feat? Then maybe you should've thought about that before you multi-classed!) Get your players' input on this—is this their "We've seen shit, but what the shit is that?!" or, better yet... Is THIS their origin story?

Even in Tier 1 play, how isn’t the slasher already dead?

In a game with magic, players can do things impossibly by normal people standards—and the villain can do things the players can't. Otherwise, there's no villain. You'll want to reflavour a high-CR monster, homebrew something, or track down a homebrew. My take? Either "no hit points", or "0 hit points make it retreat... but the slasher's 'long rests' last 10, maybe 30 minutes."

In the Friday the 13th films, Jason Voorhees tanks overwhelming damage but will eventually succumb to it; he will simply rise again much later to hunt other sport. The Alien's xenomorph can be slain, but the very act of harming it can outright kill the attacker and/or jeopardize literally everyone else. IT/Pennywise the Dancing Clown can only rarely be repelled by a single victim and depends on its enemies not knowing a flaw even IT itself barely comprehends.

But there's always something keeping it from just going down with a beer bottle over the back of the head. In D&D, silvered weapons exist, so ghosts can be hurt. Sadako Yamamura is a vengeful corpse crawling from a screen; Samara Morgan is the same thing, built out of white static. Neither needs to be affected by silvered weapons, but maybe in your game, they have spells and a blow from a silvered longsword short-circuits their magic. The players meaningfully strip a resource. That doesn't stop Sadako/Samara's melee attacks—bludgeoning psychic damage, of course—but it interferes with the slasher. Still, the slasher marches forward. (Maybe in Sadako/Samara's case, they Misty Step at will with a 5–6 recharge... which is literally how I run that character.)

How can player characters harm it, then?

The best combats aren't simple HP slugfests—there's a secondary condition, such as "we can punch the wizard, but the wizard's four orbs must be broken to bring down that barrier" or "Mweh-heh, Spider-Man! Who will you save: this bus of children, or Gwen Stacy, the love of your life?"

In bringing your slasher to life, let the player characters harm it—even the Terminator sloughed off skin to reveal the horrifying metal endoskeleton inside, both intimidating Sarah Connor while losing its infiltration capabilities. The living dead can be repelled, beaten into a mash, et cetera, and time can be bought—but there are always more of them coming soon.

Let the players do things, but make it clear that until they actually beat the slasher, everything is a temporary victory. Stephen King's The Mist is outside the town walls and it's not going away, under any circumstances, until the wendigo-style anais hag feeding on the villagers has run out of fresh meat or has been sealed back in its Jumanji board. The players can destroy the undead Predator's body, but there are dozens more orc corpses in stashed sarcophagi to pick from, and the exit to its "hunting ground" isn't going away until it's overthrown via one of a few specific rituals (alongside mashing the "fireball!" or "I cast fist!" button).

Wait. Are you saying...?

Yes. You get it.

The slasher isn't just some pile of hit points that breaks the action economy. The slasher is a walking puzzle to be solved. Let your players deduce this themselves, and if they've bought into the slasher genre concept and are onboard with your game then they'll think you're a GENIUS for it.

Anything else?

Probably. But I've got other shit to do today.

If you have any questions, I'll answer them later on. Hope you find this useful, if not directly inspiring. There are of course other systems more suitable for horror D&D, but the thing other DMs won't accept is sometimes players don't WANT to play other systems. Sometimes it's D&D or nothing, and sometimes those friends are the friends you want to play with. Just because Call of Cthulhu is awesome for cosmic horror doesn't mean slasher horror is impossible in 5E.

In fact, I'd argue the opposite. It's very possible. I run horror in D&D all the time.

It just takes a little vision.

Your players arrive at a quaint little roadside tavern, ready for a night of rest off the road. But unfortunately for them, tragedy strikes when the head of a traveling theater crew is murdered, and it’s up to your party to decipher clues, interrogate witnesses, and figure out which one of their new acquaintances took out their troop leader. Can your party uncover the mystery, or will the killer go free?

This quest can be run at any level - no monsters to kill in this one, just a murder to solve. I’ll take you through the circumstances, suspects and evidence, and at the end reveal the culprit. Think you can solve it? Without further ado, let’s get started!

Part 1: A Tavern and a Troupe

This quest takes place on a rainy night at the Roadside Inn, a shabby tavern that sits on the edge of a well-worn path. The building is made of both brick and wood, and looks like its walls and roof have been patched up and repaired multiple times over. It leans to one side a bit, where a stable and some mismatched support beams keep it from toppling over. Eclectic, to say the least, but a good place for your party to get out of the bad weather. On their way in, they’ll pass the beefy guards who watch the entrance - just in case any passing travelers are less than friendly.

The owner is a human woman named Ren, and before your players even arrive, I’d come up with a reason why she would trust them. Maybe they have a delivery for her, or she’s connected to one of the party members’ backstories. In my campaign, I had my players arrive with a letter of note from a nearby town’s guard captain, giving them free lodging as a reward for saving the village. Basically, when things go down, you want her to have a reason not to suspect your players are behind it.

Tonight the tavern is quiet, but there is another group staying here: Aberly’s Traveling Theater Troupe, a colorful cast of characters your party will be spending the evening with. Two of them sit at the bar - one is a younger Goliath man with a sturdy build and the other a slightly older human woman in thick makeup who’s flirting with him a lot. At a table sits a half-orc woman and a halfling man, idly eating and speaking with one another. Alone in a corner booth is a well-dressed half-elven man who’s quietly reading, and most talkative will be a human bard. Named Jorah, he’ll be eager to chat with the party, maybe play some gambling games, and generally engage with the players more than the others.

I’ll get more into who each of them are in a bit, but as the night goes on, they’ll all begin to retire one by one to their rooms, with the woman at the bar heading to bed last. That’s important, because in the early hours of the morning, your party will be awoken by an ear-splitting scream: Her husband, Leonidas Aberly, the troupe’s leader, is dead.

Ren will have her guards gather everyone in the tavern’s main room, and since she trusts the party, she’ll task them with uncovering who the murderer is. They’ll be given the option to interrogate the suspects, search for clues, and ultimately figure out who she needs to have her guards arrest until they can contact proper authorities. If your players take on the task of solving this crime, then you have a quest on your hands!

Part 2: The Suspects

Let’s get something out of the way before we continue: There are some spells in DnD that make a murder mystery very difficult to run. Spells like Suggestion, Zone of Truth and Dominate Person can force anyone to confess to their crimes, and end this mystery before it begins. If your players have access to that kind of magic, you might want to consider talking to them beforehand so they don’t instantly solve things. DnD is a game after all, and sometimes it’s more fun for all involved to “forget” about certain spells for a bit.

I’m also not going to tell you who the murderer is up top. I’ll go through all of the evidence, and just like your players, I’ll let you try to solve it yourself before revealing the killer at the end. If I did my job right, you should also be able to figure out their motivation and how the crime was committed, too. With that said, let’s meet our suspects one by one.

We’ll start with Jorah, the chatty bard who was all too happy to meet the party earlier. If interrogated he’ll seem very nervous - but insight checks will reveal he’s probably just stressed from the situation. He’s been with the troupe for a few years now, serving as resident singer and general musical talent. He prefers his solo work, but is happy to have the money - though lately, there’s been less and less.

That night he spent most of his time in the tavern’s main chamber - any players that stayed up for a while can attest to that. He did head outside at one point, which he’ll claim was to clean his lute. But a high insight check will reveal he’s lying, and if pressed - with persuasion or intimidation, perhaps - he’ll admit he was trying to steal from Annabeth. Times have been tough with the group, and Leonidas always spoiled his wife. In Jorah’s eyes, he’s merely taking what’s owed. Your party can choose to reveal that truth or not, but as for the murder, let’s move to the next suspect.

Quentin is up, and more than anything, he seems annoyed at the whole situation. Insight may reveal that his body language is very tense - though who wouldn’t be given the situation? This half-elf is in charge of the troupe’s stage magic: Light shows, minor illusions, sound effects. He used to sing in their productions - and he’ll talk warmly about performing on stage - but after 20 years of work, his voice finally gave out. He blames overuse: Leonidas started booking shows nearly every night the last few years, to try and keep up financially.

As for that evening, Quentin spent most of his time reading. He did return to his wagon outside at one point - to change clothes after spilling wine on his shirt. Or so he says. Regardless, he won’t have much else to add, unless it’s about Jorah: He’ll make it clear he hates his replacement. But that’s not evidence of THIS murder, so let’s keep going.

Annabeth is next, the victim’s wife and second in command of the troupe. Between sobs she’ll talk about her love for Leonidas, how they were together through thick and thin, and that she can’t BELIEVE someone in the troupe would do this. That said, she’ll also be quick to point out that Mariah spent an awfully long time in the bathroom at one point - seems suspicious - and that she noticed both Jorah and Quentin left for the wagons at various points, too. Really, the only person she won’t trash is Nash, the Goliath she was showing a LOT of attention earlier.

If asked about him, she’ll get defensive and insist that she was always loyal to her husband - though a DC 13 Insight check will reveal that she’s probably hiding the truth. Still, she will speak highly of Leonidas, though she’ll mention he hasn’t been the same since their daughter, Mabel left the troupe. He had always tried to push her into acting, maybe too hard, so he blamed himself for her leaving. Other than that, they won’t get much out of Annabeth. But since she’ll bring up Mariah, we’ll go to her next.

Mariah is a quiet half-orc, who mainly performs stunts during shows with her husband, Mason the halfling. She’s currently walking with a pretty heavy limp, actually - she twisted her ankle during one of those acrobatics the night before. She was both shocked and sad to hear about Leonidas - she’s been with the troupe for a decade, and always knew him to be a warm, kind man.

If your party brings up her long trip to the restroom, she’ll be pretty cagey at first - but in the interest of not being arrested, will reveal that she’s pregnant. She was feeling nauseous, which was why she had to step out for so long. Only Mason knows, so she’d appreciate it if the party kept it under wraps. Unfortunately, that’s all they can glean from her, but her husband could have more info.

He doesn’t, though. Mason is a pretty happy-go-lucky guy: A halfling who loves his wife, does stunts in their shows, drinks in between and generally enjoys life. He’ll only have kind things to say about the others: Quentin’s sound effects are top notch, Jorah is an amazing bard, Nash really sells all his roles, you get the picture. He doesn’t have a clue who would want to murder Leonidas or why - but he’s sure your players will figure it out! Thanks, Mason.

That leaves Nash, the troupe’s resident Goliath and Druid. He mostly performs as brutish types during plays, or if needed, he can turn into animals for various parts. He’s only been with the troupe for about a year, but enjoys the work well enough - in general, he seems like a calm guy.

If asked about Annabeth, he’ll openly admit the two are having an affair. But he’ll claim that in recent days he’d been feeling bad about going behind Leonidas’ back, and was planning on breaking things off. Insight might reveal that he seems genuine - or is a really good liar. He’s an actor, after all.

The only time he’ll get mad is if the players’ outwardly accuse him of killing his boss. He’ll insist that he’s innocent, and the only time he left all evening was to go get his whittling knife. But it wasn’t with his things - or so he claims - meaning he can’t show it to the party. Suspicious, for sure.

With all of their suspects identified and questioned, your players should begin to piece together the clues in their heads - but there’s still plenty to find.

Part 3: Scene of the Crime

While they’re interrogating potential suspects, they should also be gathering evidence. Let’s start with the site of the murder - it isn’t pretty. Leonidas’s body is still lying in the bed, and it looks like he was stabbed multiple times. A DC 15 Medicine check can reveal that based on the cuts and wounds, this doesn’t look professional: Whoever did this probably wasn’t too skilled, which is why it took a lot of jabs. Get an 18 or above, and they can identify the weapon used as a knife or dagger. 

Blood has been splattered around the bed, and if they succeed on a DC 18 Survival check, they’ll surmise that this wasn’t a quick kill - there was likely a struggle. So why did nobody hear any yells or fighting through the tavern walls, if it wasn’t a clean kill? Your players may pick up on that fact.

Looking around the room, muddy footprints lead from the window to the bedside and back again. A DC 15 Survival check will glean that, while an exact size is hard to match, the shoes worn aren’t tiny - so probably not a halfling. The latch on the window is also broken, and there are scratch marks across the wood and busted metal. These could be from the murder weapon, but they could also be claw marks from an animal. If they want the truth, they’ll have to make a DC 18 Nature check - but if they succeed, they’ll rule out an animal. Definitely cut by a blade.

The last thing they’ll find is a journal, which is sitting in the drawer of a bedside table. Unfortunately, Leonidas was an interesting fellow, and wrote his entire diary in coded language. Your players can assume that it probably takes a cipher to decode - a word or phrase that will allow them to unscramble all the rest of the writing. With a DC 20 Investigation check, they’ll figure out the cipher is probably 5 letters.

Now, it is possible to crack a code even without the key word - just really hard. If they can roll above a 25 on Investigation, they can do it. But it’ll still take time to unravel everything, giving the rest of the party a chance to keep looking for clues.

Part 4: In The Mud

For more evidence, they’ll need to head outside and into the rain. If they swing around the back of the building, they’ll be able to see more tracks like the ones inside, but the rain has washed them out to the point where you can’t determine much from them. But there is still something out here to find. With a good DC 18 Investigation or Perception check, they can find the murder weapon: A beautiful knife with a wooden handle, still slightly stained with blood.

If they bring it inside, Jorah and Quentin will very quickly point out that it belongs to Nash. The Druid won’t deny it - in fact, he may have told the party about his whittling knife already. He assumed he had misplaced it, but it appears it was up to something far more sinister. A high insight check can reveal that Nash seems pretty earnest - and the fact he was honest about owning it could be a green flag. Then again, it would also be a good play if you’re trying to throw people off the scent: Nobody suspects the honest one. For now, they’ll need more evidence to convict.

Part 5: Personal Items

The last place your party can find evidence is in the troupe’s three wagons outside the tavern. The first is occupied by Mariah and Mason, so we’ll start there. Their space is kept pretty clean: Prop swords and armor are polished and neat, their bed is made, and there’s a small desk with ink and parchment. Under the bed, there’s a half-finished, baby-sized sweater being knit, and a small locked chest: If your players pry it open, they’ll find some gold coins and other small trinkets of limited value. Nothing crazy.

The second cart belongs to Jorah, Nash and Quentin, so it’s a bit messier and crowded than the first. There are three small cots shoved into opposite corners, each with a trunk at the foot for their belongings. Nash has the biggest, per his size, and they can find some simple clothes and wooden figurines in his trunk. Sure enough, the knife’s holster is also there, now empty.

Jorah has a couple instrument cases tucked under his bed, but nothing too interesting. But Quentin’s cot has more going on: His wine-stained shirt is folded neatly on top, as he said. But if your players have sharp eyes - a Perception or Investigation check of 20 or higher - they might clock that the stains look a bit uneven: It almost seems like parts of the shirt were cleaned, while others were left dirty. Could be from the rain or maybe Quentin just gave up halfway through - which is what he’ll say if questioned. Still, something to note.

Last up is the leaders’ wagon, and before stepping inside, your players will notice there are actually three names hanging above the door: Leonidas, Annabeth, and their estranged daughter, Mabel. Stepping in, this space is the most posh of the three: A big bed, throw pillows, and a small table set up with a mirror and expensive makeup. Snooping around, the party will find a small chest that, if the lock is picked, contains a pouch with a modest sum of gold, jewelry and a ledger detailing the troupe’s financial situation.

It isn’t looking good. The ledger shows a lot of losses on travel, food, production costs and gifts for Annabeth. Clearly, tough times were coming for the group.

Part 6: Last Words

Last but not least, the journal. At this point, either through brute force or by careful inspection, your party may have learned the code’s cipher: Mabel, the name of Leonidas’ daughter. With that, they can unscramble the book and read its contents. It talks about the troupe leader’s sadness over his daughter leaving - how he wishes he hadn’t pushed her so far. It mentions that Leonidas knew Annabeth and Nash were having an affair - but kicking them out would’ve ruined all his productions. Above all else, he loved the theater, and so he turned a blind eye.

But the final entry, written just that morning, is the biggest: He knew the troupe’s money had gone down the drain, and unfortunately, someone needed to be cut. Of those in his employ, only Nash, Quentin and Jorah are options - he couldn’t lose his star performer in Annabeth, and both Mariah and Mason bring a physicality nobody else could match. One of them had to go, and when they arrived at the Roadside Inn, he’d pull whoever he chose aside and let them know the next show would be their last. But he needed the day’s ride to decide.

He never got the chance to write down his choice. But of them, who needed this job the most? Who loved it the most? Who would kill rather than lose it? If your players can figure that out, then they can solve this case.

Part 7: The Final Verdict 

With the evidence laid out and all the clues found, it’s time to reveal the killer. Think you’ve solved it? I hope so, because at this point, all the pieces have fallen into place.

The one who murdered Leonidas… was Quentin. His motive? Already bitter over his broken voice, he snapped when Leonidas informed him he was being cut from the troupe. Nash wasn’t going to be fired - then Annabeth might go, and Leonidas wouldn’t risk that. It could’ve been Jorah, but by his own admission he prefers going solo. Only Quentin loves the theater enough to commit the crime.

So he tried to frame Nash. Spilling wine on himself to forge an alibi, he stole the knife, climbed up to Leonidas’ room, and using his sound-altering magic, cast Silence to muffle any noise he was about to create. Then he murdered his boss in cold blood, hastily tossed the knife where he knew it would be found, and tried to clean some of the blood off of his clothes so nobody would notice with the red wine already on it. A near perfect crime.

And he would’ve gotten away with it too, if not for your meddling players. When confronted with all of the evidence, Quentin will confess, and the tavern guards will toss him in a cellar until he can be taken to the proper authorities. As a final note, murder mysteries can be tough for a party: Sometimes they miss crucial clues due to rolls, or don’t connect the dots in ways that feel obvious to you behind the screen. So don’t be afraid to move clues around and throw them a bone as needed - or on the flip side, make things a little tougher if you think this was too easy to solve.

But for now, your players can get some much earned rest - but maybe with one eye open. You can never be too cautious, after all.

Conclusion

Did you solve the mystery? I’d love to hear if you got it right - or suggestions for how to make it even better - in the comments! Thanks for reading, and good luck out there, Game Masters!

Howdy /r/DnDBehindTheScreen! I know there are many ways to flavor magic for the hard-worldbuilders among us. Magic can function as some sort of programming, or dancing, or convincing the universe to do what you want. But I propose something simpler: magic is language, with no extra fluff or reasoning needed. Subtle pronunciation and inflection makes or breaks spells. This knowledge and experience, not some internal magical source, is what separates the Mage from the Layman.

A Quick Linguistics Lesson

To make a very elementary version of a complicated topic, a word or image is not the thing itself. You can't eat 'apple', you can only eat the thing that the word apple represents. A painting of a pipe isn't a pipe - you can't smoke it. The written, or drawn, or spoken reference to a thing is not the thing itself. In normal language, there's always this gap between the word and the actual thing. A Sign is something like the word 'apple', whereas the Signified is the literal thing in the real world that we reference when we say the word apple.

It's All Magic To Me Anyways

But what about if the word was the thing? What if you could eat 'apple'. What if you could smoke 'pipe'. Magical spells are entirely closed meaning loops. While the Common or Elvish word for "fireball" is just a word and not actually a fireball, the spell Fireball is literally a fireball. As soon as that magical sign exists - the exact right soundwaves and motions - a fireball exists.

You're not convincing the world to make these things happen. You're not channeling some internal energy into the outside world. Instead, you're performing an incredibly intensive ritual that requires the subtlest of movements throughout your whole body. Only when performed perfectly does it not just represent a fireball - it is a fireball.

This is why magic is so hard to learn. You're not just memorizing words and gestures. You're learning to create perfect, self-contained loops of meaning. One slightly wrong movement and the loop breaks. The sign falls apart. No fireball. It's not like a mispronounced word or a sketch where someone can get the general idea of what you are saying. It's more like trying to draw a photograph.

This is also why you can't just read a spell from a spellbook and cast it. The words on the page are just normal signs pointing to the real magical sign/signified loop. You need to study, practice, and internalize the actual perfect form of the spell before you can make it real.

Flavors and Accents

Just like synonyms, there are many different ways of 'pronouncing' functionally equivalent spells. Different species may have wildly different 'accents' due to having different physiologies. Elves might dance and hum while Orcs may stomp and chant. This in part could explain the concept of sorcerers - rather than having some magical blood within you, you simply have a very subtle mutation that allows you to approximate spell pronunciations like your ancestors. Sharper teeth, an extra ligament here or there, or a certain undertone to your voice could make all the difference in casting spells people of your species usually cannot.

Bards make more sense as casters in this system, for music is a strong representation that requires a different type of precision than language does. In the same way that wizards might have to offset some of their magic to a wand or staffs due to a lack of subtle muscle control (higher quality staffs are made at a higher precision and therefore are easier to appropriately position or move), Bards can offset some of their voice control to an instrument.

Magic Items are also crafted in a self-referential system. The movement or activation of a specific magic item has a meaning and effect that is limited to the qualities of that magic item. This is what attunement is, learning how to perform those signs that make your magic item work.

Oh my Gods

While much of this has been focused on traditional Arcane magic, there may be a place for divine magic in this system. The concept of True Names has both real-world and in-game examples. Referencing a section of the true name of your deity is the same thing as bringing a piece of that deity's power to you.

What This Means For Your Game

• Spellcasting becomes less about innate power and more about precision and practice
• Counterspell makes perfect sense - you're disrupting the perfect form of the spell in a specific way
• Subtle Spell metamagic isn't about hiding components - it's about achieving the same perfect sign through smaller, more refined movements. Like learning how to whisper or do ventriloquism
• Different magical traditions might have different "dialects" achieving the same effects through slightly different but equally perfect forms. This creates a greater variety in the types of magic your world sees
• Spellcasters have more of a reason to branch out and explore. This version of spellcasting would highly weight a mentorship relationship or an academy rather than the traditional bookish wizard. However, the Wizard in his magic tower still works, as an expert spellcaster can attempt to work on his pronunciation or even discover/fuse new spells together

First off, if you play DND near Østerås, with a dog and a space engineer, stop reading now for spoilers. 

If you want to steal parts or all of this for your campaign, feel free! 

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Full map: https://imgur.com/a/AGxUijl

So, I have a party playing a slightly modified version of the Lost Mines of Phandelver campaign, and are nearly done. During this campaign, there have been hints to a group who calls themselves the League of Power, who are preparing for *something big coming* but what is unknown. (Those familiar with the 1480-1500 timeline probably have an idea, but it doesn't really matter.) 

I wanted to have a oneshot, with the oneshot characters being much more powerful, but with a way to tie that oneshot into the wider world. 

Characters

The 5 characters are Lvl. 11, and have been given 2 free feats, advantage on health rolls when leveling, rolling 7x(4d6 keep 3), for stats.

They are also free to choose 1 uncommon, 1 rare and 1 very rare item. 

As you can see, they can make much shenanigans. 

Set-up  

The characters meet in an abandoned ruin of a building, each sent there by some faction. (Free choice in character creation.)

They are there to investigate a series of disappearances, all across the world, specifically of people with spellcasting abilities. 

Once inside the house, they find a large spell array, with strange red gems embedded in the array. 

The array is extremely intricate, but the activation part is surprisingly simple. An arcana check will let the players know that it is some kind of transport array, while a very good arcana check will let the players know the transport is across planes. 

Transport Room

Upon activating the array, the characters are transported into a room in extraplanar space. The first room they arrive in is in complete darkness, with the exception of 10 feet of dim light in the middle of the transport circle. 

This room also contains two hidden Boneclaws, that will attempt to steal party members and bring them into a different room. (The Processing Room)

Processing Room

The new room,down a dark hallway, contain six skeletons, three elves, and one human. The elves and humans are low level spellcasters, and under a Geas to help their master "Manage the facility according to the facility handbook, to the best of their ability." They are working on separating the bones from the flesh of a number of corpses, working on creating undead. 

The party may see one of the casters cast Animate Dead on one of the corpses or skeletons being processed.. 

If conversation instead of battle ensues, some key points to keep in mind. 

1. The human is there as a kind of accident, the "Master" prefers elves, because they don't need to be replenished as often. 
2. The human and elves might ask the spellcasters of the party to please step into the spell-circle in the middle of the room, for processing. 
3. The elves and human are not specifically hostile, only acting insofar as they are forced by their geas to "manage the facility according to the handbook".
4. Upon query, they can produce a copy of the handbook, which is several thousand pages long, with multiple edits and a revision history chronicling previous mistakes in commands. (There is an excerpt from the changelog of the handbook at the end of this post.)
5. There is a pile of 20 diamonds lying in an open pile on a table, each worth 300 gold. A faded label reads: “For workplace accidents.”
6. Upon a high investigation check or good persuasion, the party may be told or find scribbled somewhere (Maybe even scribbled across hundreds of pages.) 

“Banishment is the only escape.” or “Death is not enough, Banishment is the only escape.” 

Corridor of Doors

Branching of from the corridor between the processing room and the transport room, there is a long hallway filled with twenty doors. The hallway is lit by wil-o-wisps, that drift in the hallway in sconces. The wisps will not move or attack unless attacked, but will flare or diminish their light to create areas of darkness that other creatures might use to kill the party. If a party member is downed however, the wisps will start to drift from their sconces, eager to feed. The Wisps are not immediately recognizable as such, but anyone looking closely will see what they are. 

Behind each door is a cell or containment room of varying size, containing monsters. 

The difficulty increases further down the corridor, until the last two doors, one of which contains the Nightstalker, and the other containing three heavily warded bags of holding. (These bags are bags with previous interaction with the Bagman.)

The Study

The final room is a large room with desks, books, chalkboards and more. Clearly something between a study, office and ritual room. 

Letter of Invitation

Among the materials in the room are letters from the League of Power, asking for an alliance, including an explanation of the organizations goals. (There is something big coming, some monumental change, and they want to be able to take advantage of the upheaval.)

Snippets of Prophecy

There are snippets of the Orishaar prophecy written in several books, with markings and comments on what they could mean, and who has thought they meant what things through the ages. 

Architectural drawings

There are extensive plans for a massive compound, labelled with monsters, traps, treasure. (This is a tie-in hook to the Tomb of Annihilation) 

Research on divinity and how to make a god

The Payoff

There are multiple payoff components, perhaps most important being the prophecy, the LoP agenda, and the plans for making a god. 

At some point, the characters will encounter Acererak, who is curious as to how his operation was discovered, and what motivates people of the current age to take risks. 

He is “only” a litch in our campaign. 

He is arrogant, but inquisitive, and as he is currently constructing dungeons, he views the entire thing as a learning experience. 

He may, at some point, perhaps upon being interrupted or other annoyance, use Power Word Kill, before immediately resurrecting the killed character and apologizing for losing his temper.

It is canon in our world that Acererak is the inventor of several Necromancy spells, among which is revivify, and he finds it hypocritical how so many will label some magic as evil when it so clearly has benefitted so many. 

The Gutpunch

The entire space is an extradimensional space most closely tied to the plane of shadow, and the only reliable way to escape is to use spells like Banishment or Plane Shift.

The party may discover this on their own, or perhaps they need a hint. 

Depending on spell slots remaining and spell selection, the party may instead find a scroll of banishment or a magical item of banishment. The key is that there is limited time, and with the need to maintain focus for the full minute, the chance of getting more than one or two people out of the compound is very low. 

Regardless, whether they bring Acererak down or he leaves of his own accord, his last action before disappearing will be to undo the central array that is powering the wards on the doors in the corridor. Releasing whatever creatures the party has not eliminated, and the campaign will end once the last people capable of leaving have left, leaving the final fate of the ones remaining in the space a mystery. (For further one-shot shenanigans.)

Document: Facility Handbook - Revisions Log (Up to 1458 DR)

Note: E.I.D. is short for "Escape In Death"

139 DR:

• Clause: "Workers no longer permitted to kill each other."
• Note: "Too many valuable assets lost to frivolous E.I.D. attempts. Self-defense of any kind is also not permitted."

146 DR:

• Clause: "Suicide is hereby prohibited for all workers."
• Note: "After a marked increase in E.I.D. incidents via self-termination, this clause has been implemented to maintain productivity and reduce diamond expenses."

159 DR:

• Clause: "Introduction of self-preservation protocols. Workers may no longer voluntarily expose themselves to lethal hazards."
• Example: "No more ‘accidentally’ wandering into the Bodak room. Ignorance is not an excuse."

218 DR:

• Clause: "Workers are not allowed to dismember or otherwise damage their own bodies to become 'unfit for duty'."
• Note: "The process of reassembly is time-consuming and expensive. Self-dismemberment and dismemberment of other workers is henceforth banned."

301 DR:

• Clause: "Jumping into the Carrion Crawler pit is now specifically forbidden."
• Note: "Repeated instances of workers diving into the pit have been addressed. It seems a certain interpretation of 'Feeding the Carrion Crawlers' trumped the self-preservation protocols. Moved self-preservation further up in the priority list."

394 DR:

• Clause: "Any attempt to self-immolate using arcane spells will result in immediate disciplinary reanimation."
• Note: "To be clear: flames will not cleanse you of your responsibilities. How did she even cast this without thinking she was harming herself?"

479 DR:

• Clause: "The use of animate dead to convert other workers is prohibited."
• Example: "Turning each other into zombies does not count as fulfilling duties."

632 DR:

• Clause: "Clarified the distinction between worker corpses and material corpses. ‘E.I.D. by conversion’ is no longer permitted."
• Note: "Workers are not permitted to raise each other into undead servitude to avoid their tasks. Only raw materials intended for use may be animated."

850 DR:

• Clause: "Workers are no longer permitted to throw themselves into spatial anomalies as a method of E.I.D."
• Note: "Geas should have stopped them, did they think they would survive?"

962 DR:

• Clause: "The Geas is reinforced: no attempts to starve or weaken oneself into uselessness. All workers must maintain their physical and magical abilities."
• Note: "Too many have attempted prolonged fasting or feigning weakness. Any workers attempting this will be force-fed until adequate health is restored."

1160DR (Entry marked for archival, no longer applicable)

• Clause: "Workers may no longer plead insanity or excessive fear as an excuse to refuse orders. Workers experiencing undue stress will be given up to one hour of time per day to recover in the quiet corner (Soundproofed)."
• Note: "If you can understand the handbook, you can follow the handbook. Your fears and traumas are irrelevant."

1193 DR:

• Clause: "Any attempt to cast ‘Feign Death’ or similar spells to avoid duties will be detected and punished with disciplinary reanimation."
• Note: "Feigning death is a temporary reprieve at best. Your work is forever."

1224 DR:

• Clause: "Formal complaints about unfair work conditions are logged but do not exempt workers from duties. Any grievances filed in excess of five pages must be hand-delivered to the Master."
• Note: "Complaints will be noted but are unlikely to impact duties."

1235 DR:

• Clause: "Time available to read the Handbook has been increased to one hour per day, on account of increased length."
• Note: "N/A"

1321 DR (Entry marked for archival, no longer applicable):

• Clause: "Standing in the processing circle without permission will result in immediate corrective measures."
• Note: "Self-processing is prohibited. Processing is for new materials only."

1403 DR (Entry marked for archival, no longer applicable):

• Clause: "The ‘team-building exercises’ excuse for disassembling worker corpses has been removed. Any dismantling of colleagues for personal amusement or attempts at E.I.D. will result in disciplinary action."
• Note: "Building forts out of worker remains will not be tolerated."

The Cockatrice

An unholy matrimony of a chicken, a bat, and a lizard, the cockatrice is a beast most would hope to never see. But nature, or whatever created this thing, is not so kind, and sometimes we cross paths. Cockatrice are notorious for two things: their bad attitude and their ability to turn flesh to stone with their bite. 

This transformation can be healed with antidote distilled from the venom, or from some healing magics, but a group caught unaware can easily be surprised, petrified, and overwhelmed. These beasts are also absolutely vicious towards any monster larger than them. While they only eat smaller game, they are incredibly territorial, one adventurer I know swearing he even saw a cockatrice pick a fight with a dragon. 

Thankfully however, if there is some merit to the creature’s pitiful existence, it's that it makes a variety of tasty dishes. Let’s discuss the culinary applications of the Cockatrice.

Butchering and Processing

Despite the Cockatrice’s relatively small size, handling and butchering it requires a cautious approach. The first and most important step is to safely remove the head and neck. As the source of its petrifying ability, the head should be stored separately in a secure container (preferably lead-lined) to prevent any accidental exposure. If processed correctly, some hunters may sell the venom sacs to apothecaries who value the toxin for potion making.

Once the head is removed, begin plucking the feathers. While not inherently magical like those of many other avian beasts, Cockatrice feathers are surprisingly tough and can be used for decorative purposes or even as rudimentary quills for writing. 

The moniker “stone chicken” is an accurate one, and this primarily applies to the thick hide on the beast. As such, it's a bit difficult to butcher it properly without first removing this hide. A sharp blade and some elbow grease is usually more than enough to do so, but don’t throw the hide out after, it can be tanned and used for equipment, or just sold to collectors.

Next, open the body cavity and remove the internal organs. The liver and heart are particularly prized as they retain a rich, ferrous flavor with a hint of bitterness, which some culinarians liken to the taste of enchanted herbs such as Mousepurse and Moondrop. These can be safely harvested as long as the head is properly removed, but should not be eaten otherwise.

Finally, carve the beast as you would a large fowl, removing the breast meat, the legs, and the wings, and reserving the carcass for stock. 

Flavor

While you might assume that the flavor of the beast also is like that of a stone chicken, its a bit more stone than chicken, and particularly the damp, moss ridden stones that are found deep within the gloomy caverns this beast resides in. The best way to describe this flavor is “dank”, in every sense of the word. 

The breast meat is the lightest in flavor compared to the other cuts, and if simply seared and served, you might be able to pass that flavor off as fishy. But the thigh meat is much more intense, especially when stewed or braised, and the reptilian tail almost tastes like another beast altogether.

Now I know this might be coming off as negative, but it is not a bad flavor, as much as a unique flavor, and is quite sought after by certain culinarians, especially among Dwarves who prize the intensely pungent stock you can make from its carcass. Give it a shot before you judge it too harshly because who knows if you’ll be a fan.

Culinary Applications

Now how do we prepare it? The breast meat is best suited for roasting or grilling, leaving the texture light and fluffy and very tender. Just like your more common fowl, you don’t want to overcook the breast meat or else it will tighten up and get stringy and tough. 

The thighs are commonly braised in a cauldron with various herbs such as thyme, elvespurse and moondrop. They go well with root vegetables and are commonly stewed. Those same intensely dank flavors can be balanced by a proficient chef, yielding a dish much more intense and enjoyable than anything you could get out of a run of the mill chicken.

The reptilian tail can be sliced into decently fatty chops depending on how well the cockatrice lived on smaller game. Those more adventurous eaters may also indulge in cockatrice feet, a similar texture to chicken feet but much more complex in flavor and with a lot more meat on the bones. 

And don’t forget about the wings. Although there is almost no meat whatsoever on them, they are full of collagen ready to melt down into gelatin. They yield a very intense stock that might not be the most flexible, but is intensely flavorful in the right applications.

Non-Culinary Uses

Beyond its culinary value, the Cockatrice offers several non-culinary uses that are highly sought after by apothecaries and craftsmen alike. The creature’s feathers for instance are prized for their durability and aesthetic appeal, making them a popular choice for quills and decorative plumage in enchanted garments. 

The petrification sacs, if safely extracted from the head, can be used as potent ingredients in alchemical brews, such as in potions to temporarily harden the skin or by artificer to fortify armor. 

Skilled artisans may even incorporate the scales from the Cockatrice’s legs into light, flexible armor pieces, enhancing them with minor magical resistance. The hide itself, tough and reptilian, is often tanned and used for small pouches or straps that adventurers prefer due to their resilience. 

Materials from the Cockatrice are synonymous with the term “durable”, so much so, that many charlatans peddle fake Cockatrice leather to unsuspecting marks. I wish I could tell you what tell-tale signs to look out for, but that’s not really my domain.

Example Dish - Whole Roast Cockatrice

One of the truly difficult culinary tasks is that of roasting a whole cockatrice. Different parts of the cockatrice body are made out of very different meat, ranging from the lighter meat of the breasts, to the dark meat of the thighs, to the grainy reptilian meat of the tail and lower legs. 

Properly roasting a cockatrice whole without overcooking any of the individual parts is a hefty challenge that some chefs have used different techniques to circumvent. One popular technique is to remove the backbone to lay the cockatrice flat on the cooking sheet to allow for more even distribution of heat. 

Other cooks simply separate the cockatrice down into parts and cook each one separately before arranging back onto the serving tray. This is a foolproof method, but it does compromise some of the aesthetic value and “wow factor” of a whole roast cockatrice at the dinner table. 

My personal preference is spit-roasting, this slow methodical turning is definitely the most labor intensive, but good fire management allows choice over how much to cook each area. 

This is far from easy, but produces an amazing dish. No matter the method, a well cooked roast cockatrice is a great centerpiece and talking point that will be discussed again and again.

Example Recipe - Spicy Cockatrice Feet

Begin by boiling the Cockatrice feet in a cauldron of salted water for about 20 minutes, then drain and peel off any remaining scales or tough skin, and clip off the long talons.

In a large skillet, heat your oil over medium heat, then add chopped onion and garlic, sauteing until fragrant. Toss in chopped hot chiles, along with cumin seeds and spicy paprika to bloom in the oil. 

Remove everything from the skillet, and mash it together in a pestle and mortar once softened, then add it back to the skillet, with the cockatrice feet, and enough cockatrice stock to cover it all.

Allow the feet to stew for about an hour, reducing the sauce down, and adding honey and butter at the end, tossing until fully combined, and seasoning to taste. 

Serve hot and enjoy.

Conclusion

If it weren’t for their absolutely horrid attitude and deadly defense mechanism, cockatrice would be a worthwhile creature to breed for their immense culinary value, but alas cooks will just have to make the most of the few chances they do get to cook with the beast.

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I hope you enjoyed this writeup. It is actually a re-do on my first writeup almost 4 years ago now, and the project has grown a lot since, so I thought it was worth giving it a face lift. Please check out eatingthedungeon.com for more content!

Introduction

Welcome, dear childlike,
to our shop stuffed with toys,
Bursting with wonders,
and resplendent with joys!

For your games we’ve such
magical marvels to choose,
through enchantments and trinkets,
countless splendours peruse.

Finding rainbows, and spin-tops,
and rocking horses, too,
Strings-kites, and yo-yo's,
and exploding neon-goo,

Wind-up bears, and play swords,
or a wendy-house fashioned from feathers,
A self-playing drum, a snuggly plush owl,
or chalks brightly made for all weathers

All this, and much more,
in our store of delights,
With amusements most playful
made for giants and sprites

With glitter and ribbons,
in tumbles and loops
At play in this Toy Shop
of Mollyoddsonfloops!

What is Mollyoddsonfloops?

An arcane Toy Shop, housed within an impossibly narrow building with brightly painted, crooked windows and a tall, triangular door that shimmers like starlight speckled with gold. 

Step within, and one shall find a broad circular space filled with games and toys, the variety of which is most astounding. 

A spiralling staircase set into the walls leads the customer towards several upper floors of further delights, along with a rooftop garden and terrace where customers may depart with their purchases in one of the many (animal shaped) hot-air balloons available there.

Note to the GM : for an additional dash of the strange & fantastical, consider placing Mollyoddsonfloops not in a town or city, but in the middle of a forest glade, or upon a high mountain peak.

Sights, Sounds, & Smells

Sights

• magical toys and games, all sorts!
• colourful bubbles and shimmering, smokey wisps afloat throughout the air
• various clockwork apparatus
• sparkling, fizzing golden stars
• small rockets, paper-planes, and tiny creatures whizzing and darting here and there
• customers of all ages and in droves

Sounds

• much laughter and merriment
• pops, fizzes, twinkles, whistles, and toots
• gentle melodious lullabies emanating from brightly coloured flowers
• clicking, clanging, and creaking of various wind-up objects and curiosities

Smells

• strawberry, toffee, and vanilla
• wood shavings and sawdust
• linseed oil and metal polish
• popped corn and sugar plums

Local Economy

The design, construction, and selling of magical toys, all sorts, as well as the purchasing and trading of various playful items of interest. 

The Toy Shop of Mollyoddsonfloop's - or Molly's, for short - teems with many who come to browse and to buy, and coin skips across the counter most fulsomely! 

See the Toys of Mollyoddsonfloops section below for a sampling of the shop's wares.

Imports

Regular deliveries of specialised materials; various timbers, fabrics, paints, metals, and the like, along with the occasional receipt of bespoke tools required for the task.

Customers, in droves, arrive also - from near and far - to purchase and peruse.

Exports

Toys, games, and entertainments, all sorts. 

The shop also utilises various arcane methods of delivery to ensure those unable to visit might still enjoy the many wonders herein. 

Aside from its whimsical wares, Mollyoddsonfloops exports a singular philosophy : namely, that to play is to discover the manner and matter of things, and that much may be discovered and explored through play.

Lodgings & Shelter

Several of the hot-air balloons upon the rooftop have been refitted to allow for overnight stay, with brightly coloured woollen blankets and pillows packed with snugglesome stuffings. 

Though lacking in any extravagant comforts, their wicker baskets nevertheless afford the visitor a fine view of the night-sky, and the opportunity to be first among the shop's many floors come morning.

Hierarchy & Political Structure

The toy-shop is owned by two individuals, Oddson & Floop, who tend to the many toys therein with great care and affection. 

The workshop, where the various playful wares are crafted and instilled with their joyous arcana, is overseen by a delightfully vibrant child named Ariadne, herself attended to by a talkative stuffed dinosaur called Pickle; one of a small army of toy animals that assist in crafting and creation from dusk 'til dawn. 

Together, these individuals fill the shelves of Mollyoddsonfloops with all manner of entertainments, ensuring that each customer leaves with naught less than the broadest of smiles and a heart full of joy.

Culture

A warm and wonderful atmosphere permeates all, with much happiness and whimsy to be felt and found throughout. 

Often it may seem there are more people at play than purchasing; perfectly acceptable to the toy-shop's purveyors, of course, who regard their customers with the merriest of twinkles in their eye.

Some Adventure Hook Ideas

This list is by no means exhaustive, and is intended simply to stir the pot of your own imagination.

Use what follows as starting-points, or ignore them entirely in favour of your own Adventure Hooks!

Roll 1d6, or choose from the Table below :

1 - A rival entrepreneur has arrived in town, seeking to obtain the secrets of Mollyoddsonfloop for themselves. The toy-shop requires 24 hour protection, and hires the Party for the task. 

2 - Customers are reportedly disappearing into Ariadne's painted murals, and the shop requests the Party investigate further. 

3 - A nearby Druid wishes the Party to steal Pollentop, and offers an enticing reward to the Party.

4 - The Toys of Mollyoddsonfloops have formed a union, and are refusing to be played with until their demands are met. The Party have been hired to break up the strike. 

5 - Several rare toys, not usually for sale, appear to have been stolen. Oddson & Floop hire the Adventurers to locate and return them. 

6 - Several of the shop's hot-air balloons are refusing to return customers, and are in danger of drifting into an oncoming storm. The Party's unique skills are required forthwith!

Trinket Roll-Table

Roll 1d20 for a Mollyoddsonfloop Trinket or choose from the Table below :

be warned : many of these items are experimental and/or failed toys meant neither for sale nor for public use.

1 - a spinning top that, once per day, spits out tiny mischievous sprites

2 - a skipping rope that, once per day when jumped, renders the individual invisible for 2d20 minutes

3 - a wooden automata fashioned into the form of an elephant. When its mechanism is turned, colourful paints spray from its trunk

4 - a handful of small, colourful glass beads with tiny bears in stasis within

5 - a rainbow hued, six-sided dice whose numbers change with every roll

6 - a tiny porcelain tea set that brews endless fruit beverages

7 - a hobby horse, the head of which belongs to a rather cantankerous old donkey displeased with its new position

8 - a stoppered clay pot of pink, frothy, ever expanding goop

9 - a squishy ball that, when squeezed, glows brightly

10 - a small wooden rocking-horse that, once per day, is able to unfurl gargantuan wings and take flight

11 - a gold-plated pogo stick enabling its user, once per day, to leap 2d10 x their usual jumping height and/or distance

12 - a small clay pot full of oily solution whose (1d20) bubbles are able to carry weight far surpasses their usual expectation

13 - a corn-dolly that, when left in total darkness, erupts into flame and fire

14 - 1d4 stink bombs sure to clear any room

15 - a tin whistle full of various bird-song

16 - a small wooden box from which erupts various bottom-burp sounds

17 - a chewy toffee that, once per day, changes one's voice

18 - a single use whip & top, whose top drills into the depths of the earth, releasing foul gases and devilish critters soon thereafter

19 - a red leather-bound kaleidoscope whose strange, animated patterned images (once per day) briefly bedazzle and hypnotise the viewer

20 - a cobweb filled doll-house known as Elithyr

Random Encounter Roll-Table

Roll 1d8 for a Mollyoddsonfloop Encounter or choose from the Table below :

1 - A group of customers are embroiled in an increasingly heated argument over one of the shop's rarer toys.

2 - Pollentop's tea is causing a bout of stupor to spread amongst both patrons and the owners, and a rabble of urchins is taking the opportunity to rob the shop of its rarer goods.

3 - a Mage from afar has entered the shop, and is loudly accusing the owners of Mollyoddsonfloop of having stolen their creations.

4 - Pickle has succeeded in successfully extracting several spell scrolls from their stuffing and is now attempting to read through them.

5 - Several of Floop's extravagant hats have sprouted arms and legs and are presently affecting much chaos and mischief.

6 - Customers departing the shop are finding themselves reversely aged; the young becoming old, and the old becoming young.

7 - Juniper has recruited an acorn army, and has declared "war" upon the toys of the shop!

8 - One of the sugared confection machines has gone awry, and is quickly filling Mollyoddsonfloops with bright pink, sticky, sugary confection.

Toys of Mollyoddsonfloops

Over on our free-to-access-and-use website, you'll find a small selection from the arcane workshop’s many marvellous tinkerers of toys.

Bring these into your game, or use them as inspiration to help you create toys and games of your own design.

Our warmest thanks extend to Bonus Action, Fluffy Folio, and Griffon's Saddlebag - three wondrous creators who have generously lent several D&D 5e compatible magic items to the inventory of Mollyoddsonfloops.

Games at Play in Mollyoddsonfloops

At any one time there is likely a game underway that may be joined somewhere within the glittering, playful walls of the Toy Shop. 

Should your Players wish to partake, or spectate, roll 1d6 or choose from the Table below :

1 - Pollen Pop
Participants stuff their mouths with ever-expanding, exploding pollen. Whomever keeps the sweet and sticky mixture contained the longest is crowned winner.

2 - Scatterbugs
Clockwork insects of various shape and size are released onto a bordered surface, thereafter engaging in chaotic and unpredictable combat.

3 - Snowball Fights
You may as well accept it; Ariadne’s winning these every time. Second place is still well worth the battle, however!

4 - Oink, Piggy, Oink
A blindfolded “farmer” attempts to catch “pigs” amongst a herd of “cows”, “cats”, “dogs” etc. A game particularly popular with young children, who delight in animal mimicry.

5 - Marbles
Perhaps the most competitive of all the games played here in the Shop, as the victorious stand to win the prized marbles of the other competitors.

6 - Hullabaloo Hopscotch
Not for the faint of heart, as squares may flip you upside down, teleport, turn your hair to old rags and radish-tops, or any other number of weird and wonderful things.

Residents of Note

ancestries have not been allocated, allowing the GM to assign as appropriate.

ODDSON

Slender and tall, this unusual individual is made entirely of elegantly carved wood. Oddson might once have adorned the facade of a grand theatre, or the prow of a great ship. 
They now spend much of their time attempting to unravel the various conundrums of ancient conjuring tricks, as though something of great importance may yet be found there.
Alas, their memory is not quite what it was, and they are now quietly content in surveying the wonder in others, and to regard each moment as it passes with joyful, gentle pleasantries.

FLOOP

Of Floop these things are certain; that they are stupendously fond of extravagant hats, and that they shall be heard long before they are seen. Floop’s ambulatory convolutions are accompanied by all manner of wonderfully ridiculous squeaks, toots, and other such comical auditory pandemoniums. 
This may be, in great part, due to the unusual nature of their form - for their squat rotundity appears fashioned entirely from a strange rubbery material, and they are able to roll anywhere that they might wish to go!
Floop is rather fond of practical jokes; particularly when the victim is Oddson.

ARIADNE

A small child of exceptional energy and intelligence, Ariadne can most often be found painting murals of astonishing beauty upon the shop walls, or ensuring the various toys and playful apparatus are in good order and suitably ready to astound and delight Mollyoddsonfloop's customers. 
As Ariadne skips and darts about the toy-shop, paint brush in hand and pursued by her stuffed-dinosaur friend, she appears wreathed simultaneously in bubbles, dazzling rainbows and delicately shimmering flakes of snow. 
There are none who do not adore Ariadne, and wherever she might be found is bathed always in warmest, most sumptuous sun.

PICKLE

A talkative, bright blue toy-dinosaur, with sea-shells for eyes, and an insatiable taste for sweet treats. 
Pickle is stuffed full of old spell-scrolls scrunched, balled, tattered, and torn, and they might sometimes be overheard whispering with the spirits of the many mages whose quills met once with their interior vellum. 
When not distracting customers with tall-tales of outrageously unlikely heroics, Pickle is found embroiled in much mischief with their dear friend, Ariadne.

JUNIPER

A grumpy little fellow fashioned from acorn shells and old twigs, Juniper resides in the roof beams of the toy-shop, refusing ever to come down.
None seem able to say quite when or how Juniper came to reside there, yet all have become quite fond of their grumblings and it is now regarded as rather a piece of luck to be struck upon the crown by a falling acorn, chestnut, or conker.

POLLENTOP

A rather unusual plant whose large, painted pot is perched upon a shady windowsill towards the rear of the toy-shop. 
Pollentop is regarded for its many coloured flowers, each one singing a beautiful melody. 
These rare and brightly coloured blooms occasionally shed petals from their lush foliage, used thereafter to brew a rather heady and delicious tea enjoyed greatly by Oddson and Floop.

Albyon's Final Notes

This strange & fantastical location is dedicated to the memory of
Ariadne “Addie” Antonia Joann Van Niedek-Bogers
November 7th 2017 to September 1st 2024

"The ripples of Addie's life touched so many people all over the world,
and so many people joined our village in raising her.
She burned bright and fast and was so full of life and laughter.
Her brilliance will never be forgotten."

I made a phased map and sun symbol images you can use to visualize the setup. I recommend looking at it before you read the puzzle description.

This is a puzzle that reveals a secret entrance to a cave/dungeon, that is now sealed behind a waterfall.

Adventurers come to a river - it forks into 4 smaller streams just before falling of a small cliff creating waterfalls. The river forks create 3 little islands between themselves. On each of the islands is a circular stone base. They are pressure activated, and they can feel the bases sink a little when they stand on it.

There is also a stone protruding from the water just before the edge of one of the waterfalls. When there is someone standing on each of the bases at once, a symbol of sun magically carves into the stone (image in the link).

On one side of the river is also a beautiful tree. It is decorated with shards of mirror - each shard is tied with a string to a tree branch. These shards are swaying in the wind, some gently clinging as they hit each other.
If party comes to investigate, they will find a riddle carved to the tree trunk:

In the depths where none can see,

Lies a secret locked by three.

Paths of brilliance, clear and true,

Must unite to break the hue.

When all converge, the way shall clear,

And the hidden door appear.

While they stand on the bases, they have to use the mirror shards from the tree to angle them and aim sun rays at the sun symbol. On each new sun ray a portion of the symbol starts to glow (again, these images are in the link). When three rays of sunshine meet on the symbol, rocks in the two river forks between the islands start to magically move and clump, so they create dams. The water in the river is diverted so there is now no water between the islands. Also as the water drained, it now reveals that a rope is tied around the sun rock and hangs from the cliff. If the look down, they will see a a cave entrance in the middle of the cliff is opened and they can use the rope to climb down to it.

Hints

If players get stuck, you can make them roll intelligence checks to help them with the riddle interpretation, you can also use environment - point out that the shards reflect light as they swing on the strings, or make clouds part a little when they step on the bases or pluck the shards from the tree.

My players liked the puzzle and the reveal, so I hope yours will as well :)

I have written some rhymes and prayers for a diary project I've been working on -- I'm going to give it to my players, and it has a long narrative and a bunch of hints for upcoming adventures for the Keys to the Golden Vault campaign I'm running. I thought I'd share some of the rhymes, since I know that I was frustrated with how few good ones I found.

Harptos Calendar Festival Mmemonic Rhyme

Hammer brings Midwinter,
When the cold is near,
Greengrass follows Tarsakh
As the leaves appear,
Flamerule brings Midsummer,
Hot under the sun,
Harvestide after Eleint,
Fun for everyone.
Last of all is Uktar,
and the Feast of the Moon,
Bless the honored dead,
The cold is coming soon.

Gross Bawdy Waterdeep Song

O I want a girl like a Calimshan girl
Round up top and heavy down below
I’ll whisper sweet nothings to her at night
And try to forget that she cannot say no

O I want a girl like a Thayan girl
Enchanting my mind and charming my heart
I’ll cuddle all close and warm her so kindly
And try to forget that she’s falling apart

O I want a girl like a Mithril Hall girl
Always right height to keep me cheered
I’ll pat on her head and sing her praises
And try to forget when I touch her beard

No give me a girl like a Waterdeep girl
Beautiful face and generous breast
I’ll make a great life in that grandest of cities
And try to forget about all the rest

Prayer to Waukeen

Bless us and keep us
O Lady of Gold
Our fortunes secure
Our ventures bold

Prayer to Ilmater

Suffering Lord, the one foretold,
Watch me close, my toil behold
in trials and pain, stay by my side,
soothe and shield and mend and guide.

Prayer to Mask

My hand is swift, my foot is soft
And so the prize comes to me now.
I honor you, O Great Blackheart
Ward me from both law and vow.

Prayer to Kelemvor Upon the Occasion of Undeath

Kelemvor, sacred judge
Ye justice for us all,
Send those who rise again,
Back to your hallowed hall.

Prayer to Helm

Watcher guide you
And keep you well
Harden your steel
Strengthen your spell

Over the last year or so I've been compiling a list of 100 beneficial, detrimental and funny effects for a random potion. Some effects are mild while some are extreme, great for those who like to gamble! With all the groups I've been playing with, everyone seems to be having fun with it! This is posted just for funzies, feel free to alter or change whatever you like with them! Roll a d100 and see what happens!

1. One item in your possession of the DMs crumbles to ash in your hands. Nothing short of a wish spell can bring the item back. 
2. Your character cannot speak for the next hour, but is able to understand all languages for the same amount of time. 
3. The drinker of the potions skin changes color drastically (DM’s choice) 
4. For the next 1d4 days, poison potions and healing potions have the opposite effect of each other (the player doesn't know this without an intelligence saving throw of DM’s discretion)
5. The drinker has 1d4 branches sprout from their head with a different fruit for each branch. This effect lasts for 1d4x5 minutes
6. The drinkers race changes permanently (https://tools.libove.org/generators/roll/5e-race-generator/)
7. The drinker becomes petrified for 1d4 minutes
8. The drinker is polymorphed a stone golem for 1d4 minutes
9. The drinker gets a vivid glimpse of the future. The vision is at the DM’s discretion. 
10. The drinker gets a vague glimpse of the future. The vision is at the DM’s discretion. 
11. The drinker polymorphed into an animal of challenge rating 3 or lower for 1d6x10 minutes. The animal the drinker becomes is at the player’s discretion. 
12. The drinker is polymorphed into an animal of challenge rating 3 or lower. This effect ends with a restoration spell of any level or a dispel magic spell. The animal the drinker becomes is at the DM’s discretion. 
13. The drinker involuntarily floats for 1d4 hours
14. The drinker becomes heavier for 1d4 hours (their movement speed is reduced to 10 feet for the allotted time)
15. The drinker becomes invisible for 1d4 minutes
16. The drinker becomes invisible for 1d4 days
17. The drinker believes they are being hunted by demons for 1d4 hours
18. The drinker falls asleep for 1d4 minutes
19. The drinkers strength modifier doubles for 1d4 minutes
20. The drinkers dexterity modifier doubles for 1d4 minutes
21. The drinkers constitution modifier doubles for 1d4 minutes
22. The drinkers wisdom modifier doubles for 1d4 minutes
23. The drinkers intelligence modifier doubles for 1d4 minutes
24. The drinkers charisma modifier doubles for 1d4 minutes
25. The drinker becomes their DM’s favourite animal for 1d4 hours (stats included)
26. The drinker becomes their DM’s least favourite animal for 1d4 hours (stats included)
27. The drinkers back sprout wings and now have a fly speed equal to 40 ft. The appearance of the wings is up to the player’s discretion
28. The drinkers back sprout wings and now have a fly speed equal to 40 ft. The appearance of the wings is up to the player’s discretion
29. The drinkers hands begin to hum and glow a fluorescent colour. From this light spawns one random card from the Deck of Many Things laying face down. The drinker may keep the card for themselves (without looking at it) or give it to someone else.
30. The drinkers hands begin to hum and glow a fluorescent colour. From this light spawns one random card from the Deck of Many Things. The card is face up and its effect is activated on the drinker. 
31. The drinkers hands begin to hum and glow a fluorescent colour. From this light spawns a Deck of Many Things (all face down)
32. A portal to a plane of the DM’s choice suddenly spawns in an unoccupied space within 5 ft of the drinker. This portal stays open indefinitely until someone closes it with magic. 
33. The drinker’s size changes to double of what it was before. This effect lasts for 1d6 hours and they have advantage on strength checks and saving throws for the duration
34. The drinker’s size changes to half of what it was before. This effect lasts for 1d6 hours and they have disadvantage on strength checks and saving throws for the duration
35. The drinker is teleported to the exact location they were in 1d4 minutes ago
36. The drinker is teleported to the exact location they were in 1d4 hours ago
37. A chest spawns in an unoccupied space within 5 ft of the drinker. Roll a 1d20. 1-10: the chest is a mimic. 11-20: the chest is real and inside is a magic item of rare or lower status of the DM’s discretion.
38. A large clock tower with a 40 ft base is conjured 30 ft to the right of the drinker. If something such as a wall or mountain is to the right of the drinker, the DM has full discretion on whether the clock tower destroys said wall, mountain, etc. or if it simply summons in the nearest unoccupied space of the drinker. 
39. The drinker is teleported to the exact location they were in 1d4 days ago
40. The drinker ages by 1d10x3 years. This effect lasts for 1d4 hours
41. The drinker de-ages by 1d10x3 years for 1d4 hours. They cannot be less than 6 years old or their racial equivalent. 
42. Nothing happens.
43. The drinker is given an answer to a question they have. The DM gives a truthful answer to the best of their ability. The answer can be no more than 15 words. 
44. The drinker is able to breathe underwater for 1d4 minutes. They begin to suffocate in the air for this time until they enter a body of water. For those who naturally have the ability to breath underwater, nothing happens
45. The drinker is able to breathe underwater for 1d4 hours. They begin to suffocate in the air for this time until they enter a body of water. For those who naturally have the ability to breath underwater, nothing happens
46. The drinker gains one random weapon (DMs choice)
47. The drinker gains one random item (DMs choice)
48. The drinker gains the legendary magic item: The well of many worlds https://dnd5e.info/magic-items/item/well-of-many-worlds/
49. The drinker gains the legendary magic item: The Armour of Invulnerability https://dnd5e.info/magic-items/item/armor-of-invulnerability/
50. The drinker gains one random magic item (DMs choice) https://dnd5e.info/magic-items/magic-items-by-rarity/
51. You gain darkvision up to 60ft (if you already have darkvision, nothing happens)
52. You lose the darkvision ability (if you do not already have darkvision, nothing happens)
53. Viagra potion (1d4 for hours). Does not affect health of the drinker
54. Viagra potion (1d20 for hours) Does not affect health of the drinker
55. Viagra potion (1d100 for hours) Does not affect health of the drinker
56. The drinker's hair bursts into flames. The player is now bald. They take 1d8x2 fire damage. If the drinker is immune to fire damage, their hair remains and takes no damage. 
57. The drinker is poisoned until they take a short or long rest. This effect can end with a lesser restoration spell or something greater. 
58. The drinker dies instantly. Nothing can bring them back. Make a new character. 
59. Roll a 1d6. A monster of that challenge rating spawns within 10 feet of the drinker at the DM’s discretion. 
60. Roll a 1d10. A monster of that challenge rating spawns within 10 feet of the drinker at the DM’s discretion.
61. The drinkers skin suddenly turns to steel. Their AC gains a +4 bonus. If their strength score is less than 17, their movement speed is cut to 10ft. This effect lasts for 1d6 minutes. 
62. A Celestial is summoned within 10 feet of the drinker. They are here to make a deal with the player or heal the player back to their full hit points on a successful DC 20 Charisma check
63. The drinker is now able to break the fourth wall and speak with all other players and DM directly. This effect lasts for one in game hour.
64. The drinker becomes petrified for 1d4 minutes
65. A Demon is summoned within 10 feet of the drinker. They are here to make a deal with the player who drank the potion. 
66. The drinker's skin turns blue, and their brain and head increases in size. This does not affect their intelligence or wisdom, but does however make the drinker overly self assured. 
67. Whatever the drinker smells, is always cat urine. This effect can be removed with a remove curse spell. 
68. The Drinkers Charisma score is increased to 30 for the next in game week. They have advantage on all skill checks using charisma. 
69. The drinker now has lead poisoning. Their constitution score is now 5 and they are visually blind for the next 3 days. During this time, they have advantage on perception checks using their other 5 senses. 
70. The Drinker’s gender suddenly switches. If the player is a changeling or non-binary, nothing happens. 
71. The Drinker and anyone within 20 feet of them is suddenly transported to another plane of existence. Roll a 1d6. Whatever number they land on is where they end up. If the drinker and those within 20 feet of them are already on the same plane rolled on the dice, nothing happens. 
72. Ethereal Plane
73. Astral Plane
74. Feywild
75. Material Plane
76. The 9 Hells
77. Limbo
78. The drinker suddenly becomes mildly allergic to peanuts. Nothing but the wish spell can undo this. 
79. The drinker suddenly becomes lethally allergic to peanuts. Nothing but the wish spell can undo this. 
80. The drinker suddenly gains an animal companion. Look at the ‘find familiar’ spell. Pick one animal from that list, this animal is now a loving companion to you. 
81. The drinker learns a new cantrip from a spellcasting table of their choosing, keeping said cantrip indefinitely. 
82. The drinker upchucks everything they ate within the last 1d8 hours, making the area around them difficult terrain. If the drinker has not eaten anything in that amount of time, they simply spew bile. They also gain a level of exhaustion. Those immune to the poison condition have nothing happen to them.
83. Roll on the sorcerers ‘Wild Magic Table” in the players handbook. The effect happens to you and anyone within 40 feet of you. 
84. The drinker suddenly gets another 1d4 amount of random potions. 
85. The closest person to the drinker gains an ability score improvement as described in the players handbook. 
86. All gold, copper, silver, electrum and platinum coins within a 100 ft radius are suddenly transported to the dinker’s coin pouch, including the gold coins from their allies within range. 
87. You suddenly have the “Alter self” spell applied to you. 
88. Your Strength score increases by 2 but cannot exceed 20
89. The drinker suddenly regains all spell slots. If the player is playing a character that does not have the ability to cast spells, nothing happens. 
90. Your Dexterity score increases by 2 but cannot exceed 20
91. The drinker suddenly regains all spell slots. If the player is playing a character that does not have the ability to cast spells they are suddenly able to cast a spell of 2nd level or lower for the next 2 rounds. Once they cast the spell, they cannot do so again for another 24 hours. If the player drinks another random potion within those 24 hours and gets this effect, nothing happens.
92. Your Constitution score increases by 2 but cannot exceed 20
93. Roll 2 of your characters hit dice. This permanently increases your hit point maximum by that amount.
94. Your Intelligence score increases by 2 but cannot exceed 20
95. Your character's soul is swapped with a member of your party. Switch character sheets with the person to your left who is not the DM. You are now playing that character. Your character's soul is returned to their body at the end of the current gaming session or until you both take a long rest, whichever comes first. 
96. Your Wisdom score increases by 2 but cannot exceed 20
97. Your Charisma score increases by 2 but cannot exceed 20
98. Your character's soul is swapped with a member of your party. Switch character sheets with the person to your right who is not the DM. You are now playing that character. Your character's soul is returned to their body at the end of the current gaming session or until you both take a long rest, whichever comes first. 
99. The next time you take a long rest, during that time all of your belongings, including clothing, armour and trinkets, have been stolen by someone or something of the DMs choice. 
100. Your Strength score decreases by 2 but cannot exceed 7
101. Your Dexterity score decreases by 2 but cannot exceed 7
102. Your Constitution score decreases by 2 but cannot exceed 7
103. Your Intelligence score decreases by 2 but cannot exceed 7
104. Your Wisdom score decreases by 2 but cannot exceed 7
105. Your Charisma score decreases by 2 but cannot exceed 7
106. A random item of the players choice is gained by the player. The DM has veto power on said item and great leniency as to how said item gets to the player. An example being “I wish for Excalibur!” To which the DM responds with, “both the sword and the sword's owner are suddenly teleported right next to you”.

Welcome back to Advent's Amazing Advice! The series where I take popular One-Shots, Adventures, Campaigns, etc. and fully prep them for both New and Busy DMs. This prep includes music, ambiance, encounter sheets, handouts, battle maps, tweaks, and more so you can run the best sessions possible with the least stress possible!

The Genius Creator Richard Jansen-Parkes of A Wild Sheep Chase, The Wolves of Welton, and To The End of Time is back at it again with another amazing One-Shot! A Most Potent Brew brings together a group of rookie adventurers on a classic adventure; clearing out a cellar from some rats. Things take an unexpected turn though and lead them to their first dungeon! This level-one adventure will take your players into the depths of a brewery, that turns out to be connected to an abandoned mage towers basement. Will your players survive their first adventure slaying giant rats, centipedes, and more?

Coming in at approximately 2 hours of play, this is the perfect one shot to show new players what D&D is all about, without overwhelming them with a 6hr+ sessions!

*Average Session Length: 1.5 - 2hrs

Without further ado:

• Google Docs Notes for A Most Potent Brew: DM Notes

If you see something you think I can improve, add, change, etc. please let me know. I want this to be an amazing resource for all DMs and plan to keep it constantly updated!

Cheers,
Advent

I can't fit everything due to Reddits formatting, but the proper color coding, playlists, etc. are available in the Google Docs!

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A Most Potent Brew
A Level 1 Adventure

Play Tavern Ambiance

• As you all enjoy a pint of ale with your new found companions, you realize that none of you have properly introduced yourselves just yet.
  • Why don’t you each describe your characters
• Perception Check (Highest Roll)
  • As you finish up chatting, you see the Bartender head over to the notice board and nail in a new flier
  • Upon taking a closer look at the flier, it reads: In need of those well-trained with a weapon to exterminate exceedingly large vermin, speak with Glowkindle at the Wizards’ Tower Brewery. 100gp reward (25gp per party member)
    • If players ask for directions

Play Travel Ambiance

• You follow the directions you’ve been given, trudging maybe a mile or two out of town along an old dirt road that winds its way up a low hill. As you near the top, a large stone building comes into view, flanked by a couple of barns. By the door is a brightly painted sign that reads ‘The Wizard’s Tower Brewing Co. For the Freshest Pint in the Realm!’
  • If Players walk right in (Play Alternate Tavern Ambiance)
    • You enter a building infused with the smell of hops and beer. It’s extremely clean and well-organized. A few humans and Halflings, dressed in white shirts and tight black trousers held up with green suspenders wander about, checking on barrels and vats of bubbling liquid with no sense of urgency.
    • A fairly young looking Gnome, who sports an impressive beard looks over to you.
    • GlowKindle: Yes, yes how may I help you? We’re not currently running tours right now.
    • All those weapons are quite lovely, you don’t happen to be adventurers who saw my job posting do you?
    • Perfect! Well my name is Glowkindle, why don’t you come in and join me for a drink and I’ll explain everything!
  • If Players knock
    • As you knock on the door and wait a few moments, it’s eventually answered by a fairly young looking Gnome, who sports an impressive beard, as well as a white shirt and tight black trousers held up with green suspenders.
    • GlowKindle: Yes, yes how may I help you? We’re not currently running tours right now.
    • All those weapons are quite lovely, you don’t happen to be adventurers who saw my job posting do you?
    • As you follow Glowkindle, you enter a building infused with the smell of hops and beer. It’s extremely clean and well-organized. A few humans and Halflings, dressed much like their boss wander about, checking on barrels and vats of bubbling liquid with no sense of urgency.

(Play Alternate Tavern Ambiance)

• You continue your way to a small bar set up in the corner of the brewery where he offers you all a seat and begins to pour drinks for each of you
  • This is our Tashalar Pale Ale, it’s a nice hoppy summer ale. I hope you enjoy it.
  • Now onto business. I suppose I should start when this all began. We’ve been doing fairly well for ourselves and were looking to expand our operations. In order to do this, we first needed to expand their beer cellar.
  • We had some workmen down there, digging out some extra room, when they uncovered an old wall. As far as we could tell it may have been a remnant of some long-forgotten ruin. 
    • Curious, we knocked a hole in the wall, only to be attacked by black rats the size of dogs! Big dogs too, not poodles, you know? Which emerged from the darkness on the other side.
  • We all managed to escape with nothing worse than a few cuts and bruises, but the cellars are completely unusable. If we have any hope of getting production starting again, we need the giant rat infestation dealt with.
  • Now that’s where you all come in. I’m not sure where the rats came from, but the brewery took its name from the old Wizard’s Tower that used to be on the site, so it may be something to do with that.
  • If you find out where they came from, take care of the infestation and make sure we won’t have any surprises like this in the future, I’d be willing to pay each of you 25gp
• Players agree
  • I can’t thank you enough, follow me to the cellars.
  • Glowkindle leads you to a hatch in the floor of the main brewing area. Lifts it up and peers into the darkness below. 

Play Dungeon Ambiance

1. Beer Cellar
   1. The wooden stairs creak as you descend into the cool, dry air of the cellar, which is infused with the smell of beer and damp fur. Somewhere in the darkness you hear the scrabbling sound of claws on floorboards and a faint squeaking noise.
      1. If players have darkvision or shine light
      2. Enemies (Play Combat Music 1)
2. Mosaic Corridor
   1. Through the hole in the wall you can see a dusty stone corridor, its floor lying around a foot below that of the cellar where you stand. Over to the left you can see the start of a staircase buried in collapsed masonry, earth and rubble that block the way completely. To the right the passage heads around a corner, but on the wall you can just make out what appears to be writing in a clear gold script.
      1. When player asks about writing
3. Well Room
   1. In the center of the small room ahead of you is a large stone well, topped with a wooden handle and the rotten remnants of a heavily frayed rope that descends into the shaft. In the far right corner, the ceiling has collapsed slightly, and a narrow shaft of weak sunlight shines through a narrow hole. To the far left is a plain wooden table, crusted with dirt and dust and laden with old plates, buckets and other strange pieces of tableware.
      1. DC 12 Perception
      2. If Players aren’t stealthing 
4. The Lab
   1. The door opens onto what might once have been a lab or workroom. To your left sits a moldering desk and the shattered remnants of alchemical glassware, while the center of the room is dominated by a set of tall bookcases arranged back-to-back. All around, however, are scorch marks and signs of countless small fires. The air is filled with the smell of smoke and burned meat. The wooden furniture is blackened and burned in places, while what may once have been a pile of books has been reduced to ash. Singed traces of what may be webbing hang from the ceiling. As you enter you feel something crunch beneath your feet - glancing down, you realize that it’s the charred hindquarters of a Giant Rat.
      1. 1 x Giant Inferno Spider(Adv on Stealth vs player perception) (Play Boss Music)
   2. DC 12 Perception Check
      1. Taking a look around you can see that most of the books and equipment are charred and falling apart rendering them completely unusable. However; there is one thing that stands out. A single book atop the bookshelf appears to be completely undamaged.
5. Storeroom
   1. The rear wall of this small room is lined with sturdy-looking wooden shelves. Clearly these were once laden with bottles and glass vials, but over the years many of these have been reduced to glittering shards of glass on the floor. There’s a flicker of movement among the wreckage and you see a small black rat lapping up the last remnants of liquid left in the shattered remains of a dark blue bottle.
      1. Perception check

• As you make your way back, following the reverse order on the mosaic tile trap and finally reaching the exit to the cellar, you see the bearded gnome pacing back and forth anxiously. Upon seeing your faces, his eyes immediately light up!

Play Tavern Ambiance

• You’ve made it back I see, I heard so much noise down there. I’m so glad you’re all in one piece! Please, please, tell me what you found out. Here follow me I’ll have one of my workers grab us another round of drinks!

  • Questions he’ll ask if players take a while to recount things or are unsure what to say.
    • Were you able to clear out all of the vermin?
    • Where did the tunnel lead you all?

• Thank you all so much for your help, this is truly a day to celebrate! Not only is the cellar cleared, but there’s entire rooms that can be dedicated to storage down there. We’ll be able to expand and become the largest brewery on the Sword Coast!

• As promised, here's your reward of 25gp each, I added a little bit extra for your trouble (35gp ea). Also any time you have the urge to wet your whistle feel free to drop on by. With what you were able to accomplish here today, I can tell you have a bright future as adventurers and I’d love to hear those stories!

• With your first successful adventure, you all exit the brewery, excited for all that the future may hold. Will you continue on together and make a name for yourselves or was the constant threat of death, dismemberment and nearly being eaten a bit too much for some of you. Only time will tell, but those stories are for another time. For now you head back home a tad bit richer, slightly worse for wear, but with an experience you’ll never forget.

  • And that is where we’ll end tonight’s session!

Gosh do I love sorrowsworn. They're exactly the right kind of horrible for me. I want more, and I want other people to do more with them, so I made a project of it. There's too much in it to fit into a reddit post, so I'll provide a google drive link to the pdf version and just put a sample in this post of some of the stuff you can expect. The bulk of this project involves a unique adventure location for all seven types of sorrowsworn that exemplifies the emotions they are born from, designed so that they can fit in a variety of adventures and settings, including homes for the three new sorrowsworn stat blocks that represent their own kinds of misery: Paranoia, Grief, and Despair.

Here's the link to the full doc: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1A-7-fu_MenfQhQPOk8lgBee8diXoCcWV/view?usp=sharing

Below is a sample of one of the new stat blocks, the prickly Paranoid Sorrowsworn, and the eerie location associated with it. The locations feature their own unique gameplay twists, unsettling but harmless supernatural phenomena called Lingering Shadows, and optional Wretched Infestations for when you want to ramp up the challenge or just feel like populating the location a bit more, plus some suggested adventure hooks for ideas on how to incorporate them into your games.

***

Paranoid Sorrowsworn

Medium Monstrosity, Typically Neutral Evil

Armor Class 16 (natural armor)

Hit Points 150 (20d8 + 60)

Speed 30 ft

Skills Insight +3, Perception +3, Stealth +5
Resistances Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing while in dim light or darkness

Senses darkvision 60 ft., Blindsight 10 ft., passive Perception
Languages Common
Challenge 8 (XP 3,900; PB +3)

Barbed Hide. At the start of each of its turns, the paranoid sorrowsworn deals 4 (1d8) piercing damage to any creature grappling it.

Bristling Quills. For each creature within 30 ft of the paranoid that it is aware of, the damage of its barbed hide, bash attacks, and quill barrage increases by 4 (1d8), up to a maximum of an additional 18 (4d8).

Paranoid Frenzy. If a creature that the paranoid can see becomes hidden from it, or otherwise concealed such as by turning invisible or being shrouded in fog, the paranoid enters into a frenzy that lasts until it can perceive that creature. While frenzied, it can make an additional bash or quill barrage attack each turn. This frenzy can also occur if a creature fails a charisma (deception) check against the paranoid or the paranoid becomes aware of of the presence of an illusion. If triggered in this way, the frenzy lasts until the end of the paranoid’s next turn.

Paranoia Powered. If the paranoid is charmed or under a similar effect that would cause it to not be afraid such as the calm emotions spell, it has the following penalties.

• It cannot use its blindsight.
• It cannot benefit from its bristling quills feature.
• It cannot benefit from Paranoid Frenzy.

Actions

Multiattack. The sorrowsworn makes two bash attacks or uses its quill barrage once. If it is in a paranoid frenzy, it can make three bash attacks or use its quill barrage twice.

Bash. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d8 + 3) piercing damage.

Quill Barrage. Each creature in a 40 ft cone originating from the paranoid must make a DC 13 dexterity saving throw, taking 13 (3d8) piercing damage on a failure, or half as much on a success.

Paranoid sorrowsworn are born out of the kind of overwhelming anxiety and suspicion that can cause you to turn on allies and suspect danger in every shadow. They appear similarly to other kinds of sorrowsworn, lumpy misshapen humanoids with grey skin and anguished expressions, but as manifestations of their paranoia they’re also covered in pointed quills that keep others at a distance. Keenly observant and easily startled, these quills stand on end when the Paranoid suspects danger, and especially when other creatures dare come close. They also act as extremely sensitive hairs that allow it to detect the presence of other creatures sneaking up on it.

Paranoid Sorrowsworn are constantly suspicious and expect treachery at any moment. Conspiracy festers in their minds, and every innocent passer by is a potential threat. If a creature doesn’t immediately appear to be threatening, the Paranoid assumes that it’s either pretending or dangerously naïve and stalks it. They’ll often raid their camps or rob isolated targets of their possessions in search for anything that could be interpreted as evidence of the creature’s ill-intentions. In conversation, they reveal little about themselves and take any kind of personal question as a direct attack, instead trying to interrogate every last detail. In their eyes, every tiny discrepancy or missing detail is a lie that proves guilt, and might incite the sorrowsworn to attack.

Surrounding a Paranoid only enhances its defences as its spines stand on end. It can unleash these spines in volleys that skewer groups of foes, or it can use them in close-quarters. Attempting to trick a Paranoid using stealth, illusions, or deceit only serves to send it into a frenzy where all its suspicions are, in its own mind, validated as it lashes out wildly in panic. Against hidden foes, it carpets its foe’s last known location with quills to try and flush them out. Calming a Paranoid using magic neuters most of its abilities.

The Shanty Town - Paranoid Sorrowsworn

On the fringes of town lies a small cluster of houses. Erratically heaped upon each other, ramshackle in construction, they are awkwardly crammed onto the footprint of of long-demolished castle. This site exists as part of a strange technicality in land ownership, and was never meant to result in this situation. The original occupants of the shanty town flocked to it because they could build there and live without paying property tax due to a quirk in the ownership of the old castle, but the land was also entirely unregulated, resulting in overcrowding and dangerous construction. Soon, the settlement became a hotbed of crime, and local law enforcement found the maze-like village and hostile inhabitants made it almost impossible to police. After decades of strife between the shanty town and surrounding population, the residents were evicted by force. The eviction campaign took many years, but eventually the site was left abandoned, and plans to demolish the structure have stalled indefinitely. And yet, whispers are abound that someone still lives there. Sightings of shadows moving across the rooftops, the glint of a spyglass peering out from the windows. Did someone manage to hide from the guards during the eviction? Are criminals using the site as a den? Are more people moving in, to start the whole saga again? Tensions and fear are once again on the rise, and the notion that the shanty town may again be populated has caused conflict between local residents, the authorities, visiting foreigners, and criminal elements. Whenever a crime goes unsolved, or a person goes missing, the shanty town is often first to be blamed. Certainly, pillagers and vigilante mobs alike that enter the ruin don’t return. Did they fall prey to booby traps, dangerous architecture, or some malevolent being? In some ways, all of this is true, but not for the reasons anyone thinks.

The shanty town really was abandoned. Every resident was evicted. Most of the stories about crime and traps were blown out of proportion, and the main difficulty of the eviction was merely a tedious affair of bureaucracy and non-violent protests, but in the end it was successful. But when demolition on the village was stalled, paranoia took hold in the minds of the locals, and in the deepest shadows of this chaotic ghost town, a sorrowsworn was born of their fears. A living incarnation of the anxieties of many, the Paranoid Sorrowsworn is every bit as suspicious as outsiders as they are of it. Skulking through the twisted halls and lightless alleys, it intentionally adds to the treacherous and confusing architecture in order to waylay interlopers. It peers through cracks and peepholes at interlopers, studying them, attempting to discern what ill-intent brought them here. In the most hidden parts of the shanty town, the walls and floors are covered in manic scribbles and notes that weave a web of conspiracy and delusion.

Features

• Locking Doors: Doors and passages previously unlocked will randomly re-lock themselves. Doors without locks may, when not being observed, spontaneously become barricaded or boarded over.
• Booby Traps: Numerous traps litter the shanty town, including pit traps, hunting traps, crossbow traps, and more. The placement of traps are random, and many of them guard dead ends or empty chests.
• Stalker Dossiers: Set up at various points around the shanty town are observation posts from where the sorrowsworn can observe people both inside and outside of the shanty town. These observation points are hidden behind false walls, and require a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check to find. Inside each observation post is one or more dossiers composed of bundles of notes on a specific individual, detailing their movements and habits, as well as the people they meet and activities. While detailed and correct in terms of the sorrowsworn’s objective observations, the dossiers are also full of speculation and unfounded accusations.

Lingering Shadows

• Numerous peepholes litter the walls of the shanty town, hidden behind furniture and paintings. While these peepholes are bored between rooms, looking through one peephole instead shows the view from a completely different random peephole, regardless of how illogical e.g. a creature can perceive a room on the other side of the village, see an interior while looking through an exterior wall, or see themselves from another peephole in the same room.

Wretched Infestation

In a twisted mockery of those who came before and the overcrowding they suffered, Wretched may be found here packed floor to ceiling in random rooms. Opening any door could cause them to spill out into the passages.

Adventure Hooks

• After a pair of children go missing, tensions surrounding the continued existence of the shanty town boil over, and a mob threatens to burn it down. The parents of the children want adventurers to delve into the ruin to find their children.

• Adventurers are seeking information on the movements of local criminals, who are proving hard to track. However, locals report of a strange figure watching people from the shanty town, and given its history of criminal activity, suggest that the mysterious watcher might have noticed something useful.

I ran this in a post-apocalyptic setting where the areas between cities are large expanses of inhospitable terrain and monsters. This method of travel would work well for a “wild west” style game where the party travels between towns collecting quests in different areas. My party were travelling out of the main city to collect a magic item as part of a bounty given to them.

I’ll try and put this together in a video format for people who prefer to listen along once I have some time!

Pace

The first thing the party need to decide each day is what pace they’re going to travel at. Some of this will make more sense later. This should ideally be decided at the start of each day, as they leave camp/town.

Slow pace:

• Adds an additional encounter chance per day

• May try and hunt for food with a +4 to survival (if they succeed they save a day of rations and eat this food instead)

• Will gain advantage on initiative against enemies

Average pace:

• No changes to anything

Fast pace:

• Cuts a travel encounter off the day

• May hunt for food at –4 to Survival

• Enemies gain advantage on initiative against you

Unable to move at fast past if speed is halved from exhaustion.

Encounters

Below you’ll see an encounter table laid out for the rolls for each day, along with the ‘danger score’ for each day. The danger score is a number between 1 and 8, the higher number representing a more dangerous area. I’ve found the sweet spot of encounter chances being between 2 and 3, often 3. The reason some of the days here have 2 rather than 3 is that it represents a partial day of travel, for example leaving town or arriving there.*

For each encounter chance, one player rolls a d8. If they roll under the danger score they get a combat encounter. If they roll above it, they have no encounter. If they roll exactly the danger score, they get a non-combat encounter. You could theoretically do away with the non-combat encounter but I felt this varied things up enough and made for some cool moments.

So if they roll under or exactly the danger score, they then roll a d12 to find out what encounter they get. I’ve put the example encounters I ran here for you as well (but not the non-combat cos I may still use those and my players may see this!) These were for a party of 4 level 5/6 players. Some of the encounters are harder than others – this is by design. It keeps them on their toes a bit.

Once again, you could vary this up – do a d20 for encounters, if you really wanted to. I couldn’t be bothered to prep that many encounters and maps in advance.

Day 1, D3

Roll 1, Roll 2

Day 2, D4

Roll 1, Roll 2, Roll 3

Day 3, D5

Roll 1, Roll 2, Roll 3

Day 4, D5

Roll 1, Roll 2, Roll 3

Day 5, D4

Roll 1, Roll 2

Combat

1 - orcs

• 1 scyza
• 3 ramparts
• 1 terranova

2 - young white dragon

3 - 2 polar bears

4 - troll

5 - MCDM gnolls (117) **

• 1 abyssal summoner
• 1 cackler
• 4 wildling

6 - mammoth

7 - MCDM ogres (198) x 4

8 - 2 winter wolves

9 - 2 basilisks (MCDM 48)

10 - MCDM chimera (54)

11 - orcs

• 1 scyza
• 3 ramparts
• 1 terranova

12 – MCDM Hobgoblins (151) [includes treasure]

• 1 war mage
• 1 firerunner
• 6 recruit

Bonus – cold weather camping

This is done by rolling a constitution saving throw. I found a DC of 12 was good but maybe a little low – I think when I run this again I’ll up this a bit to increase the chance of failing more. You’d be surprised at how often a barbarian, a wizard, a warlock and a druid were all able to roll higher than a 12. Lighting a fire at night gives them a +3 to the save (but gives a chance at a night encounter). You can also alter the DC if they have any good ideas on how to make a better camp.

SUCCESS

Nothing happens

FAIL BY 1-2

As normal, recover half as many hit dice as normal

FAIL BY 3-4

As normal, recover no hit dice

FAIL BY 5

Recover no hit dice and either:

• Highest level spell slot is lost
• 1 of a re-usable resource is lost (e.g. Rage, indomitable)

FAIL BY 6

No long rest resources are regained

FAIL BY 7-8

No long rest resources or health are regained

FAIL BY 9+

Nothing is regained and 1 level of exhaustion

NATURAL 1

Nothing is regained and 2 levels of exhaustion

I think overall this worked pretty well. I don’t think this is the final version of it and there’s some more tweaks to be done, but as most of my campaign is taking place in a mega city, right now there’s not much call to be out in the wasteland.

Learnings

Overall I’m happy with how this went. I did a mini discussion after the story arc to find out how my players found it and they said it was great. I think doing 5 days of it on the trot did get a bit laborious, particularly when they were doing it on the way back. Like I said, I think it would work better for a campaign where you do it more often, but over shorter distances.

*You could do more or less of these depending on the likelihood of coming into an encounter. I’m not sure what the rationale for doing more encounter chances but lower danger score, or higher danger score but fewer encounter chances would be. I’m sure you guys can come up with some though!

**Where I've written MCDM here these enemies are taken from the MCDM monster book Flee, Mortals! I'm not sponsored by them, I have no affiliation with the company, it's just a really great product that helps make combat a bit more fun for me to run as a DM.

Anyway I've rambled a lot, hope you guys enjoy, let me know if you have any questions, and be excellent to each other!

Edit: changed how I wrote out the encounter table as I goofed the formatting

This is a retrospective on the most successful and fun campaign I’ve ever run. I wanted to share my thoughts and some key takeaways. It’s a bit long, but if you're short on time, here's a quick summary:

TL;DR: Ran an 8-session campaign for high-level PCs with deep character involvement in a custom setting. Focused on balancing RP and combat with a semi-railroaded story structure. Players loved it, and I learned a ton about meaningful player choices, high-level challenges, and the power of clear expectations.

Background

I’ve been playing D&D for about 30 years, starting with Basic D&D and then moving to AD&D. I played heavily during middle and high school, but took a break for over a decade. In the last few years, I’ve been playing more consistently, although I missed most of 3.5 and 4th edition.

I DM about 90% of the time, which I prefer. With a full-time career, I tend to run premade adventures, focusing on understanding the setting, the BBEG’s motivations, and why the players are involved. I try to link the story together in engaging ways, but I hadn’t figured out how to run the kind of epic, PC-driven campaigns I’d heard about.

A year or so ago, I got sick and watched Critical Role’s Calamity series with Brennan Lee Mulligan as the DM. It blew me away. There was a lot to be stunned by, but what impressed me the most was the PC involvement. Each PC had complex goals that were intricately woven into the world's history. They had alliances with each other, secrets, and motivations that made the world feel rich and vibrant. The story itself followed a familiar fantasy trope, but the characters made it feel unique and compelling.

I wanted to create something like that.

First attempt

I was in the middle of running Frostmaiden for my group, so I figured I would just inject epic character involvement into it! This group had started on Lost Mine with these characters, so I thought, why not give  them all a super rich, nuanced backstory and weave it into the ongoing story?

Out of six players, only one gave me a substantial backstory, while two gave me a couple of sentences to work with. Despite my efforts to get them to engage, it became clear that deep backstories weren’t why they came to the table. It took me a few months to realize this approach wasn’t really going to work. And that’s fine – it was fun to meetup, roll some dice and play the game. But it didn’t scratch the itch for me.

When the Frostmaiden group fizzled out due to scheduling conflicts, I started thinking about what I would really want in an epic, player focused campaign. This is what was on my list:

• Scheduled upfront: Scheduling issues are common with 30-somethings who have families and careers. I wanted to up all the sessions on the calendar ahead of time
• Limited run time: If we’re going to prioritize this, there needs to be a set number of sessions
• Deep PC involvement: I wanted backstories intimately connected the PCs to the setting
• Custom setting: I wanted to breathe life into this project and make it my own. 

So, I sent this text to a few friends: 

“I wanna put together a 6-8 session adventure for high level characters for 3-4 players that are excited to get their characters deeply involved in the world. 

Probably in 2-3 months. Is that of interest?”

I got enough interest back that I published a “Player’s Hub” on Notion with concrete expectations and character building guidelines. 

Here were the expectations:

Scheduling

• I expect this to take 6-8 sessions of 4 hours each. This does not include the Session 0.

• I’d love to schedule these sessions in advance on a weekly cadence

• If a player can’t make a session we’ll skip that session and add one to the end - I prefer this to playing without a character. Each session will be designed for all players present.

Character Development

• We’ll do milestone XP

• Your characters will advance two levels from 13 to 15. Use that info when planning your builds. See the Character Params page.

• Min/max characters are encouraged.

• I’d like characters to be deeply involved in the setting, with friends, family and a history as it relates to Siqram

Table Manners

• We all appreciate and enjoy the game more when everyone is fully present. Let's aim to keep distractions to a minimum. Whether you're using digital tools or traditional pen and paper, maintaining focus helps everyone stay immersed and ensures smooth gameplay.

• For RP I hope that players will be able to immerse themselves and get their characters involved and invested in the environment

• For combat I hope that players will be attentive and ready to act on their turn to keep combat flowing

• When we disagree on an application of the rules I will do my best to listen earnestly to your rules lawyering. At some point, to keep the game flowing, I will make a call on the rule and ask that you agree-to-disagree and move forward with the ruling. When the session is over we can spend more time going over it, and if necessary, make adjustments for future sessions.

House Rules

• Imperfect Mirror - inspired by Angry GM - what you say at the table is what your character is saying in game. If you’re in an RP scenario and you as a human start whispering with another player about how you hate the king, your PC in the game is likely whispering to another PC. Of course, if you need to talk about something out of character, that’s totally fine. It will be interpreted loosely.

• Flanking - I use the optional flanking rule. NPCs are aware of this rule and will use it as well

• MCDM’s Monster Rules - I use MCDM’s minions, leaders and solo monsters. Minions are swarm-like creatures that are easy to kill, leaders and solo monsters have legendary actions

• Hidden rolls - I do a lot of rolling for PCs behind the scenes. This is for checks where the PC wouldn’t have a reasonable idea of how well they did (knowledge checks, insight checks, charisma checks).

• Declare-Determine-Describe Cycle - While I’m not a huge fan of his schtick, the Angry GM has a lot of great ideas about how to run a TTRPG. I subscribe to his ideas around action declaration - specifically, players don’t ask to use mechanics, they declare the actions they’d like to take, and if a mechanic is necessary, I will determine which one and we’ll use it to get to an outcome. Once we have an outcome, I’ll describe it to you, and you can use that to declare your next action. So no “I’d like to make an investigation check” or “I’d like to make a stealth check”. You can say “I’d like to look around the room for clues of how the burglar got in” or “I’d like to move quietly in the shadows behind the guard when she’s looking away.”

After I had four players bought into the concept and who agreed to the expectations, we went to work. It was very much a collaborative effort. I set up a Discord for us to chat and for the players to ask questions.

I asked the players to do all the scheduling to take some of the burden off me.

They started sending me rough character concepts, and I began fleshing out the setting to ensure their PCs fit. Some of the character concepts didn’t mesh well with the setting, so I changed the setting. They had cool ideas and it was important to me that they were invested in their characters and the world. 

Then, I started working on the BBEG and their plan. I had just read The Complete Guide to Creating Epic Campaigns by Guy Sclanders, and his insights into building engaging, open-ended campaigns really stuck with me. I spend some time crafting my BBEG and their plan: Zakaroth the Ascendant wanted to harvest the souls of Siqram before the next Conclave of Hell but was having difficulty because the Council of Voices worked against him, the Unified Guard was ever present and the Boundary Glyphs were too powerful.

At this stage, I didn’t know what most of the nouns in that sentence meant, but I had a starting point.

I worked closely with each player to build their backstories, which took some effort but paid off in the long run. Eventually, everyone had a 2-4 page Google Doc outlining their character’s life, motivations, flaws, and goals. I encouraged them to include at least one personal conflict, which became key to engaging them in the world.

For example, my cleric said she was losing faith in her relationship to her god. My Eladrin elf had been locked out of the Feywild, and they didn’t know why, and now had a family on the Material Plane they didn’t want to leave behind. My echo knight had lost his father and didn’t trust his mother. The dragon rider had mentored several orphans in the past, and one of them was headed down a dangerous path.

These backstories led to several tough choices throughout the campaign.For instance, during one session, the cleric had to decide whether to change her patron god, ending a years-long relationship in favor of a new, unknown deity. Her choice had both emotional and mechanical consequences—her current god had granted her special boons that benefited the party, while the new god was an unknown risk. In a dramatic moment, she ultimately chose to become a cleric of the new god, an emotional shift that created a new dynamic for her character and the group.

Similarly, the dragon rider came face-to-face with one of her former mentees committing an atrocious crime in service of the BBEG. In a climactic scene, she had to decide whether to approach the mentee with understanding or aggression. The tension was palpable, but in the end, she saved the mentee from disaster and helped them reconcile with their wrongdoings, an outcome that had ripple effects in future sessions.

I took these character tensions and my BBEG’s plan, and I started asking myself how they could overlap. Did the BBEG banish the elf from the Feywild? Or was it an unseen agent working against the BBEG? Could the same unseen force causing strife for my cleric? I asked these questions until I had a rich world of NPCs and plotlines connected to my PCs that could challenge them. My goal was to create difficult, dramatic RP scenarios where the players had to make truly tough decision.

At the same time I watched more Brennan Lee Mulligan campaigns for inspiration. Not because I wanted to emulate the podcast-style campaign (those are designed to entertain an audience and I wanted to entertain players), but because he is incredibly good at weaving the players into the world’s narrative. And I started to notice that no matter what crazy thing his players wanted to do, he always had some way of bringing it back to the main story arc. 

This led to my first real breakthrough in being a better DM: Instead of trying to plan a session around what I thought the PCs might do, I started planning them around plot elements that needed to move forward. For each session, I made a list like this:

• The players need to find out the city is being targeted by a cult for some major attack

• Ash needs to get a weird message from his deceased father

• Izzy needs to find out her mentee is in trouble with the Thieves Guild

• Kayson needs to find out the dragons of the Unified Guard are getting sick with a mysterious plague

• Arranis needs to find out that there’s a way for them to get home, and the cult has the key

Then, I prepped likely scenes based on those plot points, with notes on the location, atmosphere and key talking points of any NPCs involved. They looked like this:

Setting

Location: Healing Garden

Atmosphere: Serene and reflective, with a sense of nostalgia and tranquility

Descriptive Words:

Key Moments:

Izzy is in the Healing Garden, reminiscing about Renn and taking in the tranquility of the place.

A young dragon rider, Tessa (she/her) (human), approaches Izzy with urgency.

Tessa informs Izzy: "Something is wrong with some of the dragons and we're short. Darok is worried about the boundary glyphs and wants extra patrols, can you help?"

If Izzy says yes Tessa gives her a patrol assignment to monitor the northern boundary glyphs. There is a stark warning to keep Itztla from flying too close to the glyphs

If combat seemed likely, I included stat blocks. If there was a trap or riddle, I prepared the necessary mechanics. 

But here’s where I had my second breakthrough: Because I had built this world from scratch, I knew it so intimately that I needed far less prep. I could improvise almost anything the players wanted to do. This was a stark contrast to running published modules—if the players went off-script in those, I often felt lost.

I was running this campaign for levels 13-15 and had read about how challenging it can be to plan encounters at that level. So I decided to run the campaign on a set cadence: whole sessions devoted to RP followed by an entire session fighting a boss. The RP sessions would end on a cliffhanger right after we rolled initiative, and the boss fights would end with some clues to the next chapter of the campaign.

I can hear the comments section starting to yell “RAILROAD!”, and that’s totally legit. This whole thing was an experiment, and I was open to learning that this just wouldn’t work. But it turns out, my players don’t want a sandbox. They were totally happy to have a story unfold in front of them. I asked for feedback a lot while playing and was told more than once it was the most enjoyable D&D any of them had ever played. I followed Guy Sclander’s advice and made sure the PCs had meaningful choices to make, and that their interactions impacted the world. I also put a lot of guardrails in place to steer the story in certain directions. And sometimes I just moved the goal post. If they wanted to go north and the plot was in the south - I just moved the plot. I know this is a contentious way to do it, but it worked incredibly well for me and my players.

In the end the campaign ran for 8 sessions and about 35 hours. I probably spent ~4-6 hours prepping for each session and about 30 hours prepping the campaign before we started. The players were successful in defeating Zakaroth, they made hard choices (some of them cried!), they abandoned gods and flocked to new ones, and we left enough open doors for at least four more adventures.

Here’s what I learned:

• Set expectations up front: This saved me so much headache. Everyone at the table knew what the tone of the campaign was and what to expect. We went over all my expectations in the Session 0 and the players voiced theirs.
• Get the players involved early: I made the mistake of designing the campaign, then asking the players for backstories. Then I had to redo a bunch of stuff to get the players more involved. Going forward I’ll come up with the setting and the BBEG’s plan for adventures, but won’t do anything else until I know the character’s backstories.
• Level 15 PCs are hard to challenge: I struggled to come up with meaningful puzzles and skill challenges for PCs that can fly, have 23 Strength, +15 to stealth checks, etc. In the end I settled on using skill challenges as described by Matt Colville and broke them up into multiple phases. If the skill encounter was necessary for them to pass in order to advance the plot, I’d have their be consequences (like more enemies or taking some damage) that didn’t impact their overall objective.
• Designing combat encounters for level 15 is hard: I tried to make each encounter have a time component, environmental component and NPC component. This made running combat really hard - I ended up creating massive flow charts for me to follow every round. This helped, but was a lot of work to prep and took me several tries to get right
• Matt Colville’s combat design is better: I leaned on Matt Colville’s action oriented monsters and combat design guidelines from Flee Mortals and it really helped me dial in difficulty. Even at level 15 the fights were perfectly challenging for the players.
• Prep for sessions lightly: I spent a lot of time investing in the setting and the BBEG’s plans. This meant I didn’t have to prep for sessions to much and gave me the flexibility to adjust to the random shit the PCs wanted to do.
• Leave some room for RP after the big combat encounters: For two of the combat encounters we ran we had about 30m left in our session for the players to revel in their success and do some light RP. This was really rewarding. Unfortunately, at the end of the last session, right after defeating Zakaroth, we had to wrap. The encounter took 4 hours, and while everyone was engaged for the whole fight, some players had to leave right after. This meant the campaign ended without a meaningful wrap up and on a bit of a dud. In the future I’ll definitely find a way to make the final encounter shorter (while still challenging) and leave room for some good wrap up and RP to end the campaign.

I’ve already started prepping my next adventure and will definitely be using the same format and incorporating the lessons I’ve learned along the way.

Thanks for reading!

Hello! I've written and published my first attempt at a D&D 2024 adventure, so I thought I'd share it here!

The Shrine of Infinite Branches is a one-shot adventure set in realm of Aglarond in the Forgotten Realms. In it, the players must venture to the eponymous shrine and prevent the return of an ancient evil, all while trying to tell friend from foe! The adventure plays out in a number of different ways depending on the player's choices.

It is aimed at four level 5 players and is expected to take around 5 hours.

A PDF of the adventure is available on DMs Guild at the link below. It's play-what-you-want but the recommended price is free!

https://www.dmsguild.com/product/496849/The-Shrine-of-Infinite-Branches

Here is nearly all of the adventure! I've had to remove Appendix B: Items and the Red Wizard stat block as they wouldn't fit in a reddit post. You can find them in the PDF.

Anyway, I'd love to hear what you think!

The Shrine of Infinite Branches

Background

This adventure takes place in the Yuirwood in the Aglarond region of the Forgotten Realms setting.

Relkath of the Infinite Branches

Relkath of the Infinite Branches was one of the gods in the pantheon of the Yuir elves. The Yuir elves have long since declined into obscurity and as such so has Relkath.

Relkath took the form of a massive Treant and at the height of his power he watched over the Yuirwood, protecting it from harm. He also provided protection to the Yuir elves resident in the woods but his fickle trickster nature meant he would occasionally act against them, turning his worshipers into trees.

Moz’gellen

Moz’gellen was a minor demon lord who was known as the Master of Blades. In battle he would wield dozens of blades at the same time.

A little over 600 years ago, he left the Abyss behind and sought to claim a piece of the material plane for himself. With Relkath’s influence dwindling, he set his sights on the Yuirwood.

Relkath’s Sacrifice

With the Yuir elves reduced to only a handful of villages, Relkath’s protection over the Yuirwood was diminished to only a small pocket. He could only watch as Moz’gellen’s corruption spread across the Yuirwood, bending it to the demon’s nature. This corruption spread to the very edges of Relkath’s pocket of the woods and even began to affect the Yuir elves, causing them to fall ill.

As the corruption closed in, with no other choice, Relkath faced Moz’gellen directly. It was quickly apparent that the great treant was no match for the Master of Blades. He could not repel him from the forest.

In a last ditch effort to save the Yuirwood, Relkath stood tall on his roots and brought the full force of his treant body down on top of Moz’gellen, crushing him into the ground and tangling him in his roots. This succeeded in binding Moz’gellen deep in the ground, but in doing so he took the full brunt of the demon’s many blades, and succumbed to them.

The Shrine

In the wake of the battle, Relkath’s body turned to marble and the Yuir elves transformed the site of the battle into a shrine in his honor. The shrine was built into Relkath’s roots, revealing the dozens of blades embedded in his underside and the tangle of roots in which Moz’gellen was encased.

Descendants of the Yuir elves have maintained the shrine ever since, both to honor Relkath’s sacrifice and to prevent the return of Moz’gellen. Those maintaining the shrine know to never touch the blades, lest Moz’gellen’s influence may take them.

Erris Oakenwish

Although the Yuir elves are now gone, many of the half-elves of Aglarond are proud of their Yuir ancestry and one such family has taken responsibility for the shrine.

Around a year ago this responsibility passed on to Erris Oakenwish after his father died. He did not see the importance of the shrine in the same way his ancestors did and was reluctant to take up this post. Regardless, he moved into the caretaker’s cabin with his wife and teenage son and has looked after the shrine ever since.

The Demon Lord’s Influence

Around two weeks ago when Erris was checking on the Shrine Altar, he noticed that one of the blades had fallen from the walls of the chamber.

While he was aware he was not meant to touch the swords, he believed this nothing but superstition, so he decided to insert it back into the wall.

As soon as he touched the blade, Moz’gellen’s influence took him. Wielding the sword, he cut down his wife and son, their blood feeding the blade, and by extension Moz’gellen, empowering him.

Over the past two weeks he has made three excursions beyond the Yuirwood to nearby farmsteads, butchering everyone resident and leaving them entirely exsanguinated.

Bounty Hunters

When those in the farmsteads were found dead in mysterious circumstances, a group of bounty hunters were hired to bring who or whatever was responsible to justice. The bounty hunters have tracked the killer back to the Shrine of Infinite Branches. ##Adventure Hook The specifics of the adventure hook are not too important, all that matters is that the player characters are adventurers who are currently traveling the Yuirwood’s northern edge, en route to the capital of Aglarond, Veltalar. ##People Erris Oakenwish. A half-elf in his fifties who has reluctantly taken up the position of caretaker of the Shrine of Infinite Branches. He does not respect the Shrine in the way his family did before him, but he does enjoy tending to the flowers. He is married to Gilwenis and has a teenage son, Sumric.

Kiromar. A half-orc in her thirties who leads the bounty hunters. She enjoys the thrill of the hunt and takes pride in her work.

Dalleska Serkos. A human in her late twenties who is from Thay and was once a Red Wizard. Two years ago she fled her homeland, fearing for her life after she defied her superiors. She had refused to kill the innocent family of one who had spoken out against the country's ruler. She neither hides her past nor apologizes for it, though she secretly wishes to atone for the horrible things she has done.

Eona Tossfoot. A halfling well into her second century who left her comfortable life behind for adventure around a decade ago.

Saree Whisperwind. A halfling in her thirties who grew up with Kiromar and has been bounty hunting with her for nearly two decades.

Running this Adventure

This adventure is intended for four level five characters and is expected to take around five hours to complete. Adjusting difficulty for a different number of characters should be fairly straightforward, however.

This adventure has a degree of branching paths that the players can follow. Those areas which have differences depending on the player’s choices have sections which begin with a conditional statement such as “If traveling with Erris.”. The elements described in these sections only apply if the conditional statement is true.

Stat blocks for most monsters in this adventure are provided in Appendix A: Monsters. Those that are not, can be found in the Monster Manual.

Paragraphs in italics are intended to be read or paraphrased to the players.

The Yuirwood’s Edge

This adventure takes place in Aglarond, a small nation which is overshadowed by its brutal neighbor to the east: the powerful magocratic state of Thay. Thay is ruled by a necromancer lich and his Red Wizards and has a long history of aggression towards its neighbors and other states. As such, Aglarond has long contended with sieges from Thay resulting in its people being wary of outsiders. Equally, the ever present threat of the Red Wizards of Thay means there is steady work for adventurers and a fortune to be earned for those brave enough to earn it.

You are one of those adventures and are currently traveling along the northern edges of the Yuirwood, a massive forest which covers much of Aglarond. You are heading for the capital, Veltalar, but are still a few days out.

It is now a little after midday and you have found a nice spot to stop for your lunch. You can feel the warm sun beaming down upon you from a clear blue sky and can hear the bustle of the woods nearby: birds chirping and the rustle of bushes as unseen creatures pass.

The players can take a moment to introduce their characters.

Suddenly a figure bursts from the shadowed gloom of the woods a few hundred yards away. He looks around in a panic, spots you, and then begins to run over in your direction. You see a half-elven man wearing dirty green and gray robes with an ornate sword with a ruby pommel stone at his hip. He has long blond hair pulled back into a tight ponytail and appears to be on the younger side, though his eyes are sunken with heavy bags under them.

He approaches, out of breath, and says “I’m sorry to intrude, but please, you must help me!”

The figure is Erris Oakenwish and he is looking for help dealing with bounty hunters who have tracked deaths in several farmsteads back to him. He lies about his intent however, claiming that bandits have attacked his shrine and that they have his wife and son captive.

If the player characters questions him, he can tell them:

• His name is Erris Oakenwish
• He is the caretaker for the Shrine of Infinite Branches and he and his family live onsite
• (Lie) When the bandits attacked he was tending to the shine while his wife and son were in their cabin. He grabbed a sword intending to defend them, but it was clear he could not have managed alone. He chose to flee and find help instead. A DC 16 Wisdom (Insight) check confirms that this doesn’t seem to be entirely truthful
• (Lie) The sword is a family heirloom. A DC 16 Wisdom (Insight) check confirms that this is a lie
• If they help him he will give them the sword, it is quite valuable

If the player characters agree to help, he leads them into the woods towards the Shrine of Infinite Branches.

Combat: Erris. If the player characters are reluctant to help and continue to question him: Erris sighs with frustration as he draws his sword. “Fine. If you won’t help me willingly, then I will force you to help!”

He attacks them and will fight until he is defeated. He is a Demon Possessed and will attempt to cast Dominate Person on one of the player characters on his first turn.

In the first round, on initiative 20, two Flying Swords (see the Monster Manual) join the fight: Erris abruptly doubles over, almost as though about to collapse. Suddenly two swords burst from his back, dripping in blood. They float alongside him, as he steadies himself, ready to fight.

Once he is defeated: Erris’s sword drops to the ground as he bursts into wisps of sanguine energy. With immense speed, the wisps disappear into the gloom of the forest, leaving a faint sanguine trail in their wake.

The player characters can follow the trail to the Shrine of Infinite Branches.

Erris’s sword is a Blade of Moz’Gellen and is cursed. See the item’s entry in Appendix B for a description of the curse.

What type of Sword?

To entice the players into picking it up, it is a good idea to tailor the sword towards your group. If there is a player character who can use swords and prefers a particular type, then the Blades of Moz’gellen should be that type. ##The Shrine of Infinite Branches ###Entrance If traveling with Erris. Erris leads you into the gloom of the woods towards the Shrine. There is no path to follow, the trees are tightly packed, and the foliage is thick, but the half-elf seems to know the woods and how to navigate it well.

After an hour of travel, the woods give way to a small dirt path that leads to a marble archway with elven text engraved into it. Beyond is a forest clearing, in the center of which is a large tree whose branches are bare, but tangled and dense. It seems to be made entirely of marble. The tree is surrounded by rows of well-kept exotic flowers. The path continues through the archway towards the tree until, 30 feet or so before it, stairs lead down into the ground. On the eastern edge of the clearing is a log cabin with a wisp of smoke trailing out of its chimney.

Erris points out the cabin, claiming the bandits were inside when he left. Noticing the chimney smoke, he complains they’ve even lit his fireplace.

The bounty hunters have laid a trap at the entrance to the clearing, just beyond the archway, with the aim of catching Erris if he returns. They have magically dug out a 10 foot by 10 foot pit which is 10 feet deep and then covered it with an illusion of the ground. A DC 16 Wisdom (Perception) check reveals there is something strange about that patch of ground. Someone with a passive perception of 16 or higher automatically notices this. A DC 13 Intelligence (Investigation) check reveals the ground to be an illusion.

If a character steps on the illusory ground without realizing it is an illusion they must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or fall into the pit. The bottom of the pit is thick with spider webs and any who fall into them are restrained. As an action, a character restrained in this way may make a DC 13 Strength check to break free of the spider webs.

The pit is also alarmed and if this is triggered the bounty hunters run out of Oakenwish’s Cabin to investigate. If someone falls into the pit then roll initiative. The players have one round to get free of the pit before the bounty hunters arrive.

When the bounty hunters arrive they see Erris and understand he has returned with reinforcements and attack immediately. See the Fighting the Bounty Hunters section for information on the battle.

If traveling without Erris. You follow the sanguine trail into the woods. There is no path to follow, the trees are tightly packed, and the foliage is thick making navigation challenging. Nevertheless, you press on, easily able to follow the sanguine trail. You even see a few damaged trees where the trail appears to have passed straight through them.

After an hour of travel, the woods give way to a small dirt path that leads to a marble archway with elven text engraved into it. Beyond is a forest clearing, in the center of which is a large tree whose branches are bare, but tangled and dense. It seems to be made entirely of marble. The tree is surrounded by rows of well-kept exotic flowers. The path continues through the archway towards the tree until, 30 feet or so before it, stairs lead down into the ground. The sanguine trail leads down these stairs. On the eastern edge of the clearing is a log cabin with a wisp of smoke trailing out of its chimney.

On the path just beyond the archway, a half-orc woman and two halfling women are tending to a human woman who seems to have been injured. The half-orc wears a white shirt with a red waistcoat under leather wraps, and has a rapier at her hip, and long shaggy hair. The two halflings wear leather armor with their hoods up, casting their faces in shadow, and have crossbows slung over their back. The human is in ornate black robes, has a shaved head, and intricate tattoos across her face. She has a serious wound through her abdomen. It doesn’t look like she’ll survive.

The half-orc is Kiromar and the two halfling women are Eona Tossfoot and Saree Whisperwind and they are tending to Dalleska Serkos. Dalleska is unconscious and will die from her wounds without the characters’ intervention. The group can assist by either by casting a healing spell on Dalleska or by succeeding in a DC 16 Wisdom (Medicine) check, in which case she stabilizes and will survive but will not awaken for another 8 hours.

Kiromar is thankful for the players’ help regardless of whether they were successful or not. She can tell them the following:

• They were hired to track down the person responsible for murders in three farmsteads on the edge of the woods. In each location, the dead had been entirely exsanguinated
• Their investigation led them here, where they found Erris’s family dead in the cabin. They were drained of blood like the others
• When they went to investigate the Shrine, Erris fled for the woods and was able to escape
• They decided to camp out here in the hope that he would return
• They tried entering the shrine, but the mechanism to open it seems complex. When they tried, they accidentally triggered something which burned them. They decided against trying again
• Dalleska was going to create a trap at the archway to try and catch Erris if he did return
• Around 10 minutes ago they noticed the sanguine trail from the window and, concerned for Dalleska, they went to investigate. They found her unconscious with an abdominal wound
• Kiromir tried to tend to the wound while the others tried to figure out what happened, but none of them were able to make much progress
• They are abandoning the bounty. They are going to leave with Dalleska and head for Veltalar

Archway inscription. Anyone capable of reading elvish can read the inscription on the archway: The Shrine of Infinite Branches. In honor of Relkath’s Sacrifice.

A DC 14 Intelligence (Religion) check reveals that Relkath was a god worshiped by the Yuir elves, who have since faded into obscurity. He took on the form of a massive treant.

Oakenwish’s Cabin

Cabin exterior. The cabin is old but well maintained and has a large living room window facing the marble tree. There are doors leading into both the living room and what appears to be a kitchen.

Cabin layout. The cabin consists of four rooms, a kitchen, a living room, and two bedrooms. The living room has doors leading into each of the other rooms.

If the player characters arrived with Erris and the bounty hunters have not yet left the cabin. The bounty hunters have holed up inside the cabin, hoping that Erris will return. They have started a fire in the fireplace on which to heat a kettle, helping themselves to Erris’s tea. If the players have approached without being noticed they can hear them talking among themselves from outside.

When the players enter the cabin living room: You see a comfortable living room with antique but well cared for furniture. A fire burns in the fireplace and a recently boiled kettle steams nearby.

Sitting in the sofas are four women: a half-orc, a human, and two halflings. The half-orc wears a white shirt with a red waistcoat under leather wraps, with a rapier at her hip, and has long shaggy hair. The human is in ornate black robes, has a shaved head, and intricate tattoos across her face. Both halflings wear leather armor with their hoods up, casting their faces in shadow, and have crossbows slung over their back. They are all drinking tea.

The half-orc is Kiromar, the human is Dalleska Serkos, and the two halflings are Eona Tossfoot and Saree Whisperwind. As soon as the bounty hunters see Erris they understand he has returned with reinforcements and attack immediately. See the Fighting the Bounty Hunters section for information on the battle.

If the bounty hunters are not in the cabin. When the players enter the cabin living room: You see a comfortable living room with antique but well cared for furniture. A fire burns in the fireplace and a recently boiled kettle steams nearby. The coffee table has three undrunk cups of tea resting on it. One has been knocked over.

Bedrooms. When the player characters enter one of the bedrooms: You open the door and are immediately hit by the smell of death and decay. On the bed lies an exsanguinated corpse, neatly arranged with their eyes closed and arms at their sides.

In the master bedroom is the corpse of Erris’s wife, Gilwenis, and in the smaller bedroom is the corpse of Erris’s teenage son, Sumric. Both corpses have been carefully laid on the beds with their arms neatly at their sides. A DC 14 Wisdom (Medicine) check reveals that the corpses are entirely exsanguinated and died around two weeks ago.

If the player characters search the master bedroom, they can find Erris’s diary in the nightstand. The diary has daily entries up until two weeks ago. A few entries are about Erris’s reluctance to take over maintenance of the shrine after his father died a year ago, and his skepticism about his parents' superstitions surrounding the shrine. Most of the rest of the entries discuss gardening; intricate details on tending to the flowers and their progress.

Fighting the Bounty Hunters

If the player characters triggered combat with the bounty hunters. Regardless of how the players trigger this combat, it largely plays out the same.

Kiromar is a Bounty Hunter Leader, Dalleska is a Red Wizard, and both of the halflings are Bounty Hunters.

During the battle, Dalleska focuses on casting Bestow Curse to give disadvantage on either Dexterity or Strength saving throws, and Blindness/Deafness to blind her targets. This aids her companions in using their Hogtie and Bolas abilities to capture Erris and the player characters.

Erris will join the fight, but he will hold back to help maintain his lie. He will make only one Demon’s Blade attack per turn, and it doesn’t deal the additional Necrotic damage.

Kiromar will question why the player characters are helping Erris. At the end of each of her turns she (or one of the others if she has been killed) will state the following:

• Round 1: “Why are you aiding this man? Is he paying you?”
• Round 2: “You are aiding a murderer! He killed his own family! They lie dead in the cabin’s bedrooms!”
• Round 3: “He is a twisted monster! Each of his victims have been completely drained of blood!”

After Kiromar (or another of the bounty hunters) accuses Erris of being a murderer, he will refute what she says, trying to convince the player characters to remain on his side. At the end of each of his turns:

• Round 2 or 3: “They are lying, trying to confuse you to gain the upper hand! The spellcaster is clearly a Red Wizard, look at her tattoos! They are in league with Thay”
• Round 3 or 4: “Drained of blood? That is clearly the work of a Red Wizard of Thay!”

The player characters can try and convince the bounty hunters to stop fighting. However, they know Erris is responsible for a number of deaths and cannot be convinced easily. They will believe the player characters and back down after three successful DC 14 Charisma (Persuasion, Deception or Intimidation) checks. If the player characters attack Erris, the bounty hunters will immediately trust them.

During this fight it may make sense to allow the players to make social ability checks as a bonus action. This includes Charisma (Persuasion, Deception or Intimidation) checks and Wisdom (Insight) checks.

During the fight, when one of the enemies is killed, their blood is siphoned into Erris’s sword, empowering him and feeding Moz’gellen. He feigns surprise and claims it to be an illusion created by the “Red Wizard”.

If the player characters turn on Erris or if they convince the bounty hunters to stop fighting, he will reveal his true nature and attack them. Once he is defeated or captured: Erris’s sword drops to the ground as he bursts into wisps of sanguine energy. With immense speed, the wisps fly towards and down the Shrine’s steps, leaving a faint sanguine trail in their wake.

Erris’s sword is a Blade of Moz’Gellen and is cursed. See the item’s entry in Appendix B for a description of the curse.

If Kiromar or any of the other Bounty Hunters live at the end of the battle, they can tell the player characters the following:

• They were hired to track down the person responsible for murders in three farmsteads on the edge of the woods. In each location, the dead had been entirely exsanguinated
• Their investigation led them here, where they found Erris’s family dead in the cabin. * They were drained of blood like the others
• When they went to investigate the Shrine, Erris fled for the woods and was able to escape
• They decided to camp out here in the hope that he would return
• Dalleska trapped the archway, hoping to catch Erris
• They tried entering the shrine, but the mechanism to open it seems complex. When they tried, they accidentally triggered something which burned them. They decided against trying again
• Dalleska was once a Red Wizard of Thay, however she defected and is now a citizen of Aglarond. Her face tattoos are permanent so she makes no effort to hide her past
• They are abandoning the bounty. It is clear this is beyond them so they are leaving, heading for Veltalar

If the player characters do not turn on Erris, when the fight ends, he thanks them and tells them he needs to be alone. He explains that there are other swords like his own in the Shrine and they’re welcome to take one each. He tells them the correct order to light the candles in order to enter the shrine. ###Shrine Antechamber You descend the stairs into a small antechamber. A large stone door leads onwards but appears to be locked. There is elvish writing inscribed on the door.

On the walls of the chamber there are four murals each with an inscription in elvish beneath them. Under each inscription is a candle holder with no candle. On one side of the chamber there is a cabinet containing dozens of candles as well as a tinderbox.

The elvish writing on the door reads: Light the way to enter. Once inside, do not touch the swords

The murals and inscriptions are as follows:

• [Mural of a treant smothering a shadowy figure under its body] To save the wood, Relkath faced Moz’gellen directly but it was quickly apparent that the great treant was no match for the master of blades. He could not repel him from the forest. In a last ditch effort to save the Yuirwood, Relkath stood tall on his roots and brought the full force of his treant body down on top of Moz’gellen, crushing him into the ground and tangling him in his roots
• [Mural of a shadowed demonic figure, the silhouette of a sword in each hand and numerous other blades at his back] Moz’gellen, demon lord and master of blades, sought to take the Yuirwood for his own. Relkath could only watch in horror as the demon lord’s corruption spread across the wood
• [Mural of the Shrine of Infinite Branches] Relkath succeeded in binding the demon lord, but in doing so he took the full brunt of the demon’s many blades, and succumbed to them. As he perished his body turned to marble. The few remaining Yuir elves turned the site of the battle into this shrine in his honor
• [Mural of a great Treant, towering over the trees] Relkath of the Infinite Branches was once the mighty protector of the Yuirwood, worshiped by the Yuir elves resident within. His great treant form towered over the trees of the forest. However, in time the Yuir elves dwindled and as such Relkath’s influence faded. He was no longer able to extend his protection to the entire wood

To unlock the door the candles must be lit in the correct order. If the wrong candle is lit, then all of the candles flare with radiant energy burning all of those in the chamber for 1d6 Radiant damage and then they all snuff out. The correct order tells the story of Relkath and his sacrifice: 4, 2, 1, 3.

Easier Puzzles

This puzzle is intended to be easy, however it relies on one of the player characters being able to read Elvish. If none of them are able to do so, then it may be a good idea to change the Elvish inscriptions below the murals to Common.

Shrine Altar

You enter into a large natural chamber which appears to be directly under the marble tree. The walls have dozens of swords plunged into them, the hilts all facing towards the center of the room. Numerous marble tree roots puncture through the walls of swords and pierce into the ground before emerging again in the center of the room and tangling together. Within this tangle is a ball of green energy which illuminates the chamber.

The swords around the chamber are all Blades of Moz’Gellen and are cursed. See its entry in Appendix B for a description of the curse.

If Erris is inside the Shrine. Standing beyond this glowing altar is Erris, only he looks quite different than before. He is larger, 10 foot tall, and sword-like spines have burst through his robes up his arms and back; horns protrude from his forehead; and as he smiles at you, you see rows of sharp pointed teeth. He says “With your blood, Moz’gellen shall be free!” as he draws another sword from the wall.

Moz’Gellen has empowered Erris and made him his Avatar. This Avatar attacks the player characters immediately.

If Erris is not inside the Shrine. If the player characters try to take one of the Blades of Moz’gellen, they risk being cursed as described in the item’s entry in Appendix B.

Once someone has attempted to take a sword, or after a short period of time if they are unwilling: The door into the shrine opens and Erris steps inside with a knowing smile on his face. “You have been instrumental to my efforts and as a reward, I will allow you a place alongside me as my master, The Demon Lord Moz’Gellen, returns. Will you join me?”

Players who have been cursed with Moz’Gellen’s influence are compelled to agree to join him.

If the players refuse Erris’s offer. Erris looks disappointed. Horns begin to protrude from his head, sword-like spines begin to burst through his robes up his arms and back, and he grows in size. This seems to pain him, but nonetheless he smiles, revealing rows of sharp pointed teeth. He says “Then it is with YOUR blood that Moz’gellen shall be free!” as he draws his sword.

Moz’Gellen has empowered Erris and made him his Avatar. The Avatar attacks the player characters immediately.

If the players accept Erris’s offer. Erris smiles. “Then it is time.” He embeds his sword in the ground before the altar. He begins to chant and as he does so, the sword begins to leak blood from its blade, initially a trickle but within moments pouring out of it and pooling on the soil below. The blood begins to bulge, and move, and rise. Slowly it begins to form into a humanoid shape, one which is 10 foot tall, has sword-like spines up its arms and back and horns protruding from its forehead. And then the chanting ends.

Before you stands the Demon Lord, Moz’Gellen. He smiles bearing rows of sharp pointed teeth. “Good. You have all done well, but I am still weakened. I will allow you the honor of sacrifice, empowering me with your life.”

Moz’Gellen waves a hand as daggers pull from the walls, floating over to each of you and Erris. Erris grabs it with euphoria across his face, plunging it into his chest as he crumbles to the ground blissfully. Blood pours from him to the Demon Lord and within moments, he is entirely exsanguinated.

The Demon Lord looks to you all expectantly.

The risen demon is not the true form of Moz’Gellen. That remains under the ground tangled in Relkath’s roots and is far larger than the form the players see before them. This form is merely an Avatar of Moz’Gellen but it is still the first time he has had any presence beyond his bindings in 600 years.

If they do as Moz’Gellen asks then they are dead and the adventure is over. If the players wish to survive then their only option is to defy the Demon Lord. Even those under his influence are not compelled to act here, his influence isn’t strong enough yet for that. When they do: Moz’Gellen smiles menacingly. “Good. I will enjoy this!” as he draws his blade.

Combat: The Avatar of the Demon Lord. Regardless of whether the players face an empowered Erris or Moz’Gellen directly, this fight plays out largely the same. Their opponent is an Avatar of the Demon Lord. If they face Erris, then his hit points and other resources have been fully replenished.

During the fight, if a creature other than the Avatar is pushed or otherwise moved against their will to a position within 5 feet of any of the walls which are embedded with swords, then they must make a DC 15 Dexterity Saving throw. On a failure, they touch one of the Blades of Moz’gellen and risk being cursed as described in the item’s entry in Appendix B.

If the players fight Erris. When he is defeated: Erris crumples to his knees, his sword clattering across the ground. He looks up at you all, as if seeing you for the first time. He says “The sword had fallen from the wall, I just wanted to put it back. What have I done…?”. He collapses, dead.

If the players fight Moz’Gellen directly. When he is defeated: The Demon Lord crumples to his knees, his sword clattering across the ground. He looks up at you all. “...You have not defeated me. I will return!”. He collapses, dead.

Conclusion

When the player characters successfully defeat Erris or Moz’Gellen, they are able to continue on their journey towards Veltalar.

If any of the player characters were cursed by one of the Blades of Moz’Gellen, they find that Moz’Gellen no longer has influence over them. However, the curse is not gone and his influence may once again take them in the future.

Appendix A: Enemies

Bounty Hunter

Medium Humanoid, Any Alignment

AC 15

Initiative +3 (13)

HP 39 (6d8 + 12)

Speed 30 ft.

STR 11 +0 +0 DEX 16 +3 +5 CON 14 +2 +2 INT 13 +1 +1 WIS 13 +1 +3 CHA 8 -1 -1 (Score/Mod/Save)

Skills Investigation +3, Perception +5, Survival +3

Senses Passive Perception 15

Languages any one language (usually Common)

CR 2 (XP 450; PB +2)

Actions

Multiattack. The bounty hunter makes two Dagger or Light Crossbow attacks.

Dagger. Melee Attack Roll: +5, reach 5 ft. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) Piercing damage plus 3 (1d6) Poison damage.

Light Crossbow. Ranged Attack Roll: +5, range 80/320 ft. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) Piercing damage plus 3 (1d6) Poison damage.

Bonus Actions

Bolas (3/day). Ranged Attack Roll: +5, range 20/60 ft. Hit: The target’s Speed is reduced to 0 until the end of its next turn. Additionally, the target must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or fall Prone.

Bounty Hunter Leader

Medium Humanoid, Any Alignment

AC 16

Initiative +4 (14)

HP 67 (9d8 + 27)

Speed 35 ft.

STR 11 +0 +0 DEX 18 +4 +6 CON 16 +3 +5 INT 13 +1 +1 WIS 13 +1 +3 CHA 10 +0 +0 (Score/Mod/Save)

Skills Investigation +3, Perception +5, Survival +3

Senses Passive Perception 15

Languages any one language (usually Common)

CR 3 (XP 700; PB +2)

Actions

Multiattack. The bounty hunter makes two Rapier attacks and then a Grab attack.

Rapier. Melee Attack Roll: +6, reach 5 ft. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) Piercing damage plus 3 (1d6) Poison damage.

Grab. Dexterity or Strength Saving Throw (target chooses which): DC 14, one creature within 5 feet. Failure: The target has the Grappled condition (escape DC 14). The bounty hunter can Grapple only one creature at a time.

Bonus Actions

Hogtie. Dexterity or Strength Saving Throw (target chooses which): DC 14, one creature within 5 feet which the bounty hunter has Grappled. Failure: The target has the Restrained condition. At the end of each of the target’s turns, it may repeat the saving throw to attempt to escape.

Demon Possessed

Medium Humanoid, Chaotic Evil

AC 15

Initiative +3 (13)

HP 65 (10d8 + 20)

Speed 30 ft.

STR 18 +4 +7 DEX 16 +3 +3 CON 14 +2 +5 INT 13 +1 +1 WIS 10 +0 +3 CHA 16 +3 +3 (Score/Mod/Save)

Skills Deception +6, Perception +3

Senses Passive Perception 13

Languages Abyssal, Common

CR 5 (XP 1,800; PB +3)

Traits

Legendary Resistance (1/day). If the possessed fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.

Actions

Multiattack. The possessed makes two Demon's Blade attacks.

Demon's Blade. Melee Attack Roll: +7, reach 5 ft. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) Slashing damage plus 3 (1d4) Necrotic damage.

Spellcasting. The possessed casts one of the following spells, using Charisma as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 14):

At Will: Friends 1/Day Each: Dominate Person

Bonus Actions

Blood Draw. Constitution Saving Throw: DC 14, each creature it chooses in a 20-foot radius. Failure: 10 (3d6) Necrotic damage and the target is pulled 10 feet straight towards the possessed. Success: Half damage.

Avatar of the Demon Lord

Large Fiend (Demon), Chaotic Evil

AC 17

Initiative +3 (13)

HP 68 (8d10 + 24)

Speed 30 ft.

STR 18 +4 +7 DEX 14 +2 +2 CON 16 +3 +6 INT 13 +1 +1 WIS 11 +0 +3 CHA 14 +2 +2 (Score/Mod/Save)

Skills Deception +8, Intimidation +5

Resistances Fire, Poison

Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 11

Languages Abyssal, Common

CR 6 (XP 2,300; PB +3)

Traits

Legendary Resistance (1/day). If the avatar fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.

Protection of the Demon Lord. While the avatar is within 20 feet of a flying sword, a beam of sanguine energy connects them and the avatar has resistance to all damage and immunity to fire and poison damage.

Actions

Multiattack. The avatar makes two Demon's Blade attacks. It may replace one of those attacks with its Blood Siphon.

Demon's Blade. Melee Attack Roll: +7, reach 5 ft. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) Slashing damage plus 3 (1d4) Necrotic damage.

Blood Siphon (Recharge 5-6). Constitution Saving Throw: DC 15, each creature in a 30-foot cone. Failure: 14 (4d6) Necrotic damage. Success: Half damage. The avatar gains 5 temporary hit points for each creature this affects.

Bonus Actions

Sapping Shove. Strength or Dexterity Saving Throw (target chooses which): DC 15, a creature the avatar can see within 5 feet of it. Failure: The target is pushed 10 feet straight away from the avatar if it is Huge or smaller and has disadvantage on its next attack roll before the end of the avatar's next turn.

Draw Blade (1/day). The avatar animates a nearby sword which is not held or worn by another creature. The sword becomes a Flying Sword for 10 minutes and acts on its own initiative. The sword acts as an ally of the avatar and the avatar is able to direct it using telepathic commands.

Reactions

The avatar can take up to three Reactions per round but only one per turn.

Quick Slash (1/round). Trigger: Another creature the avatar can see ends its turn. Response: The avatar makes one Demon's Blade attack.

Shove and Charge (1/round). Trigger: Another creature the avatar can see ends its turn. Response: The avatar may use its Sapping Shove and then it may move up to its speed towards another creature.

Whirlwind Blade (1/day). Trigger: The avatar takes damage. Response—Dexterity Saving Throw: DC 15, each creature in a 15-foot-radius around the avatar. Failure: 8 (1d8 + 4) Slashing damage and the target has the Prone condition.

Another Blade (1/day). Trigger: The avatar is at less than half hit points after taking damage. Response: The avatar immediately uses Draw Blade, even if it has already been used today.

Inspired by this post while looking for DM resources to run my first campaign, I would like to share the fruits of 3 straight days of me stuffing all the information I could think of about the 2024 version of D&D, as depicted in the PHB, into 3 sheets of paper for my own convenience. Like the original, this is (almost) everything you could possibly need, and nothing that would be blatantly obvious like skills, damage types, etc.. Do note that I made the original in A4 portrait to fit a binder I had on hand, but there are letter and landscape versions with only slightly less information crammed in.

Google Drive Link Here

This includes the following:

• A list of all conditions and their effects, including Exhaustion
• All actions in combat, including the 2014 DMG optional ones
• Long and High jump rules
• A quick NPC attitude table
• Creature sizes
• Heroic Inspiration
• Character levels, their XP costs, and Proficiency Bonus
• Sample DCs by difficulty
• Rules for movement around other creatures' spaces
• Lifestyle expenses
• Prices on food and drink, lodging, mundane and spellcasting services, common trade goods, and mounts.
• A quick currency conversion table.
• guidelines for target counts in AoEs
• Object hit points and ACs
• Improvised damage.
• Overland travel paces and their respective effects.
• Cover rules.
• Ritual casting.
• Spell scroll rules - scribing, copying and casting.
• Nonmagical crafting rules.
• All tools, their costs and relevant ability scores, and their predefined Utilize actions as stated by the PHB. No list of craftables in here because that was too long, but I did include the page number to the relevant section in the book.
• Hazard rules - Malnutrition and Dehydration, Suffocation, Burning and fall damage.
• Container capacities.
• Concentration rules
• Table of every single weapon and armour set in the PHB, including weight, cost, properties, and damage. Also includes the weapons' innate Masteries.
• Weapon masteries.
• Weapon properties* (not in letter format, it just would not fit)
• a few light sources
• Table of Spell slot progression for any caster class/subclass
• the Calendar of Harptos (FR)
• All the relevant FR languages
• quick random weather table
• All 9 PHB races and their relevant abilities in combat in tiny shorthand - couldn't fit in the lineages though.
• Obscurement rules
• Tracking and foraging rules.

Also includes links/page numbers for the following:

• Selling magic items (DMG)
• Lingering injuries (DMG)
• Madness (DMG)
• rules for underwater and mounted combat
• the Forgotten Realms planes
• A list of all the deities (DMG)
• Every class and species/race in the PHB to look up class abilities/lineages.
• feats
• the misc. creatures table in the PHB

I ended up copying a bunch of things over from the original, but ended up recreating the entire thing from scratch so I could change things as needed. Also in the link are the original files so you can add/remove things or reformat the screen as needed.

Hopefully this helps you all if you plan on using it.

See the terrible lizard across the editions on Dump Stat

Stat blocks moved to comments for space.

This great fire-breathing garnet behemoth of a lizard is responsible for the pain of millions, breathing devastation across the landscape, turning land to ash, and causing blistering infernos to envelop the world. But why? Why are Red Dragons so interested in destruction? Why won’t they share their hoard? And how much can you make subduing and selling a Red Dragon?

OD&D

The first appearance of the Red Dragon is in the Dungeons & Dragons predecessor, Chainmail (1971) where it is the only dragon talked about because of the fame it gained in The Hobbit (1937) by J. R. R. Tolkien. It lets us know that dragons can see in darkness, they can detect invisible creatures, and that dragon fire kills anyone it touches, except for another dragon, a superhero, or a wizard, who all get saves (and if they fail, they die anyway).

Luckily for the great armies being swathed in fire, a Red Dragon only gets to breathe fire three times before it must land and remain stationary for one turn, at the end of which its internal fires are rekindled, and it can fly up and breathe fire three more times. Hopefully, your troops can swarm the dragon at this time and kill it, but probably not.

Another lucky fact is that dragons are egotistical and evil, so they automatically attack fantastic creatures in this order and refuse to deviate: Dragons, giants, balrogs, rocs, (true) trolls, elementals, etc. Also, if you happen to have a frost giant or roc on your side, well, not anymore because the dragon will attack them regardless of what side the creature is on.

The Red Dragon makes its first appearance in Dungeons & Dragons in the Dungeons & Dragons Box Set - Book 2: Monsters & Treasures (1973). Compared to most of the creatures found within these pages, there is a wealth of information about dragons, though a lot of it is confusing or strange. We’ll get into that.

As is only proper, Red Dragons are one of the strongest dragons—however, gold dragons are the most powerful. You can find them most often in the mountains or hills, and may even have a family of Very Young Red Dragons. We recommend you don’t attack a Red Dragon family, as this will enrage the dragons and their attack value. Their chance to hit your very fragile adventurer will double and lead to them constantly using their breath weapons.

Speaking of breath weapons, let’s talk about a dragon’s hit points. A Red Dragon has a 9 to 11 hit dice, though 60% of them will have 10, and 20% for 9 or 11. If you have 9 hit dice, the dragon is considered a small dragon, while 11 hit dice are considered very large for their species. This is important to know because when you determine a dragon’s hit points, that is how much damage the dragon deals with its breath weapon—though don’t roll. Instead, you will roll a single d6 to determine the dragon’s age. Based on the age of the dragon, 1 being very young and 6 being very old, that will determine what you should multiply their hit die by. For example, if you roll a d6, on a result of 5 you have an Old Red Dragon, and so you will multiply its hit dice by 5 for a total of 50 hit points for a typical dragon and deals 50 damage with its breath weapon.

If you want to cheap-shot a dragon, and maybe learned a thing or two from a hobbit thief, wait till the dragon is asleep. If you encounter a sleeping Red Dragon, you get a free attack with a +2 bonus to the attack. We do have to warn you that you should never wake a sleeping dragon.

If you thought that breath weapons and teeth and claws were all you had to worry about, some dragons are capable of casting spells. It isn’t likely, at the very least, but it has been known to happen. This requires the dragon to be able to talk, which 85% of all Red Dragons can, only 25% of white dragons can, and then only 15% of talking Red Dragons can cast 1st- to 3rd-level spells.

Killing a Red Dragon may not be your best option, but sometimes you have no choice if you want your character to live until the next adventure. Luckily, you can decide to subdue a dragon, and to be honest, it seems a lot easier than killing one. When you want to subdue a dragon, every time you hit it, you count any damage as subduing points. At the end of every round, the GM determines what percentage of the dragon’s hit points the party dealt in total subduing points. The GM then rolls a d100, and if their result is equal to or less than the percentage of subduing points dealt, the dragon is subdued.

Basically, if a dragon has 50 hit points, you deal 20 subduing points to it. You have effectively dealt 40% of its hit points. You then roll a d100, and if you roll 40 or lower, it’s subdued. If you roll higher, it is still breathing fire on your face.

This does come with the odd effect that it is easier to subdue a dragon than it is to kill it. While subdual damage does not reduce a dragon’s hit points, it doesn’t matter since the GM may roll low on the d100, and you’ll subdue it faster than if you had to deal all the hit point damage. Plus, when you subdue a dragon, you are about to make a lot of money, and not just from the dragon’s treasure hoard.

You can sell subdued creatures, especially dragons, on the open market. For every hit point that the dragon has, someone is willing to purchase the subdued dragon for 500 to 1,000 gp, so for an Old Red Dragon with 50 hit points, you could earn 25,000 to 50,000 gp! However, do be wary, as the dragon will only stay subdued as long as you are in a position of strength over it. When it has an opportunity, it will attempt to escape and kill you, which probably means launching a burning cone of fire that melts flesh and chars bone.

1e

The Red Dragon appears in the Monster Manual (1977), along with 14 other dragons, including the dragon turtle. Before we start on the Red Dragon, we’d be remiss if we didn’t talk about the changes to dragons in general. They are no longer referred to as winged lizards, which we’re sure was the result of Big Dragon Lobby.

All dragons can now see in the dark and have a super sniffer for a nose, sharp eyes, and excellent hearing. With their heightened sense, you aren’t safe if you’re invisible or have tried to hide something from them. In addition, they gain a new, terrifying and frightful trait.

An adult dragon has an aura that causes a fear reaction when flying above you or running at you and your friends. We don’t know about you, but we’d be terrified if we saw a Red Dragon bearing down upon us. Your hero can have a variety of reactions based on the number of hit dice they have. Lower-level characters may flee or be paralyzed, while the higher-level characters may attack at a disadvantage, or be immune to the effect altogether.

There’s still a lot of text regarding subduing a dragon. A subdued dragon can be sold, though now they only fetch between 100 and 800 gold pieces per hit point. How much gold you’ll get is determined randomly. This seems strange as you’d think an older dragon would mean a higher price, but what do we know? The other pain is that the old percentage subdual rules are back, so it’s going to get a full-hit point breath weapon attack on you, but you’ll pry subdue it before you deal an amount of damage equal to its full hit points.

The last thing we want to talk about for dragons, in general, is that the sourcebook calls them cowards. Before any dragon comes after us, we’d like to point out we didn’t write that, and we are just as upset as dragons are about this. The text goes on to state that because dragons are so cowardly, that is why you can subdue them so easily (tell that to all the knights who died so you could get a payday), and that you can disarm any dragon with a bit of flattery.

Now, despite the writers obviously having a shallow opinion of dragons, let’s get into Red Dragons and why you should wear brown pants when fighting them.

Red Dragons are some of the most greedy dragons you can encounter, and that isn’t an insult to them, but a compliment. Of course, this is a major weakness, as their lust for gold may allow them to be manipulated. A persuasive individual can promise the Red Dragon gold, gems, and other riches, which may override their desire to kill you. Be convincing cause a lied-to Red Dragon is going to be a fiery Red Dragon when it finds out you lied to it.

The last bit of new Red Dragon information isn’t that new, but the statistics are. Red Dragons now have a 75% chance of being able to speak, and if they can talk, they have a 40% chance of being a spellcaster. Very young and young Red Dragons have only 1st-level spells, while sub-adult and young adult dragons have up to 2nd-level spells. The oldest of Red Dragons, however, will be able to cast up to 4th-level spells, which seems like a bad idea for adventurers to fight. While Red Dragons only have three breath weapons a day, they could have an extra three fireball spells to make up for it.

We are now going to have to jump into various sourcebooks across the edition, but before we can explore more, we just want to make sure you are aware that this isn’t an exhaustive look at every single Red Dragon out there. The only books we are going to look at are books that add something interesting, new, disruptive, or just provide something we feel like sharing. We are not sharing every bit of information or we would never finish this deep dive.

With that said, we do want to mention that Dungeon #1 (Sept./October 1986) has you fighting an ancient Red Dragon known as Flame in the adventure Into the Fire by Keith Parkinson. Not much here to see, since the adventure just revolves around you killing a Red Dragon, but it is pretty awesome that one of the first dungeons in the magazine is about a Red Dragon.

In H4: The Throne of Bloodstone (1988), we are introduced to the uber-powerful Fyrillicus, the Abyss-bred Red Dragon. Want to hear something crazy? This module is for character levels 80-100, so you know this isn’t going to be some run-of-the-mill Red Dragon. Our buddy Orcus bred Fyrillius from a Red Dragon he captured and brought to the Abyss, we guess we now know who those subdual rules are for after all.

Now, obviously, the Prince of Darkness wasn’t subduing a dragon because he was lonely and wanted a friend, instead, it was to create a powerful and unique dragon to guard his castle. Of course, any time you mess with nature and fool around with genetics, there are bound to be side effects. Fyrillius’ side effect is that he is not the sharpest tool in the shed, though, he still has spells so be careful what you say about him.

Up next, in Dragon #134 (June 1988) we are given a ton of stuff about dragons, especially the Red Dragon. In Give Dragons a Fighting Chance by Ed Friedlander, dragons of different types and colors are suggested by giving dragons specific additional spells, including spells specific to their color. This means all dragons could have spells such as haste and shield, and the Red Dragon would have burning hands, fireball, and other fire spells. Serpents and Sorcery by Vince Garcia takes the issue of dragon spells even further. Garcia gives the GM a very detailed list of spells for the Red Dragon. The spells range from 1st to 4th level and include affect normal fires, magic missile, flaming sphere, and dimension door to name a few.

The last one we want to touch on for this edition is Gregg Sharp's Ecology of the Red Dragon article in Dragon #134. In this article, we are provided information on the Red Dragon through a story where a group of adventurers are demanding answers from a sage, Nimodes. Nimodes explains all manner of information about Red Dragons, and warns the group it is a bad idea. The group goes ahead and decides that they would like to win the Red Dragon’s hoard. It probably doesn’t go well for them.

We learn that female Red Dragons are incredibly ferocious and more violent than their male counterparts. They especially love fighting other female Red Dragons and hate sharing space with anyone. After they mate, lady dragons are likely to kill the male dragon so that they no longer have to share a cave with them (and may end up eating a few of the dragon wyrmlings if it ends up she doesn’t like being a mother). To go along with that, a female Red Dragon has no interest in being bribed, but she does like flattery. However, flattery only gets you so far and you’ll pry be eaten soon.

The last thing we want to share is that Red Dragons have explosive poop. We don’t mean that they suffer from chronic diarrhea syndrome, but rather their poop is legitimately explosive because it has sulfur and potassium nitrate in it. Because Red Dragons are terrible and cruel, they’ll try and trick adventurers into digging up their poop, pry telling them that that is where their hoard is, and when a shovel strikes a rock and creates sparks, the entire poop pile explodes, dealing quite a bit of damage and maybe even killing a few adventurers.

Red Dragons use their poop bombs for evil, sometimes luring adventurers to stand over the organic bomb before breathing fire on the adventurers. This also sets off the poop explosion, showering everyone in burning offal and giving everyone a reason to never talk about that one time they tried to hunt down a Red Dragon but instead was given a shit shower.

2e

The Red Dragon is first found in the Monstrous Compendium Volume 1 (1989) and reprinted in the Monstrous Manual (1993). The general information for all dragons is much more expansive than the previous editions, as are the specific aspects of the Red Dragon. So, as we discuss our not-so-friendly friend, please know that some of their abilities are found in all dragons.

Dragons are now broken up into three categories: chromatic, gem, and metallic. The Red Dragons are chromatic dragons, and all dragons within this category are evil to the core. Because metallic dragons are goody-two-shoes dragons, metallic dragons, like the Red Dragon, want nothing to do with them. Unsurprisingly, Red Dragons will usually attack them on sight. In addition, they typically fight copper and silver dragons more often than other metallic dragons because copper and silver dragons live in the same biomes as Red Dragons.

If you ever wondered why they like to live in deep, dark underground lairs, besides needing cheap real estate for their hoard, it's cause adventurers and hunters are just mean. When born, a Red Dragon’s scales are shiny and bright red, making them easy to spot. Hunters want their dragon hides since you can sell them for up to ten thousand gold pieces. In addition, townsfolk may hire you and your friends to kill them because the townsfolk worry about their home prices.

The next important thing to know about dragons is that they love to eat, preferably meat. The Red Dragon’s favorite dish is the fair maidens of any humanoid race. Sure, it’s a stereotype, but someone had to fill the role, so why not the Red Dragon? To get their food, a Red Dragon with the charm spell will lure maidens into their lair or even convince a nearby town’s leaders to give up any maidens living there.

Of course, don’t think that they only eat maidens. With a cast iron blast furnace of a stomach, a Red Dragon can eat almost anything it wants. If you are especially lucky and show up after the Red Dragon has finished their breakfast, a Red Dragon may not eat you. Instead, they’ll use their charm spell and force you to keep them apprised of what’s happening in their territory… or tell them where the tasty maidens are hiding.

Before we delve into what it’s like to die–err, fight–a dragon, we want to talk about the Red Dragon’s treasure hoard. Let’s be honest; it’s the only reason any sane person would even consider fighting a dragon.

At the adult stage, a Red Dragon is going to have a decent-sized hoard, which only gets bigger the older they get. Red Dragons live for their treasure. They will do pretty much anything to add to it, including killing you. They are fastidious bookkeepers, keeping track of everything in their hoard, down to the last copper piece. The bigger the hoard, the happier they are, and the more they will do to protect it. On the stat block, the Red Dragon’s treasure type is listed as special. As we stated before, the older they get, the more they have. As a point of reference, an elder wyrm Red Dragon will have over 60,000 gold pieces, along with potions, scrolls, and other magic items.

Now that you’ve decided to fight a Red Dragon and take its hoard, it’s time to discuss all the methods it can use to kill you, and what you can do to survive. Obviously, you don’t want to use fire spells or attacks; everyone knows Red Dragons are immune to fire. Hopefully, you are, too, because a Red Dragon still breathes a cone of fire. The breath weapon gets deadlier as they age. An adult Red Dragon can do over fifty points of damage. An elder wyrm Red Dragon will turn you into a crispy critter and deliver over one hundred points of damage with a single belch of flame. Yikes.

It’s not only their breath weapon that gets better as they age. Everything from the length of their tail to their AC to the number of spells they have increases. When they aren’t breathing fire, a Red Dragon will attack twice with its claws and once with its bite. If you think you're safe standing behind a dragon, think again. The Red Dragons can kick you, which not only deals damage but launches you backward. Older dragons can also slap you with their tails. Their tail delivers twice as much damage as a single claw and stuns you for several minutes. Lastly, dragons can use their wings to do damage and knock you prone. And all of this is just when the dragon is on the ground.

A flying Red Dragon can do more than just rain down fire from above. Older dragons can snatch you right off the ground and fly away. Your arms and legs are pinned against, so you can forget about attacking. As the Red Dragon flies higher and higher, it is also squeezing the life out of you. If it’s hungry, the dragon can pop you in its mouth and crunch your brittle bones. Of course, something may interrupt it, moving you from claw to mouth. You may be thinking, fantastic, I’m not a Red Dragon’s lunch. There is a downside, though. If the dragon misses its mouth, you’ve been dropped and are hurtling toward the ground. Of course, the dragon may not be hungry and decide to drop you anyway. It probably just wants to see how big of a splat you’ll make.

A dragon can hover above you for a single round before it has to land. Why would they want to, you ask? Well, it’s much easier to target you with a cone of fire than when it’s flying around. They can also plummet, which is just a fancy way of saying they can pounce on you from above. If you happen to be the victim of this maneuver, you’re going to be knocked to the ground. And crushed. And pinned. We aren’t going to get into specifics, but we will say this is very, very bad for your health.

As if that wasn’t enough, the Red Dragon gains the ability to cast spells as a 9th-level caster once they hit puberty. The older they get, the more spells they can cast. Speaking of abilities as they get older, the Red Dragon also has some unique abilities. Not only do they get more spells, but the oldest of Red Dragons can detect gems, what type they are, how close they are, and which hobbit-thief they should eat first for touching their favorite jewels.

Going into a few other books, in Legends and Lore (1990), we learn about the Norse god Fafnir. He wasn’t always a dragon but the son of the dwarf king Hreidmar. He killed his father, stole his treasure, and spent most of the time thereafter feeling crappy about it. After years of feeling bad, he turned into a Red Dragon with no wings and very few spells.

With the title Draconomicon (1990), you know there’s going to be a lot of information on Red Dragons. It is here that Red Dragons are fleshed out by presenting us with more of the Red Dragon’s personality than ever before. Simply put, Red Dragons are prideful and vengeful, and their craving for gold knows no bounds. A Red Dragon will never take advice from another, spitting or, in this case, breathing fire in the face of authority. They are egotistical because they think that the Red Dragon is the ideal of all draconic nature. Each Red Dragon thinks they are, well, the best. They will go out of their way to keep up on Red Dragon news, which can make them even more narcissistic or fire-spitting mad.

When they hear about another of their kind, with a bigger hoard or responsible for more glorious paths of destruction, they will be consumed by jealousy. If you happen to be in their path while in this state, we advise running or hiding, as the Red Dragon will lay waste to everything. Think of it as a gigantic, firebreathing, scaly baby throwing a temper tantrum. On the other hand, when they hear news about themselves—and they will go to great lengths to spread such news—a Red Dragon will be quite proud of itself, regardless if it draws unwanted attention.

Red Dragons aren’t very friendly with other dragons, especially other Red Dragons who dare enter their territory. Expect a massive fight if this is the case, as the two ego-driven creatures won’t back down no matter what. If Red Dragons hear about a weak or powerless Red Dragon, they will descend upon them, kill them, and steal their hoard. ‘If you can’t protect what’s yours, then it’s mine’ seems to be the Red Dragon motto.

Metallic dragons piss off Red Dragons to no end. Copper dragons may be a Red Dragon’s rivals, but it is the Gold Dragon that they hate with the passion of a thousand burning, golden suns. They will talk a big talk about killing any nearby Gold Dragon, all the while coming up with excuses why they can’t at the moment, like how their hoard needs polishing or they need to check up on their finances. You see, Red Dragons know that a gold dragon will kick their butt, but it’s that pride and ego that won’t let them stop talking trash.

When these dragons are forced to get together, for the birds and the bees, Red Dragons won’t mate for love. Females do it when they feel the pull of having offspring. Of course, those kids are booted from the lair very quickly. On the other claw, male dragons never turn down the opportunity to mate. We know, shocking, isn’t it?

Many Red Dragons worship Bane, Loviatar, and Malar, most worship Garyx, also known as the All Destroyer or Cleanser of Worlds. We aren’t sure, but it certainly feels like a certain Gary Gygax had a pretty high opinion of himself.

Famous Red Dragons included Flashburn, a mean and vicious female dragon who commands hundreds of orc followers, and Lux (also known as Torch), who is a rogue Red Dragon who, after having a crisis of faith, spends his days searching for the meaning of life.

As you can expect, Red Dragons appear everywhere. You can’t throw a dead adventurer’s corpse around without hitting a Red Dragon in this edition. We won’t jump into any specifics, but just know that if you were worried that you may never fight a Red Dragon, chances are good there’ll be one somewhere in a Dungeon magazine or adventure.

3e

The Red Dragon explodes into this edition with the Monster Manual (2000/2003), presenting the Red Dragon in all its vain and covetous glory. In between the two books is similar information on Red Dragons in Dragon #284 (June 2001). Their arrogance knows no bounds, and that condescending look they give you is a constant feature on their face.

The Red Dragon’s neck frill and wings are arranged from ash blue to purple grey. Their scales start shiny and scarlet, but as they age, the neck frill, wings, and scales begin to dull and darken. This is why a young dragon usually stays home since those bright scales are a beacon in the darkness for all would-be predators. Of course, this requires a Red Dragon to realize that they aren’t the top apex predators, and there are things stronger than them, like a barbarian entering their rage.

It’s still all about hoard size for the Red Dragon. You’ll find the dragon and its hoard in a massive lair deep under the earth. The dragon won’t sit on top of its hoard like in the movies. Instead, it will be parked on a ledge high above, gazing down upon its wealth and constantly scanning for those who wish to steal it. This perch can be so high up that it occasionally intrudes on a silver dragon’s territory, as they also like high perches. As you might expect, silver and Red Dragons don’t make good neighbors and are constantly fighting over territory.

Speaking of fighting, in their arrogance, Red Dragons barely stop to consider the consequences when confronted by a potential enemy. They are quick to attack, which is fine since they have a series of practiced strategies they’ll employ. When flying, the dragon will land to maul weaker creatures to death with their claws and bite. This saves them from using their fire breath attack, which usually melts all your precious gold, silver, and other goodies they want to add to their hoard. Since they are meat eaters (obviously), this also prevents them from turning you into ash instead of a tasty snack.

Though, speaking of being meat eaters, dragons have an internal furnace that basically allows them to eat anything and derive nutrition from it. They can eat a lot of inorganic materials, so the fact that a Red Dragon’s favorite food is human or young elf should give you all the insights you need about these ruby dragons. They like the crunch of bones, the anguished screams of frightened humanoids, and delight in eating sapient creatures. They aren’t eating maidens cause they have to but because they want to.

Much of the information we already know from previous editions, like there are a ton of age ratings and sizes for dragons, but there are a few last things we want to point out that begin in this edition. First, the dragon’s breath can be used an unlimited amount per day, with the only setback being that once you use your breath weapon, you must roll a 1d4 and wait 6 to 24 seconds before you can use it again. This is great news for dragons, and that’s about it.

The other thing we want to point out is the new battle tactic all dragons gained. While everyone knows about a dragon’s one bite, two claws, and two wing buffets—how many know about a dragon diving crossbody slam? This crushing attack, which is what it is called, allows a dragon to jump or fly over a group of creatures that are three sizes smaller than it (so if it is huge, the creatures need to be small or smaller; if it is gargantuan, the creatures need to be medium or smaller), and then just drops its entire bulk on them, crushing any creature within its space. Luckily, you get a Dexterity saving throw to get out of there, but now you know what it’s like to be an ant being crushed by a bunch of oblivious adventurers.

In a book such as The Draconomicon: The Book of Dragons (2003), you have to imagine that there would be a lot of information on the Red Dragon. Of course, there is! With a book this big all about dragons, information on our not-so-friendly Red Dragon is all over the place. You could almost call it a treasure hoard of Red Dragon facts!

Dragons worship gods like most creatures, and their pantheon is more than just Bahaumat and Tiamat. Like all other evil dragons, most Red Dragons only worship Tiamat. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, as their life goals match perfectly: spreading evil, destroying all things good, and having an unbridled hatred for good dragons. Some pray to the lesser deity Garyx, who appears as a Great Wyrm Red Dragon.

Lots of Red Dragons and their crazy names appear in this book. Any creature living in Pandemonium has got to be a little off-kilter, and many argue that Garyx is bat-shit crazy. He expects his followers to do as he does, primarily always leaving a wave of death and destruction in their wake. If you think he’s bad, Ashardalon is worse. He has a cult of crazy cultists led by a vampire who worships him. His rage and wrath are legendary. And when on the brink of death, Ashardalon used his magic to save himself by binding a demon’s soul to his. We can’t imagine that a demon soul is good for one’s health, then again, neither is dying.

According to the Planar Handbook (2004), Red Dragons are powerful mounts for the Githyanki. We assume they aren’t thrilled by this, but they don’t mention their opinion on the arrangement. How such a prideful creature would find itself subservient to another is odd, given their immense power and, you know, the ability to breathe fire.

One reason for their lowly status as a mount may be the introduction of the Scepter of Ephelom, a magic item that grants the bearer control over Red Dragons. If destroyed - which would prove difficult because only the claws of Bahamut can damage it - Red Dragons may not seek out vengeance against the Githyanki, but they will probably abandon them. However, some of the more subservient ones may stay in their employ depending on how much treasure the Gith have given them.

Quickly touching on some high points in this edition, Unearthed Arcana (2004) introduces the concept of bloodlines, and some lucky people will say dragon blood is flowing through their veins. It makes them more likely not to be eaten by a Red Dragon on sight, but nothing in life is guaranteed.

After reading Dragon #332 (July 2005), you’ll have everything to introduce a Red Dragon as a player class. Dragon Magic (2006) talks about dragon magic and lineages. We learn about the Fireblood Dwarves who were enslaved by Red Dragons and are now free and hate them with all their being. During their captivity, these dwarves picked up some Red Dragon traits, such as resistance to fire, but that hasn’t stopped them from hating all Red Dragons.

There are more cool named Red Dragons in the book Dragons of Faerun (2006). Arsekaslyx is the guardian of the Well of Dragons. There’s Balagos, also known as Dragonsbane and The Flying Flame. Another one, Flashburn, has gathered a cult of orcs to fight for her. Guyanothza hasn’t been seen in centuries. Hoondarrh lived in the Sword Coast and found the treachery and drama of its inhabitants way more interesting than the dragons. Imvaernarhro, or Inferno to his friends, if he had any, was thought to have the largest horde of any Red Dragon alive. Klauth spies on the nearby inhabitants and slaughters any dragon that dares enter its territory. The last one we have time to mention is Lux, who isn’t as evil as his counterparts, preferring to observe the neverending battle between good and evil instead of taking part in it.

4e

The Monster Manual (2008) has so little on the Red Dragon it’s embarrassing. Sure, there is a Draconomicon in this edition, but still, we’re talking about the most iconic monster in all Dungeons & Dragons! Here’s what the book tells us. Red Dragons breathe fire. They make their lairs deep underground in mountains and volcanoes, and gaze at their hoards from a high-up perch. They are the mightiest of the chromatic dragons and the oldest of their kind rival demon princes and demigods in strength and power. Well, that’s new, and Red Dragons everywhere agree it's about time they get credit. It’s been a long time since they were so powerful and awesome.

While the lore might be lacking, this edition’s Red Dragon doesn’t screw around when in combat. They will unleash their fire breath attack immediately, following up with their frightful presence, a terrible claw attack, and a powerful bite. If you are stupid—uh, brave enough—to fight an elder or ancient Red Dragon, no one is safe from its flames as it can immolate creatures even 100 feet away. Being caught on fire, chewed up, and sliced are extremely bad for your health, and we hope your will is up to date and that you’re loved ones will be taken care of after you’ve departed from this mortal coil.

Another edition, another Draconomicon (2008)—this book is where we find the most information about the Red Dragon. Sadly, not much changes from the previous editions. They are greedy and mean. If they feel slighted in any way, they will hunt you down and kill you with extreme prejudice. If you somehow manage to survive, the Red Dragon throws a temper tantrum, laying waste to everything and everyone it can find. They love meat, breathing fire, and… Well, you’ve read all this before, so let’s move on to the new tidbits.

Red Dragon wyrmling are little buggers who throw caution to the wind, not worried about the future, and act with reckless abandon, never backing down from a fight. Ah, youth, when you haven’t thought about your own mortality, no matter how long your lifespan may be. They claw, bite, and whip you with their tails when in close. They breathe fire like all other Red Dragons. All their attacks do less damage than their older brethren. But since they never back down, that ‘lesser damage’ can add up over time.

Red Dragons go by various names, from flame dragons and fire wyrms, to mountain dragons and kobolds (we may have made that last one up). The Red Dragon is now the biggest bully on the block. It is the largest-sized dragon, has the longest wingspan, and smells like smoke and sulfur. But wait, there’s more! Did you know a Red Dragon’s blood gives off steam? Or that the more charred their meal—hopefully not you—the quicker it digests said food? How about the fact they only have internal ears? They do, so they’ll hear your agonized screams as you slowly get digested.

Who the Red Dragons worship has changed. Most Red Dragons now look to Asmodeus as their god. It makes sense, since the god of the Nine Hells is all about tyranny and domination. A few Red Dragons look to the deity Corellon as a method of learning the secrets of the arcane. One such Red Dragon serves as an exarch of this god, so we have another name for you - Astilabor.

That’s not the only new dragon name we have to share with you. Ember is a mount and protector found in the Dragonlance setting. Brazzemal the Bright has unusually light scales for a Red Dragon. Farcluun hangs out by the tower of the more than just a little insane Zagig. Hoondarrh, The Red Rage of Mintarn has several lairs, each of which we assume is filled with riches beyond your imagination.

5e

As we reach our final destination, we find the Red Dragon in the Monster Manual (2014). There’s a lot of the same information, but we understand why. If it’s not broken, don’t fix it. There are some tweaks, though. For example, Red Dragons are even more arrogant than all other dragons, and probably every creature across the planes, and consider themselves kings or emperors, ordained by Tiamat herself.

Dragons now gain unique regional effects that let you know when you enter their territory, giving you a very good idea that you have made a mistake in your journey. For a Red Dragon, you might feel small tremors or earthquakes, and we hope you brought your own water, as all water will reek of the sulfur it's contaminated with. You may even have to deal with some nasty folks from the Plane of Fire before you even take on a Red Dragon. This is because a Red Dragon’s magic has scarred the land so deeply that it has been torn open, and portals to the fire plane have opened across the region.

Red Dragons love their mountain lairs and high perches, but now this makes them enemies of copper dragons, not silver dragons. You may even find them residing in abandoned mines or dwarven cities. And by abandoned, we also mean forcefully emptied of its residents through blood and fire. They can be found in their lair as much as they are outside it, scouring the lands for more treasure to add to it. They see their home as their seat of power and the perch from which they gaze upon their hoard as their throne.

The Red Dragon has control of the physical nature of its lair, none of which will make your life any easier when trying to obtain its hoard. The creature can cause towering geysers of lava to burst from the ground, raining magma down upon you. More volcano deadliness can kill you if you happen to be immune to fire damage, as the dragon can cause a thick volcanic gas to form with you inside it. It’s bad enough that the gas cloud makes it hard to see, but it’s so toxic that you’ll find yourself poisoned when you try to take a breath. Finally, the Red Dragon can cause the ground to shimmy and shake, sending you to the ground when you lose your balance. The perfect place for you to be when the Red Dragon swoops down and disembowels you.

Red Dragons know what’s in their hoard down to the last copper and where every single item is in the hoard. Their favorite items are the powerful ones that they take off of slain heroes, just like you, so keep that in mind. Hell have no fury like a Red Dragon who finds a mere copper piece missing and a hobbit thief running for it. The Red Dragon will lay waste to everything in its path in its hunt for it.

Perhaps a bit surprisingly, Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica (2018) is our next sourcebook and it gives us the stat block for the ancient Red Dragon Niv-Mizzet. He’s as intelligent as he is arrogant, and we know by now Red Dragons are the most conceited of all the dragons. His life mainly consists of running experiments and research, mostly using members of the Izzet League, which he controls. His spellcasting ability is second to none, and his hoard is a trove of magical items. Drool all you want, but your chances of ever getting your hands on it are so small you probably shouldn’t try—or do and you can add your stuff to the hoard!

He’s got all the typical Red Dragon abilities and attacks - resistance to fire, claw, tail, wing, and bite attacks. Of course, he breathes fire, and his spell list is more extensive than most other Red Dragons. He does have two unique abilities worth mentioning: Locus of the Firemind and Master Chemister. Locus lets Niv-Mizzet maintain concentration on two different spells simultaneously, a dream of spellcasters everywhere. If that wasn’t enough, he has advantage on saving throws to maintain Concentration on all spells. Master Chemister lets him change the damage type of any spell he cast to cold, fire, force, lightning, or thunder. Consider your resistances and immunities rendered useless, and you should probably find a rock to hide behind while you evaluate your life choices and let your allies die in your place.

We can’t help feeling disappointed with Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons (2021). Sure, there is a whole section on Red Dragon, but all we find are generalized sections about creating a dragon, adventure hooks, their lairs, and what you might find in a Red Dragon’s hoard.

Shockingly, their traits revolve around their ego and cruelty. Adventure ideas are fairly generic, but at least include some ideas on who they'd associate with and a breakdown by age. The hoard table isn’t worth talking about since there’s nothing original or even magic items on it, making players everywhere sad.

There is an example map of a Red Dragon’s lair, including some lair and regional effects. The two lair effects are Noxious Smoke and Searing Heat. Noxious Smoke is a cloud of dark, poisonous smoke while Searing Heat is a sphere of air so hot you take fire damage when foolish enough to be inside it. Regional effects include Desertification, meaning rain fails to fall within miles of the lair, causing all plant life to die. A Red Dragon can hear through open flame with its Fiery Sense effect, so extinguish those torches if you hope to avoid eavesdroppers.

TLDR: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1OFjrEJKG1wPtGknPsM_X_gqXz4BghBNJKACZQxXMu24/edit?usp=sharing

I was looking for a big honking spreadsheet full of all of the deities, and I found a post by u/roninlinguist that was almost what I wanted, but wasn't quite.

I copied his initial table, and added a fair amount of information to it (more than 200 lines). I used Wikipedia as well as the following websites to compile the data, possibly among others:

https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Main_Page

https://blog.aulddragon.com/

https://criticalrole.fandom.com/wiki/

https://greyhawkonline.com/greyhawkwiki/Main_Page

https://spelljammer.fandom.com/wiki/Spelljammer_Wiki

I won't pretend the table is 100% complete and correct. I came across some ideas mid-flow and didn't go back to correct everything. I was trying to make a tool for my use, and this was really above and beyond what I intended to do at the beginning. One thing I discovered was that some of the deities might only exist in one issue of Dragon from years ago, and in those cases where there was nothing other than expanded content from Aulddragon I removed the diety if I caught the issue. In some cases I added a note.

I am hoping you find it useful, please make a copy if you would like: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1OFjrEJKG1wPtGknPsM_X_gqXz4BghBNJKACZQxXMu24/edit?usp=sharing

Please let me know if there are any major glaring issues or errors, and please let me know if I have accidentally left my personal information hanging out there (especially if you know what I need to adjust).

I don't plan on making huge edits on this publicly, and the one thing I would like to do would be to expand some of the categories (Like setting/other setting(s) into a check box kind of system per setting.) but I think this works very well for a reference sheet.

I do not and cannot make money off of this as much of the content has been judiciously borrowed. Please feel free to share this, but I am not responsible for the use of this in any commercial pursuit. Information wants to be free.

I created a simple Spell management tool for both DMs and Players to make it easier to know what spells, slots DCs they have - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1gkOu7pUq3SCS4yCQd49xWfLqSybrigelPb21wub8dq8/edit?usp=sharing
I currently run 2 groups of (1 group of 5 and 1 group of 6 players) and switching back and forth between the spells in the 5e PHB has been the biggest slow down of the game. So I built this for our group (mainly me) and then decided to expand it so that it takes into account all magic based classes in the player handbook.
I hope it is of use to others.

Hello fellow dungeon masters!

Let’s be honest, printing battle maps for your sessions is a hassle, you need to have it scaled correctly, convert it to a pdf, probably do some further troubleshooting. I love all the maps that you can find online but I wished the process was easier

That’s why I created a webapp purely focused on helping you print out your maps.

https://www.dungeonmapper.io

The main features are the following:

• Apply and configure grid size, color, offset and also supports hexagonal maps
• Project exactly which part of the dungeon you want to project unto paper, this is very useful when you have big dungeons especially with corridors and dead space, so you use less paper.
• Add fog of war so you can hide certain areas from your players.
• Make your map black and white to save ink of course, it's not just grayscale like you have in pdf applications, but uses a minimal amount of ink.

How do I get my map ready for the table?

Ok you printed out your pdf in the biggest available paper you had. You will now realize quickly that cutting of the white borders is hard to do with scissors, if you plan on doing this more than once I have a couple options as suggestions.

• Use a cutter knife, a cutter board and a metal ruler. This is much quicker
• Get yourself a cheap paper trimmer.

To finalize the map I usually just scotch tape the parts I printed together. But something else you can do is get some paper crafting glue and some thin cardboard (arts and crafts store sell these) and glue your map together on the board. This also works really well if you have vehicles like boats, or maybe terrain pieces like houses.

I usually still use a blank chessex map as a base, I don’t really want my players to feel like they are limited to the boundaries of what I printed

Please let me know if you have any feedback or ideas for features :)

Your players come across a town in need: Attacked by a mysterious flying creature with flaming breath, the villagers have no choice but to hide within their walls and hope the threat will be defeated. But your party aren’t the only ones after the beast: A rival group has already agreed to take down the monster. Can your players slay the creature and free the town… Or will the hunters become the hunted? This quest was designed for a party of 6 level 7 characters, but can be easily scaled up or down depending on your party’s strength and numbers. Without further ado, let’s get started!

Part 1: Sleetwood Under Siege

This adventure begins deep in a forest known as the Colossal Timberland, made up of enormous trees that tower over the landscape. Within this wilderness lies Sleetwood, a town built inside of a wall made of fallen trees. As your party approaches, they’ll see where villagers harvest timber in plots around the city… Only the logging isn’t happening, and the groves seem abandoned. As they approach the gate, they’ll be quickly waved through by town guards - something seems to have the city on edge.

You don’t have to set this quest in Sleetwood or the Colossal Timberland - you can use any town that already exists in your world. But there should be some sort of industry taking place outside the walls that the city relies on: Mining, farming or something of the like. And there should be a nearby area of wilderness that something sinister could hide in.

If your players investigate what has everyone so nervous, they’ll learn that recently a monster has been attacking people outside the city. It started with a few fur trappers going missing in the forest, but recently, the creature got bolder. It came at dusk a few nights prior, when loggers were still out finishing their work, but visibility was limited. It rained fire down from above, soaring through the air and dragging charred loggers off to the woods. Nobody got a great look at it in the chaos, but it was clearly a big beast.

They’ve been holed up inside the city for days, refusing to let anyone out for fear of the creature’s return. But the city leaders are offering a hefty sum of gold to anyone who can bring them the monster’s head. I’ll let you decide how much exactly is on the line, but if your players choose to take up the challenge and find the beast, then you have a quest on your hands.

Part 2: Meet the Monster Hunters

As they’re preparing to gear up and head out, your party will be told that they aren’t the first to come asking about the bounty. In fact, there’s another group of monster hunters already in town, who seem bent on killing the beast and claiming the reward themselves. They’re at the local watering hole having some fun and preparing for the hunt, so your players are welcome to go see what they’re all about.

First thing they’ll notice is the group’s travel wagon, which is parked outside the tavern they’re partying in. Bridled to the front is a massive, ox-like creature - an auroch, beasts of burden usually used by orcs. If any of your players try to get close, the creature will start bucking and grunting, causing members of the group inside to come out. I’ll talk about what’s in the wagon more later, but the monster hunters are in the tavern.

There are five rivals for your party to meet. First is Vandra, a purple Tiefling who they’ll find standing up on stage, playing tunes with her fiddle for the patrons. She uses the bard stats in Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes or Monsters of the Multiverse. Next they’ll see the group’s muscle, who’s hard to miss: Crusher, a full-blooded orc taking up most of a table on his own, eating several plates of mutton and other cooked meats. He uses the werebear stats in the Monster Manual - not that your players know that yet, of course.

Sitting with Crusher is an elven man in forest green clothing, carrying a bow slung across his shoulders. His name is Teo, and he doesn’t speak much Common, so any party members who don’t know Elvish may struggle to strike up a conversation. He uses the archer stat block (the rest of these stat blocks are all in Monsters of the Multiverse). Your sharper-eyed players may notice a Drow woman in black leather armor standing in a corner, observing the room. That’s Raven, the rivals’ resident rogue who has a master thief’s stats.

Last but not least, telling tales of the group’s monster hunts, is Victor Champion, leader of the group who uses the swashbuckler’s stat block. Resplendent in red and gold armor, he’s loud and cocky - and always willing to talk about his party’s exploits and adventures. Together, they make up the Fabulous Five! Or Fantastic Five… Maybe the Fickle Five? Each time someone asks for their name they give a different variation.

The Filibustering Five will be more than happy to chat with your players, though Vandra and Victor will probably do most of the talking. They plan on heading out and taking on the creature, which according to them, could be nothing but a red dragon, raining fire and terror down from the skies above. Sounds logical.

Your players may be skeptical of some of the Flippant Five’s bigger claims - slaying things like krakens and beholders - but they’ll stick to their stories through and through. If your party rolls high on insight, they may realize that a lot of these tales sound too crazy to be true, hinting that perhaps these hunters aren’t everything they’re cracked up to be. But the Fortunate Five will be kind to your players: buying them drinks, challenging them to friendly arm wrestling matches or a music duel between bards, and asking about their own stories. Raven might try to pickpocket one or two if the chance arises, but overall, they won’t be super antagonistic - though they will insist on working alone, rather than together.

Of course, you can use any group of rivals to challenge your players with. If you wanted to, you could even have a mirror for each party member, someone with similar skills and abilities. But once your players have met their challengers, they can set forth to try and figure out what exactly has been attacking Sleetwood.

Part 3: Tracking in the Timberland

First stop for your party is the abandoned lumber yard where the monster attacked. They’ll find plenty of burnt and broken logs and trees - as they might expect - but some successful Survival or Investigation checks can reveal a little more. They’ll find tracks in the dirt that look like large paw prints - not the reptilian marks of a dragon. Maybe the Feverish Five don’t know what they’re talking about after all.

A trail of blood will also lead them into the Timberland, and while it tapers off after a bit, it gives them a direction to start in. The party might just go straight to the forest and not even investigate the attack site, so if they find these valuable clues, I’d give them advantage on rolls to track the beast through the woods as a reward.

Trekking into the Timberland, your party can use Survival checks to navigate the giant trees. If you want something a bit more involved, you could run it as a Skill Challenge, with different members of your party describing how they’d like to help get through the woods, and then rolling an appropriate skill check against a DC, maybe 13 or 14. If 3 succeed before 3 fail, they move forward. If not, they encounter some minor obstacle - a swarm of angry insects maybe, or a net trap laid by hunters they get caught in - and then can try again.

Eventually they’ll find an abandoned campsite deep into the woods - or more appropriately, a destroyed campsite. Tents are torn apart, bed rolls burnt, and deep claw marks left in the dirt. Clearly the monster was here, and this is one of the trapper camps that the beast took out. From here they can pick up the trail again with more Investigation or Survival checks, or whatever spells and abilities they have that could be useful. If your party is itching for a fight, this could be a good place to put a small encounter: A couple goblins ambushing anyone who checks out the camp, for example.

As they continue deeper into the Timberland, some of your players may start to get the feeling they’re being watched. In truth, the party is being followed, and you should secretly roll a stealth check for Raven, the Flamboyant Five’s rogue. If she beats the party’s passive perceptions, no problem. But if not, one of your players may hear something not far away. If found out, Raven will run back to her companions, who are following not too far behind in their wagon.

Now, your party could chase Raven to her waiting allies - in which case, they won’t be so friendly. The Fibbing Five aren’t actually planning on bagging this beast themselves - just taking the glory from your party. So if discovered, they might admit to being frauds and agree to leave the party to it… And then just double back and continue following them anyway. Or they might attack if it’s clear your players are hostile or will try to expose their scam. So be prepared just in case things come to blows here. But if Raven remains undetected, then the Following Five will keep tracking them in secret, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Part 4: Creature Double Feature

Whether they discovered the Frivolous Five trailing them or not, your players will finally follow the beast to a cave in the woods. Creeping inside, they’ll find the short cavern comes to a rocky shelf, where a chimera - a monstrous beast with the head of a lion, a dragon and a goat - is resting. But that’s not all: Soaring into the cave from behind is a second chimera - this one’s mate. It seems there were two attacking the village, and both are angry their den has been discovered.

Time to roll initiative. Able to fly, breathe fire and make three attacks each, the creatures should be more than a challenge for your party… Unless your wizard banishes one at the start of the fight like mine did, but what can you do? You can always add environmental hazards like falling stalactites to liven up the fight, as well. If your party has less than six people, you might want to consider throwing only one at them - especially if they have another fight coming up, as you’ll see in a minute. With any luck, your party will slay the creatures, and can carve off their many, many heads to collect their reward. But if they never spotted Raven keeping tabs on them through the woods, they’ll find that their fighting might not be done yet. 

Part 5: Fraud Face-Off

Outside the cave, the Frolicking Five are waiting, weapons drawn. Victor will demand they turn over the monster heads, or forfeit their lives. If your party is anything like mine, that’s not an option, so unless one of your players can come up with a very convincing argument for splitting credit, this is coming down to a fight. Beyond the 5 members, the Fake Five’s auroch will also jump into the fray, which should help even the odds. 

If your party was weakened by the chimeras, this should be a tough fight. But keep in mind that the Fictitious Five won’t want to give up their lives for this either. If your party starts to get the upper hand, they might choose to run rather than fight to the death. If all goes well, your players will defeat the Flunking Five, and once they’ve been dealt with, your players can raid their wagon as an extra reward. Inside they’ll find stuffed monster heads - including a red dragon - that look real but are fake upon close inspection. They’ll also see a list of potential names for their group - seems they never settled on a final version, after all. And of course, some gold and maybe a magic item or two would be nice to throw in there. 

With heads in hand and the Flimsy Five no more, your party can return to Sleetwood and claim their reward, ending this adventure.

Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed this short quest, and got some ideas or inspiration for your own campaign! Thank you for reading, and if you have ideas for how to make this adventure even better, I’d love to hear them in the comments! Good luck out there, Game Masters!

Halflings are short in stature, not particularly magical, nor are they possessed of any particularly impressive martial skill.  How do they survive as a race in a world populated with raging hordes, malicious warlords and hostile humanoids? Halflings have a particularly widespread, effective and essentially unknown espionage and unconventional warfare branch known as The Head, Hand and Heart.

Short, stocky humanoids that live in shallow burrows under idyllic pasture land would seem to be easy targets.  Even with their luck bonus, its uncanny they seem avoid direct confrontation with any of the more militaristic and conquest-oriented groups in the world.  How do they manage to do this? That is the function of the Head, Hand and Heart.

The purpose of the Head, Hand and Heart is to use subversive measures to keep all of halflingdom safe. Whether Stout or Tallfellow, Hairfoot or Broadfoot all halflings’ safety falls under their purview.  The organization is little more than whispers outside the Shires, but is talked in hushed tones full of reverence on the few occasions it comes up in conversation.  To be selected to serve is among the highest honor, and not one taken lightly.  The Head, Hand and Heart use the affable character and natural jocularity of the Halfling to maximize its effectiveness.

The Branches

Have you noticed how so many courts have halfling jesters in them? Every popular crossroads tavern has a halfling innkeeper or bard present? How each of the more reliable caravan trains are always accompanied by at least one halfling in some capacity or another from cook, to scout, to caravan master?

This is The Head.  They are the eyes and ears of the Halfling espionage network.  So often jesters and bards, and halflings in particular, are never viewed as any kind of threat.  They can be places to see and hear things that are very difficult to penetrate with spies or magic.  They are also well placed to view documents, watch troop movements, see supply trains and the like.  This information gets transmitted up the chain of command.  In all but the rarest of circumstances, “Head” operatives do nothing more than collect and transmit information.  They are usually untrained for more interventional tasks or too valuable to risk their exposure.

The Head, Hand and Heart has their own unique form of Thieves’ Cant that can be spoken or written.  It is used to communicate their information along with concepts like dead drops, invisible ink, code and signs (eg flag out the window, what or how clothing is worn, etc)

The Hand is the intervention/direct action arm of the organization.  Placing forgeries to create distrust and confusion among enemies, stealing documents, sabotage, and even in extreme cases, assassination.  The Head passes information up the Heart.  The Heart determines a course of action, and the Hand is sent out to implement that course of action.  Is that halfling wandering minstrel a simple minstrel or does he harbour high quality poisons on his way to eliminate the leadership of a dangerous orc war party? Is that Halfling caravan cook also a renowned “second story man” with a pocket full of incriminating evidence to be used against a worrying baron? Is that happy-go-lucky jester the same being that is also burning all the bridges between this kingdom and The Shire to delay the antagonistic King’s Army? It’s tough to tell.

The Heart is the key decision-making aspect of the organization.  They collect, analyze and collate all the information that comes in from the various Heads across the world.  They see all the information and sources and work hard to suss out the real meanings and outcomes of actions.  They take in information from enemies and allies alike, courts big and small.  Using their intelligence, wisdom and occasional divination they come up with plans based on their fundamental motto “Lets you and him fight first”

Large powerful kingdoms may fall to infighting, alliances between unlikely partners can be forged, particularly hostile individuals may find their careers (or hearts) stagnate before they can get in positions to do real damage. These may be the schemes of the Heart being put into action. They work to enhance Halfling diplomacy and also to inhibit potential aggressors. Their biggest successes occur before a single halfling is threatened.

How does this work in your campaign? Player character Halflings can be engaged by The Head, Hand and Heart with specific missions that will drive your party’s adventures. NPC halflings can be in opposition to the party or join the party to nudge them in the direction or provide cover for a Hand operative.  If your party has one or a number of Murder Hobos, The Heart has tasked someone to eliminate them or change their ways.

This is the second part of a big eladrin rewrite.

Relationships with other beings

Celestials — you probably know that, unlike constantly feuding fiends, celestials are united by the Celestial Concordance — a pact between races to aid one another and present a unified front against any force that threatens the Upper Planes. This Concordance helps maintain the balance between celestial forces and alignments and, perhaps more importantly, helps different celestials understand each other. Eladrin do not see the point in hierarchies of archons, but they respect their might and conviction. Same can be said for guardinals — they think their familial and somewhat conservative structure of society is faulty, but overall think of guardinals highly. Eladrin get along well with denizens of Beastlands and Ysgard, although they might be a bit too wild/too battle-crazy. Chaotic Good celestials can be distrustful towards celestial forces of Arcadia. Aasimon (you know them as «angels») are way too varied for eladrin to form an opinion about.

Powers — «Powers» means «Gods», berk. Eladrin do not worship them, frankly, they find the idea of worship insulting to everyone, at least outside of the bedroom. They can, however, consider Powers as allies or friends. Elven pantheon is a long-time ally to the Court of Stars. Eladrin try not to go near Mt. Olympus, for obvious reasons.

Devils — as creatures belonging to the completely opposite alignment, baatezu should be arch-nemeses to eladrin. They detest each others’ worldviews and would like to bring their opposites down. However, in practice those adversaries rarely get a chance to interact. Devils, lawful as they are, underestimate eladrin, thinking of aasimon and archons as bigger threats (they also have a harder time fighting on Arborea, but they'd never admit it). Eladrin, meanwhile, just can't muster the numbers to launch a meaningful attack on baatezu. Though, both races still try and find ways to throw a wrench into each others’ plans

Demons — these fiends, however, are most frequent opponents for eladrin. Many millenia ago eladrin launched an attack on obyriths, inadvertently trapping eladrin children (what children? You'll know) in the Abyss and contributing to the rise of the tanar'ri race. Since then, hundreds of eladrin venture into the Abyss to defend their kin. Meanwhile, demons want nothing more than to corrupt and destroy the beautiful nature of Arborea — so eladrin also protect their home.

Yugoloths — unfortunately, eladrin often underestimate these daemons. They know they are fiends and treat them with caution accordingly. But they rarely trust rumors and don't tend to view yugoloths as anything more than amoral mercenaries and chant brokers.

Other fiends — amori hate succubi for corrupting noble concepts of love and erotic desire. They try to spoil their schemes whenever they can detect them. Goethi hold the same feelings towards night hags. Windblades, those horrible flying pests of Pandemonium, hold an everlasting grudge against eladrin. For some reason, these barmy creatures have gotten into their heads that eladrin hate them the most and are out to get them. Of course, eladrin have never cared for windblades, but that doesn't stop them from harassing any eladrin they can get their talons on.

Modrons — eladrin don't actively hate modrons like lillendi and slaadi do, but they do avoid them, especially during their marches. There are rare dark rumors about modrons abducting eladrin for «study», but not many bloods trust them.

Slaadi — these chaos toads are very destructive, so eladrin often have to drive them away from Arborea. However, those of them who have less harmful impulses greatly enjoy eladrin company.

Elementals — Queen Morwel allies herself with Ben-Hadar, good water archomental, and tries to forge an alliance with other good archomentals (though it is hindered by the fact that relationships between those elemental lords are pretty strained). Eladrin often visit more hospitable Elemental Planes, helping take a stand against Elemental Evil.

Fey — eladrin maintain good relationships with the Seelie Court and fey eladrin.

Factions — eladrin rarely visit Sigil and even more rarely join factions. When they do, it is often the Society of Sensation, which aligns with the eladrin personality the most. Many eladrin despise Harmonium for their continuous mistreatment of eladrin and chaotic good folks as a whole.

Primes — many eladrin adore denizens of Prime, even if they consider them boring or inept. They try to help them when visiting their worlds, inspire them to be better and to make a better world. Of course, this doesn't always work out. Cirily (firre eladrin, she/her) is infamous among eladrin and citizens of Sigil for her hatred towards Primes and attempts to turn her hate group (Planarists) into a full-fledged faction.

Rogue and fallen

One of the consequences of the Unity of Rings is that ideologies of Planes are all somewhat connected to each other. Celestials can fall, fiends can ascend, and of course (unfortunately) this applies to eladrin race too.

Eladrin, devoted to the Neutral Good alignment, live more quiet and pastoral lives. They are somewhat common among shieres and ghaeles and are always welcome among all kinds of celestials.

Those who turn to chaotic or true neutrality often spend their lives in the Outlands or Ysgard. They can be loners, tired of eladrin society, or just ordinary bashers, who got a bit tired of worrying about goodness. Eladrin still welcome them.

Chaotic evil eladrin are rare, but vile. They are often incredibly prideful or full of anger (which is what leads to their downfall) and very few ever find their place anywhere. Some of those eladrin return to the side of goodness, though they aren't always forgiven. Others find their place among Abyssal high-ups, but most die a miserable death. Some say that the first succubi were made from Celestial Eladrin.

It is very rare to see an eladrin being truly Lawful Good. Sure, they can be organized, but they don't like being under control the whole time. There are probably some eladrin, who don't mind it, but most return home after working with archons for a few years.

There are no known LN or LE eladrin. However, Harmonium tried to make some in their «re-education camps». Eladrin were being forced to follow strict discipline under constant surveillance, dressed in gray uniforms and so on. In a few months their unique features disappeared, their skin became gray. Finally, they became semi-transparent and vanished into thin air (this is presumably a result of them being cut off from their plane's alignment and, thus, energy for too long and «starving»). What's especially horrible is that those eladrin didn't seem to come back. Word of this deed is yet to reach most eladrin, however devils are already interested...

 I've met a fallen eladrin once. She was a total mess, lashing out onto everything. But Hells, was she beautiful. I still think I could fix her...

— Aquarel, in her less profound moments

 You'd have better luck wooing a pit fiend

— Maliel, who does make a good point once in a while

The Court of Stars

The Court of Stars is the most influential tulani court, the representative of eladrin in the Parliament of Concordance and the closest thing they have to celestial paragons. It is ruled by Queen Morwel, an ancient, beloved and very powerful tulani, and by her numerous consorts. The Court is hidden in the wandering interdimensional space, and portals to it can be found throughout Arborea and on some other planes. This Court looks like an autumn forest, full of eladrin and fey creatures. The Queen's palace is a beautiful place made of swirling transparent crystals. It is often full of visitors, who attend parties and shower their Queen with gifts.

Queen Morwel [tulani, she/her] — beautiful, wise and brave, Queen Morwel is considered by many eladrin to be a perfect fit for their representative. In fact, she was already very influential way back when eladrin fought obyriths. Many bashers find it weird that eladrin have had a single queen for so many centuries. Well, that's because Morwel isn't really a ruler in a way that Zaphkiel or Asmodeus are. She has a lot of eladrin (including other tulani), who consider themselves her subjects and do what she asks of them, but like any eladrin she has no formal power. In fact, there were years when some other tulani were chosen to represent the eladrin race in the Parliament. But make no mistake — Queen Morwel has incredible powers, though she cannot compare with actual Powers like Asmodeus. Demon Lords better watch out. Obviously, Morwel is very influential too. She often hosts lavish parties in her palace that double as strategic meetings.Of course, Morwel isn't alone in her court. She has a lot of consorts, romantic interests and just friends, who live with her in her palace. Queen Morwel, most of her consorts and many tulani are eligible as patrons for Celestial Warlocks. Most influential of them include:

Faerinaal [tulani, he/they] — this incredibly handsome, but surprisingly responsible tulani is second only to Morwel in terms of raw power. He is a de-facto leader of the eladrin garrison in Androlynne, and spends much of his time there. Faerinaal is a brilliant strategist and a powerful spellcaster, who has mastered the magic of dreams. However, aside from rare moments of deep thought, he's surprisingly joyful and even mischievous. Morwel adores his jokes, and he has a lot of other romantic partners, including Gwynharwyf and Quarian.

Gwynharwyf [bralani+shiradi, she/he] — a noble barbarian, a silver-haired warrior of eladrin and the third most powerful member of the Court of Stars, Gwynharwyf has been a part of Morwel's family for a long time. She finds delight in righteous battle, and many like-minded eladrin join her, whenever she declares a crusade against forces of the Abyss or other wicked creatures like Kostchtchie. Often, other members of the Court of Stars have to actively restrain her from plunging into battle. Gwynharwyf is very strong, unlike her magically-oriented lovers, and she has many barbarian abilities. She springs into battle, wielding her signature scimitars or transforming herself into the sparkling storm of sand. Gwynharwyf is less partial to loud parties and prefers a small company of Morwel and Faerinaal. She's surprisingly gentle with those she loves.

Quarian [litriti-adjacent, he/him] — this eladrin looks more like a well-fed dwarf with weird pink skin with yellow «freckles». Quarian is a cook and a farmer of the Court of Stars. He keeps a small, but beautiful garden, which supplies his comrades and guests with food. Quarian always seeks new recipes and ingredients, and is willing to pay good sums to adventurers, who can surprise him. He is a very laid-back person, known for always having a warm and satisfying smile on his face. Morwel and Faerinaal adore him, and he has a lot of admirers and apprentices. However, do not be mistaken, cutter, Quarian is a very powerful mage with hundreds of tricks up his sleeves. He uses plant-based spells and «special ingredients» on anyone who dares to attack his family. Chant says, his advice was invaluable in building the demiplane in which the Court of Stars is located.

Illaraste [goethi, they/them] — Illaraste is a fabulous goethi, a pale brunette with a stunning gaze (literally) and an impeccable taste in clothing. They are considered a fashion icon in the eladrin community, though they don't take commissions, working only when they have the streak of passion. And this streak can come out at any moment, sometimes in the middle of the meeting. For example, they took one look at the tome archon Domiel and ran away to make a beautiful magic ring, which he wears to this day. Illaraste can be weird, but they are important, as they and their goethi and shiere companions oversee the forest around the Queen's palace, maintaining its health and eerie beauty. Many «stars» in the sky of the demiplane are, in fact, magical lights that alert Illaraste of any trespasser in the realm. Others are actually transformed coure, who observe everything happening around the palace. Illaraste abstains from any romantic relationship, but they share a lifetime bond with Quarian, with whom they were friends even before coming to the Court of Stars. Other members of the Court also greatly appreciate their company.

Valyn [ghaele, she/they] — Valyn is a relative newcomer to the Court. She's a Neutral Good ghaele and a personal bodyguard of Queen Morwel. Some say she is secretly enamored with someone at the Court, but who? Even some devilish schemes aren't as complex as the relationship network of this barmy place. Many eladrin consider Valyn to be strange and too reserved, a few even wonder if she's some kind of double agent. However, she and her ghaele friends are considered guards of the Queen's palace, and they all seem as unwaveringly loyal as eladrin can be.

Deceased — the Court of Stars exists for many centuries, but due to eladrin immortal nature it has seen very few deaths. Two of the deceased members are worthy of mention here — Ascodel and Vaeros (both were tulani). Ascodel was a powerful tulani, who led the celestial armies in battle against obyriths. He had a great love towards all eladrin, but, unfortunately, that led to eladrin losing their children. It isn't clear how, but dreadful Pale Night took advantage of Ascodel's devotion to his race and made a pact that would (unbeknownst to Ascodel) condemn all eladrin children to being trapped in the 471st layer of the Abyss, Androlynne. The noble consort felt overwhelming remorse, and despite Morwel swearing her eternal love, he considered himself unworthy of her presence. Ascodel spent more and more time and effort attacking demons and trying to find a way to break the pact, until a fiendish assassin in Arborea ended his life.

Vaeros was another, more recent Queen's consort. He was a sly and handsome tulani, whom Morwel loved dearly. Vaeros was responsible for protecting inhabitants of Androlynne. He was very successful and pushed demonic armies back to the Mother's Mountain. However, when eladrin prepared to crush this citadel of evil, Pale Night emerged. When Vaeros caught a glimpse of her true form, his soul was utterly destroyed. Or at least nobody ever saw him reincarnate in many years since then. Queen Morwel was devastated to hear about her lover's fate. She commissioned a grand memorial to Vaeros in her court.

Allies — Morwel has plenty of other friends and love-affairs. They include an archomental Ben-Hadar, brass dragon Ronothere and an androsphinx Krune. The Court of Stars is allied with Seldarine, many archfey and some other deities.

The City of Sun and Rain

This eclectic city was built by a coalition of celestials eager to create a bastion of stability and protection in the oceans of Aquallor. As the city grew, it turned into a place for many eladrin to live or visit. It is populated by many eladrin, archons, celestials, petitioners and planars, who all live in relative harmony.

Character: sometimes beautiful things can be made by having everyone making what they like and putting it together. Variety isn't just a spice of life, but the very essence of it.

The City of Sun and Rain (or «Sunrain» for short) sits atop many islands of different sizes that are separated by canals or straits. Climate is smooth in those parts of Arborea, and sunny days are often interrupted by short outbursts of pleasant rain. When these rains end, sky becomes a beautiful sight, as many rainbows appear in the air. Since many different creatures has been building and living in the city, it is very diverse and can be separated into multiple districts, such as:

Center City — this is the administrative center of the Sunrain. What a boring choice of words — don't worry, cutter, much of this district is actually very fun, if a bit pompous. Sure, some buildings here are meeting halls or offices of archons (which includes militia), but there are plenty of museums, theaters, temples and boutiques. Many firre consider having their work displayed in one of these places their goal (or most respectable achievements). This is the place that everybody wants to see in this city.

Concordant Shipyards — this place is why the City of Sun and Rain was built in the first place. This is a heavily fortified city district that serves as a rallying place, where ghaele groups can cooperate with archons and aasimon. Erlar (most closely resembles ghaele, he/they) is a famous engineer, whose passion is building ships — both regular ships for traders and travelers and flying machines of war for celestial armies. His prized creation, Golden Galleon, was made for Faerinaal and still graces the waters around Sunrain with its presence. There are plenty of weapon shops and mercenary guilds here as well.

Shiere gardens — there are multiple big gardens throughout the city, which has become a resting place for many shieres. They are wild, full of century-old trees and unusual flowers. Even some animals, ones that are more accustomed to the city, can be found here. Some of these gardens have marble statues or shrines for various gods.

Island of novieres — this island is a peculiar district, where streets are replaced by canals. Many houses here are half-submerged — lower floors are flooded with water and accessible for aquatic races (primarily novieres), while higher ones allow for land-dwellers. The Island is famous for two things — gondolas, that are used by its non-swimming inhabitants, and Asenath and Shamika — a couple of gynosphinxes, who came from Mithardir and made their lair in Sunrain. They are much less lawful than the rest of their kin and have a great interest in literature — Shamika delights in poetry, while Asenath prefers prose. Sphinxes own a library that goes well below the sea level. Island of novieres is currently suffering from pollution — even though eladrin try not to throw their waste in the river, water in canals is still too stale and is full of algae. Those who can help in alleviating this problem, would be considered heroes of the city.

Slums — it's The Slums, thank you. This place used to be barracks for celestial builders. But shortly after the Concordant Shipyards were finished, the city was attacked by a demonic horde. Of course, fiends were quickly vanquished, but no one was keen on rebuilding barracks, polluted by the Abyssal influence. That's when a commune of goethi took notice of that place and was enamored by its gloomy atmosphere. They purged the Slums from corruption and turned them into a thing of art — a place that evokes memories of polluted, poor cities, but is strangely warm and welcoming at the same time. Goethi here form a new sub-Aestetica of «city goethi», drawing graffiti on the walls and playing music unusual by any other standard. You may also want to visit this place to shop at Sunrain's biggest Bazaar.

Stele of Endless Horizons — this beautiful half-a-mile-long spire built of metal, glass and crystal by the visionary mage Zorrian (litriti, they/them). They are an enthusiastic eladrin, who got the idea for building the Stele when they heard the chant regarding yugoloths building three grand towers on Lower Planes. The Stele is a great pointy tower that serves as a place for magical research and recreation. There are hundreds of floors in it, many are still unclaimed and aren't filled with anything yet. Moreover, this tower is important in the defence of the city, being a watchtower, equipped with a few arcane weapons. All eladrin and trusted allies can use the Stele's arcane libraries, laboratories and testing grounds for free, but outsiders have to pay a small fee. The Stele of Endless Horizons is surrounded by other, much smaller buildings of like-minded litriti.

Zorrian had previously planned to build two other steles on Celestia and Elysium respectively, perhaps in an attempt to mirror the towers of yugoloths. However, archons and guardinals declined their offer, stating that this project would be way too complicated to finish. So now Zorrian is searching for new ideas to spend their time on — maybe create a great ever-burning monument in the desert of Mithardir?

Gates of the Sea — this is perhaps the most important place in the City of Sun and Rain. These golden gates stand in the sea, far, but still visible from the city, and it is large enough for a huge ship to pass through. These gates are connected to other planes — the Silver Sea of Celestia and Thalasia of Elysium. Today, many celestial sages work on expanding the power of the gate in hopes of making it able to lead massive Upper Planar fleets to the oceans of Abyss and Carceri.

Androlynne

This is the 471st layer of the Abyss — although at the first glance it doesn't look like the Abyss at all. The landscape of this place is surreal and beautiful, though unsettling at times. It is illuminated by purple clouds that sometimes take unnerving forms. This is the place where eladrin children are locked to this day, eternally young in both body and mind. Of course, most of them were picked out by raiding demons — only about 100 children have survived to this day. But this only makes celestial defenders of this place fight harder. Eladrin, ki-rin, foo creatures, hollyphants and many others established gates from their planes to Androlynne and slowly warped the bleak nightmarish landscape into something much more reminiscent of Arborea. Of course, the war between demons and celestials here is far from over. Many celestials, including most solars and high-up archons have lost their hope for Androlynne, and fiendish propaganda certainly doesn't help. Eladrin, however, don't know the meaning of «losing hope». They try to increase the power of Good in Androlynne, forcing it out of the Abyss — after all, the pact only says that children cannot leave the Abyss, but says nothing about the place they're in. The outcome of this war is still uncertain, but both sides are hopeful.

 Sorry about me being sarcastic earlier. I do appreciate your patience. We all are in this together.

— Aquarel

 Solidarity. That's the only thing fiends can never hope to have.

— Maliel

Helpful tables

Eladrin ideal and flaw — eladrin follow the ideals of good, but they have different personalities and ways to approach their goodness. And of course, as with many personality traits, those ideals can become flaws in other circumstances. Roll a d6 to determine an ideal and its associated flaw:

1 — I am very generous and always ready to gift something I own to a person in need / I am afraid of disappointing people, who depend on me, and often give away more than I should

2 — I believe that everyone has an inherent right to truly be themselves and despise bullying and forced uniformity / I get way too defensive and aggressive when I think someone judges me for my appearance or preferences

3 — I act as a voice of conscience, pushing those around me to be better version of themselves and to choose greater good over self-interest / I often act too harsh and lash out at people, who don't meet my standards of goodness, antagonizing them instead of nudging in the right direction

4 — I love sharing my knowledge and experience. I have so many stories to tell / I can get too impatient and too enthusiastic and interrupt others, dismissing their opinions and experiences

5 — I am always ready to fight for the side of good and recklessly throw myself into a fight. I am not afraid to die for my ideals / Something horrible happened to me long ago and I try to occupy myself with bloody battles to quench one pain with another

6 — I easily make connections and have lots of acquaintances. I am very hospitable and can invite a total stranger for a cup of tea / I suffered through a heartbreak. While I still seek connection, I am afraid of closeness

You can use these ideals and flaws together or roll twice to give a character two separate ones

Eladrin interest — through the long years of their existence eladrin pick up many little hobbies. Roll a d8 to determine what art, craft or area of knowledge they may be interested in:

1 — woodcarving

2 — growing and making tea

3 — writing circular sonnets

4 — learning about worms (or other similarly boring animals)

5 — shoemaking

6 — experimenting with illusion magic

7 — collecting books about the Para-Elemental planes (or a similarly far-flung location like Hinterlands)   8 — ventriloquizing

Eladrin plot hooks:

1 — while travelling through Arborea, player characters are approached by a band of shieres/novieres/bralani, who ask for their help in tracking down demons, despoiling their plane.

2 — in Sigil, a group of eladrin decides to oppose Planarists. They approach PCs and ask how, in their opinion, should primes be protected from slander

3 — when PCs are being plunged into the Abyss, they find themselves in a weird forest, where they are greeted by an eladrin child and then a mob of demons, pursuing them. Characters must determine, whether this layer is actually Androlynne or just a mimicry of it, and potentially protect a child from fiends.

4 — a famous eladrin fashioner promises a great reward to whoever can fetch them a special stone from the depths of Mungoth — a mineral so deeply black it makes a shadow around itself.

5 — an Anarchist spy has learned the dark of an eladrin, secretly captured by more militant members of Harmonium and held in a hidden camp within Arcadia. Other eladrin urge someone to find a way to bring their friend back and restore their fading health.

6 — (on Prime) devils and, later, yugoloth mercenaries begin attacking NPC, who had previously helped the party. Players can learn that this NPC is a ghaele in disguise and is now hiding from the minions of a baatezu noble, whose plans they have ruined before

Eladrin boons — exceptionally powerful eladrin, such as those in the Court of Stars, can bestow magical gifts on those who pleases them. They may be temporary or permanent (their choice):

• Boon of the Veil: you can cast Disguise self without expending spell slots. You can use this a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. All expended uses of this feature are regained on long rest. You can also cast this spell using spell slots you have of the appropriate level. You can choose between Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma as your spellcasting ability for this spell.

• Boon of the Soothing Darkness: you gain darkvision out to the range of 60 feet. If you already had darkvision from another source, its range is increased by 60 feet. You can also see through magical darkness.

• Boon of Communal Bonds: when an allied creature that you can see within 30 feet of you restores hit points or gains temporary hit points, you can spend and roll one of your unspent Hit Dice and regain a number of hit points equal to the roll plus your Constitution modifier.

• Boon of Ghaele's Heart: you have an advantage on any saving throw against being charmed or frightened and on any saving throw to end those conditions.

My thoughts 

Chaotic Good alignment really got the short end of the stick. Of course, it's only natural for demons and devils to get huge swats of lore, but archons are also decently elaborated upon. At least decently enough to showcase what authors mean by «Lawful Good».

And then we have eladrin. Not only do they enter Planescape sourcebooks later than any other «exemplar race», but I think they just don't represent what they are supposed to be. «Chaos» is a very nebulously defined principle in DnD. It can mean «having no impulse control», «believing in no authority», «being lol random» or «being selfish». But you know what probably isn't chaotic? Having an absolute monarchy, aristocracy and the entire social class/subrace of guards.

And then 4e came and turned all lore upside down. Eladrin, who were already basically fey folk, were fully transplanted to Feywild, becoming fey ancestors of elves. And they're cool! I don't want to retcon them like the Elemental Chaos, for example. But it leaves a gaping hole in cosmology, that kinda rubs me the wrong way.

In my remake, I tried to emphasize traits that I think can be considered Chaotic Good — egalitarianism, self-expression, lack of judgement, sexual liberties (why do Outer Planes have only succubi and erinyes, when Primes always think about this kind of things?) and goth girls. I also took notes from the book «Faces of Evil: the Fiends», which says that tanar'ri, being creatures of chaos, are infinitely variable, change to better suit the environment of the Abyss and gain power from believing in themselves.

In fact, I was greatly inspired by «Faces of Evil» and its write-ups on society of fiends. I used its framework «biology —> advancement and subraces —> society —> possibility of changing alignments —> one important place» to write this thing as well.

Now, I had some troubles when trying to reconcile my changes with existing lore I like. First — the children. I found it weird that while other major planar races are either created from petitioners or just spring up from nowhere, eladrin and guardinals just... have children the normal way. I made eladrin increase their numbers in much the same way demons do — but then I remembered Androlynne is a cool thing. So, I decided to remember 2e, where some demons and yugoloths could breed and adapted it as a lost eladrin ability.

Another weird thing is the Veil. 2e Monstrous Compendium says that eladrin are obligated to keep their identities secret because of some natural law, but is very weird about it and references 2e thing about fiends being unable to enter Prime without being summoned, which isn't a thing now. Other sources imply that it was a Queen's edict, which only serves to demonstrate how weird this law is. And I don't really get why they felt the need to even introduce the Veil in the first place — why hide cool stuff from players? But it's kind of iconic, so I repurposed it to be more like a safety tool than a hard-coded law.

I really like my idea of Aestetica as something that replaces tiers and types. This allows for any number of homebrew eladrin or tweaks to the eladrin I made statblocks for. I am honestly not sure how good those statblocks are, so if there are any mechanical problems, I'd be happy to hear about them. I think it would be a cool idea to derive Aestetica from subcultures and similar movements. For example, some eladrin could be inspired by punks or hippies.

This is my first big homebrew and I'm positively sure I got a lot of things wrong. But at least it's probably better than having nothing. I would really appreciate criticism. Maybe next time I’ll do a post on Guardinals, though I don’t have a lot of ideas.

See DOC version and statblocks here

This post is intended to be a rework of the celestial eladrin, one of those major planar races that wasn’t adapted into 5e, in the style of 2e Planescape books.

Come with me, cutter! Who told you that the Multiverse holds no true, beautiful, eternal love? Let those devils choke on their lies!

— An amori calls a traveller to run with her through the glades of Arborea

You want to hear about Chaotic Good celestials? I must say, I didn't expect it from the prime like you. You berks mostly ask stupid things like «how do I summon a pit fiend?» or «who is the Lady of Pain?». But I'm glad you've asked this. I will gladly tell you what I know about those creatures — capricious and unpredictable, but full of kindness, love and sincere appreciation for everything good in this world. You won't likely get a chance to meet one of them anyway...

Celestial Eladrin. Hoori. Anjana. Azata. There's more than a hundred names that Clueless visitors from Prime coined for these exemplars of Good Sweetened by Chaos. Which one of them is right? Well, through the millenia of their existence these creatures themselves haven't quite agreed, but most of them accept «eladrin» as the name of their race (poor primes have to just accept these creatures have nothing to do with eladrin they know from Feywild). As elven petitioners are very numerous on their native plane and hold tremendous respect for the celestials, they've come to call them with the same titles as fey nobles. Or maybe it was the other way around, and fey eladrin got their names trying to emulate their celestial benefactors? Who knows? «Not us» — celestial eladrin humbly admit. For the rest of this text these celestials will be referred to as eladrin, but it can be wise to ask an individual celestial first. (For DMs and players: if you want to adhere to canon - use "eladrin". If you have no qualms about using Islam or less-known European folklore ‐ choose "hoori" or any variation of "zena". If you want to rip off Pathfinder - take "azata". Or just come up with an original name, because I sure couldn't)

How did they come to be?

Who knows, this Multiverse is a barmy place that makes no sense. What? Okay, I'll tell you from the beginning...

That was a joke. There's no beginning, not one that any prime or planar can remember. Some people (claim to) know that many millenia ago obyriths, those so-called demons, allegedly hailing from the Multiverse before ours, were at war with eladrin. But every story about this event talks about eladrin as if they were already there, for a long time at that. Hells, they even had the same queen back then!

It is most likely that all exemplars (that is — planar beings that embody one of the nine moral alignments: archons, guardinals, eladrin, modrons, rilmani, slaadi, baatezu, yugoloths and tanar'ri) sprung into existence as soon as the first petitioners arrived to their destined Outer Planes. Fiends (and some archons) furiously debate this claim, spinning tall tales about their race being molded by Big Bad Evil Gods or such, but eladrin seem to default to this explanation when they are hit with a philosophy question. After all, it's not like they like keeping records. At least not consistently.

«Castes», «promotion» and «hierarchy»

What part of «Chaotic Good» you don't understand, berk? Are you going to ask a tanar'ri what type, class and species it belongs to? Oh, wait, we're on Prime, of course you would. I bet you'd try to summon it as well...

Okay, I'll elaborate. There are no «grades» of eladrin. They are ever so changeable, much like demons of the Abyss. And like with demons, those changes are propped up by the eladrin's own belief and (in small part) by the environment. However, when demons almost have to evolve themselves and to lust for power to survive in the Abyss, eladrin change to better reflect who they actually are — not to become more powerful, but to become happier, to express their truest form.

Every celestial eladrin is unique — well, so is almost any creature, but with eladrin it is most apparent. They all have slightly different looks, powers and personalities. But (again, likewise to demons) this doesn't mean there are no similarities between them. In fact, most of the race can fit in one category or another. Bashers like Guvners would probably call these categories «kinds» or «types», like they do with other planar races. But I personally would call them «different aesthetics». Some eladrin would prefer a fancy word «Aestetica», but most of them just argue that this nonsense is meaningless to everyone but the most obsessed modrons.

Those aesthetics are divided by others into «lesser» and «greater», but this division doesn't reflect their standing in the eladrin society or even power level (greater eladrin are mostly stronger than lesser ones, but this strength comes from their choice of aesthetic, not the other way around).

So how exactly have you reached this «amori» position?

— Maliel, a trumpet archon, who hasn't got a clue yet

And how have you been promoted to the "leatherhead" so fast?

— Aquarel, an eladrin, who can stand to be a little more polite

But first things first. Eladrin are born from petitioners of Arborea, but not all of them become eladrin. There is probably no underlying mechanism that would explain how and why those petitioners are chosen, but I would bet they should be really, genuinely good and (more importantly) not beholden to any specific god or pantheon. Those petitioners lose their memories (often retaining some personality quirks) and are transformed into coure. Rarely, an eladrin (most often coure) can instead just appear out of nowhere, presumably by pulling themselves out of the pure essence of Arborea, like tanar'ri can do in their disgusting Abyss.

Legends say that a long time ago eladrin could procreate naturally. Their children would grow like that of any mortal race and reach maturity by 20-30 years. However, due to a demonic pact, eladrin lost their children to Abyss and cannot birth new ones any longer.

Coure are tiny fey-like humanoids with insectile wings, filled like child-like wonder. They wear clothes of leaves and petals and make tools from nutshells and needles. Okay, a considerable amount of them does that, remember, all eladrin are different. Coure don't stay in one place or in one form — they travel around Arborea, visiting other eladrin communities and figuring out how to be eladrin (spoiler: by being themselves). They learn to survive, fight, care for those around them and live according to the ideals of Chaos and Good. Most coure slowly grow and change into another eladrin as they figure out their preferred form. Some coure like being tiny and remain this way. They can be surprisingly wise mentors and terrifying opponents — they retain their insatiable desire to learn and have a ridiculous amount of tricks up their sleeve. These «adult» coure can transform into a ball of light, sometimes with little wings.

After finishing growing to human size, eladrin can be considered truly realized members of the race. At this point they have already chosen their favourite Aestetica and have a lot of magical abilities, but they are yet to unlock the main one — their transformation.

What is Aestetica? Well, while it often comes with powers, it's not a race, it's not a form and it's not a job. It's more like an approximation, a set of shared traits that eladrin have. Over time, eladrin may shift their Aestetica or even find a way to merge a few of them together. If they cannot find one that fits, they can invent a new one (and sometimes create a new trend of sorts or even something long‐lasting) or just denounce Aestetica altogether. After all, every eladrin is unique. Now let me list some of the most common ones — 75% of all eladrin you'll find will likely belong to one of those:

Bralani — bralani eladrin enjoy freedom of travel to its fullest. They can turn themselves into a whirlwind to travel with blinding speeds or seep into the cracks of abandoned temples of Mithardir. Bralani are fearless explorers and survivalists, nomads, who can't just sit in one place. Most of them live on the third layer of Arborea, named Mithardir or Pelion, but some traverse Ossa as waterspouts or inhabit snowy slopes of Olympus (they can consider themselves a different Aestetica or claim that «bralani» is an «umbrella term», but you should understand how it works by now). For reasons both practical and aesthetic, bralani wear headscarves, robes and sometimes masks. Their skin is most often sandy yellow, but blue is surprisingly popular. Bralani have innate wind-related magic that helps them to propel their wondrous sand-sailing vehicles.

Noviere — these eladrin have something in common with bralani, yet they choose the vastness of the sea to adore. They are colored like the most vibrant of marine creatures, wear a bare minimum of clothing and sometimes have gills or fins. They, however, do not need them, as their innate connection with Aquallor and water as a whole lets them easily breathe underwater and swim three times faster than the human walking speed. However, they need to change a bit further to normally exist in other places — novieres frequently visit Thalasia, Lunia, Outlands, Prime Material Plane and The Elemental Water. There are exciting tales of especially tough novieres able to resist acid of Poryphatus or memory drain of the Styx, but they are most likely just a wayward joke. A typical noviere can transform into a watery shape of some marine animal — for example a dolphin made of water. For a short period of time, they can liquefy themselves further and flow through small openings like a water elemental would. Novieres are among the most social eladrin, always ready to expand their horizons. They are often seen living among tritons and sea elves of Arborea, and those more adventurous visit other planes as well. Novieres delight in exploring other cultures, they can often be seen among sailors and in ports. However, most novieres love the ocean too much to leave it. When away from water for more than a week, they become gray and weakened (mechanically, they gain a level of exhaustion each day after a week).

 I must say, I still prefer the Silver Sea of Lunia.

— Maliel, who doesn't want to admit his anxiety regarding deep waters

 Well, the Silver Sea doesn't have a Grand Aboleth living in it, does it?

— Aquarel, who deems god-like eels with tentacles to be quite entertaining

Shiere — shieres are thought to reflect Arvandor in a same way as novieres and bralani represent Aquallor and Mithardir respectively. They inhabit the vast wilderness of forests and hills of Arborea (and sometimes visit Beastlands, Ysgard and Prime), forming small communities. Shieres are among the more "normal" eladrin, in fact they are somewhat similar to elves. These celestials tend to be very tall and thin, hiding their bodies between trees. Shieres are defined by their love for nature, even though not all of them are as protective of it as, let's say, denizens of Beastlands. They possess a lot of ecological knowledge and promote thoughtfulness towards natural resources and resist overhunting and overfarming — being one of many, many reasons why Arborea isn't all covered with fields and farms. One well-known trait of shieres is their deep bonds with their mounts — most often horses, but many other kinds exist. They treat them as partners, and their bond is so strong, they are able to share some spell effects between them both. Shieres can be called upon by a ghaele, shiradi or tulani — Arvandor is a dangerous place, and they have a lot of skill and experience from fighting various monsters. Many of them pledge their loyalties to tulani and promise their help in an hour of dire need. Shieres rarely use their alternate form (a bright streak of sparks, that doesn't set things on fire, but burns enemies) since it takes a lot of energy, but can shift to clear huge distances.

Amori — these «succubi of the Upper Planes» are perhaps the most argument-inducing celestial creatures. They are well-known for their, let's say, romantic immodesty, bordering on debauchery. But the comparison with their arch-nemeses succubi couldn't be more wrong. Unlike those conniving fiends, amori actually have love in their hearts — and not only the physical kind. In fact, they are perfectly content with many forms of admiration, some even prefer to keep things platonic - though most of them obviously love to make love. While one would expect amori to have a conventionally attractive (for a humanoid) look, they are actually surprisingly diverse, even compared to some other eladrin. Perhaps this is due to how they encourage variety in experiences — with all due consent, of course. This philosophy, unsurprisingly, makes them popular with Sensates. On Arborea, amori live together with other eladrin (there's a running joke among celestials about how amori are the only thing keeping eladrin together by turning their society into the one huge polyamorous community), serve as concubines in divine realms or venture out in search of... adventures, let's go with adventures. Many amori face disapproval from celestials and outright harassment from creatures not as well-mannered. But other eladrin always defend their ilk. After all, if kissing some dryads (while maybe lacking a bit of clothing) «isn't okay» now, then what won't be «okay» tomorrow? Alternate form of amori is a whirl of bright ribbons. It is mostly used to briefly escape danger, but should the need arise, ribbons can restrain a target as well.

 We don't usually have this kind of... fun in our fortresses. Should I wait for you outside?

— Maliel, who have never been this embarrassed in his life

 Well, Mal, I don't think these people came here to write an excellent report on the topic of Blood War skirmish number infinity!

— Aquarel, who is currently very much occupied

Firre — these are the most diverse out of all eladrin, and this says something. Hells, many of firres nowadays argue that «firre» is an outdated word, that doesn't reflect their Aestetica. Non-eladrin races naturally don't care. Firres are born from eladrin most passionate for art. Of course, there are a lot of different arts, but most firres have at least an affinity for singing and music. It is very common for one firre to be a great bard, painter and writer, have some knowledge of architecture and then choose to pursue an acting career. Quite often firres combine their many talents — they can write a play, compose the music and make costumes for it. Merging many different ways of expression is considered a true artistic skill among them. It's often easy to recognize a firre among other eladrin — their hair and skin are brightly-colored, their voice is enchanting, and their pockets are filled with trinkets and tools. They travel alone or in troupes, serving as minstrels, portraitists or teachers. Many firres visit the Prime Material Plane, serving as muses for talented authors. Despite being perhaps the greatest artists in the Multiverse, they understand how important it is to recognize beauty in any art. Most firres have no interest in combat and prefer to flee it in their alternate form (it's exact appearance varies greatly, but it generally looks like an intangible multicoloured pillar of light or fire). Some, however, treat combat as a form of art. These firres can be a terrifying force, achieving mastery in their preferred fighting style. Encounters with these firres caused some Clueless to classify them as «greater eladrin» (as if there are lesser ones, ha).

Goethi — goethi eladrin find themselves to be drawn to darkness. Not the kind of crushing, ravaging darkness you'd find in the Abyss or Nine Hells. In fact, one could interpret the entire existence of goethi as a protest against such treatment of the night and dark colors. They style themselves with black garments and delightfully creepy jewellery, while soaring over nighttime woods in their cloak-wings. Yes, many goethi can create wings of shadow, though they cannot sustain them for more than an hour without rest. Unsurprisingly, goethi are nocturnal creatures (even more so than other eladrin) and they often make their homes in deep caves, where they guard potential passageways from other planes. Goethi often act as a voice of compassion, always ready to give a helping hand to repentant souls. They make sure to treat everyone with kindness, even those who are perhaps undeserving of it. Goethi can transform into two-dimensional shades or other beings of magical darkness. These forms can slip through narrow passageways and are completely invisible while in total darkness.

Ghaele — among all eladrin ghaeles are perhaps the most good. Every eladrin has a fantasy they embody, and for the ghaele it's protecting the innocent — a very powerful ideal. Ghaeles are not as focused on self-expression as other eladrin (though they are still flamboyant compared to archons), more likely to go with the standard «pretty elf with flowing hair» look. They are also one of those eladrin, who rarely stay on Arborea, instead preferring to roam the Prime as knights-errant, rescuing those in need, guiding mortals and standing against tyranny. Ghaeles who stay on Arvandor act as guards and protectors. Often, at least one ghaele lives in an eladrin community and keeps close contact with other ghaeles in case of emergency. Most other eladrin adore ghaeles, but they themselves tend to suffer from hopelessness and depression after facing many injustices from the world. Fortunately, ghaeles keep these feelings at bay by spreading the ideal of chaotic goodness. All ghaeles are expert warriors and great tacticians, able to effectively utilize spells like wall of force during battle. They are also charismatic leaders, who are able to prevent conflicts with diplomacy as well as by force. The alternative form of ghaeles is a globe of light that flies with great speed and fires destructive rays of light. In this form, ghaele is able to concentrate on spells, but not casting them, so they tend to fight in their humanoid form.

Litriti — these whimsical eladrin choose magic as a way of self-expression. They are bright, wear extravagant clothes and a lot of magical trinkets from powerful amulets to almost-useless wondrous items. Litriti do not learn magic the way regular wizards do, instead they master innate eladrin spells. In many ways they are similar to sorcerers — for example they are able to use some metamagic effects without needing extra energy to do so. Different litriti learn different spells — some prefer colorful and exciting fireballs, while others employ illusions or divinations. Many are partial to building golems or automatons for various tasks. Due to their chaotic energies, those constructs often develop consciousness. In eladrin society litriti are drawn to larger societies and live near tulani courts. They often embark on big projects like building grand mansions, though they do not always have the enthusiasm to finish them. Litriti's alternative form is a puff of colorful, but noxious smoke.

Shiradi — if litriti pursue magical mastery, then shiradi focus on physical might. They push the boundaries of what their eladrin form is capable of, being large (up to 4 meters in height) and muscular celestials with wings. They are the only eladrin, who can have corporeal wings strong enough to lift them off the ground. Shiradi work hard to improve themselves and are always proud of their accomplishments, but they are by no means vain (at least, not all of them are). They are always ready to join other celestials in their crusades against evil. Many think of shiradi as dim-witted and reckless, but they are in fact very wise in many ways and are always able to correctly assess the situation. Yes, they tend to jump in the middle of the fight, but mostly because they know they will be reborn in Arborea. Many shiradi use enchanted spiked chains as weapons, perhaps to emulate their representative in the Court of Stars, Galinneiros, but other weapons like hammers are not unknown. Their alternate form is a cloud of triangular golden shards that slice those caught in their storm. Graybeards say they can bet that these forms are connected to the last layer of Acheron, but how, why and how would one prove it?

Tulani — and finally, the nobles. Every planar race has some high-ups between the common folk and proper god-like overlords. Balors, pit fiends, throne archons, aurumachs — you get it. But how can a race defined by love of freedom even have authority? Well, unlike every other Aestetica, an eladrin can't just will themselves into becoming tulani (this ain't Abyss, after all). They have to be considered wise, brave and noble by other eladrin — not all of them, but a substantial number of communities. Even then, not all loved and respected eladrin choose to shift into tulani, as this title entails constant responsibility and high expectations. Moreover, since tulani Aestetica is determined by societal opinion on them, they have less variety in their appearance, which is not well-received by those like shiradi and goethi. Tulani are slender elf-like humanoids with starry clothing and surrounded by a shimmering aura of light. But as a payoff for these restrictions is tremendous power. Since tulani are held up by belief of many creatures, they are able to achieve much more than any other individual eladrin. They are very strong (despite their appearance), smart and charismatic. While not as physically powerful as pit fiends and balors, they far exceeded them in magical might, being able to cast spells up to ninth level. In a fight, tulani could instantly create a longsword of brilliant light that deals radiant damage. Their alternate form is made of rainbow colors. It can fly and project hypnotic lights that incapacitated creatures looking upon them. Tulani are chosen by communities of eladrin as their rulers. They protect their domains and help to solve disputes, however, they do not have much political power, and any eladrin is free to leave them at any moment. If a tulani does something that makes other eladrin lose their trust in them, they lose their powers and their title. Tulani prefer to stay in Arborea in their courts — magical travelling realms, protected by enchantments.

Bodily functions

Body structure — eladrin look similar to humanoids on the surface, but can have noticeable anatomical differences. Their internal organs could be misplaced or have a different appearance. This doesn't affect their life or abilities. All eladrin have innate immunity to electricity and petrification, and most are resistant to cold, acid and fire damage. Some can develop other resistances. All eladrin are weak to cold iron.

Appearance — stereotypical eladrin look is this of an elf, but they get much more varied than that. Eladrin can be tall like goliaths or small like halflings, stocky or thin, have no facial hair or a lot of it. There are even eladrin who look like dragonborn and other bestial humanoids. And don't get me started on the color of their hair, skin, eyes and nails. They can be of any imaginable color, have stripes or spots. However, graceful androgynous eladrin with long hair and pointy ears are very common indeed. After all, they all want to be pretty (unless they want to make some point about their inner beauty).

Speaking of which, as noted above, eladrin can change themselves through the power of belief and innate chaos. Recoloring their skin or hair takes a few weeks, changing more meaningful attributes like height and weight — months. In a couple of years they can even restore organs or grow new ones. However, it should be noted that this ability has limits. For example, eladrin can't get too small or too huge, and they'd have trouble controlling more than two arms.

Aging and mortality — like other outsiders, eladrin are ageless. This means that they accumulate a lot of knowledge in their lives. Moreover, they cannot be killed anywhere outside Arborea. Instead, their corpse dissolves, and after some period of time they reform back on their home plane. This process requires significant energy and will and can take up to a year (not to mention how painful and traumatic it is to die), so most eladrin still try not to die even on other planes. If killed on Arborea, eladrin die forever, presumably passing on to eternal oblivion. So eladrin are a lot more cautious in their homeland (even though they would still give their life for the good of their loved ones).

Rest and nourishment — like other outsiders, eladrin will not die from the lack of sleep, food or water, as they are sustained by energies of the planes. However they need all three to stay healthy and active. Most eladrin are vegetarians (many because of their moral conviction, but some just do not want to bother with animal husbandry, yet will accept animal products from someone else). Bralani in Mithardir eat small desert critters, and some shieres may feast upon the flesh of some monsters they hunt (which may be frowned upon by others). When it comes to rest, eladrin are nocturnal creatures. They sleep around sunset and sunrise and have frequent siestas during the day. Overall, they need less sleep than a human. The older and more powerful eladrin need less rest. To sleep, they often assume their alternate forms and create illusions around their resting place to make, for example, finding an individual ball-form coure among hundreds of similar dancing lights nearly impossible.

Gender — gender?.. Last time I checked eladrin had like... ten? When talking with humans and such they assume a random one. But they don't pay much mind to it on Arborea. After all, Aestetica is the same thing, but better.

Oh, you've been talking about meaty beats? Well, eladrin can have any of them. It really doesn't matter when you can't breed in a mortal way. Well, you can't with each other. Somehow, eladrin still can produce aasimar with mortal races. These planetouched can have very different looks. But those, who can see invisibility, can recognize an otherwise invisible halo over their head — perhaps a magical leftover from the magic of the Veil. Unfortunately, those aasimar are often born with birth defects and vulnerable to cancerous diseases, due to chaotic energies they are imbued with.

Magic — eladrin are gifted with a wide array of innate spells, and like anything else in their life, they can vary greatly. Most of them had access to spells like dancing lights, minor and major illusion, detect evil and good, color spray and faerie fire. More powerful eladrin like ghaeles and tulani like using chain lightning and prismatic ray. But all eladrin also have other spells, reflecting their aesthetic and just mood. Bralani can have wall of sand (eladrin don't always choose the most effective options) or goodberries, ghaeles often find use for the wall of force or hypnotic pattern, and amori often take lesser restoration for... reasons. It should be noted that eladrin spells don't always look or behave as expected. For example, a fireball can look like a flower made of flames or just be blue instead of orange.

Shape-shifting — almost every eladrin except for the most inexperienced coure can transform into their alternate form, made of pseudo-elemental energy. They can shift between forms at will and can spend indefinite time in both forms. Truesight reveals that humanoid and energy forms are both equal parts of one being. However, most eladrin spend all of their time in a much more convenient humanoid form, and only very few prefer to live as such a formless being.

Other powers — all eladrin obviously have darkvision. They are also able to communicate with any being through telepathy. Stronger eladrin can gate in their peers to help (though these peers are in no way obliged to do so). But the most interesting ability common to all eladrin is the Veil. See, many eladrin, especially Queen Morwel, believe that their existence should be hidden from Primes. There are many reasons for this decision — mages can try to summon eladrin to Prime, their collective belief can affect Arborea and overall, it's harder to affect mortal lives when they know about you. That's why Queen Morwel in alliance with some gods gave all existing eladrin power to change their form into any humanoid creature of sufficient size without losing any of their abilities. Veiled eladrin cannot be revealed by any ability (including truesight) short of divine intervention. Most eladrin reluctantly abide Queen's edict and veil themselves if only to gain more protection while on Prime, but some let their mask slip then and there. More conscious eladrin disapprove of this. But it can't be too bad, ain't it?   Culture

Morality — what values define celestial eladrin? Well, there's plenty of them: kindness, bravery, freedom, understanding, love and friendship. All of this is expected for good folk, but eladrin approach it differently than let's say aasimon. For one, they are very distrustful of most authority figures. They can also lash out against anything considered "traditional". Eladrin don't believe in such things as "strong, but benevolent leader" or "well-meaning conservatism". Both of these qualities can be both helpful and harmful. Eladrin are also extremely non-judgemental both towards themselves and other races, as long as they do no harm to anyone else (few are willing to cooperate with fiends, of course). Sometimes this desire to prove Multiverse wrong by assuming the best gets the better of them, but more often than not, eladrin communities become a refuge for those shamed and downtrodden.

It should be noted (once again) that eladrin are very variable, and each one has their own opinions. Ones who were deeply hurt, can develop prejudices. Some are prideful, reckless or emotionally unstable. Many eladrin, who return from other planes, may get overly defensive about their expression. But these flaws are always noted by their fellow eladrin, who are always ready to perform a respectful intervention. As such, it is rare for the eladrin surrounded by their loved ones to stray too far from goodness.   Society — eladrin live in communities, made of 5 to 100 members. They are not as close-knit as guardinal clans, and each eladrin can leave at any moment. And they do — many eladrin circle through different groups, changing them each 100 years or so. This helps them combat boredom, learn valuable knowledge and keep cohesion between the entire race. Typical commune is made out of eladrin with similar Aestetica, though they often have members like ghaeles or amori tugging along. Most communes join tulani courts, which serve as a place to exchange goods and information and to ask for help and protection. Oftentimes, eladrin are more than willing to provide it without asking much in return. Of course, many eladrin live outside their communities in godly realms or in cities. They still tend to form strong bonds with other creatures. True loners are very rare among eladrin.

Economy — since Arvandor is so full of fruits and grain, eladrin who live there can sustain themselves just by gathering. However, there are goods that can't be found in nature. Most eladrin are masters of at least one craft — their long lives help them accumulate a lot of skills. Raw materials and things that no one in the community can make are obtained by bartering. Eladrin in Arborea don't really need to have their own currency. However, unlike some other celestials, eladrin like luxury a lot. And you can't always make jewellery all by yourself. So they often venture out to other planes in search of work and shiny things. Eladrin tend to choose risky professions like monster hunting or diving for pearls. Tulani courts often get treasures when their members get together to help celestial armies in their war. Fortunately, wealth doesn't make you much more influential in the eladrin society.

Language — eladrin language is eloquent, with lots of vowels. It was heavily influenced by Elvish and Sylvan. Eladrin language changes quickly, and slang develops very fast. Amori from the Court of Stars and bralani, who lived their whole life in Mithardir would probably heavily rely on telepathy to understand each other. Other races typically learn the variant that is spoken in the Court of Stars or the City of Sun and Rain.

Fighting — eladrin are great in using magic, but are a formidable force in hand-to-hand combat as well. They have an affinity to use spells that cause confusion and divide enemy ranks. Eladrin are often unpredictable in fight, which makes fighting them harder for lawful creatures like devils. However, this makes them poor team players. If eladrin have a time to plan and get to know each other, they can be pretty strong, but should you take them by surprise, they can accidentally act to the detriment of each other. There are different settings you can find eladrin in combat in. On Arborea, attacked eladrin would most likely try to flee. If they can't retreat, they try to stall for time, using enchantments and illusions, waiting for ghaeles to show up. On other planes eladrin can be encountered alone or in small groups. They aren't afraid of «death» and rarely will summon others of their kind (especially on Prime). Finally, sometimes a lot of eladrin can come together on a crusade, most often against demons of Androlynne. These teams often employ tulani or more lawful celestials as their leaders and have a tendency to disband without them.

See DOC version and statblocks here