Hey, I'm about to start my third campaign this summer, running the Blue Medusa from Zak S. I wanted to be prepared to I made some things to go with it.
The Villain
If you've read the adventure you know the most "villains" in the various rooms can actually be okay people. They're broken, yeah, but they all want something and they all have things that will set them off.
I wanted to introduce a reoccurring villain that was more animal than the rest and who would be a consistent threat throughout the entirety of the maze. So here what I did.
Pazuzu the shape-shifting demon.
No hp, no stats, no nothing. It's not something that can be defeated yet. It's a demon of limitless power. But it harnesses this power through shape-shifting into creatures. To keep it a challenge from first level to wherever, he shifts into lower cr creatures fewer times a day. When the power gets more powerful he will shift into higher cr creatres.
His aim is not to kill the party. He cares little for the party. He wants to kill the Torn sisters, the Medusa, everyone. He wants to rule the maze. He's like a "checkpoint". Finding him means the party is close to something big. He will beat them down then leave. If they beat him down he'll leave.
He doesn't want to die. That is his primary goal. Secondary goal is to rule the maze.
Here's some random tables of "what does Pazuzu turn into this time?"
CR 0-1/8
1. Blood hawk
2. Vulture
3. Hyena
4. Octopus
5. Giant rat
6. Giant fire beetle
CR 1/8-1/4
1. Giant crab
2. Mastiff
3. Blink dog
4. Boar
5. Giant wolf spider
6. Pteranodon
CR 1/2-1
1. Ape
2. Black bear
3. Crocodile
4. Giant wasp
5. Reef shark
6. Rust monster
7. Death Dog
8. Dire wolf
9. Giant octopus
10. Tiger
11. Allosaurus
12. Giant constrictor snake
As for "how many times can Pazuzu transform?", just do what's dramatic. If he drops two PCs he'll be happy and book it. If they drop two of his forms and they don't bat an eye, he'll bail. But if you want a hard and fast rule, do just three transformations per meeting. If you need to just ramp up the meeting.
Throw him into the random encounter table, and two predetermined rooms per "section" of the maze.
Random Maze Introduction
So, most of these put you in the shoes of a prisoner of the maze, but there are a few random plot hooks thrown in as well to give your character some individual motivation. (I'm working on 100, but this is what I got for now).
1. You were caught saying the wrong thing about some art piece and were detained
2. Someone didn't like you and blamed like 1d4+1 murders on you
3. You heard there was this really hot babe and she totally dates normal dudes/chicks
4. Your mother disowned you because she saw how much of a hipster you were
5. A dragon didn't like the way you swung your sword. "It's too posh, or something."
6. You were abandoned inside by your old adventuring party. Add them to the random encounters.
7. The things you think in your head got out and you couldn't catch them. Naughty, naughty.
8. First degree murder. A simpleton's crime. "Where's the passion?"
9. Your father was a coal miner. How rural.
10. The armor you wear clashes with the sword you use. There's no greater crime.
11. The time around you flows normally and thus makes you slow to the fashion world.
12. Something, something, pixie dust. Something, something, she wasn't legal yet.
13. If you're a guy, it's because you were caught thinking perverted thoughts.
14. If you're a girl, it's because you were caught NOT thinking perverted thoughts.
15. You witnessed one of the two previous and called out, "SEXIST!"
16. Wrong orgy, wrong time.
17. You were walking slow. Sorry. No excuse.
18. You bathe too often making your skin dry. It's hideous. "Look at it flake!"
19. The art school you went to was really a bard's college. "Gross".
20. Just a string of arsonies. You know, the poor man's' crime.
21. Your tan isn't fake.
22. You drink the cheap stuff.
23. Ten years a cannibal critic before you ate some of that cake at the wedding.
24. The guild found out that your parents are still alive. "Orphans only, bro."
25. You were caught with your pants down.
26. Woke up with your hands painted red. "We caught you red handed!"
27. Came in of your own free will.
28. Used the painting, like a normal fucking person.
29. Your date left this as her address. You're sure she's in here somewhere.
30. Part of your soul was put into a random room. (Roll a d100 three times or just ask your DM)
31. Your pet peed in the forest owned by some uppity druids.
32. The last attack/spell/special ability you used didn't do full damage.
33. Unwrongfully accused of mismatched socks. You would never!
34. Your armor is so last season.
35. Make up a word. Seriously. Say it out loud. Ha! Got you. Making up words is for prisoners.
36. Poor people moved in next door, lowering your property value.
37. You recieved a letter that said "yo, yo, yo. Havin' mad sex in here. Check it!"
38. Played Bach on the piano but called it Chopin. Fool.
39. Mistook a hobgoblin for a goblin and had the gull to try and argue the fact that they are "practically the same".
40. You collect the wrong kind of trading cards. The cool ones are more expensive.
41. Roll a random room, or ask you DM. You know of that room.
42. You sang out of key. Or so they say.
43. Front page of the news was a picture of your face while you slept last night. Title read: "Lazy, or just stupid?"
44. Caught with way too many pounds of Skooma for you to have been "holding it for a friend."
45. There's mad dosh in the gallery, brah. I bet you want it.
46. Slaying a lich would bring you glory, and there's at least three or something.
47. You did the fashionable thing and stole the Ashen Chanterelle
48. Came in through the stairs, like everyone else.
49. (50)Were an Oku, but something about the lifestyle just didn't click.
50. Hired by the medusa to guard a specific room (roll 3d100 or just ask your DM).
51. You were hired to go into the maze by a wealthy adventuring group (split everything 50/50, but start with gear/gold)
52. Art theif. You stole the Ashen Chanterelle on accident and "fell" in.
53. On the chopping block, someone gave you a choice and you chose death. So here you are.
54. Running-Man-Style game show. Who can survive the maze the longest?
55. Same as above, but tournament-style. Whoever collects the most gold wins.
56. Locked in random cell (roll a dice or ask the DM).
57. You're a painting yourself. Just crawled from the frame (start with 1/2 gold/equipment).
58. Sat on the Havens' Throne. Punishable by tickling or death. You chose death.
59. You were in Waterdeep with the zombie plague broke out. Now you're here.
60. Sigil, city of doors. Messed up the chicken dance that takes you to the city of brass and wound up here.
61. Hired by a dragon to go in and steal artwork (split artwork gold 25/75, start with gear/gold).
Rumors about the Maze
Everyone knows at least one rumor. (100 of these would be nice too.)
1. Dendrosathol, arch-fiend, is trapped somewhere in the maze and would greatly reward his freer.
2. The Torn sisters are scattered in the Maze and are not hostile, but still very dangerous.
3. A wedding occurred thousands of years ago and was ruined by a Lich.
4. There’s a lich that will not attack if kept laughing.
5. Three thrones unlock a secret door.
6. The water wheel is dangerous.
7. Careful of the cells. Dangerous people reside.
8. The Medusa respects 1 on 1 combat rules and will not petrify if you do as well.
9. Chronia Torn is in love with the Medusa
10. Zamia’s corpse is valuable. As is her ghost.
11. Charity is trustworthy.
12. Beware the False Chanterelle
13. Always look behind you. Chameleon women lurk in wait.
14. Do not instigate the Lion in lapis
15. Trust the ghost child.
16. Do not destroy the moons.
17. Drink the Whiskey if you’re lost.
18. Don’t flip the switch.
19. The chandelier is worth 10,000gp.
20. The swan’s the phylactery.
21. Come with riddles for the sphinx.
22. Don’t be afraid to ask the paintings.
23. Don’t get married.
24. The purple worm is not alive.
25. Tell the lich about the flower.
26. 1 to 4. 2 to 3.
27. Fumitory is safe.
28. Her beast he hides the letters.
29. The Medusa wants to fuck Chronia.
30. Remove the liches and the Medusa will pay you handsomely
31. Beware the mushroom spores
32. Stop Levelliant Green! He’ll escape!
33. Zygmunt wants to reassemble the Triarchy.
34. Zamia doesn’t like Xanthoceras.
35. If you can’t see him, just say “See-more”.
36. Sophrina Wort isn’t as bad as she seems. But she lies.
37. Don’t kill the Pharaoh. It makes him powerful.
38. Levalliant Green can be helpful. He knows everything.
39. There’s a crack in the wall. Spy on her.
40. Bring Chromia the good silk. She’s your friend.
Wednesday, July 27, 2016
Sunday, July 24, 2016
The Rusty Ziggurat
So Arnold K wrote a post a long while ago about Giant Ants and shit. It's wonderful. Go read it here.
Well, I took a lot of those ideas and added my own spice (the Demon, the boss battle) to make this starting adventure for 5e. I say a starting adventure, but if your party pisses off the ants to large degree they could easily get overrun. The antlion too. It's quite dangerous. CR 5 I think. But don't trust CR. My party was able to take it down with a nice struggle.
Anyways, here's the adventure. Check it out. Use it. Hate it. Whatever.
http://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/B1FVz8jm
Well, I took a lot of those ideas and added my own spice (the Demon, the boss battle) to make this starting adventure for 5e. I say a starting adventure, but if your party pisses off the ants to large degree they could easily get overrun. The antlion too. It's quite dangerous. CR 5 I think. But don't trust CR. My party was able to take it down with a nice struggle.
Anyways, here's the adventure. Check it out. Use it. Hate it. Whatever.
http://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/B1FVz8jm
Friday, July 22, 2016
The Pub Crawl (sorta dungeon crawl)
It’s a normal night around the campfire, or at your favorite inn, when all of a sudden the Red Devil Slayer Brood, a band of adventurers, like a literal band, guitars and all,come stomping up in faded face paint and out-of-time drag. Their farewell tour is coming to an end and they want to do the greatest dungeon crawl ever…the Pub Crawl.
Eleven bars, one night. No one has ever made it through the entire thing in their right mind. No one has ever completed “the round” and received their wish. Do you think you’re mortal enough? The lead singer holds out his hand and waits for you to grasp it. With a poof, you’re whisked away.
Red Devil Betting Brood
The Pubs
Random Encounters
Square 1
Legend has it that this is the first bar and many believe it to be the only bar, but that simply isn’t true. It is run by Munder, a half-elf with long blonde hair, decked out in brown leather. Its patrons are typically primordials, elementals and others from strange planes.
Their legendary drink is called the *Great Freeze*. Drinking it fills your body with a ghostly presence of crippling cold. It ices your windpipe and freezes your lungs as you drown slow. Constitution save of DC10 is required for half damage. 2d8 necrotic.
A man will challenge everyone to a game of darts. Roll a d6 to determine how close to the bullseye you get, and a d20 to determine accuracy.
Bloodbath and Beyond
A fine bar at the foothills of an orcish tribe, run by an elven wizard named Ealfith. Her red hair and narrow blue eyes are framed by a round face. She knows everything and chooses the company of orcs because they are understood.
Their legendary drink is called Gumball and is a small orb with a shot of liquor inside it. The orb is a fireball and glows a brilliant orange and yellow. Biting into it causes it to explode in your mouth. Smoke and flames shoot from your ears and nose while your mouth becomes a furnace of hell-fire. It travels down your throat and into your gut where the fire feels nice, and the liquor inside the orb is instantly absorbed into your bloodstream. DC10 Con save is required to take half damage. 8d6 fire.
Spinal Tap
Located at the bottom of a mountain range called “The Spine”. The sign is a large spigot in the ass of an Orc. The shop is run by Glorious, the Sphinx. To get the drink you must answer a riddle. Patrons are varied and random. Mainly common folk and low level adventurers.
Their drink is called God’s Marrow, and when drunk it tastes like your past life and leaves a tinge in the back of your throat that tells you how they died. This drink does not deal any damage, but it does pass on an irreversible trait. DC 15 Constitution. Failure mean a roll on the major detrimental table for creating artifacts. Save means a roll on the minor detrimental table.
The Gassy Gnoll
A temple reformed into a bar in the middle of the Bryrewood. It’s run by a Stone Golem named Gaggle of Geese. His voice is monotone and morose. Patrons tend to be monstrous and very intelligent.
Their mythic shot is called “Living Things” and is chased with a living creature. These creatures cut up your insides to make the alcohol get into your blood quick. It attacks every round and has the stats of a rat. You either get it out or get fucked up so much that you pass out. Good luck.
The Inn Definitely Not Run By Dopplegangers
This inn is definitely not run by dopplegangers. They definitely did not infiltrate it and they do not use it to gather information on their targets. They don’t steal, they don’t overcharge. Nothing. Just normal people. Doing normal things. It’s located in a very lively village and is visited by many nobles and royalty.
Their magical drink is a shot glass full of Cool Juice, which is Doppleganger speak for polymorph potion. Drinking it forces a DC15 constitution save or be polymorphed into some random creature. As the liquid slides down into your gullet, you feel the skin on your arms start to bubble into actual soapy bubbles, and your pupils liquefy and swish around your eye sockets. Your organs shrink and your waist twists around like laffy taffy. Your lips sag from your mouth and kiss the floor. You’re changing into a giraffe (or whatever).
A bar brawl will start in this bar. It involves at least ten commoners per person and maybe some more powerful adventurers if the fight starts to get interesting. Even a monster or two. Like a mindflayer or a wyrmling dragon.
The Drowning Cat
The prime bar of the Everwood, the Drowning Cat is located in Goblintown and ran by the wonderful and loving giantess Alvida. The neon sign (yes, neon) above the door shows a two-frame animation of a cat falling into a tub of ale. The patrons are typically goblins and adventurers of all levels.
Their legendary drink is called “Sticky Wickets”. It’s a shot of Sovereign Glue and it will fuck you right up if it doesn’t kill you. There is no save for the damage except your ability to think quickly in the face of solidifying insides. Damage is 2d8 per round until it’s taken care of.
Cow Tipper
This bar is located in the middle of a boring, nowhere town. Lots of farmers and old folk live here. The place is run by a smiling gnome named Tally Longstalk. 50% chance that Baron Broone is here with his retinue, drinking like hogs. Otherwise lots of farmers and the rare adventurer are at the bar drinking and sharing stories.
Tally Longstalk is actually a copper dragon and in order to get the special drink for the Pub Crawl you have to have a fun story to tell. Doesn’t have to be epic, or long, but it does have to be just super duper fun. For realsies.
The drink itself is a mixed drink called a Nova Bomb. Star dust and pure rubbing alcohol mixed with a delightful soda-pop drink. You drop the shot in the cut, let it smoke, and down it. The drink takes a few seconds to mix and the trick is to drink it fast enough that it explodes in your gut, littering you with a ridiculous blood alcohol level. Make a dex check to get it down in time or take 6d6 fire damage. If it explodes properly, the smoke shoots out around your eyes as they grow foggy, and you fire a large bubble that holds a tiny star inside it. When the bubble pops it blows up into meteorites.
Marty’s Trophy Room
Marty was a legendary monster hunter and he has all of his kills mounted on the wall and set up as busts/statues around the bar. Now the bar is run by his daughter, Sweet Sis, the hunter from her Lookouts group. She’s rather plump and dotted with freckles, and her sun-burnt skin never seems to heal. Only the best of the best hang out here.
The drink here is called Mary’s Hard Lemonade. It’s barely considered a hard drink because of the low alcohol level. But after you finish the bottle it randomly selects one thing on the wall (roll a percentile for MM page number) and brings it to life. The quicker you kill it, the drunker you get. If it kills you, you come to at the bar just as you vomit and pass out.
The Blood War
Set up in the Hellscape and ran by a demon and a devil, the Blood War is both a crucible arena and a bar at the same time. Patrons die all the time. Demons frequent it and devils pay for drinks with their gathered souls and contracts.
To purchase the drink here, you must have something other than gold to give up. Or you have to play a game with the demon or devil. A dice game with the demon and a board with the devil. The dice game is as simple as rolling 5d6s and hoping for a pair or more. The more pairs wins. No pairs and the higher added number wins. The board game is chess, or something that involves no luck.
The drink itself is called Black Hole Fun, and is a concentrated shot of “sphere of annihilation”. It is tasteless and takes the air from your lungs, but it’s such a sweet feeling. It’s a feeling of nonexistence. It’s like floating in space without the cold or the stars. It’s just you and blackness. DC17 Wisdom Save or take 4d8 psychic damage. Failure also means adding a madness to you. Saving means adding a lesser madness and no damage.
Psycho Suzy’s Samurai Garage
This Dwarven run, sumo-slinging, sword-slashing, completely a-typical bar is located in the middle of a warforge-run side of a war-ruined town. Psycho Suzy herself is a faerie dragon and gets along well with the Dwarven warriors and soldiers because of her random personality and love of games. She’s very abrasive and will ask for a secret before you get a drink.
The drink is poured from a colorful wand with small, planet-like orbs rotating around it. The drink itself swirls like a rainbow of color and flair. Most people take the drink slowly, but to complete the Pub Crawl you must chug it. Chugging it causes all the colors to swirl in your gut. The drink is just a punch of potions mixed together with some alcohol and acts as a rod of wonder to the drinker. Roll on the table and see what happens.
Inn Harm’s Way
This is the last stop. Reaching this pub means you’ve almost made it and the only thing that you have left to do is down a Dwarven gut buster. One swig of that and you start seeing spirits. No…literally. A dark spirit comes to claim your soul because you’ve drank way too much. Use the stats from the Deck of Many Things. The Avatar of Death.
What is this?
This is a WIP. I'm trying to get it together for my birthday this friday, for a round of drunken D&D. A shot gives you advantage on the check. A drink gets you a +2. Drinking water gives you disadvantage, because fuck that. I'll have actual bread and water there for their short rests, but what I give them is all they get.
I'm thinking to put some of the drinks together in the same bar, lowering the number, but I'm not sure. What do ya'll think?
Eleven bars, one night. No one has ever made it through the entire thing in their right mind. No one has ever completed “the round” and received their wish. Do you think you’re mortal enough? The lead singer holds out his hand and waits for you to grasp it. With a poof, you’re whisked away.
Red Devil Betting Brood
- Look like Kiss and sound like Guns 'n' Roses
- Singer - Sickly Pete, halfling, painted like a gold dragon
- Bassist - Purple, half-elven, constant cigarette
- Drummer - Ty, dwarf, always twirling his sticks
- Guitarist - Drink Mouth, human, painted like a mind flayer
The Pubs
- Some exist in other universes, like Forgotten Realms, Planscape, that one campaign you ran as a teenager
- Still a dungeon crawl, but the rooms are pubs
- Drinks deal damage, but all damage is constitution damage (to make this available for all levels, use constitution scores as health. Every 10 damage dealt is equal to 1 point of con)
- No one can actually die, you just pass out.
- Health potions don't help, only short rests of bread and water
Random Encounters
- Roll a d12, an 11 or 12 means a random encounter in between bars.
- Encounters include losing the buzz so you gotta chug something, feeling hungry so you gotta stop at a strange place and grab some grub, a random roll on the carousing table, a roll on the madness table, or (if you've had lots of drinks) a roll on the potion miscibility table
Square 1
Legend has it that this is the first bar and many believe it to be the only bar, but that simply isn’t true. It is run by Munder, a half-elf with long blonde hair, decked out in brown leather. Its patrons are typically primordials, elementals and others from strange planes.
Their legendary drink is called the *Great Freeze*. Drinking it fills your body with a ghostly presence of crippling cold. It ices your windpipe and freezes your lungs as you drown slow. Constitution save of DC10 is required for half damage. 2d8 necrotic.
A man will challenge everyone to a game of darts. Roll a d6 to determine how close to the bullseye you get, and a d20 to determine accuracy.
Bloodbath and Beyond
A fine bar at the foothills of an orcish tribe, run by an elven wizard named Ealfith. Her red hair and narrow blue eyes are framed by a round face. She knows everything and chooses the company of orcs because they are understood.
Their legendary drink is called Gumball and is a small orb with a shot of liquor inside it. The orb is a fireball and glows a brilliant orange and yellow. Biting into it causes it to explode in your mouth. Smoke and flames shoot from your ears and nose while your mouth becomes a furnace of hell-fire. It travels down your throat and into your gut where the fire feels nice, and the liquor inside the orb is instantly absorbed into your bloodstream. DC10 Con save is required to take half damage. 8d6 fire.
Spinal Tap
Located at the bottom of a mountain range called “The Spine”. The sign is a large spigot in the ass of an Orc. The shop is run by Glorious, the Sphinx. To get the drink you must answer a riddle. Patrons are varied and random. Mainly common folk and low level adventurers.
Their drink is called God’s Marrow, and when drunk it tastes like your past life and leaves a tinge in the back of your throat that tells you how they died. This drink does not deal any damage, but it does pass on an irreversible trait. DC 15 Constitution. Failure mean a roll on the major detrimental table for creating artifacts. Save means a roll on the minor detrimental table.
The Gassy Gnoll
A temple reformed into a bar in the middle of the Bryrewood. It’s run by a Stone Golem named Gaggle of Geese. His voice is monotone and morose. Patrons tend to be monstrous and very intelligent.
Their mythic shot is called “Living Things” and is chased with a living creature. These creatures cut up your insides to make the alcohol get into your blood quick. It attacks every round and has the stats of a rat. You either get it out or get fucked up so much that you pass out. Good luck.
The Inn Definitely Not Run By Dopplegangers
This inn is definitely not run by dopplegangers. They definitely did not infiltrate it and they do not use it to gather information on their targets. They don’t steal, they don’t overcharge. Nothing. Just normal people. Doing normal things. It’s located in a very lively village and is visited by many nobles and royalty.
Their magical drink is a shot glass full of Cool Juice, which is Doppleganger speak for polymorph potion. Drinking it forces a DC15 constitution save or be polymorphed into some random creature. As the liquid slides down into your gullet, you feel the skin on your arms start to bubble into actual soapy bubbles, and your pupils liquefy and swish around your eye sockets. Your organs shrink and your waist twists around like laffy taffy. Your lips sag from your mouth and kiss the floor. You’re changing into a giraffe (or whatever).
A bar brawl will start in this bar. It involves at least ten commoners per person and maybe some more powerful adventurers if the fight starts to get interesting. Even a monster or two. Like a mindflayer or a wyrmling dragon.
The Drowning Cat
The prime bar of the Everwood, the Drowning Cat is located in Goblintown and ran by the wonderful and loving giantess Alvida. The neon sign (yes, neon) above the door shows a two-frame animation of a cat falling into a tub of ale. The patrons are typically goblins and adventurers of all levels.
Their legendary drink is called “Sticky Wickets”. It’s a shot of Sovereign Glue and it will fuck you right up if it doesn’t kill you. There is no save for the damage except your ability to think quickly in the face of solidifying insides. Damage is 2d8 per round until it’s taken care of.
Cow Tipper
This bar is located in the middle of a boring, nowhere town. Lots of farmers and old folk live here. The place is run by a smiling gnome named Tally Longstalk. 50% chance that Baron Broone is here with his retinue, drinking like hogs. Otherwise lots of farmers and the rare adventurer are at the bar drinking and sharing stories.
Tally Longstalk is actually a copper dragon and in order to get the special drink for the Pub Crawl you have to have a fun story to tell. Doesn’t have to be epic, or long, but it does have to be just super duper fun. For realsies.
The drink itself is a mixed drink called a Nova Bomb. Star dust and pure rubbing alcohol mixed with a delightful soda-pop drink. You drop the shot in the cut, let it smoke, and down it. The drink takes a few seconds to mix and the trick is to drink it fast enough that it explodes in your gut, littering you with a ridiculous blood alcohol level. Make a dex check to get it down in time or take 6d6 fire damage. If it explodes properly, the smoke shoots out around your eyes as they grow foggy, and you fire a large bubble that holds a tiny star inside it. When the bubble pops it blows up into meteorites.
Marty’s Trophy Room
Marty was a legendary monster hunter and he has all of his kills mounted on the wall and set up as busts/statues around the bar. Now the bar is run by his daughter, Sweet Sis, the hunter from her Lookouts group. She’s rather plump and dotted with freckles, and her sun-burnt skin never seems to heal. Only the best of the best hang out here.
The drink here is called Mary’s Hard Lemonade. It’s barely considered a hard drink because of the low alcohol level. But after you finish the bottle it randomly selects one thing on the wall (roll a percentile for MM page number) and brings it to life. The quicker you kill it, the drunker you get. If it kills you, you come to at the bar just as you vomit and pass out.
The Blood War
Set up in the Hellscape and ran by a demon and a devil, the Blood War is both a crucible arena and a bar at the same time. Patrons die all the time. Demons frequent it and devils pay for drinks with their gathered souls and contracts.
To purchase the drink here, you must have something other than gold to give up. Or you have to play a game with the demon or devil. A dice game with the demon and a board with the devil. The dice game is as simple as rolling 5d6s and hoping for a pair or more. The more pairs wins. No pairs and the higher added number wins. The board game is chess, or something that involves no luck.
The drink itself is called Black Hole Fun, and is a concentrated shot of “sphere of annihilation”. It is tasteless and takes the air from your lungs, but it’s such a sweet feeling. It’s a feeling of nonexistence. It’s like floating in space without the cold or the stars. It’s just you and blackness. DC17 Wisdom Save or take 4d8 psychic damage. Failure also means adding a madness to you. Saving means adding a lesser madness and no damage.
Psycho Suzy’s Samurai Garage
This Dwarven run, sumo-slinging, sword-slashing, completely a-typical bar is located in the middle of a warforge-run side of a war-ruined town. Psycho Suzy herself is a faerie dragon and gets along well with the Dwarven warriors and soldiers because of her random personality and love of games. She’s very abrasive and will ask for a secret before you get a drink.
The drink is poured from a colorful wand with small, planet-like orbs rotating around it. The drink itself swirls like a rainbow of color and flair. Most people take the drink slowly, but to complete the Pub Crawl you must chug it. Chugging it causes all the colors to swirl in your gut. The drink is just a punch of potions mixed together with some alcohol and acts as a rod of wonder to the drinker. Roll on the table and see what happens.
Inn Harm’s Way
This is the last stop. Reaching this pub means you’ve almost made it and the only thing that you have left to do is down a Dwarven gut buster. One swig of that and you start seeing spirits. No…literally. A dark spirit comes to claim your soul because you’ve drank way too much. Use the stats from the Deck of Many Things. The Avatar of Death.
What is this?
This is a WIP. I'm trying to get it together for my birthday this friday, for a round of drunken D&D. A shot gives you advantage on the check. A drink gets you a +2. Drinking water gives you disadvantage, because fuck that. I'll have actual bread and water there for their short rests, but what I give them is all they get.
I'm thinking to put some of the drinks together in the same bar, lowering the number, but I'm not sure. What do ya'll think?
Wednesday, July 20, 2016
D12 Awesome Adventurers
Yo, I'm back with the rest of my list. I think next time I'm gonna do d8 princesses, because who doesn't need someone to save, or someone to save them? Fall in love perhaps? Hold for ransom? You get the idea. Anyways, as promised, here's d12 cool ass adventurers. Some of these keep it cool while some are way out of left field. I think it's fun.
1. Dryad Sister - Blosson, Beatrice, and Becker, forest dryad, brick dryad, fire dryad. They work together as much as they can and abhor violence. They share a telepathic bond and love stealing little trinkets. They secretly all want revenge on their mother for both abandoning them and sleeping with whichever fire giant made a fire dryad daughter (that shit burns). She is the only woman they would ever kill, but none of them will admit it to each other.
2. Doom Sawyer - The Hound Dog Knight. He's loyal to Master and doesn't believe in gold, only lovins. Pays people in bones and wears full plate armor into combat. At night, around the campfire, he howls a song of his people to the sky.
3. Heavy Arms - A warforged knight of the Uneding Wing. His mustache is steel and magnificent. His crossbow machine gun stays fixed on his target at all times. Accompanying him is a female, halfing, mechanic who stays hidden at all times, sniper crossbow at the ready, waiting for a sneak attack (as a fifth level rogue). She disguses him as a rusty bot in order to get free lodging from sappy bar maids, and while they they rob the place blind. They want to pull the sceme on a King.
4. Adeyn Y Corph - Fabulous adventurer and urban legend. His arrival is foretold by a Roc circling the town. When he rides in, flowers bloom out of season and snow falls no matter the temperature. Wherever he goes, he's there to kill someone or something. He believes he's an avatar for a god of death. Which god? Who knows.
5. Morgan Le Fay - Evil sorceress, raised by fairies and taught the way of wild magic. Her right hand, which she keeps locked in a cage, functions as a rod of wonder (roll on the table of random magical effects from Courtney Campbell). She knows she's dangerous and often holds wagons, buildings, towns hostage for a ransom, threatening to unlock the cage. Her friend is a fairy named Avalon who gives victims amnesia, sometimes to the point of them forgetting their own name.
6. Andvari - A hill giant with a helm of invisibility and a ring of control earth elemental (otherwise completely naked). Around his waist are four chains to hold his dwarven slaves. He's traveling to sell them to a lich, if only he could find a lich... He'll join up with adventurers who know of said lich, o r can convince him that they do.
7. Pertificus - Gnomish wizard who lost the genetic lottery. Birthed by humans he was ridiculed all his life, even more so when he got the huge bifocals. Studying wizardry was his only escape. Now, as an adult gnome, he has accomplished something he never believed he would: magically obliterating the possibility of him every dying. With that discovery behind him, he's hiring adventurers to gather supplies to try and cast permanency on a time stop spell.
8. Alderly Edge - Equal parts Oprah and Steve Irwin, Alderly is n older elf with a pet wyrmling dragon (roll a d10 to determine color). Dragons have an affinity for him and seek him out when they are dying. He likes to hire out adventurers to find resting places for ancient dragons, giving an old dragon the last good fight it'll ever have, and hunting down that pesky red dragon who bullied that other dragon into giving up its lunch money, I mean hoard.
9. Mud God - Level 3 fighter, can only be killed the way a god can (lava death, tossed into space, pandora's box, etc.) and has the Midas touch, if everything Midas touched turned to soft, wet, mud instead of gold. He keeps getting letters from a king who wants to use him as a exotic execution for his unfaithful and unlawful Queen. But he can't open the letters because they turn to mud.
10. Telex - A golem experiment gone wrong. Telex is made entirely of candy and cookies. He looks normal, but after he takes damage in combat he will eat a part of his shoulder and regain all his health. He'd never let anyone else take a bite. He functions as an assassin and typically is on a mission to assassinate someone, like a King or a General. His greatest enemy are the birds that try to peck at his body.
11. Dream Queen - A female dream merchant from the shores of your last nightmare. She's real now, if you can believe it, and she's selling your memories to the highest bidder. Actually, she's practically giving them out to anyone, including your hated rival. She's very (insert your personality) and only wants (insert your goals). So if you can give that to her, maybe she'll (insert your retirement plan) and leave you alone.
12. Red - Red is a pilot. What does he fly? An old WWI biplane fueled off of magic. His turrets are wands that fire magic missiles. 50% chance his ship is partially destroyed and he needs help collecting materials. 40% chance that you find the ship and not Red because he's off doing something. 5% chance that you see the plane fly over and a 5% chance that the plane flies over and circles back because Red was sent to kill you.
1. Dryad Sister - Blosson, Beatrice, and Becker, forest dryad, brick dryad, fire dryad. They work together as much as they can and abhor violence. They share a telepathic bond and love stealing little trinkets. They secretly all want revenge on their mother for both abandoning them and sleeping with whichever fire giant made a fire dryad daughter (that shit burns). She is the only woman they would ever kill, but none of them will admit it to each other.
2. Doom Sawyer - The Hound Dog Knight. He's loyal to Master and doesn't believe in gold, only lovins. Pays people in bones and wears full plate armor into combat. At night, around the campfire, he howls a song of his people to the sky.
3. Heavy Arms - A warforged knight of the Uneding Wing. His mustache is steel and magnificent. His crossbow machine gun stays fixed on his target at all times. Accompanying him is a female, halfing, mechanic who stays hidden at all times, sniper crossbow at the ready, waiting for a sneak attack (as a fifth level rogue). She disguses him as a rusty bot in order to get free lodging from sappy bar maids, and while they they rob the place blind. They want to pull the sceme on a King.
4. Adeyn Y Corph - Fabulous adventurer and urban legend. His arrival is foretold by a Roc circling the town. When he rides in, flowers bloom out of season and snow falls no matter the temperature. Wherever he goes, he's there to kill someone or something. He believes he's an avatar for a god of death. Which god? Who knows.
5. Morgan Le Fay - Evil sorceress, raised by fairies and taught the way of wild magic. Her right hand, which she keeps locked in a cage, functions as a rod of wonder (roll on the table of random magical effects from Courtney Campbell). She knows she's dangerous and often holds wagons, buildings, towns hostage for a ransom, threatening to unlock the cage. Her friend is a fairy named Avalon who gives victims amnesia, sometimes to the point of them forgetting their own name.
6. Andvari - A hill giant with a helm of invisibility and a ring of control earth elemental (otherwise completely naked). Around his waist are four chains to hold his dwarven slaves. He's traveling to sell them to a lich, if only he could find a lich... He'll join up with adventurers who know of said lich, o r can convince him that they do.
7. Pertificus - Gnomish wizard who lost the genetic lottery. Birthed by humans he was ridiculed all his life, even more so when he got the huge bifocals. Studying wizardry was his only escape. Now, as an adult gnome, he has accomplished something he never believed he would: magically obliterating the possibility of him every dying. With that discovery behind him, he's hiring adventurers to gather supplies to try and cast permanency on a time stop spell.
8. Alderly Edge - Equal parts Oprah and Steve Irwin, Alderly is n older elf with a pet wyrmling dragon (roll a d10 to determine color). Dragons have an affinity for him and seek him out when they are dying. He likes to hire out adventurers to find resting places for ancient dragons, giving an old dragon the last good fight it'll ever have, and hunting down that pesky red dragon who bullied that other dragon into giving up its lunch money, I mean hoard.
9. Mud God - Level 3 fighter, can only be killed the way a god can (lava death, tossed into space, pandora's box, etc.) and has the Midas touch, if everything Midas touched turned to soft, wet, mud instead of gold. He keeps getting letters from a king who wants to use him as a exotic execution for his unfaithful and unlawful Queen. But he can't open the letters because they turn to mud.
10. Telex - A golem experiment gone wrong. Telex is made entirely of candy and cookies. He looks normal, but after he takes damage in combat he will eat a part of his shoulder and regain all his health. He'd never let anyone else take a bite. He functions as an assassin and typically is on a mission to assassinate someone, like a King or a General. His greatest enemy are the birds that try to peck at his body.
11. Dream Queen - A female dream merchant from the shores of your last nightmare. She's real now, if you can believe it, and she's selling your memories to the highest bidder. Actually, she's practically giving them out to anyone, including your hated rival. She's very (insert your personality) and only wants (insert your goals). So if you can give that to her, maybe she'll (insert your retirement plan) and leave you alone.
12. Red - Red is a pilot. What does he fly? An old WWI biplane fueled off of magic. His turrets are wands that fire magic missiles. 50% chance his ship is partially destroyed and he needs help collecting materials. 40% chance that you find the ship and not Red because he's off doing something. 5% chance that you see the plane fly over and a 5% chance that the plane flies over and circles back because Red was sent to kill you.
Tuesday, July 19, 2016
D6 Princesses
So you need someone to be saved, or kidnapped, or someone to be ruling a new city, or just someone to help you out on adventures. Here's 1d6 princesses for your use. They can easily become princes by changing their names to symbols.
1. Knight Princess - Luna Colstock, the black haired, black eyed, pale skinned soldier, decked in full plate wielding longsword and shield. It's her grandfather's sword, which is +2 and grants advantage to all attacks against Chaotic Evil, and deals an extra d6 against all evil. Her band of knights are called the "Band of the Moon" and each knight has been bested by Luna. She wears the Knight's Crest on her armor, which can summon the knights that you have defeated in one on one combat. They have deemed Luna the true princess, and they travel their region fighting corrupt factions and evildoers.
2. Mimic Princess - Demands she be called Mimi. She is completely normal, though her silver hair always seems to cover her eyes, but she is attached to a mimic. She always has it on her back, or she's sitting on it, or she has her hand on it. She is never disconnected from it. She has a kabuki mask that when worn allows you to change your face in any way. She also has a steel choker that allows you to do the same with your body. Some believe she actually is the mimic, but that can't be. Right?
3. Shadow Princess - Adnama, leader of a kingdom of living shadows. She has no physical form, but she can manipulate shadows, even controlling other people through their shadow. Her shadow can reform and reshape into anyone she's controlled. She has a simple locket round her neck that allows the wearer to know the desires and fears of the person whose picture is put inside it. She has a flickering black candle with a blue flame that allows anyone holding it to become an intangible shadow like her. And a pair of black leather boots that allow you to enter the shadow plane at will.
4. Assassin Princess - Elya, the chosen tool off an evil church, she comes disguised and ready to kill. She was given a vision of your future and knows you must be killed. She holds the memory on her in physical form. After seeing this vision though, she isn't ready to kill you. If she can be beaten she might join your side. Doing so grants hatred from this evil church, but also will give you a stylish and badass assassin with over 300 confirmed kills.
5. Sword Princess - The red hilt of this broadsword holds an unbreakable blade and a trapped spirit. Her voice, which is nameless, speaks soothing words while in battle but outside of combat it is angry and rather impatient, causing lots of trouble in conversations. While in the hilt, it grants you resistance to magic. When drawn the blade shines in the darkness (like daylight spell) and reveals hidden things in a small radius, including emotions, liars, and traps. The more kills you gain with the princess the better material the blade is forged for, from bronze to diamond and beyond. She promises if you get enough kills she will be free and grant her kingdom to you. It comes with another trapped spirit, a nurse trapped in a trusty shield. She has two charges of cure light wounds per day.
6. Dragon Princess - Born of dragons but still human, she is blessed with immense wealth, beauty, and intelligence far surpassing any normal human. She is cultured, yet incredibly vain. She lives in a tower where she keeps a dragon prisoner. All who go against her and fall are turned into glass statues to preserve their beauty. She holds a set of tiny hand mirrors that allow her to make two additional copies of herself to aid in battle, and keeps a shiny gold coin in her hand that, when flipped, grants her advantage on all charisma checks, saves, and skills.
1. Knight Princess - Luna Colstock, the black haired, black eyed, pale skinned soldier, decked in full plate wielding longsword and shield. It's her grandfather's sword, which is +2 and grants advantage to all attacks against Chaotic Evil, and deals an extra d6 against all evil. Her band of knights are called the "Band of the Moon" and each knight has been bested by Luna. She wears the Knight's Crest on her armor, which can summon the knights that you have defeated in one on one combat. They have deemed Luna the true princess, and they travel their region fighting corrupt factions and evildoers.
2. Mimic Princess - Demands she be called Mimi. She is completely normal, though her silver hair always seems to cover her eyes, but she is attached to a mimic. She always has it on her back, or she's sitting on it, or she has her hand on it. She is never disconnected from it. She has a kabuki mask that when worn allows you to change your face in any way. She also has a steel choker that allows you to do the same with your body. Some believe she actually is the mimic, but that can't be. Right?
3. Shadow Princess - Adnama, leader of a kingdom of living shadows. She has no physical form, but she can manipulate shadows, even controlling other people through their shadow. Her shadow can reform and reshape into anyone she's controlled. She has a simple locket round her neck that allows the wearer to know the desires and fears of the person whose picture is put inside it. She has a flickering black candle with a blue flame that allows anyone holding it to become an intangible shadow like her. And a pair of black leather boots that allow you to enter the shadow plane at will.
4. Assassin Princess - Elya, the chosen tool off an evil church, she comes disguised and ready to kill. She was given a vision of your future and knows you must be killed. She holds the memory on her in physical form. After seeing this vision though, she isn't ready to kill you. If she can be beaten she might join your side. Doing so grants hatred from this evil church, but also will give you a stylish and badass assassin with over 300 confirmed kills.
5. Sword Princess - The red hilt of this broadsword holds an unbreakable blade and a trapped spirit. Her voice, which is nameless, speaks soothing words while in battle but outside of combat it is angry and rather impatient, causing lots of trouble in conversations. While in the hilt, it grants you resistance to magic. When drawn the blade shines in the darkness (like daylight spell) and reveals hidden things in a small radius, including emotions, liars, and traps. The more kills you gain with the princess the better material the blade is forged for, from bronze to diamond and beyond. She promises if you get enough kills she will be free and grant her kingdom to you. It comes with another trapped spirit, a nurse trapped in a trusty shield. She has two charges of cure light wounds per day.
6. Dragon Princess - Born of dragons but still human, she is blessed with immense wealth, beauty, and intelligence far surpassing any normal human. She is cultured, yet incredibly vain. She lives in a tower where she keeps a dragon prisoner. All who go against her and fall are turned into glass statues to preserve their beauty. She holds a set of tiny hand mirrors that allow her to make two additional copies of herself to aid in battle, and keeps a shiny gold coin in her hand that, when flipped, grants her advantage on all charisma checks, saves, and skills.
1d10 Adventurers
So you're party is out and about, delving into a dungeon, or wandering throught he wilderness, or god forbid they have found themselves at an interesting bar. And you need some cool ass adventurers for them to run into, talk to, fuck around with. I got your back.
Check it. Here's 1d10 cool-ass adventurers.
1. Sylvester - Hobbit male. Wears a big jacket and shorts. He's super skinny but appears to have a bear-gut. Underneath the coat are millions of bugs. His skin is crawling with them. Wherever he goes ants are found and the sound of cicadas singing is intoxicating. He can see through his bugs, fight through his bugs, stuff like that.
2. Aegir - A giantess who doesn't look like a giant, but a well-proportioned tall person. She wears the robe of the magi, wields the staff of the magi, has a spell storing ring, and is seeking the rod of absorption. She's typically nice when it comes to intelligent conversation, but when it comes between choosing a book and a living thing, she takes the book.
3. Starman - A galactic ranger. His ship crashed and he's the only survivor. His appearance is easily identifiable as a galactic ranger: robe of stars, ring of stars, star bow. The star bow is made of a meteorite and fires normal arrows when notched, but otherwise fires magic missiles.
4. The Sister - A warlock whose patron is her trinket: a magically locked birdcage with a silent crow inside. Her powers are miniscule but she swears that once she unlocks the cage she'll be powerful. She wears purple leather and has a messy mohawk. Her cloak is magical, coated with black, glossy, pyramid spikes that giver her a +1 to AC. her wand is a black dragon claw, warped by lava. It's a +1 wand and comes with 3 charges of acid splash.
5. Ataensic - A rogue druid from the circle of death. His left hand is a skeletal hand and the skin going up that arm is scarred by dagger cuts. He finds it hard to abandon his druidic ways entirely and often stays just outside city limits, hunting food and feeding it to the coffin he keeps chained to his back. It's a mimic. Only the skeletal hand can break the chain.
6. Desmond Drake - Merchant by day, masked vigilante by night. He's a fifth level monk of the four elements. He fights crime in hopes of finding clues to his daughter's killer.
7. Alan - This teenage elven girl has displacer beast tentacles around her waist, a dragon tooth necklace, blink dog pelt clothes, a shield carved from a buellete, medusa tentacle bracelet, battered platemail armor, a bag of holding with more trophies, and her greatsword which rests on her shoulder or in the ground at all times. She's a mid-level fighter. Whenever she's encountered on the road her armor is off and she is either cleaning herself or fashioning a new trophy.
8. Hoot - The Grey Owl Assassin, banished from the Black Dot guild and seeking vengeance. He believes that this sect is corrupt and needs cleansed. He's right, but he's hard to believe. If he succeeds he'll offer his helper a recommendation to become an assassin. He's tall, slender, and his wings are clipped. He fights with two hand axes of throwing/returning.
9. Radiowave - A female half-elf with a television helmet. The inside of it shows the dreams of whoever she looks at. Her bio-mechanical dog will eat anything metal when it is unleashed. It grows with every meal until it takes a dump, at which point a diamond (worth in gold what it weighed) comes out. She'll fall in love with the first person who's dreaming of her.
10. Carlisle Edgar - Wear's the skull of a Tyrannosaurus and 1/day can blow into a whistle and summon 1d4 undead velociraptors. If asked where he got these things, he will say "the same place I got this" and show the cut up his torso that is sloppily stitched together. he's a revenant seeking the death of his party, who abandoned him on a dinosaur infested island.
Some of these are quite fantastical and may not fit in your setting. But I think that's why they make good adventurers. They've seen things. Been places. They have hooks and feeling. People will remember them.
Check it. Here's 1d10 cool-ass adventurers.
1. Sylvester - Hobbit male. Wears a big jacket and shorts. He's super skinny but appears to have a bear-gut. Underneath the coat are millions of bugs. His skin is crawling with them. Wherever he goes ants are found and the sound of cicadas singing is intoxicating. He can see through his bugs, fight through his bugs, stuff like that.
2. Aegir - A giantess who doesn't look like a giant, but a well-proportioned tall person. She wears the robe of the magi, wields the staff of the magi, has a spell storing ring, and is seeking the rod of absorption. She's typically nice when it comes to intelligent conversation, but when it comes between choosing a book and a living thing, she takes the book.
3. Starman - A galactic ranger. His ship crashed and he's the only survivor. His appearance is easily identifiable as a galactic ranger: robe of stars, ring of stars, star bow. The star bow is made of a meteorite and fires normal arrows when notched, but otherwise fires magic missiles.
4. The Sister - A warlock whose patron is her trinket: a magically locked birdcage with a silent crow inside. Her powers are miniscule but she swears that once she unlocks the cage she'll be powerful. She wears purple leather and has a messy mohawk. Her cloak is magical, coated with black, glossy, pyramid spikes that giver her a +1 to AC. her wand is a black dragon claw, warped by lava. It's a +1 wand and comes with 3 charges of acid splash.
5. Ataensic - A rogue druid from the circle of death. His left hand is a skeletal hand and the skin going up that arm is scarred by dagger cuts. He finds it hard to abandon his druidic ways entirely and often stays just outside city limits, hunting food and feeding it to the coffin he keeps chained to his back. It's a mimic. Only the skeletal hand can break the chain.
6. Desmond Drake - Merchant by day, masked vigilante by night. He's a fifth level monk of the four elements. He fights crime in hopes of finding clues to his daughter's killer.
7. Alan - This teenage elven girl has displacer beast tentacles around her waist, a dragon tooth necklace, blink dog pelt clothes, a shield carved from a buellete, medusa tentacle bracelet, battered platemail armor, a bag of holding with more trophies, and her greatsword which rests on her shoulder or in the ground at all times. She's a mid-level fighter. Whenever she's encountered on the road her armor is off and she is either cleaning herself or fashioning a new trophy.
8. Hoot - The Grey Owl Assassin, banished from the Black Dot guild and seeking vengeance. He believes that this sect is corrupt and needs cleansed. He's right, but he's hard to believe. If he succeeds he'll offer his helper a recommendation to become an assassin. He's tall, slender, and his wings are clipped. He fights with two hand axes of throwing/returning.
9. Radiowave - A female half-elf with a television helmet. The inside of it shows the dreams of whoever she looks at. Her bio-mechanical dog will eat anything metal when it is unleashed. It grows with every meal until it takes a dump, at which point a diamond (worth in gold what it weighed) comes out. She'll fall in love with the first person who's dreaming of her.
10. Carlisle Edgar - Wear's the skull of a Tyrannosaurus and 1/day can blow into a whistle and summon 1d4 undead velociraptors. If asked where he got these things, he will say "the same place I got this" and show the cut up his torso that is sloppily stitched together. he's a revenant seeking the death of his party, who abandoned him on a dinosaur infested island.
Some of these are quite fantastical and may not fit in your setting. But I think that's why they make good adventurers. They've seen things. Been places. They have hooks and feeling. People will remember them.
Sunday, July 17, 2016
1d4 Rival Adventuring Parties
I love rivals. I think they're better than epic villains. What's worse for your PCs than their money getting snatched out from under them? Or the dungeon being pre-plundered? Some of the favorite experiences as DM have been the party moving through, doing their thing, when all of a sudden there's another group in the next room. Do they fight them? Parley with them? Sneak away from them? So many choices and they always lead to drama.
So check out these 1d4 rival adventuring parties. First one mentioned is the leader. Make them whatever level you like.
Brothers Sludge
Conway, the roguish dragonborn, wielding his brother's sword and shield (which he is not proficient with). Likes to talk a lot and often makes deals that sound too good to be true (because they are). He's survived with his devilish good looks and unyielding luck. In truth, his armor allows him the Luck ability, allowing him to reroll any roll 3/day. Plus his rogue levels, which come in handy when he flanks with his team.
Dramlin, human bruiser. Friend of Conway's brother, he made an oath to Conway to avenge the untimely death. Doesn't get along well with Conway but likes to kill. Blood feels good on his skin. Before battle he cuts his palm and rubs it on his face, painting the emblem on Conway's shield.
Gnice, pronounced like Agnice without the A. She's the fiance of Conway's brother, and current lover of all things that bleed. Specifically the things she makes bleed. Since her finace's death she's dabbled in necromancy and has three skeletons/zombies tied to her waist by hemp rope. One of them is her fiance. He's the one who constantly tries to make out with her.
Dire Stars
Lodlan, knight of the stars. Wielder of the headband of intellect and staff of the cosmos. He threatens untimely cosmic demise if him or his party comes to harm. The staff is intelligent and controls him. It's true power is that if it's broken, the efreeti inside it is freed. As a knight, Lodlan can fight, but his threats usually work. He is grateful if he is freed and will pay with the headband.
Sammy, human paladin of the stars. Always caught without her armor and in compromising positions. She acts shy and blushes and is very sexual about the whole thing. But that's only because she's typically "caught" by men. And when they lower their guard, she digs their guts out and uses them to speak to her warlock patron (she's multiclassed). She is the one who gave the staff to Lodlan. She hopes to free the efreeti and serve it.
Telouise, the intelligent and wise black cat assassin. A real black cat. She is the first sign of Dire Stars, but most don't notice her. She speaks with an elvish accent and will kill anyone for Sammy or Lodlan, because of how nice they were to her when they were children. She is very loyal and very antagonizing.
Black Bat Alliance
Brother Bridge, the half-orc thief, wearing a leather jacket and carrying a switchblade knife. He is big but quick, strong but nimble, ugly but smart. Though he likes to use his force to steal, he can pickpocket and stealth like no other. He wears a fashionable, studded belt of giant strength and has half his levels in monk. Keeps quiet until he knows something is not a threat.
Brother Cam, human sorcerer who casts spells through his spectral hand. He's not undead. His hand is just ghost-like. It can pass through walls, armor, skin, anything, and spells cast from it get advantage to hit (but don't grant disadvantage on saves). If he shoves the hand into his own body he can go spectral for 1d6 rounds. He likes to go inside people and take them over (like the ghost ability) until time runs out, when he pulls the skin away and it's just him.
Brother Jezwind, elven rogue and plunderer of dragons. He's a new hire and is leader the BBA to their second dragon lair. They've spelunked one and came out fresh and rich, and now they're going back again. He will share this knowledge for a price. And he doesn't take gold. He's got plenty of that. Dawns the cloak of mountbanke, which allows him to dimension door once a day.
Acute Satisfaction
Thom, former Psycho Squad paladin and enforcer turned adventurer. His helmet allows him to read thoughts, detect alignment, and cast zone of truth 1/day. His sidearm, a fully functioning colt .45, is loaded with delayed fireball rounds, which deal no damage but stick to whatever is shot. The code word to make them detonate is on the barrel of his gun. If someone reads it aloud, "Gumshoe", everything goes up in flame.
Haver, winter wolf from the darkened hills. Follows Thom and obeys Thom. Loves treats and rubs. Loves to bite and tear. Chews on the thigh bone of an orc killed last night. Growls but never barks. Can easily stealth and can sniff out the most hidden foes with its snout of true-smell-seeing, which appears like a muzzle of silver steal.
Jonny, human child and paladin in training. Thom's squire though Thom doesn't wear heavy armor anymore. Has two dancing swords and an animated shield. His body is weak but his mind is strong. Has been reading from Thom's old spellbook and has picked up a few spells (psychic ones).
Nanners, old woman. She takes care of the clothes, food, and general tidiness of the group. Chose the name "Acute Satisfaction" and has stitched a banner and crests for all members. She can cast cure light wounds 3/day, and heal 1/day. She also has an amulet of planes and has knowledge of Sigil, city of doors.
So check out these 1d4 rival adventuring parties. First one mentioned is the leader. Make them whatever level you like.
Brothers Sludge
Conway, the roguish dragonborn, wielding his brother's sword and shield (which he is not proficient with). Likes to talk a lot and often makes deals that sound too good to be true (because they are). He's survived with his devilish good looks and unyielding luck. In truth, his armor allows him the Luck ability, allowing him to reroll any roll 3/day. Plus his rogue levels, which come in handy when he flanks with his team.
Dramlin, human bruiser. Friend of Conway's brother, he made an oath to Conway to avenge the untimely death. Doesn't get along well with Conway but likes to kill. Blood feels good on his skin. Before battle he cuts his palm and rubs it on his face, painting the emblem on Conway's shield.
Gnice, pronounced like Agnice without the A. She's the fiance of Conway's brother, and current lover of all things that bleed. Specifically the things she makes bleed. Since her finace's death she's dabbled in necromancy and has three skeletons/zombies tied to her waist by hemp rope. One of them is her fiance. He's the one who constantly tries to make out with her.
Dire Stars
Lodlan, knight of the stars. Wielder of the headband of intellect and staff of the cosmos. He threatens untimely cosmic demise if him or his party comes to harm. The staff is intelligent and controls him. It's true power is that if it's broken, the efreeti inside it is freed. As a knight, Lodlan can fight, but his threats usually work. He is grateful if he is freed and will pay with the headband.
Sammy, human paladin of the stars. Always caught without her armor and in compromising positions. She acts shy and blushes and is very sexual about the whole thing. But that's only because she's typically "caught" by men. And when they lower their guard, she digs their guts out and uses them to speak to her warlock patron (she's multiclassed). She is the one who gave the staff to Lodlan. She hopes to free the efreeti and serve it.
Telouise, the intelligent and wise black cat assassin. A real black cat. She is the first sign of Dire Stars, but most don't notice her. She speaks with an elvish accent and will kill anyone for Sammy or Lodlan, because of how nice they were to her when they were children. She is very loyal and very antagonizing.
Black Bat Alliance
Brother Bridge, the half-orc thief, wearing a leather jacket and carrying a switchblade knife. He is big but quick, strong but nimble, ugly but smart. Though he likes to use his force to steal, he can pickpocket and stealth like no other. He wears a fashionable, studded belt of giant strength and has half his levels in monk. Keeps quiet until he knows something is not a threat.
Brother Cam, human sorcerer who casts spells through his spectral hand. He's not undead. His hand is just ghost-like. It can pass through walls, armor, skin, anything, and spells cast from it get advantage to hit (but don't grant disadvantage on saves). If he shoves the hand into his own body he can go spectral for 1d6 rounds. He likes to go inside people and take them over (like the ghost ability) until time runs out, when he pulls the skin away and it's just him.
Brother Jezwind, elven rogue and plunderer of dragons. He's a new hire and is leader the BBA to their second dragon lair. They've spelunked one and came out fresh and rich, and now they're going back again. He will share this knowledge for a price. And he doesn't take gold. He's got plenty of that. Dawns the cloak of mountbanke, which allows him to dimension door once a day.
Acute Satisfaction
Thom, former Psycho Squad paladin and enforcer turned adventurer. His helmet allows him to read thoughts, detect alignment, and cast zone of truth 1/day. His sidearm, a fully functioning colt .45, is loaded with delayed fireball rounds, which deal no damage but stick to whatever is shot. The code word to make them detonate is on the barrel of his gun. If someone reads it aloud, "Gumshoe", everything goes up in flame.
Haver, winter wolf from the darkened hills. Follows Thom and obeys Thom. Loves treats and rubs. Loves to bite and tear. Chews on the thigh bone of an orc killed last night. Growls but never barks. Can easily stealth and can sniff out the most hidden foes with its snout of true-smell-seeing, which appears like a muzzle of silver steal.
Jonny, human child and paladin in training. Thom's squire though Thom doesn't wear heavy armor anymore. Has two dancing swords and an animated shield. His body is weak but his mind is strong. Has been reading from Thom's old spellbook and has picked up a few spells (psychic ones).
Nanners, old woman. She takes care of the clothes, food, and general tidiness of the group. Chose the name "Acute Satisfaction" and has stitched a banner and crests for all members. She can cast cure light wounds 3/day, and heal 1/day. She also has an amulet of planes and has knowledge of Sigil, city of doors.
1d4 Character Defining Weapons
Characters can be defined by a lot of variables. Traits, ideals, bonds, flaws, whatever. But they can also be defined by the weapon they wield. Anyone who's watched Naruto remembers Gaara and his strange sand jar. Or Darth Maul and his wicked double lightsaber.
So here's a few weapons that can be used by NPCs or (and what I prefer) given to your party that can make them stand out in the world.
Don't give them out until you're ready.
Bad Trip
This is a +1 short sword that goes off of Charisma rather than strength. It was created by the nightmare of a sentient weapon. It's form waver, never forming a full blade, looking like a rip in space, bleeding stars.
Long Sleep - Targets killed by this weapon are disconnected from their corporeal body, floating in the dream world, where they seek the dreams of others.
Dream Catcher - While holding this weapon, the wielder knows the dreams of anyone sleeping within 60ft.
Sentience - Bad Trip is a sentient Nuetral Evil sword with an intelligence of 17 and a wisdom of 15. it communicated to its weilder and those around it in dreams. it appears as someone trust worthy to the dreamer.
Personality - Bad Trip wants to go home, which is located in the Dreamscape. It was born of a nightmare had by another sentient item, which it considers its sister. Being reunited isn't easy on the wielder thought. It's a quest that must be taken alone, through the Dreamscape to the place where the original blade sleeps.
This blade starts with 5 charges and they don't recharge. It gains a charge if it slays a creature. Expending a charge casts a 3rd level magic missile. Expending 3 charges casts dimension door on the wielder. Expending 6 charges sends the wielder to the Dreamscape.
Once More 'Round the Sun
These brilliant gauntlets bring with them the might of our mighty star. They were created by a wizard who collapsed a star. One is dark and silver like the moon, and the other is bright and golden like the sun.
1/day the golden gauntlet can cast daylight and 1/day the silver one can cast darkness. When the sun is down you gain resistance to necrotic damage and when the sun is up you regenerate 1hp per combat round.
Lastly, these gauntlets can hold and wield a sphere of annihilation without repercussion.
Fruit Punch
This +1 cursed weapon comes as a bottle filled with reddish-black liquor. When drank it infused with your blood, giving you the essence of a dead god.
Infusion - Your blood pulls from your forearms and forges either a large great axe (slashing), a mighty maul (bludgeoning), or a halberd (piercing).
The Black - Critical hits with this weapon grant you 1d8 temporary hit points as you drain the blood from your enemy. Kills grant you 1d8 as well.
Symbiote - The blood inside you, in order to protect itself, copies your DNA. The first time you die, and only the first time, the blood will reform your body, albiet in a younger form, tinging your hair red and your iris black.
Sentience - Fruit Punch is sentient and chaotic neutral, with an intelligence of 8 and a wisdom of 12. It used to be a creature, a god, and it was killed. Its blood soaked into the earth and thus certain things contain parts of it.
Personality - Fruit Punch wants to absorb more of itself by locating the other items and gathering together in a singular body. it will tattoo maps on the drinker's body.
Good Eye, Sniper
This +1, sleek firearm looks like a white M1 Garand. It has the logo of the galactic rangers emblazoned in black.
Orbital Targeting System - Looking through the scope targets one creature and tracks them. This functions as the spell "Hunter's Mark".
Death Domain - Against undead this weapon deals an additional d6 and all attacks against them have advantage.
Artificial Intelligence - This weapon is sentient with a wisdon of 18 and an intelligence of 10. it communicates to the wielder through an ear piece found with the weapon.
Personality - The A.I. is very nosy about your personal life. It wants to band so you can trust each other. It always warns of the galactic zombie plague and wants nothing more than to kill undead.
This weapon has 10 charges and replinished 1d10 per day. Expending 1 charge fire a shot that deals 2d10.
So here's a few weapons that can be used by NPCs or (and what I prefer) given to your party that can make them stand out in the world.
Don't give them out until you're ready.
Bad Trip
This is a +1 short sword that goes off of Charisma rather than strength. It was created by the nightmare of a sentient weapon. It's form waver, never forming a full blade, looking like a rip in space, bleeding stars.
Long Sleep - Targets killed by this weapon are disconnected from their corporeal body, floating in the dream world, where they seek the dreams of others.
Dream Catcher - While holding this weapon, the wielder knows the dreams of anyone sleeping within 60ft.
Sentience - Bad Trip is a sentient Nuetral Evil sword with an intelligence of 17 and a wisdom of 15. it communicated to its weilder and those around it in dreams. it appears as someone trust worthy to the dreamer.
Personality - Bad Trip wants to go home, which is located in the Dreamscape. It was born of a nightmare had by another sentient item, which it considers its sister. Being reunited isn't easy on the wielder thought. It's a quest that must be taken alone, through the Dreamscape to the place where the original blade sleeps.
This blade starts with 5 charges and they don't recharge. It gains a charge if it slays a creature. Expending a charge casts a 3rd level magic missile. Expending 3 charges casts dimension door on the wielder. Expending 6 charges sends the wielder to the Dreamscape.
Once More 'Round the Sun
These brilliant gauntlets bring with them the might of our mighty star. They were created by a wizard who collapsed a star. One is dark and silver like the moon, and the other is bright and golden like the sun.
1/day the golden gauntlet can cast daylight and 1/day the silver one can cast darkness. When the sun is down you gain resistance to necrotic damage and when the sun is up you regenerate 1hp per combat round.
Lastly, these gauntlets can hold and wield a sphere of annihilation without repercussion.
Fruit Punch
This +1 cursed weapon comes as a bottle filled with reddish-black liquor. When drank it infused with your blood, giving you the essence of a dead god.
Infusion - Your blood pulls from your forearms and forges either a large great axe (slashing), a mighty maul (bludgeoning), or a halberd (piercing).
The Black - Critical hits with this weapon grant you 1d8 temporary hit points as you drain the blood from your enemy. Kills grant you 1d8 as well.
Symbiote - The blood inside you, in order to protect itself, copies your DNA. The first time you die, and only the first time, the blood will reform your body, albiet in a younger form, tinging your hair red and your iris black.
Sentience - Fruit Punch is sentient and chaotic neutral, with an intelligence of 8 and a wisdom of 12. It used to be a creature, a god, and it was killed. Its blood soaked into the earth and thus certain things contain parts of it.
Personality - Fruit Punch wants to absorb more of itself by locating the other items and gathering together in a singular body. it will tattoo maps on the drinker's body.
Good Eye, Sniper
This +1, sleek firearm looks like a white M1 Garand. It has the logo of the galactic rangers emblazoned in black.
Orbital Targeting System - Looking through the scope targets one creature and tracks them. This functions as the spell "Hunter's Mark".
Death Domain - Against undead this weapon deals an additional d6 and all attacks against them have advantage.
Artificial Intelligence - This weapon is sentient with a wisdon of 18 and an intelligence of 10. it communicates to the wielder through an ear piece found with the weapon.
Personality - The A.I. is very nosy about your personal life. It wants to band so you can trust each other. It always warns of the galactic zombie plague and wants nothing more than to kill undead.
This weapon has 10 charges and replinished 1d10 per day. Expending 1 charge fire a shot that deals 2d10.
One Page Settings: The Dread Lands
This is a setting that fits one one page. You could come up with a campaign with these basics.
The Dread Lands are a splattering of regions on the Sunbroke Sea, located around a great mountain known as the Spire. Ruling over the Dread Lands are the powerful beings known as the Dread Lords. Pellimore, the burning death, crusader and zealot of the city of Eclipse. Good King Oberon, father of all fey and ruler over the Dreamscape. Slade, the death knight and ruler of the Dreadfort. And the Conglomerate of Giant Empires, owners of the Forge and rulers of all giant-kind.
They were given the title of Dread Lord from their claim to a dead god’s power. This god died before time and its death created the Spire and imbued it with magical power. There are several sources of power located within and near the Spire and the magic itself creates and recycles this power all the time.
Accessing this power is not as simple as owning it. A willing or forced blessing given from a princess is needed as well. The princesses are numerous, there could be as many as a thousand, but they all have one thing in common. They are descendants of the dead god. The Dread Lords collect and control these princesses so that they can keep their power and rule over their people.
Pellimore holds the dragon princesses, granting him the powers of the ten Orbs of Dragonkind. Slade imprisoned Skeleton, Wight, and Shadow princess, giving him command of the Dreadfort and its unlimited skeletal army. Oberon, being a descendant of this dead god himself, is father of all fey including Avalon the Nymph, his princess of many suitors. Lastly, the giants have the princesses of all giant kind, giving them dominion over all giants and their descendants. They have also taken the dwarven princesses (twins), giving them control over the Forge, a magical, volcanic vent.
These Dread Lords have a tenuous relationship. Each is greedy in their own way and each wants to keep tabs on the other to make sure there’s nothing secretive happens. So they started a council. Their first rule is “no secrets” and they meet yearly to discuss developments. The fear of retaliation from other Dread Lords keeps most from doing anything rash. This keeps the Spire in a constant state of cold war, where the fear of others power keeps everyone gathering more power.
Players in this world can take on a variety of roles. Fighting against the Dread Lords is an uphill battle but not an unwinnable one. Whether the party wants to overthrow the tyrants or take their place, entire campaigns can be wrought on the Spire.
Around the Spire, players can work with a Dread Lord to help clean up their land, taking out opposing threats, battling against the other Dread Lords in war. There are chances for espionage, large-scale combats, encounters with colossi, or just plain ole monster hunting. Every Dread Lord has secrets and every one of them wants the Spire for themselves. So why not help them out?
Whatever you choose, the Dread Lands are a great place to insert into your current world, or use by itself to create a versatile and unforgettable campaign.
The Dread Lands are a splattering of regions on the Sunbroke Sea, located around a great mountain known as the Spire. Ruling over the Dread Lands are the powerful beings known as the Dread Lords. Pellimore, the burning death, crusader and zealot of the city of Eclipse. Good King Oberon, father of all fey and ruler over the Dreamscape. Slade, the death knight and ruler of the Dreadfort. And the Conglomerate of Giant Empires, owners of the Forge and rulers of all giant-kind.
They were given the title of Dread Lord from their claim to a dead god’s power. This god died before time and its death created the Spire and imbued it with magical power. There are several sources of power located within and near the Spire and the magic itself creates and recycles this power all the time.
Accessing this power is not as simple as owning it. A willing or forced blessing given from a princess is needed as well. The princesses are numerous, there could be as many as a thousand, but they all have one thing in common. They are descendants of the dead god. The Dread Lords collect and control these princesses so that they can keep their power and rule over their people.
Pellimore holds the dragon princesses, granting him the powers of the ten Orbs of Dragonkind. Slade imprisoned Skeleton, Wight, and Shadow princess, giving him command of the Dreadfort and its unlimited skeletal army. Oberon, being a descendant of this dead god himself, is father of all fey including Avalon the Nymph, his princess of many suitors. Lastly, the giants have the princesses of all giant kind, giving them dominion over all giants and their descendants. They have also taken the dwarven princesses (twins), giving them control over the Forge, a magical, volcanic vent.
These Dread Lords have a tenuous relationship. Each is greedy in their own way and each wants to keep tabs on the other to make sure there’s nothing secretive happens. So they started a council. Their first rule is “no secrets” and they meet yearly to discuss developments. The fear of retaliation from other Dread Lords keeps most from doing anything rash. This keeps the Spire in a constant state of cold war, where the fear of others power keeps everyone gathering more power.
Players in this world can take on a variety of roles. Fighting against the Dread Lords is an uphill battle but not an unwinnable one. Whether the party wants to overthrow the tyrants or take their place, entire campaigns can be wrought on the Spire.
Around the Spire, players can work with a Dread Lord to help clean up their land, taking out opposing threats, battling against the other Dread Lords in war. There are chances for espionage, large-scale combats, encounters with colossi, or just plain ole monster hunting. Every Dread Lord has secrets and every one of them wants the Spire for themselves. So why not help them out?
Whatever you choose, the Dread Lands are a great place to insert into your current world, or use by itself to create a versatile and unforgettable campaign.
From DnD to Darksouls to DnD Again.
Every since the first Dark Souls people have been asking for a setting, monsters, and weapons from that game to be ported into some sort of campaign guide for Dungeons and Dragons. Some people say that AD&D is the way to go. Others have actually made decent looking homebrew for some of the monsters/bosses of the first game. But I'm here to take a look at Dungeons and Dragons, and Dark Souls and see what it would take to make a true Dark Souls campaign.
First of all, we need to figure out what Dungeons and Dragons is at its core. Now, everyone plays the game differently and the table you sit at will determine what sort of rules/rulings you'll get. But looking at it from a RAW perspective, Dungeons and Dragons can be broken down into a few mechanics (we're talking about 5e from this point, mainly because it's what I play, but also because it's what I'm most familiar with on the design side of things):
1. A game of dungeons and dragons is called a session, which typically involves an adventure, which can be part of a larger campaign. These things will be described below.
2. A campaign is a string of adventurers that involves dealing with one particular question (i.e. will the adventurers defeat the cult before they summon Tiamat?).
3. An adventure is a string of encounters revolving around a smaller question (i.e. will the adventurers find the cult headquarters?)
4. An encounter is an even smaller question (i.e. can the adventurers defeat the giant guarding the stairwell?)
5. D&D characters level up by gaining experience points through combat/non-combat encounters.
6. 5e is set up to be handled in "Adventure Days", which are called such because it is the reasonable amount of encounters an adventure can handle in that day at that level.
7. Two short rests are typical per Adventure Day, and a short rest is an hour where the party can sit and recuperate, spending Hit Dice to regain hit points, as well as recharging certain abilities.
8. After an Adventure Day, the party typically takes a long rest, which is 8 hours and allows for a full recharge of HP as well as a recharge on all abilities.
That's a lot of stuff, but that stuff is what makes D&D actually feel like the game the designers wanted it to be. And you may be looking at it already and seeing some connections between it and Dark Souls. Even if you are, I'm going to talk about them. So let's dive in.
1. Campaigns! Dark Souls is a campaign. Dark Souls 2 is a campaign. Bloodborne is a campaign. You see where I'm going with this. This is simple, but coming up with a Dark Souls campaign is as simple as looking at the opening cutscenes to the souls campaigns and finding a pattern. Typically, the opening cutscene presents a problem with the world ("On the first day", "In the age of ancients"), and shows you who's going to be kicking your ass all game. The bosses. The BBEG. This should be 1-2 paragraphs. First paragraph to sum up the world and the problem. Second to show the main challenges/bosses of the world.
2. An Adventure is also easy to quantify. Adventures are the bosses. "Can I defeat the Moonlight Butterfly?" That question is an adventure. It involves locations, monsters, a summon NPC. It's got it all. It has several encounters and adventure days worth of fun (or death). So figuring out your bosses/optional bosses is the first step to starting your adventure planning.
3. I'm going to move these around because it's important, but we'll talk about the Adventure Day next, because this is the most important point in making a Dark Souls campaign. Each Adventure Day should have a goal, and this goal is solved by defeating encounters. These goals are building towards the end of the adventure. The boss. In Dark Souls, the Adventure Day is divided among three questions: Can I make it to the next bonfire? Can I open this shortcut? Can I defeat the boss?
4. Which means that each area should have a certain number of bonfires/shortcuts/bosses depending on how many adventure days it takes to get through. Deciding how many adventure days you want per area is actually a hard science. It can be discussed later, in its own article (maybe when we design our own Dark Souls D&D campaign). But ideally you want to shoot for 5-8.
5. So that means there should be 5-8 encounters (NPC encounters, Traps, Combats) in between each bonfire/shortcut. And depending on the level of your party, there can be multiple adventuring days accomplished before leveling up. Again, there is a math to it and it can be discussed later, but until then, just understand that Adventuring days equate to bonfires/shortcuts (and also bosses, but designing bosses that fight like Dark Souls bosses will again be discussed later).
7. Encounters are easy enough to talk about. They are the dragon on the wall, the skeleton soldiers in the burg, the wraiths in the flooded ruins. They are meant to chip away resources and in Dark Souls this notion is pushed to the maximum. There are a few rules that can be followed to make D&D encounter work more like Dark Souls: Max HP for enemy combatants, Max damage for enemy combatants, lowered AC because hitting an enemy never seems to be the problem.
8. Really encounters could be its own article, and it might be, but for now let's just briefly talk about the idea of XP and how encounters should reward XP. Typically, when designing a D&D campaign, there are planned encounters which are worth xp and random encounters which are worth xp. In Dark Souls, the only planned encounters are the bosses. Running past enemies is an option and defeated the skeletons in the burg does not give the kind of souls that helps. So when you are designing Dark Souls D&D encounters, alot 10-25% of the xp to the encounters between bonfires/shortcuts, and 90-75% of the xp to defeating bosses.
8. What that does is show the party that these encounters are not rewarding in the same way that the bosses are. They are there to drain resources, and unlocking the shortcuts/bonfires are the real reward to dealing with them. Saving resources for a boss fight is the goal, because that's the goal in Dark Souls. Keep your flasks and your spells for the Gargoyles. Don't waste them on the stupid undead.
9. That leads to the last D&D mechanic, which is the idea of short and long rests. In Dark Souls there's a thing called Estus Flasks. It's got a limited amount of uses, which recharge after resting at a bonfire. Hit Dice, spent in short rests, are limited and recharge after taking a long rest.
10. Hit Dice are Estus Flasks. Players spend them to get HP back quickly. But to make it quick, the idea of a short rest needs to be switched and almost abolished. A short rest is an action. In that action a player can expend as many Hit Dice as they want to "chug" from their flask.
11. You can push this even further to say that it's a reaction or a bonus action. I think it could (and should) be either or. As a reaction to being smashed by the Gargoyles spear, I spend three hit die to chug. Or, after attacking with my bow I use my bonus action to chug. I think this allows for greater verisimilitude.
12. If that's what a short rest is, then what's a long rest? Well, a long rest is any moment spend sitting at a bonfire. Once you sit and stand up from a specifically placed bonfire, your HP are back, your HD restored, and your spells/abilities are ready to use.
13. What does this change? It changes the idea of random encounters at night. These don't happen anymore. Random encounters themselves don't really work anymore, because technically all the encounters between the 1st bonfire and the boss are random/optional encounters because they don't reward much XP.
14. There could be a problem with this being abused. But like in Dark Souls, every time any player rests at at bonfire, the random/optional encounters reset, bringing more resource draining challenges between the party their goal. This pushes the party to go further, to find that shortcut or next bonfire.
So lets review what we've discussed thus far. Starting a campaign in Dark Souls involves a short opening which discusses the world and the central problem, as well as introducing to the party who they will be facing over the course of the campaign.
Creating adventures is about designing an area and a boss that is supposed to be defeated for that area to be cleared. Adventures are split into adventure days, which are represented by bonfires/shortcuts/and the boss itself. These adventure days involve 5-7 encounters (typically) which are very unrewarding and are meant to drain resources of the party, until the boss battle which is most of the XP for the adventure.
During an adventure day, the party has short rests which can be used as a bonus action or a reaction. During a short rest the player can spend their allotted hit dice to regain hit points. Reaching a bonfire and resting is the equivalent of a long rest, which restores HP, hit dice, and class abilities. But long rests also respawn optional/random encounters, ensuring that a party can't just keep backtracking to heal up.
Honestly that's a lot of stuff, and looking at that and thinking about your favorite moments in Dark Souls could be enough to run a campaign. But I'd like to go deeper and maybe even go so far as to create an entire campaign with your help. We'll get to talk about planning out adventure days, designing bosses, distributing XP/magic weapons, and all that fun shit.
But this is enough for now.
Until next time,
don't die.
P.S. - The idea just struck, but I didn't discuss the idea of death being meaningless in Dark Souls. But honestly I believe it should still hold weight in the D&D world, but you can always homebrew a rule if you believe death is an integral part of this campaign.
The rule would be something like: When your HP reaches 0, you respawn at the closest bonfire. Do not make saves, do not collect 200 dollars. Your HP is reduced by (a specific or level-based number) and you look hideous in anything but a facemask until you (defeat the monster who killed you, get your XP back, taken an item).
Honestly, it could be cool to prepare 2 character per player. One would be the normal character, and the other would be a revenant version of them. Or a special hollowed template version.
First of all, we need to figure out what Dungeons and Dragons is at its core. Now, everyone plays the game differently and the table you sit at will determine what sort of rules/rulings you'll get. But looking at it from a RAW perspective, Dungeons and Dragons can be broken down into a few mechanics (we're talking about 5e from this point, mainly because it's what I play, but also because it's what I'm most familiar with on the design side of things):
1. A game of dungeons and dragons is called a session, which typically involves an adventure, which can be part of a larger campaign. These things will be described below.
2. A campaign is a string of adventurers that involves dealing with one particular question (i.e. will the adventurers defeat the cult before they summon Tiamat?).
3. An adventure is a string of encounters revolving around a smaller question (i.e. will the adventurers find the cult headquarters?)
4. An encounter is an even smaller question (i.e. can the adventurers defeat the giant guarding the stairwell?)
5. D&D characters level up by gaining experience points through combat/non-combat encounters.
6. 5e is set up to be handled in "Adventure Days", which are called such because it is the reasonable amount of encounters an adventure can handle in that day at that level.
7. Two short rests are typical per Adventure Day, and a short rest is an hour where the party can sit and recuperate, spending Hit Dice to regain hit points, as well as recharging certain abilities.
8. After an Adventure Day, the party typically takes a long rest, which is 8 hours and allows for a full recharge of HP as well as a recharge on all abilities.
That's a lot of stuff, but that stuff is what makes D&D actually feel like the game the designers wanted it to be. And you may be looking at it already and seeing some connections between it and Dark Souls. Even if you are, I'm going to talk about them. So let's dive in.
1. Campaigns! Dark Souls is a campaign. Dark Souls 2 is a campaign. Bloodborne is a campaign. You see where I'm going with this. This is simple, but coming up with a Dark Souls campaign is as simple as looking at the opening cutscenes to the souls campaigns and finding a pattern. Typically, the opening cutscene presents a problem with the world ("On the first day", "In the age of ancients"), and shows you who's going to be kicking your ass all game. The bosses. The BBEG. This should be 1-2 paragraphs. First paragraph to sum up the world and the problem. Second to show the main challenges/bosses of the world.
2. An Adventure is also easy to quantify. Adventures are the bosses. "Can I defeat the Moonlight Butterfly?" That question is an adventure. It involves locations, monsters, a summon NPC. It's got it all. It has several encounters and adventure days worth of fun (or death). So figuring out your bosses/optional bosses is the first step to starting your adventure planning.
3. I'm going to move these around because it's important, but we'll talk about the Adventure Day next, because this is the most important point in making a Dark Souls campaign. Each Adventure Day should have a goal, and this goal is solved by defeating encounters. These goals are building towards the end of the adventure. The boss. In Dark Souls, the Adventure Day is divided among three questions: Can I make it to the next bonfire? Can I open this shortcut? Can I defeat the boss?
4. Which means that each area should have a certain number of bonfires/shortcuts/bosses depending on how many adventure days it takes to get through. Deciding how many adventure days you want per area is actually a hard science. It can be discussed later, in its own article (maybe when we design our own Dark Souls D&D campaign). But ideally you want to shoot for 5-8.
5. So that means there should be 5-8 encounters (NPC encounters, Traps, Combats) in between each bonfire/shortcut. And depending on the level of your party, there can be multiple adventuring days accomplished before leveling up. Again, there is a math to it and it can be discussed later, but until then, just understand that Adventuring days equate to bonfires/shortcuts (and also bosses, but designing bosses that fight like Dark Souls bosses will again be discussed later).
7. Encounters are easy enough to talk about. They are the dragon on the wall, the skeleton soldiers in the burg, the wraiths in the flooded ruins. They are meant to chip away resources and in Dark Souls this notion is pushed to the maximum. There are a few rules that can be followed to make D&D encounter work more like Dark Souls: Max HP for enemy combatants, Max damage for enemy combatants, lowered AC because hitting an enemy never seems to be the problem.
8. Really encounters could be its own article, and it might be, but for now let's just briefly talk about the idea of XP and how encounters should reward XP. Typically, when designing a D&D campaign, there are planned encounters which are worth xp and random encounters which are worth xp. In Dark Souls, the only planned encounters are the bosses. Running past enemies is an option and defeated the skeletons in the burg does not give the kind of souls that helps. So when you are designing Dark Souls D&D encounters, alot 10-25% of the xp to the encounters between bonfires/shortcuts, and 90-75% of the xp to defeating bosses.
8. What that does is show the party that these encounters are not rewarding in the same way that the bosses are. They are there to drain resources, and unlocking the shortcuts/bonfires are the real reward to dealing with them. Saving resources for a boss fight is the goal, because that's the goal in Dark Souls. Keep your flasks and your spells for the Gargoyles. Don't waste them on the stupid undead.
9. That leads to the last D&D mechanic, which is the idea of short and long rests. In Dark Souls there's a thing called Estus Flasks. It's got a limited amount of uses, which recharge after resting at a bonfire. Hit Dice, spent in short rests, are limited and recharge after taking a long rest.
10. Hit Dice are Estus Flasks. Players spend them to get HP back quickly. But to make it quick, the idea of a short rest needs to be switched and almost abolished. A short rest is an action. In that action a player can expend as many Hit Dice as they want to "chug" from their flask.
11. You can push this even further to say that it's a reaction or a bonus action. I think it could (and should) be either or. As a reaction to being smashed by the Gargoyles spear, I spend three hit die to chug. Or, after attacking with my bow I use my bonus action to chug. I think this allows for greater verisimilitude.
12. If that's what a short rest is, then what's a long rest? Well, a long rest is any moment spend sitting at a bonfire. Once you sit and stand up from a specifically placed bonfire, your HP are back, your HD restored, and your spells/abilities are ready to use.
13. What does this change? It changes the idea of random encounters at night. These don't happen anymore. Random encounters themselves don't really work anymore, because technically all the encounters between the 1st bonfire and the boss are random/optional encounters because they don't reward much XP.
14. There could be a problem with this being abused. But like in Dark Souls, every time any player rests at at bonfire, the random/optional encounters reset, bringing more resource draining challenges between the party their goal. This pushes the party to go further, to find that shortcut or next bonfire.
So lets review what we've discussed thus far. Starting a campaign in Dark Souls involves a short opening which discusses the world and the central problem, as well as introducing to the party who they will be facing over the course of the campaign.
Creating adventures is about designing an area and a boss that is supposed to be defeated for that area to be cleared. Adventures are split into adventure days, which are represented by bonfires/shortcuts/and the boss itself. These adventure days involve 5-7 encounters (typically) which are very unrewarding and are meant to drain resources of the party, until the boss battle which is most of the XP for the adventure.
During an adventure day, the party has short rests which can be used as a bonus action or a reaction. During a short rest the player can spend their allotted hit dice to regain hit points. Reaching a bonfire and resting is the equivalent of a long rest, which restores HP, hit dice, and class abilities. But long rests also respawn optional/random encounters, ensuring that a party can't just keep backtracking to heal up.
Honestly that's a lot of stuff, and looking at that and thinking about your favorite moments in Dark Souls could be enough to run a campaign. But I'd like to go deeper and maybe even go so far as to create an entire campaign with your help. We'll get to talk about planning out adventure days, designing bosses, distributing XP/magic weapons, and all that fun shit.
But this is enough for now.
Until next time,
don't die.
P.S. - The idea just struck, but I didn't discuss the idea of death being meaningless in Dark Souls. But honestly I believe it should still hold weight in the D&D world, but you can always homebrew a rule if you believe death is an integral part of this campaign.
The rule would be something like: When your HP reaches 0, you respawn at the closest bonfire. Do not make saves, do not collect 200 dollars. Your HP is reduced by (a specific or level-based number) and you look hideous in anything but a facemask until you (defeat the monster who killed you, get your XP back, taken an item).
Honestly, it could be cool to prepare 2 character per player. One would be the normal character, and the other would be a revenant version of them. Or a special hollowed template version.
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