The second week of May always packs in a lot of festivals (there are four family birthdays plus Mothers’ Day all within a six day stretch), then I piled on the opening two games of the Tacoma Defiance broadcast season (with D&D references, because that’s who I am). Now, back to blogging.
Whether PC, or current edition of the XBox, Microsoft fans will get Dark Alliance on day one. The co-op action RPG with hard rock vibes is not part of an early access, it’s just going to launch. As an old, I’m a fan of that.
D&D x Magic: The Gathering crossover preview
The Summer of Legend is coming. Thinking all the way back to when I started playing Magic up on the hills of Renton and Kent I expected the two games would have a crossover. That was back in 1993. Now, in the year of our lord 2021 it is finally happening.
The guest list doesn’t include anyone from Wizards specifically, but the presence of an eOne executive promises at least a tiny chance at some D&D movie or TV news.
Breaking up Lore Collage helps me spread the love to third-party creators a bit more. They aren’t buried, instead featured. Podcasts, mapmakers, settings creators, expansions and more — there’s so much 5e stuff out there. These are my favorite discoveries of the week.
Dark Dice inks Jeff Goldblum
Dark Dice is a long running podcast that is part actual play, part radio play. Their latest season added Jeff Goldblum. Yes, the same Goldblum you’re thinking of already. It’s a huge get for the small podcast. The coverage included Deadline, Yahoo, and Polygon.
I guess it’s time for me to give it some time. I’ve enjoyed the radio play stylings of Godsfall, so I’m ready for more as the radio nerd I used to be.
Level Up Journeys
The latest playtest from Level Up is dedicated to the exploration pillar of play. The expansion of just journeys is enormous, and a compelling addition to any table. The stories which inspired D&D include so much detail about journeys, your game shouldn’t cut those moments down to two sentences.
Every wanderer needs a God
Deven Rue makes more than maps. She seeds stories inspired by her maps. One of those latest seeds is a Goddess of Maps. The Wandering Mistress guides those who travel for any reason. Add the Mistress to your world and you gain a deity, a guild and several boons.
Want to play yourself? Melbourne University created an app that converts your face into the six attributes and a suggested class. It thinks I am a CE, Cleric with STR 15, DEX 9, CON 12, INT 9, WIS 15, CHA 9. Maybe. Probably not, as I haven’t been close to a STR 15 since my 20s.
As always, maps
Here is a map of mine on the @roll20app I have up, with more on the way!
Summerfort is a city of intrigue, a city of traders, explorers, madmen, and murderers, against a backdrop of rolling hills and luscious woods.
The biggest news related to D&D the tabletop game is the upcoming setting book Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft. If all you know is Barovia, the new book is about to add many more varieties of horror to your table or video chat games. The Black Dice Society is the perfect stream to introduce you to some of them, but it’s more than that.
On Tuesdays Lore Collage focuses on the D&D game of dice and paper.
Previewing Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
The official intro to the full book includes thoughts from the designers.
Lysa Penrose threaded snapshots from her advance copy over on Twitter.
HEAVY BREATHING!!! Some ravens dropped off a surprise package (Thanks @Wizards_DnD!!) of the upcoming Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft!! It even includes some delicious (or cursed) recipes.
Fans of Tales from the Mist, Haunting is Good Society, and horror in general, prepare!!! pic.twitter.com/UtvBxps7h4
— Lysa Penrose (fae/faer) (@lysapenrose) May 1, 2021
Polygon, Forbes, and SyFy each were given an in-depth advance preview of a non-Barovia Domain of Dread. With over 30 Domains available, you can craft the perfect story for your table, even if you have players who follow all of the previews out there. There are still undead, constructs, cosmic horrors, and more lurking behind every page.
One of those Domains is Eberron’s Cyre, which disappeared after some kind of apocalypse during the Last War. Not only covered in Van Richten’s Guide, Cyre is also getting a deeper treatment from Keith Baker.
The survey is up to review the various Draconic races, feats, and spells in the April Unearthed Arcana. There were a bunch of intriguing ideas, but at this time they feature major changes to a PHB race, as well as one of my favorite little peoples. When I filled the survey out I suggested that these draconic races should follow the subrace format of other races, rather the confusing way orcs exist.
"No standard spell could take out a dragon this size. This was clearly the work of a Kolvoord Starburst. Our first duty is to find out the truth of who's performing such a spell" -Paladin Joanne Pikeman @roll20apphttps://t.co/zXDzwq0QUm#dndpic.twitter.com/PdxwECu4tH
Lore Collage is shifting to a regular posting schedule with the aggregation of links having a specific focus. With more and more press being generated by the game, past links posts would have several dozen items, which is just too much.
That breakdown is;
Monday Movies and other franchise news.
Tuesday Tabletop – Official D&D games news and reviews.
Wednesday Playdates in Pandemic – library games, mainstream coverage of socialization via D&D, and advice for your table.
Thursday Third-party – promoting discovered homebrew and professional content
Friday – General geekery that I enjoy unrelated to D&D
Dark Alliance looks like it is going to capture the hack-and-slash style that some tables prefer. Light on the roleplay, the heavy combat game fits a specific gaming niche. Gamerant likes Dark Alliance for those reasons.
Rick and Morty versus D&D special release
Not the boxed set, which isn’t part of my collection, this is the comics series featuring Rick and Morty with a Dungeons & Dragons twist. This special collector’s edition seems like a great gift for the right person (one of my earliest 5e players would dig it).
Hasbro D&D adjacent news
eOne, more well known for it’s movies (like D&D) and TV shows (like Grey’s Anatomy) is selling off its music assets for $385 million in cash.
Fantasy literature is full of parties – Bilbo’s birthday, various fests appear in Robin Hood, lunar celebrations and so much more. Watching or reading celebration scenes helps connects these myths and fantasies to reality. Who doesn’t like a party? They also are a reminder that the times upon which Dungeons & Dragons are founded had a hundred holidays.
All told, holiday leisure time in medieval England took up probably about one-third of the year. And the English were apparently working harder than their neighbors. The ancien règime in France is reported to have guaranteed fifty-two Sundays, ninety rest days, and thirty-eight holidays. In Spain, travelers noted that holidays totaled five months per year.
Within our games we can also capture these feelings of merriment, civic pride, religious faith, and family gathering. Not only can we, we should. The foundational literature demands it. Having characters and societies that are more than sword swinging, spell flinging battlers creates stories of greater emotional depth.
There are several ways that you can integrate these events into your campaigns. Whether they get a couple lines or are a couple sessions will be up to you and your tables.
Fetch Quests
This may be the easiest way to add a holiday to the start of your game. A cold open that involves a civic leader that needs the very specific item for the holiday in question gathers a group of specialists together in order to find the lost item.
Maybe at the beginning the community is downhearted. Rather than party they have to head off into the wilds to search for very specific item. Their journey brings them out of the village. In that world they can discover the thing, bring it back home as heroes and the festival is now also a victory celebartion.
Introducing New Culture
Journeys to strange lands mean new discoveries. When the group arrives in an unfamiliar place have them encounter a festival unlike any they’ve seen before. This introduction to a new culture emphasizes the differences, in a way that is full of brightness, joy, and excitement (unless you choose something dour).
By arriving at fest-time the group immediately knows how different the place is. Maybe if they have observational knowledge of the culture a history or culture check helps the character in question understand what is going on. Otherwise the group learns what’s going on by engaging with the worlds and cultures which you’ve created together.
Change of Pace
Between dungeons, dragons, orc wars, piracy, invasions by mindflayers, elemental cultists, the mists – what happens? Normal life. And normal life in the worlds of D&D is weird. But it’s also people who do things like celebrate birth, coming-of-age, weddings, coronations, harvests, solstices, equinoxes and more.
Take those moments of normality to highlight the abnormality of your D&D world. The dichotomy of a party with the world-shaking events of a tier 3 or 4 adventure is potent. Those few moments of calmness and levity during a session may just be the ones that the table remembers later. Killing a 45th bandit isn’t a big deal. Giving the town kids the feather of an owlbear? That’s a moment!
Victory Celebrations
You’ve cleared the dungeon, slain the dragon, the forces of Gruumsh were held back, recovered the holy tooth of the founding family of the town, the heist was prevented, the heist was successful – however your adventure or campaign ends there must be a party, a big party.
Maybe the characters are throw the party. Perhaps the queen calls the empire to celebrate. Imagine that you’ve save the world and the Old Gods convene the grandest fairies of the planes to reward you and the world for the success.
Inspiration for Characters
You can also spin things the other way. Search real world festivals and holidays and turn them into you own character concepts. Maybe your next Artificer is based the technomancers of Jingle Jangle. What Moon Druid isn’t dedicated to the thirteen full moons? Before you became a hero were you a carnival barker? Your next D&D character could be the expert marksman brought in as a ringer, or the strongest person in the world.
Every birthday, holiday, or real world festival is an opportunity for character creation. So create. I’m certain that Awf’s birthday is coming up. Everyone’s favorite axe-wizard is going to party like the elf-raised dwarf he is – I don’t know what that means yet.
How do you integrate festivals, holidays, and birthdays into your D&D games?
This archetype has been banging around my head for some time. The ability of words to inspire rebellion, to move nations, and to inspire people to be better is quite clear. Dungeons & Dragons kind of wraps this into the College of Whispers Bard, but that’s quite supernatural. The Rogue: Propagandist is mundane, based in historic examples such as Thomas Paine and Benjamin Franklin, as well as in certain versions of Assassin’s Creed.
The design intent is to empower more play in urban and/or political campaigns. This attempt, which is essentially version 1.5, uses new mechanic for the rogue, one that demonstrates that people who publicly advocate for rebellion are often known, but still effective. The Propagandist most powerful abilities are powered by their Sneak Attack dice. This seemed to fit better than making them weak Bards in an Arcane Trickster variant like the Society of Veil and Shadows.
Most of the lore description is removed from this pre-publication draft in order to focus on the mechanics, which are complex and new. The Swarm of Commoners and the Printing Press tool are just shells of what they will be in the future as well.
Rogue: Propagandist
Rebel and Pamphleteer
You rose from the underbelly of empire to demand a better life for all. Your pamphlets and speeches can inspire hope, or fear. Whether from the soapbox or via playbill your proclamations turn the tides of rebellion or keep a government in power.
Propagandist Features
Level
Ability
3rd
Wordsmith, Rabble Rousing
9th
Proclamations
13th
Grand Voice
17th
Master Essayist
Wordsmith
When you choose this archetype at 3rd level you gain proficiency with the Printing Press and a skill from the following list — History, Investigation, Insight, Deception, Persuasion, and/or Performance.
In addition you learn one language of your choice.
At 6th level you may choose the Printing Press for your expertise option.
Rabble Rousing
Your words inspire rebellion. You are able to summon a Swarm of Commoners. These commoners are allied with your cause, but are not willing to die for it. You spend an active Sneak Attack die for each use of this ability per short rest. The number of dice used determine how many Swarms you summon. Rabble Rousing takes a minimum 10 minutes to activate via speech, pamphlet, or other communication. The Swarm is summoned at a time and location where some commoners could be expected. The Swarm of Commoners has advantage on saves versus fear and are considered under the effects of the Charmed condition.
Proclamations
To issue a Proclamation you spend at least ten minutes creating a pamphlet, playbill, speech, cartoon, etc. These Proclamations grant bonuses to those who experience their call. Those bonuses are equal to the number of Sneak Attack dice spent at the time of proclamation (Proclamation Bonus). The Proclamations’ influence extends to a number of subjects determined by the proficiency bonus + ability score modifier in the skill or tool used to deliver the proclamation. The proclamation can be delivered via speech (Persuasion, Deception, Performance), pamphlet (Printing Press), or cartoon (Calligrapher’s Tools, Painter’s Tools). A tool would use Intelligence (i.e. a 9th level Propagandist with an INT of 14 issuing a Proclamation of Safe Haven via a pamphlet would grant 6 readers the benefits of Safe Haven).
Proclamations that require a save do so against a DC determined by 8 + Proficiency and Intelligence Bonus.
List of Proclamations
Unrest – A number of Swarm of Commoners determined by the spent Sneak Attack dice gain a Proclamation Bonus of temporary HPs and gain the same bonus to damage rolls. These Swarms will attack on the Propagandist’s initiative roll minus 10. The Proclamation inspires a rebellion.
Rally – Subjects regain hit points in the number of the spent Sneak Attack dice plus a Proclamation Bonus (ie. 2d6+6) as these Proclamations rebuild the morale of wounded forces.
Urgency – Subjects gain a Proclamation Bonus to their next initiative roll. Subjects are eager to join the fight.
Power – Subjects gain a Proclamation Bonus to their damage rolls during their next combat. Those attentive to the Proclamation recognize that they are powerful.
Warning – Subjects fall under the Frightened condition if they fail a Wisdom Save versus your Proclamation DC. They are wary of the forces working against them, afraid of any Swarm of Commoners and/or the Propagandist. They are overcome with this fear for one hour.
Safe Haven – Subjects are able to gain the benefits of a short rest via the calming words of the Proclamation.
Grand Voice
Beginning at 13th level your words can invigorate your allies. You can use a Reaction to have an ally reroll a failed Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma saving throw. You have a proficiency bonus number of uses of this ability per long rest.
At 17th level you may also remove one level of Exhaustion via your Grand Voice, as long as the level of Exhaustion is not level 5 or 6. You may only remove one level of Exhaustion per ally in this manner.
Master Essayist
The strength of your words lasts. At 17th level any of your Proclamations (except Safe Haven) issued using a Printing Press grant their benefits/disadvantages until the target takes a short rest.
Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature’s space and vice versa. The swarm can move through any opening large enough for a Medium commoner. The swarm can’t regain hit points or gain temporary hit points except via Proclamations.
Actions
Club.Melee weapon attack: +4 to hit, Reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (3d4) bludgeoning damage. This attack assumes multiple commoners are attacking as one.
The Swarm of Commoners can be adjusted if made up of a single humanoid race. Usually their weapons are clubs, but in some cases they may all use a specific simple weapon.
Any ally of the Propagandist, or the Propagandist themselves, that attacks from within the Swarm of Commoners has advantage on their attacks. They may also use the Swarm for half-cover, attempt a Stealth/Deception check as a bonus action. Upon a success the individual within the Swarm of Commoners is considered invisible.
Printing Press (tool)
These are the necessary tools to create pamphlets, books, and playbills. The press itself is too large for adventuring, but you would still have ink, a sheaf of paper, scissors, a few letter blocks and one or two signet blocks.
Within the World of the Everflow every thinking peoples from the Land of Kin bonds with an animal. The most common of these are dogs (especially among halflings), birds (especially among goliaths), and horses (especially among humans). These beasts are family, inseparable companion, and essentially an extension of that person. They share personality and aid each other throughout their shared lives.
This intimate companionship started after magic left the world. Now, the norm, bonding started with Az, his dog Sel, and a three-hole pipe. Together they created more and more and more and more and more bondings. Eventually this drove Az mad, for the thoughts of 100s of beasts were in his head. What was to be a blessing from one of the gods, turned into a curse for young Az. As he aged, the nation of Azsel formed around Az and Sel. Their whistle becoming the symbol of the nation, it was once under guard as a holy relic. Over the millennia the whistle disappeared. The power of bondings spread beyond what the Whistle started. Companionship is now so common that few consider it magical.
Many also think legend of Az and Sel is merely a story, not real. But the Whistle of Az and Sel is in fact real, and dangerous, for the curse will drive you as mad. If any have found the Whistle in the current era they are not making that discovery public.
When playing the Whistle of Az and Sel the user can cast the following spells at will, without expending a charge and as a bonus action. These require no spell components nor concentration if that is normally required.
Animal Friendship
Beast Bond
Speak with Animals
Animal Messenger
Locate Animals
Summon Beast
Conjure Animals
Dominate Beast
Commune with Nature
Druid Grove
This power comes with a cost. That cost varies by user.
When one attunes with the Whistle of Az and Sel they experience two minor and one major detrimental properties. They also suffer from one long-term madness upon attuning and indefinite madness for as long as they are attuned (see DMG page 260). This cursed item requires a quest from a god or powerful magic to be unattuned.
With a week away from collaging about Dungeon lore and Dragon news, this collation of links, videos, podcasts, and maps is bigger than every. It may be the last in the weekly collection. They are becoming too hefty. Maybe a scheduled day for the major topics of the Collage makes more sense? We’ll see.
If you’ve ever wanted to play a carnival barker or newsie you had to reskin other backgrounds. Until now. The Crier/Herald/Barker is what you are looking for.
I started listening to The Black Dice Society because I wanted to prepare for Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft. What wound up happening is me discovering a layered horror show with excellent characterization and a creep factor that hits me just right.
Just so you don’t forget, the Derek Kolstad TV project isn’t the only D&D TV project. It is merely the only one with a known personality attached to it.
Yawning Portal Opens for Virtual Weekend Play May 7-9
Event Grid for the May Virtual D&D Weekend? Why of course.
ThinkDM has a review of MCDM’s Illrigger, their first custom class. It’s an evil leaning class that has some flavors similar to Paladins, Warlocks, and blood magic.
Auroboros: Coils of the Serpent is the heavy metal, overpowered D&D setting from the creator of Warcraft. The Kickstarter will hit One Million Dollars shortly.
ThinkDM expands on the discussion of the Illrigger. The class may echo other class themes, but takes a unique mechanical approach that amplifies the story elements.
Calendaring is the number one death of any D&D campaign. One way to reduce that impact is through Duet-play. That style does take an even more character-centric approach to design, luckily the experts at Duet have a guide for you.
D&D is too often seen as an American phenomena. That’s lazy. The game is popular throughout the English speaking world with it continuing to rebuild in Spanish, Portuguese, German-speaking countries and more. | Rolling with it: Ottawa’s Dungeons and Dragons community thriving online – Capital Current
Remember when everyone in geekdom, and mainstream, cared about Game of Thrones and now no one does? It’s ten years old and the world has forgotten.
Are you a comics fan that’s into D&D? IDW has a Humble Bunble of up to 100 titles starting at just 1$.
Amazon Prime’s Second Age telling of JRR Tolkien’s saga of The Rings will cost over $465 million in season one. To put that in some perspective that’s more than WandaVision and The Mandalorian season ones, combined. We are in peak fantasy in TV and movies.
There are lighter fantasy tales to tell. Wanderhome is an RPG about sentient animal folk living lives that aren’t necessarily violent, but still quite dramatic.
Someone needs to invite me into a Strixhaven D&D campaign, because that world s amazing.
I owe Jeff a review of Blue Planet: Recontact still. For now, here’s an interview about the sci-fi setting that combines David Brin’s Uplift world with heavy doses of environmental stewardship.
As Always, Maps
Your next trip to the feywild or Domains of Dread needs a dungeon where you are going both up and down at the same time.
What happens when the lich doesn't follow the Ikea dungeon assembly directions properly…
The quiet little cottage sits on the lakeside, smoke billowing from the chimney and plants steadily growing from the personal garden tucked away on the side. Wouldn't you like to come for a swim? pic.twitter.com/qW95JhJcow
Unfamiliar with the Domains of Dread, besides a short dip into Barovia back in my original gaming group’s Interview with a Vampire phase, I’ve been drinking up the recent Lore You Should Know segments in Dragontalk, which helps. But, as a pandemic-retired DM and current player it helps to see the different angles to horror. The Black Dice Society does that.
The show involves an intricate plot, with dream sequences and appearances by various Darklords who are pushing the characters through the mists, using them as pawns in the struggles between various Domains. Those Lords of Dread are ever present, even if merely as shadowy figures that the characters know could interfere with their lives and hopes. Sometimes they are much more than that.
Within BDS is a group of characters who have grown up within the Domains and those who are from “normal” places. This dynamic leads to some characters having powers that are a bit creepy for the normies. This twist helps immerse the viewer or listener in the Mists. You are made as uncomfortable as the characters, who roleplay this quite well. As the group bands together these outsiders will become familiar with each other, but until then there will be a bit more creepy factor that is unusual within streamed shows. This dynamic is perfect for the story and genre of Black Dice Society.
The whole thing is horror, PG-13 horror. Fear is ever present. Death and afterlife are significant themes. B.Dave Walters has crafted a tale that is much more complex than my other listens (NADDPod, D20 Dames). The buy-in from the players helps create a tale that is full of apprehension and unease.
Then he spins another story over the PCs, creating a dizzying disquiet Walters has the Darklords observing. Their plots and treatment of the PCs as potential minions keeps a watcher-listener worried about betrayal. There is a sense of cosmic horror because they are all just so puny against those that rule the Domains. So far, the balance has allowed success with a constant fear of failure. That delicate string could break at any time.
And that’s why I keep watching. What started as a desire for me to learn more about Ravenloft became an attachment to the story. What started as background audio is now foreground audio – no longer my second screen, but my first.
How to Watch: Playlist of The Black Dice Society on YouTube
It’s live on Twitch.TV/DnD on Thursday, without interfering with your Critical Role schedule. You can also catch up on the D&D YouTube channel.
That’s their session 0.5 at GaryCon and a link to the full official D&D playlist for The Black Dice Society.
Cast of Characters
B.Dave Walters – DM
Deejay Knight – Desmond, a human Ranger or light Fighter
Tanya DePass – Fen, a Bloodhunter dhampir drow
Becca Scott – Tatyana, a genasi Barbarian
Saige Ryan – Valentine, a reborn abberant mind Sorcerer
Mark Meer – Brother Uriah, a Cleric of the Grave
Nora Ibrahim – Nahara, a reborn fallen aasimar Warlock
Social Names: Twitter: @TheBlackDiceSoc IG: @blackdicesociety Facebook: Black Dice Society Twitch: TheBDSociety Youtube: Black Dice Society https://t.co/hdAmlfd0OW
— The Black Dice Society (@TheBlackDiceSoc) April 13, 2021
Their billboard with Patreon, social links, and a way to buy dice inspired by the show.
Full Moon Storytelling 