Tag: Dungeons and Dragons

  • Uprising & Rebellion in a Magic Setting

    Uprising & Rebellion in a Magic Setting

    Oppressive governments are a staple of genre fiction. From Robin Hood to the Vlad Taltos series, from Thay to any place ruled by a Sorcerer-King in Athas – the tales of tyranny that must be overcome are common.

    An uprising is nearly impossible against these powers though. They have access to magics and personnel that make hiding difficult. Identifying who is in rebellion within a society that has the fantastic equivalent of an NSA, CIA, KGB, etc at the surface level seems easy. Yet, in our modern world with facial recognition and AI-infused communication monitoring there are still those who rise up against injustice.

    The following are how you make certain that a rebellion that starts like this

    Photo by Rene Asmussen on Pexels.com

    doesn’t end up like this?

    Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

    Baseline D&D

    There are some tools to help the Dungeons & Dragons themed revolt within the standard rules.

    Illusion Spells

    Everything starts here, really. From something as simple as Disguise Self to the potent Seeming and Mislead the usages are obvious. They must still be stated and reviewed, lest we overlook the obvious.

    Enchantment Spells

    These go hand-in-hand with Illusion. Getting past the guard who recognizes you is key. Having a huge crowd be under Sympathy can turn the entire tide of the movement.

    Rogues and Bards

    These two classes are natural fits for revolution. A College of Whispers Bard can sneak into a castle or manor and learn the secrets of the realm. A College of Glamour will work the nobles The College of Lore will know the History of the peoples, helping define and refine the message of the group, as can Eloquence. The Colleges of Swords and Valor fight among a crowd quite well.

    Every Rogue fits. Every. They’re probably the baseline for your rebellion. Assassins, Tricksters, Masterminds, Inquisitives, Thieves, Swashbucklers, Scouts – the list of rogues involved in uprising reads like a casting call for Hunger Games or Divergent.

    All Classes Can Fit

    • Artificers can build the defenses needed.
    • Barbarians are those enraged by injustice.
    • Clerics are more than the needed healers, but the ministers pushing for the rights of their flock.
    • Fighters can be the thug guarding a raid, or the armored noble who joins the cause.
    • Monks need not be confined to the outsider from another land, but the brethren who know the ancient ways of the nation.
    • Paladins who take their oath to the betterment of the commoner over the ruling class join your uprising.
    • Sorcerers exist in uprising literature often as the targets of a realm that do not like those born to authority.
    • Warlocks may join their pact to gain powers to help their peoples.
    • Wizards are masters of the spells most important to helping the revolution.
    • Druids and Rangers probably take the most work to have them fit the story, but difficulties are not impossibilities.
    by Hartwig HKD (CC BY-ND 2.0) https://flic.kr/p/aDwaAx

    Filling in Gaps via Homebrew

    There are gaps within the common D&D classes, and these won’t be filled by Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything. The literature and other fictions around resistance feature some tropes that are currently difficult to build in the base rules.

    Each of the following subclasses is a work in progress. Some are more finished than others.

    Society of Veil and Shadow: Rogue

    The Society of Veil and Shadows are a group of rogues dedicated to obscuring and protecting their guild from spies — both arcane and mundane. While able to contribute to the uprising’s success via sneak attacks and other clandestine abilities their true power is their ability to cast a few spells, most of which help keep the rebellion secret.

    Society of Veil and Shadow

    Way of the Frayed Knot: Monk

    The Way of the Frayed Knot is a Monk subclass that attempts to feature some Western fantasy tropes. The most common of these is Friar Tuck from Robin Hood, but there are other studious, religious types that fought alongside rogues and pirates.

    Way of the Frayed Knot

    The Way of Mercy in Tasha’s may be close enough that my own version gets retired.

    Conscript: Fighter

    An old-timer who retreated from the life of adventure and war, but who for some reason gets called back into it. They’ve done their best to avoid violence. Instead violence seeks them out. The Fighter: Conscript (final name TBD) has seen things. Things no one else should see.

    When they get the call to return to their former life they are no longer concerned with having the best weapon and the best armor. Their wits and experience taught them that any tool can be used for any job.

    Conscript

    Propagandist: Rogue

    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 pamphlet your proclamations turn the tides of rebellion.

    Propagandist

    Still to Come – Circle of Sewers: Druid

    They come from the urchins and gangs, getting to know the vermin of civilization. Simultaneously they serve the people and the animals that run the streets of a city. Able to help feed and heal those in need, the Sewers Druid is equally at home within a gang of thieves as they are a swarm of rats.

    How would you run a D&D campaign that focuses on rebelling against a power much mightier than the player-characters? What tools would you use to rise against The White Witch, or The Union, or the Burgue?

    Fediverse Reactions
  • Community Character – Tatiana Riverhopper

    Community Character – Tatiana Riverhopper

    One of the absolute amazing powers of Dungeons & Dragons is the ability to tell stories that you couldn’t tell by yourself. Whether you play at a table of 2, or 4, or 8 there will be ideas brought forth that surprise you. Communal storytelling by the DM and players creates options and opportunities that a single author would miss or gloss over.

    The additional experiences and diversity of the group interact to create tales of wonder. This is a large part of why I enjoy D&D. Through the power of social media there is an opportunity to mimic this by using polls to guide the character creation process.

    Asking others to help build a character gets you out of potential ruts and tropes, or embeds those tropes even further into your future PC or NPC. In the end of the process you come up with a character that is amalgam of not just your own experiences, but of the near infinite stories available via social media.

    Tatiana Riverhopper

    https://twitter.com/bedirthan/status/1281666965174546432
    The full creation process can be viewed in the Twitter thread.

    Tatiana started with “this character uses a sling.” While everything built off that, rather than build through the explicit creation system as outlined in the Player’s Handbook, instead the prompts were chosen in a more narrative fashion.

    The various choices informed attribute distribution, race, class, background, spells, and skills. Riverhopper was built in order to create an Adventurer’s League character in case someone wanted to jump onto the Yawning Portal and just play.

    Using personality seeds for the choices meant that we have a prankster who left their hometown looking for stories to tell (Bard) and gold to acquire (Criminal). You can find her in alehouses taking out some pocket cheese as she plans her next bit of mischief.

    She’s not great remembering names, even though she’ll always remember you – just be something not a name. She keeps a small notebook and quill with her, constantly taking notes in a delicate hand in code that most do not know.

    In combat Tatiana is likely to use Heroism and Bardic Inspiration to help her allies as she lurks back slinging stones at the enemy. Prone to rash decisions, Riverhopper will use a trick of the mind or hand to get herself out of trouble. The loveable Halfling is best in a support and face role.

  • This Week in D&D Reading

    This Week in D&D Reading

    In this week’s post there are tips about creating with accessibility in mind, more libraries playing D&D with youth, maps, recommended podcasts, and so much more.

    Beverage accompaniment: Friday Afternoon Tea’s Stormfire. It’s a softer approach to black tea, due to the blue cornflower with the mate and black peppercorn hitting giving it a spike of spice.

    Accessibility and Representation

    Jennifer Kretchmer‘s resource guide to Accessibility and anti-ableism is a hefty set of reading and viewing. These resources are a wonderful way to understand how your writing and gaming can create opportunities for others. Read, watch, re-read, re-watch.

    The Guardian writes about the colonialist and racist history of D&D as well as the fantasy and science-fiction as a whole. This harsh reminder of the past is important.

    D&D is adapting. More frequently we see creators and performers of color, of differing sexes and sexualities – and we see their characters as well. Representation is vital. Myself, I think back to when I was so tiny there were thoughts about medical ways to cause me to be taller. At the time I always played Halfings, Gnomes, and Dwarves. I did that because I needed to see heroes that were like me.

    Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything is an important step towards seeing more diverse characters and more ways to represent the amazing reality that is humanity. It is only a step, and every table (real and virtual) needs to take more steps too.

    Turning to Games During Dark Winters

    With the long, dark, pandemic winter coming it is important find paths to joy and community. For me, that means more gaming.

    This is why people are turning to D&D, and other RPGs.

    Plague Comforts: Dungeons & Dragons Is the Real World Now
    Why now is a great time to start playing Dungeons & Dragons

    This is also true in some civic institutions like libraries. But not others, like prisons. For more info on libraries hosting youth D&D my personal twitter is regularly updated with those playing games.

    Podcasts

    Brennan Lee Mulligan puts together a list of five podcasts to listen to/watch if live streamed. In addition to those mentioned check out Rivals of Waterdeep and D20 Dames.

    The Dames play a less violent version of the game that centers social roleplay in ways that a younger version of me wouldn’t think is possible.

    Official Stuff and Rumored TV Show

    Stranger Things and D&D have been associated for some time. I’ve run the boxed set (half way through) and of course loved the TV show. Now there’s a comic book series that explores the in-character D&D.

    It took Greg Tito being featured for me to realize that Dragon+ often has fiction.

    A single phrase about the possibility of a D&D TV show during the Hasbro earnings call has exploded speculation regarding a live-action series.

    Looking to write for DMsGuild and make money while doing it? Justice has a perfect primer.

    Justice’s Guide to the DMs Guild

    Maps & Miscellany

    I can’t draw, but I can use map tools like Perilous Shores.

    How do centaurs sleep? is a question that you may not know you needed the answer to, but after this art drop you’ll be glad you do.

    https://www.tumblr.com/theartingace/633260538682572800/how-do-the-centaurs-sleep-and-how-do-they-stretch

    Don’t know what your characters are eating? Follow this Twitter feed.

  • Heroes of Castle Cheney

    Heroes of Castle Cheney

    In the Before Times there was a mighty group of heroes in the South Sound. These women and men put on shows, entertained the masses, and just maybe won a few battles for the hearts and minds of the people of the Near Cliff, Tahoma, and all that call the region home.

    We were a tight group of specialists who when combined were a powerful faction of spellslingers, story weavers, and travellers who loved the region and would defend it.

    These are the Heroes of Castle Cheney.

    Delaney Saul, illustrator, created the group to celebrate my 45th birthday.

    Delaney and I had conversations about what race and class each of the heroic representations of the group would be. While creating my friends, and Before Times coworkers, as playable characters (3rd level, Adventurers League rules, Players Handbook only, no stat below 10) I was able to add in a few more details about them.

    Casey the Bard and Delaney the Illusionist

    https://twitter.com/bedirthan/status/1321553076105355264
    Well, I guess the auto-embed does two at a time.

    Casey is the leader of the group – the Director, if you must. A few things were required when creating him. Without any doubt he is a Bard. The man is a natural performer, whether on a mic, dancing on a dugout, or spinning records. He puts himself in front of people. His knowledge of Tacoma, Puget Sound, and so much more made the College of Lore an obvious choice.

    When deciding on his race, his natural charisma had to be emphasized. Leaning into the trope that half-elves can be accepted by both of their communities seemed obvious as Casey is beloved in Rainiers and Defiance circles.

    Slapping expertise onto Performance and Insight was so obvious a choice, I’m not explaining it. The Background of Entertainer was also an easy choice. I needed to get Casey a Disguise Kit for all of those costume changes we know and love.j

    Spell choices leaned into charming types, with Longstrider added because if you’ve ever seen him move around the stadium you know there is magic behind it.

    Delaney is an extraordinary illustrator. Capturing her level of talent in D&D meant more than a Background, but instead the magic of images. Locked into the PHB for cost reasons (maybe one of my friends eventually plays themselves) that meant the Illusionist.

    Her past as an athlete was captured in two ways. First up, that meant the Gladiator Background. Second it was why I went Wood Elf for race. The increased speed combined with Athletics felt like the perfect way to capture her love and career in basketball.

    Witch Bolt became the attack cantrip of choice, because I felt like that one would give Delaney the most joy when she used it. I can just see her eyes light up while going all Palpatine on someone.

    Adam the Devoted and Phinney the Wild

    https://twitter.com/bedirthan/status/1321870244067991552

    Adam is a videographer I’ve worked with and around for nearly a decade now. Between our time together with Sounder at Heart and on Tacoma Defiance broadcasts we probably know each other better than I know anyone else in the Cheney creative team. He is a man with believes in faith, equity, and generosity. A noble Paladin seemed an obvious start.

    In order to best represent his excellent eye for what’s going on around him, he had to have the Feat Observant. That meant going with Variant Human. Adam’s cameras capture the life in any game inside Cheney’s walls and the vibrant community that is Tacoma.

    For his background I wanted to capture to personality traits.

    I can find common ground between the fiercest enemies, empathizing with them and always working toward peace.
    I am tolerant of other faiths and respect the worship of other gods.

    “Acolyte”

    If you’ve met Adam you know that every fiber of who he is consists in those traits.

    Phinney the Wild is the technical genius behind all of the light, sound, and video at Cheney Stadium. I started working with him on the broadcasts, but really got to know him through a project that started early in the pandemic when I asked each employee about what they were doing. That’s when I learned that Phinney loves the mountains and forests of Washington.

    That made it obvious he needed to be a Druid or Ranger. Since he’s the lord of sound, I needed to give him the thunder spells – Druid it is. If I hadn’t chosen to lock myself into PHB or free content, I would have gone Firbolg, but instead he’s a goliath.

    Phinney consumes books. That’s where the Sage comes in. He’s also well connected at local colleges, which is a doubly important reason for that nod.

    Erin the Enchanter and Reema the Sorcerer

    https://twitter.com/bedirthan/status/1322226831307649024

    Erin is the other artist at Cheney Castle. Every party can have a duplication in role, but cannot have duplication in identity. To me, the other way to emulate the power of drawing/painting arts is Enchantment. The close choice was simple after thinking through that.

    The high elf made sense after that, as I wanted a small boost to illusion magic. Also, Erin is fashionable, which fits the high elf tropes. Her fine precision in her artwork and design is captured in the Guild Artisan Background.

    Erin and I worked together on the Defiance season ticket renewal magazine and several other projects. To recognize that her class skills are History and Investigation. No offense to Casey, but Erin spent as much time copy editing my writing for print as anyone.

    Reema was my manager for Reign related projects in 2019. Through that time, when the team’s biggest star got in a Twitter war with the President and won every award available to a soccer player while winning The Best and a World Cup, we were in constant communication. Her leadership and belief in me was strong. Her charisma was readily apparent in discussions with ownership, or the brilliant talents that wore the crest – it came naturally to her. In D&D natural power such as hers often is displayed as a Sorcerer.

    While the Noble Background is often about being born into high society, I chose that for Reema because she so seamlessly fits into the group. Between her sense of fashion, her wine and cocktail knowledge, and her will she belongs in those situations. The following trait and ideal also pushed that decision over the edge into a big “yep.”

    Despite my noble birth, I do not place myself above other folk. We all have the same blood.

    It is my duty to protect and care for the people beneath me.

    Noble

    To represent her ability to make friends simply and easily I gave her the Friends cantrip, while ignoring the part about people knowing magic was used against the new friend.

    Maddie the Trickster and AJ the Ranger

    https://twitter.com/bedirthan/status/1322331361592532992

    Maddie is so multi-faceted. To the fans in the stands she’s just part of the entertainment crew. To those of us behind the scenes she’s a manager of mascots, planner of schedules, and keen executor of fun. She’s part mage, that’s obvious. She also slips in and out of spaces, everywhere at once. The Arcane Trickster’s magic of entertainment was an obvious choice.

    In her past our favorite Trickster was an elite tumbler. That meant expertise in Acrobatics and Performance, as well as the Entertainer background. Maddie always finds a way to share the fun with an audience.

    Picking a race started with a look at which ones offered bonuses to Charisma. This quickly became a choice between lightfoot halfling and half-elf. There was a need to capture Maddie’s bravery in stepping into a role at the last minute, accepting all those challenges without any fear – halfling it is.

    AJ, unlike the rest of the group, came to the Sound from elsewhere. He rapidly became a sounder, as in a person of the Sound, even if not a soccer fan. For his build I started with that Outlander background. His tales and stories from his youth, schooling, and previous jobs were foreign to us. The Outlander made so much sense.

    The way AJ relaxes is to travel the new lands. He’s an expert on the parks around Pierce County and beyond. The Ranger embraces that. His willingness to support cross-functionally meant I went for the Hunter, as he knocks out small tasks frequently.

    He’s good at so much – he can be a radio pbp voice, a video host, a writer, a social media expert, and more. There’s only one race that embraces the ability to do anything – the traditional human. Sorry, AJ, but little fantasy in that one. Bonuses to every single attribute will come in handy no matter what you do.

    Throughout the design process every choice came back to how do I make the most heroic version of my friends and coworkers. Which skills, spells, and features made sense to show that these fantasy heroes are based in the real heroics during our year (or more, or less). Together, we overcame obstacles and used our various strengths to destroy the monsters that got in the way.

    These are the heroes of Castle Cheney. I miss them, but that when a banner is raised asking for help they will answer, rally, and wave the Flag of Defiance for each other and our city.

  • D&D Things I’m Reading This Week

    D&D Things I’m Reading This Week

    Some like to claim that they are low prep Dungeon Masters. Myself, I’m a high prep DM. Everything I encounter in life is prep for how I run games, or play characters. Every person I meet, every fiction I encounter, every blog entry, every song – these enter me and fuel my approach.

    The following is a collection of some of the things that stuck with me over the past week. Consider it a curated post of the fuel for my games, and likely a regular feature here at Full Moon Storytelling.

    Humor

    Let’s kick this off with what my broadcasting instructor would call a kicker. This is also a snapshot in the continual mainstreaming of the game-of-nerds.

    https://twitter.com/WizDiceOfficial/status/1321463212634738688

    New to the Game?

    Every week someone asks me about starting to play for the first time. The growth of D&D, and RPGs in general, is stunning. That only increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. So how does one start?

    Wired kicks us off with a long look at How to Get Started in Dungeons & Dragons. The story is packed with interviews, links, and the approach that D&D is meant for everybody – there shall be no gates, no keepers.

    College clubs and libraries are hosting sessions for first timers. So is D&D itself. The new monthly weekend sessions hosted by D&D and the Adventurer’s League are a low cost way to start your own journey.

    Maps

    Fantasy maps tell stories. Within each you’ll find 1000 thousand tales. Axebridge from Dyson Logos shows that not every city need to be contained in walls.

    Release the Kraken on Axebridge over Blackbay

    Or you can make your own procedurally generated town or city using a Watabatou and Kobold Press.

    How Many Intellect Devourers Could Dance on the Head of a Pin?

    You Can Fit 100 Intellect Devourers on the Outside of Leomund’s Tiny Hut

    New Product Review

    There’s a ton of info coming out about Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything. This is my favorite of the week. IGN interviews Jeremy Crawford about the newest rules expansion.

    My Playlist While Writing

    This list is my personal creation. I often listen to music while doing my prep for gaming sessions, always with the goal to put me in the mood for that adventure.

  • Add a Herding Dog to your D&D Game

    Add a Herding Dog to your D&D Game

    Animal companions are a tradition in Dungeons & Dragons. The Ranger with a hunting dog; the halfling riding a wolfhound; the dogs guarding the entry to the castle — all have status as tropes. In the standard rules the “Mastiff” represents all of these.

    But not every dog is a mass of muscle, teeth, and bark.

    Belgian Shepherd by Fouquier ॐ declared public domain at https://flic.kr/p/2i12JQq

    Other dogs exist in any fantasy world. These doggos deserve game-love, too. Inspired by Ambrose, the ranger in the game where my dwarven axe-wizard Awf slings spells and swings a battle axe like some kind of D&D version of John Casey, the Herding Dog leapt into existence.

    The desire with the Herding Dog was to not have an increase in power for a medium canine, but represent how shepherds, collies, sheepdogs, and other AKC Herding Group members are different from the working group types that the Mastiff embraces.

    There’s a small dip in strength, constitution, and damage with the most significant boosts being adding Animal Handling (to embrace the ability to make the herd go places) and Pack Tactics (to represent that herding dogs often work in groups).

    The minor changes give this dog a different identity, stay at the same power level, and give Ambrose a friend that isn’t purely a means to biting enemies. We’re using the Herding Dog in our campaign. Let me know if you decide to add it to your own.

    Terriers and Retrievers are on my list of potential design additions.

  • Arise & Descend: Entering the Manor House

    Arise & Descend: Entering the Manor House

    If we are to be heroes, we must act with in the faith of ourselves, our gods, and those that look to us for hope. This band of becoming-friends is strong willed and capable.

    We are willing to risk, a bit brash (that may be my fault). Those that oppose us are able to surrender. We will not kill them if they do. There are things we will not tolerate. Those enemies do not live long.

    Together we will free this town and rescue our patron. What happens on the way will happen.

    Spoilers for the D&D Starter Set adventure Lost Mines of Phandelver follow.
    Our adventures started with an ambush by goblins, then a rescue of Sildar in the goblin caves. From there we cleaned up the southern part of town prior to attack the Red Brands at their manor house.

    Have you met my friends? Maybe I should introduce them.

    Krakom is another dwarf. A fierce fighter who will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with me Krakom is sometimes confused by my behavior. While I prefer a big axe, Krakom has mastered the use of a massive hammer — bang-bang.

    Norran might be an elf. I’m uncertain. He can slip through a crowd, or into the dark, and disappear for a bit. An arrow will fly free from where Norran might be and pierce the heart of our enemies. Most often he’s the scout.

    Ambrose is my orc-ish friend. Deft with a hurled spear and willing to enter a fight with two weapons when hand-to-hand combat ensues Ambrose likes to use an axe, which I appreciate.

    Rowan has faith. She’s more than a believer. Tymora works through her. The human helps keep us alive, which is appreciated, of course. Rowan is also a wonder at sussing out information from people who aren’t trying to destroy us. She’s trusted. Hopefully we can all be trusted soon.

    Sorry, I got distracted. You were asking about the manor house. Yes, we raided it. Yes, at daylight. We needed to sleep. No, we weren’t concerned with them being warned by the near dozen of deaths and surrenders from the previous day.

    [mutters under breath: coward]

    No, not you.

    Anyway. We went to the manor. Shortly after entering we dispatched three more Red Brands, found some rations, and a bit of coin. The one we didn’t kill indicated that the GlassStaff would be down a hall.

    While my friends discussed the ‘proper action’ I opened the door to that hall. We knew what to do. Let’s do it.

    Behind that door was a powerful stench of rotting flesh. Someone vomited. No, it wasn’t me [it was me].

    A disgusting monstrosity was beyond the doors. It had one large eye in the center of its head and a massive maw. The hands were large with nails that may as well been claws.

    We destroyed it because talking wasn’t working. It wanted to eat the flesh of peoples. There is no saving those types.

    You want to know what happens next? Fill my mug. I’m out of Elverquisst. Fill the mug. I’ll have more tales when you return.

  • Exploring Additional 5th Edition Backgrounds

    Exploring Additional 5th Edition Backgrounds

    Over the past couple of weeks I’ve started working towards a bundle of dozens of backgrounds for use in 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons. The basic version of these would be to fill out the space of time before you became a hero — so toss that Folk Hero in the trash.

    The goal is to keep the core of these with the 2 skills and 2 language/tools of the base system, while having handful that may go beyond the base ruleset. Each would have a description, the gained skill set, equipment, the feature (maybe an alternate) as well as the including the personality traits, ideals, bonds, and flaws.

    Backgrounds, when fully explored, give power to the social and exploration pillars of play. With them we discover that point of time “Before We Were Heroes.” There will also be need for at least one more language and a few more tools.

    My goal, is to put this forward as a product on the DMs Guild, eventually. If my dreams come to fruition that I would partner with an experienced editor. I have an artist and designer in mind at this point. Depending on the editor, I may need a cultural consultant or two.

    The list grows daily. At this point a few have full descriptions and associated personalities, while others are a title with the skills associated with the Background. Here is a list, in order of inspiration, that is far from complete.

    • Farmer
    • Minder
    • Barber
    • Crier/Herald
    • Pamphleteer
    • Lamplighter
    • Clerk
    • Hunter/Trapper
    • Third-Born
    • The Gambler
    • Lantan Mechanik
    • Barista
    • Tea Master
    • Bartender
    • Tax Collector
    • Oracle
    • Caravanserai
    • Tinker
    • Messenger
    • Teacher
    • Perfumery
    • Talking Drummer
    • Herbalist
    • Brute Squad
    • Logger

    Eventually these will be organized — likely by urban and rural. A few more magical and mystical backgrounds will be added. Those will likely include tropes that can only exist in a world of fantasy.

    For now, my focus is on what the heroes of our times did, before they became legends.

  • Seven Additional Backgrounds in World of Everflow

    Seven Additional Backgrounds in World of Everflow

    All of these backgrounds vary from the system as outlined in the Player’s Handbook (2 skills and 2 languages/kits/games/instruments/tools). They are slightly more powerful, but also have limitations in regards to origin kingdom and maybe negative features. The bonuses include an extra non-damaging cantrip, a bit more equipment, a single weapon or companion points. A DM running a game outside of the World of Everflow should take caution in adding these to their campaign, but they may be needed flavors within their world.

    The backgrounds are: Street Mage, Glight’s Monitor, Keeper of Everflow, Tinker, Farmer/Rancher, Messenger Service, Villien

    This post was updated on 5/24/2020

    Street Mage

    Performing on the streets earned you a few coin, and the feeling that you are constantly hunted by those that wish to limit magic. You’ve found a way to take the new magic and use it to entertain the common man. You can be a hustler, an entertain, and some even call you a charlatan, but you know that magic is real and there is potential for so much more to Kin than a few animals and stodgy rituals.

    In most of the West street mages are welcomed in the ghettos while watched by the Guard when they visit good neighborhoods. In Qin they are often found dead in alleys, unless they are part of the Ashen Scarves.

    Skill Proficiencies: Performance, Sleight of Hand
    Tool Proficiencies: None
    Languages: Two languages
    Equipment: Gaming set, Fine clothes, 3 shells or similar, belt pouch containing 15 gold

    Feature: Prestidigitation and Wanted
    Word of your powerful magic (it’s not necessarily powerful) has spread. You heard you were being hunted and now know you cannot stay in one town too long as word will get out that you have learned to control magic. There are many who distrust magic, as the Awakening and magic lead to the fall of Sheljar and other cities around Kin.

    Characteristics: Charlatan

     

    Glight’s Monitor (Teacher)

    A Lorebook
    Actual photo of Encyclopedia Genetica by Ryan Somma at https://flic.kr/p/a6yTFZ

    Prerequisite: Must be a follower of Glight.

    These itinerant teachers visit small villages on the Day of Glight. They encourage reading, study and a knowledge. In all villages they are a welcome distraction from day-to-day life. The Day of Glight ensures that everyone has a bit of an education in how the Kingdoms came to be and what the various faiths are. But none can explain the Awakening and these magics that are now real, rather than legend.

    Glight has the second most followers in the West. These teachers are common throughout Kin, even in Azsel.

    Skill Proficiencies: History, Religion, Arcana
    Tool Proficiencies: None
    Languages: One of your choice
    Equipment: Folding chalkboard, chalk, common clothes, history book, belt pouch with 10 gold

    Feature: Pupil in power
    A former student of yours is now in a place of influence. During your traveling and teaching you taught hundreds. One of those is now in a position that can help guide you towards finding the answer to a question or the merchant that sells the rare, but needed equipment.

    Characteristics: Sage

     

    Keeper of the Everflow

    Prerequisite: Must be a follower of Quar.

    The Church of Quar and Bishop Ollium lead the largest faith in the West, Kirtin and Daoud. Due to the Everflow’s powers Quarites are popular in the other Kingdoms as well. The Keeper of the Everflow is part merchant, part cleric. They heal and serve the people, for a price. You serve this powerful Church spreading the word and maintaining its influence in all the Kingdoms.

    Shrines and churches to Quar dot the landscape throughout Kin. The Church’s historical control of the Font of the Everflow and Lake of Two Paths empowers them to limit all other faiths’ potency.

    Skill Proficiencies: Religion, Persuasion
    Tool Proficiencies: Calligrapher’s Supplies
    Languages: One of your choice
    Equipment: One vial of the Everflow, 5 sticks of incense, vestments, common clothes, belt pouch with 5 gold

    Feature: Gift of Quar and First Aid (Spare the Dying if played outside of the World of the Everflow)
    When you visit a temple of Quar you can ask the ruling deacon to give the gift of the Everflow. If they have the resources and find your needs worthy you will get one vial.

    At non-Quarian temples you can still make this request but the chances of success are minimal. Most faiths will make an exchange for a lower price than typically asked.

    Characteristics: Acolyte

     

    Tinker

    Tinker’s travel between farmsteads, hamlets and villages that lack most smiths. They use both natural and magical means to repair metal goods. In the evening they share news or stories from history and legend. You don’t have a home, and have long left your family. Now, wandering the world you discover new tales and new ways to fix the problems that keep people from doing the things they love.

    They are particularly common in the less organized West as well as areas under sway of the Crinthian Confederation.

    Skill Proficiencies: Performance
    Tool Proficiencies: Tinker’s Tools
    Languages: Two of your choice
    Equipment: donkey/mule/pony, Tinker’s Kit, 1 pound each tin, copper, iron, pack saddle, traveler’s clothes, pouch with 5 gold

    Feature: Job Seeker and Mending
    Whether fixing small metal objects or telling tales in the local inn, you find a way to survive at a modest level. This can be through a mix of both activities or just one. If fixing objects all of a morning or afternoon of most days is occupied. If at an inn every evening and some afternoons are occupied.

    Characteristics: Folk Hero

    Farmer/Rancher

    You raise crops or animals for food. At some point your property, or that of your neighbors needed defense. Some of your friends and family were unable to survive the raid from the bandits, but you did. That’s when you discovered there’s more to life that a cock-a-doodle-do at dawn, milking goals, shearing sheep, weeding, swinging a scythe. Your people need protection. You are their hope of a simple, safe life.

    Many farmsteads and ranches in Telse lose family members to quests, adventures and those that are searching for better lives. In Kirtin every man or woman must serve, some do not come back from service. Daoud, Azsel, Mehmd and Crinth all have portions of the populace that start as mere serfs and become greater.

    Skill Proficiencies: Animal Handling or Athletics, Nature
    Tool Proficiencies: Farmer’s Tools, Vehicles (Land or Water)
    Languages: None
    Equipment: Farmer’s Tools, common clothes, a beast of burden (mule, donkey, dog, flightless bird), lantern, flask of oil, week’s rations, pouch with 1 gold and 17 silver.

    Feature: Druidcraft and Foraging
    In occupied lands you know how to take just enough food to live without most farmers/ranchers noticing, unless you do so for more than 2 days.

    Characteristics: Folk Hero

     

    Messenger

    Prerequisite: Your bonded companion(s) must be a messenger bird/dog or a riding horse. You gain an extra companion point.

    Postduif
    “Postduif”. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Postduif.jpg#/media/File:Postduif.jpg

    Messengers work throughout Kin and the Lands of the Everflow. Their birds, dogs and horses carry news, treaties, love letters and more between the cities and towns that remain in the post-Awakening world.

    Skill Proficiencies: Animal Handling
    Tool Proficiencies: None
    Languages: Any three Languages
    Equipment: Common clothes, map case, ink, quill, 5 pieces of paper, pouch with 15 gold

    Feature: Service Connections
    Past messages have been sent to two major cities as well as two small towns in the past. Your bonds know how to get to these places, to your home and to yourself.

    Characteristics: Folk Hero

     

    Villein

    When a youth comes of age they or their family visit the local Villein. While some, particularly Crinthians, do not use a service, many Kin find their first companion through the services of those who know animals as well as any.

    Most Villeins deal with mammals, though some in Daoud have experience with fish. Those in Mehmd deal with saurs and lizards.

    Skill Proficiencies: Animal Handling (Expertise), Nature
    Tool Proficiencies: None
    Languages: None
    Equipment: 50 gp worth of non-bonded animals, common clothes, pouch with 5 gold

    Feature: Domesticating beasts
    You are able to calm the semi-wild beasts and prepare them for a bonding session. You also have two additional companion points but must have more than one companion.

    Characteristics: Guild Artisan, your art is raising animals.

     

     

  • Arise & Descend Session Two & Three: Goblin Caverns

    Arise & Descend Session Two & Three: Goblin Caverns

    After being ambushed along the trail we learned of a cave from which these goblins raid the civilized folk along the merchant’s road. Within those caverns may just be Gundran and Sildar.

    So we headed out, an attempt to rescue the men responsible for paying us. We mount this rescue operation out of self-interest, revenge, whatever motivates the individual. We aren’t yet a band of brothers (and sister – Rowan), but this is developing.

    Spoilers for the D&D Starter Set adventure Lost Mines of Phandelver follow.

    Repelling the ambush wasn’t hard. My golden flame axe swung powerfully. The bell of death rung hard. These companions fight well. We are noble, and let one poor gobbo live. He told us where to go.

    It meant a hike, and we left the poor oxen and the burdened cart behind. But Sildar was to the north in the woods, up a stream through the woods, and into a goblin-cave.

    time lapse photo of river between mossy rocks
    Photo by Samuel Kalina on Pexels.com

    Outside the cave an outpost tried to ambush us. The wood elf, Norran, took quick care of those. I think Ambrose and Rowan joined that attack, as they have some effectiveness at range while Krakomand I, honorable dwarves, guarded the rear.

    Yeah, we’re also slow and not good with “stealth.”

    Two goblins dead before I could swing my axe.

    That meant the group was a bit inverted when we entered the caverns. Those faster members of the group rushed past a group of guard-wolves.

    The wolves could have been a problem, as they were trying to escape their chains and the uproar meant we would lose all surprise. They died, a couple with burns and blade.

    Krakom and I had to rush to catch the group. The “eating room” created an urgency from the group. In our haste the conflict spread throughout a handful of rooms. The fight was came from all angles and there was much confusing with the screams of pain from goblin and peoples.

    I, me, stopped one pathetic goblin from flooding the caves. I, me, also took a significant blow to the head from some kind of super-goblin. The wretched soul dropped me quickly. I woke a dozen minutes later.

    Ambrose, the ranger, told me of throwing a spear near through one on a bridge. I’m intrigued by spears now. I will not be able to sing with them, but they seem useful. The toothy one can teach me much.

    The stories of the battle are glorious. My friends took out 25 gobbos, a few wolves, and that one thing that smacked me on the head.

    Dear reader, this is where we learn that good Awf is not necessarily a reliable narrator.

    Rowan, by luck of her goddess, or through shear will takes out that jerk that dropped me. What a blessed soul Rowan is.

    Norran and Ambrose rescue Sildar.

    With Sildar, in a room I never saw, was a dark soul. Zardos is quiet. Withdrawn from us, the man offers much power. The others saw him in action, and vouch for his usefulness. His eyes carry knowledge.

    There was a lot of hauling of goods from cave to ox-cart and then the trudge back. Each of us had to make multiple trips. I may hate the goblins more for that then anything else. But when we traverse back towards the caves Krakom teaches me a game that shield dwarves play – golf(?) he calls it. Basically, the goal is to hit a round object (like a goblin head) as far as you can. There are rules, but we just do the long distance smacking, because it’s fun. We have to stop when Krakom sends a head out into an area we haven’t scouted.

    On the journey to Phandalin Sildar tells us about Gundren’s brothers, the goal to re-open a mine, that Klarg’s goblins are working to support someone(?) called the Black Spider.

    Thankfully Phandalin offers a short respite. There we can rest again, sell the goods we have, buy some rations and whatnot, and learn from some dude named Iarno Albrek, a friend of Sildar who is also a member of the Lord’s Alliance.

    I’ve worked with the Lord’s Alliance in the past, as they and the Order of the Shooting Star oft work together. With the Alliance’s goals matching ours, for now, it not only makes sense to help them, it is right and just to work together.

    For now, I’ll bring some joy to the children of Phandalin and whatever their local wines and ales are. Because I’ve got coin in my pocket – we earned our pay delivering the goods that Gundren hired us to bring to the city.

    We also have more goods to try to sell. And clues to discover, and honestly a town to improve. These people are down. Let’s get them up, again.