Source The first three episodes of The Legend of Vox Machina were just released on Amazon Prime Video. The show is based on the first campaign of “Critical Role”; a Dungeons and Dragons live play podcast and twitch stream. So far three episodes have been released; it is difficult to judge whether or not the […]
TV Series Review: The Legend of Vox Machina (2022)
As a horde of humans riding guard drakes crests the Blue Hills, the chappe telegraph operator builds the signal that will reach the Larton Keep now that war has returned to the range. Using whistles, a youngster tells the village miles away that four sheep are lost so they’ll be home late, could his family please have tea ready for when they return.
A thrumming beat injects itself into the air as an owlbear stalks a deer. Knowing the bear is nearing a sacred vale a group of druids and rangers work to separate hunter and prey, for there will be no killing in Frannet’s vale.
Sure, a spell caster might be able to use Message, or two people may have Sending Stone for magical cell phones. But, the Far Talkers converse over a distance of miles, not feet. They speak with many, not one, signaling a warning or just chattering about the weather. Far Talkers and Messengers help societies that stretch over leagues communicate and maintain a culture.
You have the ability to converse over miles, sending messages for a government, faction, or some other organization. In war societies seek your aid to help units communicate. In peace you and other Far Talkers help connect towns and cities, or just keep two distant wizard towers in touch.
Familiar with how the weather impacts your mode of speech you have learned the winds and rains of many lands. Expected to see or hear things at a great distance your senses are strong. You may be an expert at the drums, but you have heard of others who use whistles, tree beating, smoke, flags, or other instruments. No matter what tool is used your messages are simultaneously public and semi-secret.
Skill Proficiencies: Perception, Nature
Tool Proficiencies: One musical instrument
Languages: One additional, plus the ability to Far Talk in Intelligence bonus languages (minimum 1)
Equipment: A symbol of service to a government or large church, a gaming set, a spyglass or musical instrument, traveler’s clothes, a notebook with notation for your type of far talk, 1 day rations, pouch with 2 gold
Using your chosen tool you can communicate over a distance of 6 miles when outdoors, and twice normal speaking distance when indoors, in a number of languages equal to your Intelligence bonus (minimum 1). Extreme weather may make those long-distance conversations more difficult.
When you meet another practitioner of the Far Talking arts they are always one step friendlier than their companions or social situation would indicate. For example if two scout groups from warring nations met their far talkers would be indifferent while everyone else was hostile. This is true even when the far talkers in question use different languages and tools to talk.
A character without the background can learn Far Talking per the rules to learn a new language. They would then learn one method of Far Talking for a single language.
Some groups of druids, rangers, and their allies might spend time learning Druidic spoken via Whistle Cant. A fleet of pirates could all know Yodeling. Have fun with this.
Roll on the table below or pick your favorite
As always, seek ways that cantrips would enhance these. Those that rely on sound would be amplified by Minor Illusion, Thaumaturgy, and can you imagine Thunder Clap sent through a massive bugle-like device. Those that need light can be made more useful by Prestidigitation, Dancing Lights, Light, and Minor Illusion. A world of magic would have Far Talkers that can speak across many miles.
Personality: Use the Soldier or Folk Hero personality traits for now. When the Background project is done each new Background will have traits, ideals, bonds, and flaws that are unique to the Background.
The Far Talker started out from two different ideas — I wanted to create Whistle Cant as a kind of alt-Druidic and my desire for the Messenger Background. The Messenger became two different Backgrounds. That Messenger will focus on the people who deliver physical messages by walking, running, riding, etc. The Far Talker is the other version. Rather than become Druidic, Whistle Cant became a type of Far Talking, and one of several examples of alt-languages that a Far Talker might specialize in.
Using Green-Flame Blade, Booming Blade, and Lightning Lure gives these two subclasses much of the feel they need. Both invoke a feeling of characters who use their weapons while slinging spells. So does the Hexblade, the Battle Smith, some Paladins, and some Rangers.
Unlike when the Hexblade and Battle Smith were added to the game, the Bladesinger and Eldritch Knight didn’t get access to spells like Thunderous Smite or Zephyr Strike or Ensnaring Strike. The Smites all fit the two narratives. The Strikes are just the two previously listed and Steel Wind Strike.
A Dungeon Master that adds these ten spells for their players helps that player play a character who fits the mold as a weapon-caster. Giving a PC a few moments a day, because they take spell slots, when that character emphasizes the vibe of the fiction that inspires their character is great. They aren’t stepping on the toes of the Paladin (who has the Smite feature still) or the Ranger (because Favored Foe and Hunter’s Mark are their combat signatures).
Ten spells and your players will be more like the character they want to be, without the need to be a Hexblade sworn to a odd mystical sword, a Paladin sworn to a cause, or a Ranger protecting civilization from the Wildes.
There’s a new official Dungeons & Dragons book coming out on Tuesday, but it’s bundled in with the Rules Expansion Gift Set. Due to all of this that we’re living through [waves hands at world] the Gift Set didn’t come out in time for the peak gift-giving time of year. Instead, it’s an oddly timed late-January product with the only “original” part of it not available until May 17.
As is typical alternate art is available at your local gaming store, which you should support. In Renton you can go to Wizards Keep Games or Shane’s Cards. People on the Eastside should go to Mox Bellevue. Down in Tacoma check Tacoma Games. Those are all places in Greater Puget Sound that I’ve supported and am confident in.
There are three books. Xanathar’s Guide to Everything and Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything are just reprinted with the latest errata. There’s a new(kinda) book called Mordenkainen Presents Monsters of the Multiverse. You’ll also get a DM’s screen with some tables to reduce page flipping when you play in person. Screens can be quite handy.
Additionally there is a fancy slipcase to hold everything and look really good while it sits there.
That kinda sticks out doesn’t it? Monsters of the Multiverse has one new monster. Those that already own Volo’s Guide to Monsters and Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes will already have every other monster and nearly ever race, but in a different form. The new book has adjustments to the stat blocks to make them a bit more powerful and a bit easier to use. Also, those two earlier books (Volo’s and Tome of Foes) have dramatically more lore. Most of that lore is Forgotten Realms specific. The new book greatly minimizes the lore elements to what is true for a race or monster, typically, throughout the multiverse of D&D play.
Between the three books you’ll get rules for the Artificer class, a couple dozen new subclasses, over 30 new races, gobs of new magic items, many spells, and some new rules for exploration and be social parts of the game.
The person who most needs the Gift Set is someone who is recently deep into the game. For all intents this set is the second core of the game, with rules that help both players and dungeon masters. Those players that only have the Player’s Handbook and want to dramatically expand their options will enjoy the set (talk to your regular DM beforehand just in case they don’t want certain subclasses or rules at the table). A Dungeon Master who wants more monsters, traps, and puzzles will get great use from the Set if all they have are the three core books. Monsters of the Multiverse is particularly helpful for those who homebrew, as the weight of lore won’t interfere as much as Guide to Monsters and Tome of Foes.
Maybe certain collectors will want the new set too. There’s an appeal to that. But, I don’t have that kind of room in my house or wallet. The new art and case are great though. When I have that kind of room this might be the set that finds its way into the background of a video meeting.
Overall the set is the next three books a D&D fanatic should get if they don’t have the four books that make up the Gift Set already. If you already have those books it may not be meant for you. Wait for the three or more other books that will come out in 2022 or keep playing with what you already own.
Typically in Dungeons and Dragons an adventure consists of some easy encounters, some hard encounters, a deadly encounter, and then the final encounter. The way characters level up over a campaign echoes this progression.
Heck, this is even typical in most stories. The heroes may see a deadly monster early, but they don’t fight it until they are more powerful. Or, in the course of a D&D adventuring day, when they’ve used some amount of resources, thereby making the final monster more deadly.
Through a happy little accident of misreading some stat blocks, my last set of sessions inverted this process.
Rather than meet goblins, then hobgoblins, then an ogre climbing that ladder of difficulty, the group started their day with a CR 7.6 encounter, next was a CR 6.25 encounter, and then a CR 3.
That released some opportunities for the players. The happy little accident meant that during that tough encounter they used a bunch of powerful abilities rather than keep them in reserve. During the second encounter they used more.
Then, finally, when they met the “boss” (who was actually the boss of the various Dragon Sworn*) they only had a couple abilities left. That meant it felt deadly, but really wasn’t. They won easily.
* For this I used the Fizban’s Dragon Blessed, Dragon Chosen, and Dragon Speaker
Overall the group was tested, more so than typical in my sessions. Also, they got to use more of their potent features. If I better telegraphed the inversion, like if it was planned, then they would have used even more of their limited powers.
When a player invests in a character having certain abilities they need to be able to use them. This accident utilized more powers in one day then I’ve seen in some time.
Now they’ll try to rest.
