insperation for my campaign

some links for you folks, easy access, mostly added in order of completion

General worldbuilding

Half elves’ Home Made Families

The Orc Smear Campaign

Orc Smear Campaign Updated

Chameleon Dragonborn

Elf Hair

Elf Hair Updated

Dwarf Hair

Albinism pt 1/ pt 2

Halflings and Adoption

Prosthesis

Disease

Magic Seals

How magic works

Elf Eyes

Magic tattoos

Tiefling Horns (+ cultural practices)

Fae carapaces

Changelings

Glowing Elf Hair

Plague Doctors

Plague doctors updated

plague doctors pt 2

Kobolds!

Undead Druids

Eldest Elves

aasimar and tiefling traits

bugbears and bodypaint

Undead core classes

Gnomes

Goblin Diet

Hybrids

Tieflings

Dragonborn 

Orcs                                  

Wood Elves

Drow

Dwarves

Tabaxi

Aasimar

Kobolds

Halflings

Genasi

Living Islands

Eggs

Islands pt 1

Desert Biome

Islands part 2

Bestiary

Packs

Explorers Pack

Priests Pack

Burglars Pack

Entertainers Pack

Dungeoneers Pack

Diplomats Pack

Monster hunters pack

Spell Scars

Cantrips

1st level

(1st level updated)

2nd level 

(2nd level updated)

3rd level

4th level

5th level

6th level

7th level

8th level

9th level

Commissioned

Catalogues for toe-in-the-water furries and monsterfuckers

Cats

Metallic Dragons

Chromatic Dragons

Harpies

Cervitaurs (deer-centaur)

½ Minotaur/ quarter bulls

Seasonal Fae

Dream fae

Dryads

tiefling horns (1) (2)

Doggys

Fish

Eldritch horrors

Horses :)

“Extreme thirst has a lot of causes.  Let’s check your blood sugar, and let’s take a skin sample to see if you’re developing scales.”

“Joint pain is pretty common when someone’s pushing themself that way with training, and I’d definitely recommend some rest, but it sounds like it’s been coming on with the moon so we might want to do a blood test to check for lycanthropy.”

“I’m going to give you this journal.  Keep track of how often you’re near bodies of water and copses of trees – not single trees, there needs to be a cluster.”

It should come as no surprise to folks that know me personally that my favourite video game series is Dishonored, and since the player characters of that series have access to a number of eldritch powers, I thought they’d be something interesting to translate as spells for D&D.

Domino 3rd-level enchantment Casting Time: 1 action Range: 60 feet Components: S Duration: 1 minute Choose two target creatures. Each of them must make a Wisdom saving throw, which they have disadvantage on if they are unaware of your presence. If both creatures fail the save, the two become linked. If a linked creature suffers any damage, is pushed or gains any conditions, all other creatures linked to it suffer the same effect.    At higher levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, you may link an additional target for each spell slot level above 3rd.

Doppelgänger 2nd-level illusion Casting Time: 1 action Range: 60 feet Components: S Duration: 5 rounds You summon an illusionary duplicate of yourself at any point where you would normally be able to stand within range. The doppelgänger has tangible form, using your armour class and saving throws, with five hit points. The doppelgänger acts immediately after you in initiative order; you may control it with a bonus action, otherwise it will flee combat. If your doppelgänger is killed, it leaves a body which disappears once it is out of sight. If you are hidden from sight when casting this spell, enemies consider you dead if they kill your doppelgänger .   At higher levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, your doppelgänger may make any melee attack you are capable of during its turn as an action. When cast at this level, the doppelgänger actively attacks enemies instead of fleeing combat as it normally would.

Far Reach 1st-level conjuration Casting Time: 1 bonus action Range: 30 feet Components: S Duration: Instantaneous A mass of tendrils stretch from your hand to any unoccupied space on a surface within range, then pull you directly to that location. If the location is not a flat surface, but one that you can climb onto, you immediately climb onto it. If you cannot climb onto the surface, you overshoot it and land 5 feet away from the chosen location, in the direction that you travelled.   At higher levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level, you may use your far reach to instantaneously pull an object into your hands.   When you cast this spell at 3rd level or higher, you may target a creature within range. That creature must succeed on a Strength saving throw, or be pulled directly to you, landing prone in the nearest unoccupied space between you and the target’s original location. 

Mesmerize 2nd-level enchantment Casting Time: 1 action Range: 60 feet Components: S Duration: 3 rounds You summon a spirit from the void to enthral your enemies. Summon the spirit at a point within range. Creatures within 20 feet of the spirit must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be charmed and incapacitated, and must spend their turn staring at the spirit. At the end of a Creature’s turn, it may attempt the save again.

Shadow Walk 4th-level transmutation Casting Time: 1 action Range: 60 feet Components: S Duration: 3 rounds  For the duration, you, along with everything you are wearing and carrying, take on a smoky, shadow form. When you make an attack, or are reduced to 0 hit points in shadow form, the spell ends. While in the shadow form, you have the following benefits:

You have advantage on Stealth rolls when in dim light, and cannot be detected in complete darkness.

You may only make unarmed strikes, which deal 3d8 necrotic damage, instead of their normal damage, when in shadow form, plus your spellcasting ability modifier.

When attacking an unaware target, your unarmed strikes deal double damage.

At higher levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, you may make one additional melee attack before the spell ends for each spell slot level above 4th.

Far Reach and Shadow Walk were worked based on existing spells, namely Misty Step as the basis for Far Reach, with modifications for range, momentum and higher level abilities, and Gaseous Form for Shadow Walk, which I used as a guide on the caster’s form changing. Domino was developed with some inspiration from the Trickery Cleric’s Invoke Duplicity ability; Domino and Mesmerize were developed from scratch, with levels that I felt were most appropriate for them. All of the spells with a duration used as close to the durations of those spells in the game as is possible with the D&D system using turns instead of specifying by seconds.

It’s been a while since my first Dishonored spells post, so here is the next part of the series, presenting rules for all of Corvo’s powers!

Bend Time 6th-level transmutation  Casting Time: 1 action Range: 30 feet Components: S, V Duration: * You slow time to a crawl for a brief period. Time slows to a rate of half its normal rate for you, for 1 round, which you experience as twice that much time, allowing you to take two turns after your current turn. During this time, you have advantage on Dexterity saving throws, and do not provoke opportunity attacks. At higher levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 7th level or higher, the duration of your time stop is reduced to one round, but you stop time completely instead of slowing it. During this period of stopped time, other creatures cannot see you, and cannot take reactions or legendary actions during the turns you take during the period of stopped time. Attacks you make during this period deal damage when time resumes.

Blink 1st-level conjuration Casting Time: 1 bonus action Range: 30 feet Components: S, V Duration: Instantaneous     You are immediately moved directly to any unoccupied space on a surface within range. If the target location is not a flat surface, but one that you can climb onto, you immediately climb onto it. If you cannot climb onto the surface, you are moved directly to it and land in the nearest empty space. During this movement, you do not suffer disengaging strikes, but are still susceptible to damage from hazards in your way, such as spell effects or terrain.

Dark Vision 1st-level illusion Casting Time: 1 bonus action Range: Self Components: S, V Duration: One minute, concentration For the duration, you can see creatures through any obstacles blocking your view for a range of 30 feet. Creatures you can see while concentrating on this spell are seen as yellow silhouettes, while the rest of your field of view takes on an ochre brown coloration. At higher levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, you can also see the field of view of creatures within range, which appears as a yellow cone extending from a creature’s eyes in the direction in which it is looking. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, you can also see the mechanisms of traps within range, which appear blue. At this level, the spell also reveals small objects of a value of 50gp or greater, which appear green.

Devouring Swarm 3rd-level conjuration Casting Time: 1 action Range: 30 feet Components: S, V Duration: One minute, concentration     You summon a 10-foot radius rat swarm within range, which remains for the duration, then scatters. When the area appears, each creature in it must make a Constitution saving throw. A creature takes 3d8 piercing damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. A creature must also make this saving throw when it enters the spell’s area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there. At the start of your turn, the rat swarm moves up to 30 feet so that it encompasses as many creatures that it can see as can fit within its area.

Posession 4th-level enchantment Casting Time: 1 action Range: 80 feet Components: S, V Duration: A number of rounds equal to 5 minus the target’s Wisdom modifier.           You merge corporeally with a medium or smaller beast within range. The target must succeed on a Charisma saving throw or be possessed by you; you then disappear, and the target is incapacitated and loses control of its body. You now control the body. For the duration, you can’t be targeted by any attack, spell, or other effect, and retain your alignment, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. You otherwise use the possessed target’s statistics, but don’t gain access to the target’s knowledge, class features, or proficiencies. At the end of the duration, you reappear in an empty space directly behind the target. If the target was a tiny creature, it is reduced to zero hit points when the spell ends. If the target was a humanoid, or larger than tiny, it is stunned for one round when the spell ends. If the creature you are possessing is reduced to zero hit points, you are reduced to zero hit points, and if the creature you are possessing is killed, you also are killed, and do not end the possession.     At higher levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, you may also target humanoids.

Windblast 3rd-level evocation Casting Time: 1 action, or 1 reaction that you can take when a creature makes a ranged attack against you. Range: 15-foot cone Components: S, V Duration: Instantaneous     All creatures within range must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 2d6 force damage and is pushed 30 feet away from you, landing prone. On a successful save the creature takes half as much damage and isn’t pushed. This spell deals double damage to structures. If this spell is cast as a reaction to a ranged attack, the attack misses you. You may then make a spell attack roll against the creature that made the attack. On a hit, the  creature suffers the normal damage of the projectile that was reflected.     At higher levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, creatures are a further 10 feet and damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 2nd.

Bend time was based on Time Stop (particularly as the reason for such a high casting cost), with the changing effects of the spell based on how the power differentiates when upgraded in game. Much like the Far Reach rules on my Emily spells list, Blink was based on Misty Step, but has clauses that make it weaker, as it actually moves the caster through space as opposed to acting as a teleport. Possession’s specific wording was based on the rules for Ghosts, as they have a similar effect, which only required expanding for use in  designing the Dishonored power.

Eliot’s syle of grifting is to flatten himself, to make himself seem simple. He plays nerds, ‘manipulate-able’ fighters, awkward librarians and accountants and basically people it’s easy to dismiss or to pigeonhole as one thing (whereas in reality he’s anything but that). In direct contrast, Sophie’s entire grift style plays up her mysteriousness. She draws people in because they want to know more about her, because she’s intriguing and fascinating and there’s the suggestion that if only the mark were worthy of her time and attention, she knows things they could only dream of.

Nate’s style is to be incredibly obnoxious. Which, let’s all congratulate him on playing to his strengths, first of all. But second of all, it’s a really interesting grift style, because basically it manipulates people by annoying them. While Sophie draws people in and directs their attention and clouds their judgement by making them want her around, Nate directs people’s attention and clouds their judgement by making them want him to leave. They’re both very effective at getting a person to do exactly what they want!

And while Eliot’s grift style almost always involves him pretending to be bad at something (physically harmless alien nerd, unsophisticated boxer who can’t people good, etc), Hardison’s grifts almost always involve him being an expert at something (Iceman, FBI agent, even conspiracy theorist) and using his expertise to gain access, authority, etc.

And then I was thinking about Parker and trying to pin down her style, and I realized that another reason why she was an excellent choice of leader is that she can kind of do them all. Every grift she does has that tinge of ‘weird’ to it, because that’s who she is, but she’s able to switch between strategies in a way that the others never really employ. She can be unassuming and underestimated (Alice, baby reporter), off-putting and upsetting (that pop star with the duck), an expert who comes in and takes over (FBI agent), or intriguing and enticing (that scene with the diamond necklace, you know the one, we all know the one, you whispered “oh no she’s hot” at the screen don’t lie). I wouldn’t say she’s the best grifter, that’s definitely Sophie, but she might be the most versatile one.

I definitely did not just spend two hours creating a 5-page google document listing all my book-marked DnD resources organised by topic that you can check out here…

Topics include: make your gaming accessible; creating player characters and npcs; map design; encounter building; worldbuilding, making homebrew content, and music & immersion

Saurial

Playable dinosaur people. How… how much more do I even have to say?? Hailing back to 2nd edition but being printed as a playable race up to 2002, the Saurial umbrella race encompasses four different subtypes, each resembling a different dinosaur (or in the Flyers a non-dinosaur pterasaur). Far from the alien lizardfolk, the Sauriels are much more intelligent and are even usually on the side of good. Plus, imagine some additional subspecies taking advantage of other branches of the Mesozoic tree of life…

Loxo

Anyone who’s played Magic: the Gathering and has seen more than a few Loxodon cards will probably already get the appeal of these guys, who were first introduced in 1991 and kept going till 2004. Resembling orc to ogre sized bipedal elephants, these pachyderm powerhouses have the additional benefit of having two trunks, each of which possessing fully developed fingers of its own. While perhaps slightly disturbing, having an extra set of limbs on top of a mighty body and a pair of tusks makes for an intimidating and surprisingly well rounded race. Though maybe the trunk could be reduced down to one… it is a little disturbing to look at.

Mul

Here’s the half-human race I don’t seem to hear much of these days. Originally made for the post-apocalyptic Dark Sun setting, Muls (originally produced like mule but nowadays in universe that seems more derogatory) are what you get when a dwarf and a human make a baby. With a dwarf’s powerful frame and the height of a human, these powerfully built individuals are a force to be reckoned with both on the battlefield and in the arena. Why should half elfs and half orcs get all the limelight?

Fey’ri/Wispling/Maeluth/Tanarukk

Turns out humans aren’t the only ones who occasionally do the horizontal tango with demons. Hailing from the elven, halfling, dwarven, and orcish races respectively, each of these tiefling variants have some kind of demonic heritage. And lets face it, these guys look amazing for it. Funnily enough the elven and orcish variants came later than the dwarven and halfling variants, with the former two being used as recently as 2006. My personal favorite here is the tanarukk. Just look at that magnificent demonic son of a bitch. 

Swanmay/Selkie

I fully admit, this is partially cause a friend of mine has a swanmay character and I think its a really cool look. Also I’m a massive sucker for selkie mythology for some reason. Swanmays and selkies are sort of in the same boat: characters that have an innate ability to transform into an animal, respectively a swan and a seal. Both have their roots in classical folklore, and both first appeared in 1983′s Monster Manual II. While the selkie doesn’t seem to have immediate roots as a playable race, the swanmay does, though it got a little mixed up as a prestiege class for a while. In any case I think both would be interesting additions to a modern campaign.

Kender

Hey folks, ever want to play a thief but think to yourself “gee, I really don’t want to get caught up in that negative baggage that tends to crop up from stealing stuff”. Well have I got a race for you! First thought up for the Dragonlance setting, Kender tend to resemble children with aging facial features, usually growing around 4 feet tall. They’re literally fearless, being immune to even supernaturally induced fear (save for that inspired by Lord Soth apparently). They also have an… interesting view of ownership. In that they don’t really get it. Things are basically viewed as communal among Kender, and its normal to see them walk off with a “borrowed” object that catches their fancy. Ironically they don’t see much use in currency, overlooking gold pieces for more fascinating bits of material goods. A lesser known twist on a role usually filled by halflings.

Mongrelfolk

When the human urge to bone monstrous things gets a little out of hand, you get these, and don’t they just look fantastic? Though Mongrelfolk have had their origins re-imagined in fifth edition, I like the original one where humanoid teratophilia just kind of got out of control. I also think this chimerical race could have fascinating implications as a player race in terms of customization. Maybe have tables you have to roll for to see what each limb or appendage looks like, conferring benefits or just unique appearances depending on where the dice land. Not a charismatic people perhaps, but definitely one with many possibilities. 

Alaghi

Badass, thy name is Alaghi. A fearsome cross between a yeti and a werewolf, the Alaghi hail all the way back to second edition, and have in fact been a player race before twice over before. Despite their rather bestial appearance, these creatures can be benevolent, especially the loner ones. I don’t know how much else I can say but just look at this guy! Who wouldn’t want to play as one?

It did, I’ve just been distracted by holidays and my very demanding job.

A continuation of this

Rebel wizards leaking open-source spellbooks for free to spellcasters that can’t afford to join the elite magic schools

I don’t know if there’s free press in Faerûn but there are bards that will spread catchy songs about asshole nobles trampling on half-orc rights

A gnome-run toy shop that sells kits for kids to learn to build their own cool, animate clockword toys

Wood Elves that grew up in a city and have never seen a tree in their lives, but are really good and blending into urban environments

Genasi tattoo artists: because not being born with kickass skin markings shouldn’t preclude you from getting some

Races with natural darkvision having the same eyeshine as nocturnal animals

Dragonborn and Kobolds speaking in gender-neutral Common because they have trouble spotting gender cues of the non-reptillian races

A network of druids, clerics, and diviners acting as an early warning system for storms, earthquakes, and floods days or weeks in advance

With humans able to intermingle with elves, orcs, dwarves, fiends, djinn, and the occasional kinky dragon, family trees and census paperwork must be a nightmare to sort through.

(’Please check any non-human ancestry within 1-5 generations:’ “YES”)

A wizard-tailor using mage hand to take measurements, mend to fix tears, and transmutation to change fabric colors and materials

Familiars serving as support and guide animals

Mage-heavy cities utilzing conjuration and transmutation to make post-scarcity societies

A troupe of Kenku performers using their natural sound mimcry to put on high-production plays, musicals, and puppet shows

Druid-run animal shelters

Male tieflings wearing skirts because having custom pants tailored to accommodate their tails is too much of a hassle

Firefighter clerics, wizards, and druids

(and the apologetic sorcerer that probably started the fire by mistake)

Young, forty-something dwarves joining druid circles and protesting the damage their clan mining does on the environment

Everyone gives up trying to categorize sexuality when a half-elf can bring their cute dragonborn boyfriend home to meet their family

Human kids having an awesome bearded dwarf vodka-aunt that adventured with a great-grandparent decades ago and gives the best presents

Ok but there are several disciplines of magic that let you bring people back from the dead wtf

Young punk elves barely in their 80s but yelling at humans “Check yourself knave I made out with your grandma before she even had your Da.”

Wizards for Familiar Rights

Spellcasters using ‘alter self’ and switch genders at will

A giant half-Orc mom adopting street kids and giving them shoulder rides

A normal human whose sibling was born a tiefling beating up village kids who mistreat them

Integrated cities made to accommodate smaller folk like halflings and gnomes

Would alchemists be the ones to concoct magic medications for psych disorders? Are divination clerics and wizards psychologists?

Convoluted age laws because a half-orc is an adult at 15 but an elf isn’t considered of-age until their first century.

Maybe democracies aren’t a thing in Faerûn because all you’d need is a few necromancers to literally have dead people voting

Creating a Deity

Deities are immensely powerful beings. It is difficult to imagine that a deity could have limits to what can or cannot do, let alone that such a being could ever suffer defeat. Yet even deities have limitations, and can, through the power of ambitious mortals, be challenged. Here are some rough guidelines for statistics when creating your own deities that can challenge players.

Deity Statistics

A deity’s statistics are beyond the realm and scope of a player’s or even a monster’s statistics in most cases. But in order to accommodate the potential for obscenely powerful deicidal player-characters that want to fight a god, we must draw up some numbers.

The following defines statistics for a deity’s avatar, except where noted. A deity’s avatar is its physically manifested form. This is opposed to its deific, metaphysical form which could be something else entirely depending on the nature of your setting. A mortal creature can interact physically with a deity’s avatar, but not with its metaphysical form (without magical aid).

Size

A deity can take on any number of physical aspects and thus could be any size. Use whatever size you deem is most appropriate for the deity’s avatar. The deity’s size will determine its weapon damage dice and the type of die used for its hit dice.

Alignment

The alignment of a deity should be specific and defined so that a player-character can identify with it and integrate it into their backstory if they wish. Alignment is an integral descriptor for a deity and instantly lets players make assumptions about the personality, portfolio, and worshipers of that deity. It is possible for a deity’s alignment to change, although that may take a couple of millennia.

Armor Class

Notes on cartography by American cartographer, Erwin Raisz (1893-1968). So neat and precise. This makes me want to draw maps.